the fauour of God in pleasing him and in enioying of him and therefore when he reckons that his life consists therein he doth exceeding diligently whatsoeuer worke tends to him and to his glory This is the third effect that arriseth from sincerity and perfection of heart A fourth effect is this a heart that is entire and vpright and perfect with GOD you shall finde thus disposed hee sâ—ffers euery grace to haue his perfect worke that is a signe the heart is sound and entire and perfect when the graces of God are not restrained when they are not dammed and barred vp but are suffâ—red to haue their perfect worke as it is said of patience you shall see that expression Iam. 1. Let patience haue her perfect worke Reâ—oyce saith the Apostle there when you fall into tâ—oubles of diuâ—râ— sorts reioyce knowing that the 〈◊〉 of your faith brings forth patience and let patience haue her perfect worke that you may be perfect and entire wanting nothing Where you see that this is put downe as an effect that ariseth from perfectnesse and integrity of heart when we suffer the graces of God as patience in particular to haue their perfect worke Now patience is said to haue its perfect worke when it endures all kinde of tryals for that is the scope of the Apostle Reioyce saith the Apostle when you fall into tryals of diners sorts that is tryals that concerne you in soule in body in name and in state tryals of euery sort and euery kinde if patience be perfect and it will be perfect if it be in a heart that is perfect and entire it will haue a perfect worke it will make vs stay no where So that beloued patience hath then its perfect worke when it will suffer any thing be it death be it disgrace bee it imprisonment or pouerty be it losse of friends be it what it will be afflictions of any kinde name all sorts of trouble that you can deuise if patience haue a perfect worke it will beare all of them When the heart is sound beloued then this grace or any other hath a perfect worke therefore you see men whose hearts are not sound nature will stand some where a man perhaps will beare many things for Religion but if it come to death there he shrinkes a man will endure much but if it come to disgrace to discredit to losse of reputation there his patience hath not a perfect worke and therefore he giues ouer As patience must haue a perfect worke which is seene in suffering so likewise it is seene in doing So you see that expression Heb. 17. 1. Seeing we haue such a cloud of witnesses saith the Apostle let vs runne the race with patience that is set before vs. The meaning of it is this saith he if patience haue a perfect worke it will carry you through the whole race to the iournies end but if otherwise a man will runne so far or so farre but when he meetes with such a rubbe with such a barre by the way there hee will make a stand when he comes to thick way or to thornie way or to rough way there hee will not runne and why because patience hath not a perfect worke Therefore saith he runne with patience the race that is set before you So beloued a mans heart is then entire when euery grace I instance now in this hath his perfect worke If you obiect But you see sometimes patience euen in the best of the Saints hath not a perfect worke but is sometimes interrupted I answer it is true you see it was so in Iob though he were a man of an vpright heart God beares that witnesse to him hee was a iust man one that feared God and likewise this grace was perfect in him as that witnesse is giuen him Iam. 5. 11. You know the patience of Iob yet notwithstanding this it seemed to be interrupted it seemed not to haue its perfect worke Beloued to this I answer that it did not rise from the hollownesse of his heart or the imperfection of the grace but it ariseth many times from some other impediment some other accident from some distemper that may arise in the soule that sometime or other may hinder euen a perfect grace from hauing a perfect worke as you see in the workes of nature there may be a perfect Spring and yet sometimes it may be hindered from running by some outward impediment it may some way or other be dammed vp so it may be a perfect Drug fit and apt enough to worke and yet some impediment there may bee that may hinder it and choake it and dead the vertue of it for a time but it is but for a fit ordinarily and in ordinary course euery grace will haue its perfect worke and as I say of patience so likewise you see in all other graces to giue you another instance the same the Apostle giues there of faith faith when it ariseth when it dwels in a heart that is entire that is perfect it hath a perfect worke when it is otherwise it workes but imperfectly and but by halues I will giue you an experiment of it you shall see two notable examples of it one in Amaziah 2 Chron. 25. you shall finde there what worke faith had in him you see in the 8 9 10. Verses Amaziah was to goe to warre against the Edomites he hyred 100000. of Israel that was halfe his Armie to goe and assist him in the battell there comes a Prophet from the LORD and tels him Amaziah know this the Lord is not with Israel and therefore seperate these men and send them home if thou doe not thou shalt fall before the enemy for in the Lord there is power to helpe or to cast downe Amaziah beleeued the Prophet so that you see faith had a great worke in him but saith hee I am not able to hyre any more That is no matter said the Prophet goe with those thou hast and hee was content to doe so hee went on to the Battell and in the next verse hee was encouraged to goe on it was a great worke of faith to send backe halfe his Armie and to goe on so much encouraged notwithstanding yet after in the same Chapter you shall finde though faith went thus farre in him and carried him through so difficult a case yet it had not its perfect worke for immediately after hee had ouercome the Edomites hee set vp their Gods and a Prophet comes and tels him Amaziah art thou so foolish to set vp the Gods of the Edomites that were not able to deliuer their owne people Saith the Text hee would not hearken to the Prophet but bade him cease and the Prophet ceased So you see faith had a worke in him and a great worke but heerein he had an vnsound heart as it is said Verse 2. hee walked before the LORD in the way of his Fathers but not with a
he hath enough he doth it not as if he needed any thing for he is All-sufficient And so like wise in Psal. 50. sayth the Lord there If I be hungry I will not tell thee That is To shew how little neede he hath of Sacrifices how little regard he had them when they were brought in and how little he was moved when they fayled in it For sayth he all are mine the sheepe vpon a thousand mountaines are mine If I be hungry I will not tell thee That is I may satisfie my selfe I doe but apply it by way of allusion if I would haue Sacrifice in abundance might I not haue it If I were hungry after them who could keepe them from me We may say the same of the obedience of his children If he were hungry That is If he were desirous of perfect and absolute obedience could he not haue it Hath he not spirit enough Hath he not grace enough to put into their hearts that he might reape the full fruits of righteousnesse And therefore I say in regard of Gods All-sufficiencie he needs it not and if he need it not he will be content with a more imperfect measure of it since he is no looser by it This is to perswade our hearts more fully of that truth which wee assent vnto with some difficultie for we are something discouraged with the imperfections of our obedience whose faith is not weakned by it who comes not more vnchearfully before God because of it Now if that feare were taken away we would draw neere more boldly We see what Iob sayth in this case Iob 35. 6. 7. If thou sinnest what dost thou against him yea when thy sinnes are many what dost thou to him If thou be righteous what givest thou to him or what receiues he at thy hands Marke you know sinne and righteousnesse are the two pathes that we walke in those are all that trouble vs the sinnes that we commit and the defects of our righteousnesse Sayth he if thou sinne what is that to him It doth him no hurt Againe if thou fayle in thy righteousnesse or in thy performances it is all one that way for it reacheth not to him because he is blessed for ever he hath all sufficiencie in himselfe and therefore he pleaseth so to administer the world and so to guide the hearts of his children and to dispense to them but such a measure of grace to leaue sinfull lusts in them in such a measure vnmortified because himselfe is neither a gainer nor a looser therefore let not your faith be weakned at this his administration of things let not carnall feares possesse your hearts to keepe you off from comming with boldnesse to him since he is All-sufficient since he needs not your righteousnesse he can be without it Moreover This we may draw further from it if God be thus All-sufficient that what we doe comes not neere him then all the Commandements that God giues to the sonnes of men are for their good and not for his profit Marke that that should breede in vs a great willingnesse to keepe his CoÌ„mandements and a great chearefulnesse to performe them when we vnderstand that it is for our owne good When a servant knowes that all is for his owne good that he doth he will goe about all the businesse his Maister imployeth him in with more chearefulnesse because he loues himselfe this is a principle God hath put into nature Now if God be All-sufficient then he commands nothing for his owne benefit in any thing no not in that in which he seemes most to doe it The Sabbath that he hath taken for himselfe and hath called it his day Some may aske is not that for his owne sake No God sayth the Sabbath is made for man As if he should say If it had beene made for mine owne sake I would haue taken more then one day from you But I haue given it for your sake I made it for man for man could not be without it he could not be religious without it his heart could not keepe neere to God without it it would soone be estranged from him it would be over-growne with weeds if it were not looked to ever and anon he would soone be defectiue in his knowledge he would soone forget the purposes that he takes to himselfe therefore the Sabbath is made for man That is Oâ—e day wherein the Lord commands him to set aside all other busines and to intend his service And that which is said of the Sabbath may be said of all other Commandements for he is All-sufficient He bids a man deny himselfe and take vp his crosse Is it for him No my Beloved it is for our selues and therefore when a man denies himselfe in his profit in his credit when he denies himselfe in the satisfying of his lusts all this is for his owne profit as you haue it clearely set downe in Esay 48. 17. I am the Lord that teacheth thee to profit therefore hearken to my Commandements As if he should say It is for thy profit that I command thee and not for my owne therefore let that cause thee the more willingly to doe it And so that is often repeated in Deut. the Commandements that I haue given thee for thy wealth for thy good Beloved all the Commandements of Sathan are for our hurt we doe him service as bond-slaues serue their Maisters not for their owne profit but for their Maisters But all the service we doe to God is for our wealth for he is All-sufficient Last of all If God be All-sufficient then when you performe any thing doe not thinke that you giue any thing to the Lord and so looke for recompence there is that secret Popery in every mans heart that he thinkes when he hath done any speciall service to be rewarded for it Indeede if thou wouldst do God a good turne thou mights looke for somewhat againe at his hands but it is done to him that is sufficient and how can you doe him a good turne how can you giue to him Marke It is the ground which the Apostle layeth Rom. 11. 34. Who hath given to him and it shall be recompenced to him He that is capable of no gift there can be nothing done to him to premerit any thing For he is All-sufficient there can be no addition made to him and sayth he dost thou looke for any recompence What doest thou else but giue to him of his owne Shall a man merit in giving to the Lord the fruits of his owne Vineyard the Apples of his owne Orchard When as all the graces we haue are but as streames springing from that fountaine that he hath put into vs therefore when thou hast done thy best say within thy selfe vnto thine owne heart I am but an vnprofitable servant I can looke for nothing for all this for he is All-sufficient and needs it not I haue done him no good
the vigor of all carnall joy and sinfull delight So the more you see this All-sufficiencie of God towards you in loue the more you are able to beleeue it and the more it kils sinne in you the more it sanctifies you and the more it drawes you to God Therefore this is to be considered to helpe vs against this objection that there is a double feare the one is that which keepes vs from comming to God The other is a feare that keepes vs from going out from God Wee are very apt to exceede in the first feare And to come short in the second Now the feare that keepes vs from comming in to God is a feare that he is a feare that he is not readie to forgiue that he is not All-sufficient that he hath not power enough of mercy to forgiue our sinnes and to heale our infirmities this makes a man tumorous and fearefull as a man is fearefull to come neere a Iudge to come neere one that is terrible Now the more this feare is taken away the neerer we come the neerer we draw in assurance of faith to him On the other side there is a feare that keepes vs off from going out from Gâ—d and that is the more we beleeue this All-sufficiencie the more we beleeue that happinesse is in him the more we beleeue the riches of his mercy and the abundance of his goodnesse the more we feare to steppe out from him to haue our hearts estranged from him to haue our hearts sit loose Now the more we can beleeue this All-sufficiencie the more it takes away the first feare and increaseth the second it takes away the feare that keepes vs from comming in to God and it increaseth the feare that keepes vs from going out from God So much shall serue for this first the All-sufficiencie of God in forgiuing sinne The second part of the Covenant is his All-sufficiency in healing our sinnes or in sanctisying vs as you haue it in Psal. 103. That forgiues all our sinnes and heales all our infirmities This belongeth also to his All-sufficiencie This my Beloved is a necessary poynt to beleeue It serues likewise to bring vs in to the Lord for a man is readie to make this objection when he lookes vpon Gods wayes the wayes of righteousnesse and then vpon the strength of his lusts he is ready to say with himselfe how shall I be able to leade a holy life as I ought to doe This is the answer to it God is All-sufficient He that is able to bid the light shine out of darknesse sayth the Apostle he is able to kindle a light in thy darke heart where there is not a jot of goodnesse though thy heart be never so averse he is able to change that heart of thine and therefore say not I shall never be able to doe it for he is able to take away all that reluctancy For hence comes the difficultie how shall the strength of my lusts this crooked and perverse heart of mine and the straight wayes of God stand together It is very true Is thy heart continue in that temper it is impossible but the Lord that is All-sufficient is able to take away that reluctancie for he doth in the worke of grace as he doth in the worke of nature he doth not as we doe when we would haue an Arrow goe to the marke when we throw a stone vpward we are not able to change the nature of it but we put it on by force God carries all things to their end by giving them a nature suitable to that end An Archer makes an impression vpon an Arrow but it is a violent impression God carries every thing to that end to which he hath appoynted it but with this difference he makes not a violent impression but a naturall impression therefore he doth it not by an onely immediate hand of his owne as we doe but he causeth the Creature to goe on of it selfe to this or to that purpose to this or that end And so he doth in the worke of grace he doth not carry a man on to the wayes of righteousnesse leaving him in the state of nature taking him as he is but he takes away that heart of his and imprints the habits of grace in it and he changeth a mans heart so that he is carried willingly to the wayes of God as the creature is carried by a naturall instinct to its owne place or to the thing it desires So that thou mayst thinke thus with thy selfe It is true if I haue my old heart my old lusts still there must needs be such a reluctancy as I shall not be able to overcome but if the Lord change this heart of mine and take away these lusts if the Lord put another imprâ—ssion vâ—on on me that is naturall to me which is like that instinct he putteth into the creature then it is easie for me to doe it And this the Lord out of his All-sufficiencie is able to doe But you will be readie to object if the Lord be thus All-sufficient if he be able thus to kindle light in the darke heart to change a mans crooked and perverse spirit to implant and ingraft such naturall habits and instincts into it to carry it on with such facilitie and connaturalnesse to the wayes of his Commandements why am I thus why am I no more able to overcome my sinnes why doe I fall backe so often to the same sinne why doe I come short of the performance of such purposes and desires why doe I finde so many things in my life contrary to the Rules of Sanctification and so contrary to this All-sufficient power of God To this I answer First It may be it is from hence that thou observest not those Rules by which God communicates this All-sufficiency and this power of his What though the Lord be willing to communicate it yet there are some Rules to be observed which himselfe hath given That is Thou must diligently attend vpon his ordinances thou must observe and keepe them thou must be carefull to abstaine from the occasions he bids thee abstaine from if thou sayle in either of these he hath made thee no promise to helpe thee with his All-sufficiencie Sampson as long as the Lord was with him you know had great strength you know the Lord tels him so long as he nourished his hayre so long he would be with him which was but a symboll of Gods presence but it was such a thing as he would haue him to keepe exactly and if he did not keepe that he would withdraw his presence and would not be with him So likewise the Nazarites were commanded to abstaine from drinking wine if they dranke wine the Lord would withdraw himselfe And so it is in this case the Lord hath appointed vs to keepe his ordinances and so long he will be with vs as he was with Sampson to be All-sufficient
perfect heart And you shall finde this very Storie that I haue now named brought in as an euidence that his heart was not sound that his faith had not a perfect worke so farre his faith went thus far he did by vertue of that faith that he had but a perfect worke his faith had not Another example is in Rehoboam 2 Chron. 11. When the Kingdome was diuided and giuen to Ieroboam and the tenne Tribes had made that defection from Rehoboam hee gathered together ninescore thousand fighting men to goe vp against Israel but saith the Text the Word of the Lord came to Shemaiah a man of God saying Speake to Rehoboam the sonne of salomon King of Iudah and to all Israel and Iudah and Beniamin saying Thus saith the Lord You shall not goe vp to fight against your brethren returne euery man to his house for this thing is done by mee They obeyed therefore the Word of the Lord and returned from going against Ieroboam You see heere a very great worke of faith that caused him to giue ouer to sit downe to be content to lose so great a part of his Kingdome and to looke no more after it that when hee had an Armie ready of valiant men yet hee was conteut to sit downe though he were a man that was not sound-hearted yet faith had thus farre a worke in him and not onely for this time but for three yeeres after hee cleaued to the Lord and serued him in all things and yet for all this it had not its perfect worke it carried him not through for afterwards he departed from the Lord. Beloued this is a signe of an vnsound heart when faith shall goe so farre when it shall inable a man to doe many things and yet for all this it hath not its perfect work Wee see the contrary in Abraham Rom. 4. 19. when he was put to it when God had made him a promise that he should be the Father of many Nations saith the Text he was not weake in the faith The meaning is he was not vnsound but was perfect in the faith What did he doe How did that appeare Saith hee hee went through when the Lord came with such a promise hee considered not his owne body that was dead for hee was a hundred yeeres old nor he considered not the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe but saith he he beleeâ—ned that he was able that had promised This is giuen as an euidence of the truth of his faith he made not a stand in such a difficult case for he was not vnsound but hee was perfect in the faith So likewise when he came to offer his sonne here in the perfection of his faith was seene And beloued by this you may know whether your hearts be right if you suffer euery grace to haue its perfect worke when your faith doth not picke and choose and take heere a promise and leaue there another here to beleeue a threatning another not to beleeue here to take hold on a Commandement to beleeue that this is the will of GOD in another case not to beleeue for so doing is a signe of an vnsound heart If you obiect But faith many times hath not a perfect worke in the Saints as Moses at the waters of strife saith the Text hee fayled through vnbeliâ—fe and againe Dauid when hee fled from Saul to Achis we see his faith there had not its perfect worke so likewise Peter when the waues beganne to arise to swell and hee beganne to sinke his faith had not a perfect worke To this I answer that faith may haue a perfect worke that is there may be an aptnesse in it that ordinarily it goes through the worke â—hough by some accident it may be hindred for marke the faith of those wee see Dauid though he fayled at this time yet at other times he did not no more did Moses nor Peter which is an argument that it rose not from vnsoundnesse from hollownesse of the grace or of their hearts but from some interueniall impediment some passion as it was a passion in Moses he was distempered and so it was a feare a mist that was cast before the eyes of Peter at that time Now you know a man may bee said to haue a perfect eye and yet for all that in a mist he may not be able to see as at other times and a man may be said to haue a perfect hand and yet a fit of a Palsie may make it shake and make it vâ—fit for any thing so a man may haue a perfect taste able to distinguish one thing from another yet when hee is in an Ague in such a fit he takes things amisse things that are wholsome seeme bitter to him so in the graces of the Spirit there may be sometimes much impâ—rfection admitted when a man is in the mist when he is in the fit when some distemper some passion or affection hath ouercast and ouerclouded the soule as it were and possessed he pallate these may be defects and yet the grace may be perfect But you shall know it by this ordinarily it is not so it is but by accident and therefore it comes to passe but now and then And as we say of the grace of faith so to giue you another instance truth or the knowledge of truth this great grace if the heart be sound will haue a perfect worke it will goe through it will not make a stand heere and there as it doth in those that are vnsound as you see Rom. 1. 18. it is giuen there as a signe of an vnrighteous man when they withold the truth in vnrighteousnes that is when the truth is not suffered to haue a perfect worke when there is truth and they suffer it perhaps to informe their vnderstandings but they suffer it to goe no further when they suffer it not to walke abroad into all the corners of the soule into all the inward roomes of it or if they doe that yet they suffer it not to come into the outward Courts of their conuersation it is a signe that this grace hath not a perfect worke but is restrained and such an expression you shall finde 2 Pet. 3. 5. This they willingly know not marke that the heaueâ—s were of old c. Hee speakes there of certaine Atheists that were mockers and despisers that were ready to say Where is the promise of his comming doe not all things continue alike since the time of the Fathers The Apostle answers them thus saith he they haue truth in them there is light enough GOD hath borne witnesse to himselfe in their owne consciences there are many things that they might obiect against these temptations of Atheisme but saith he they willingly will not know them that is they will not take them into consideration as if hee should say their will because they will not be troubled because they will liue loosely it suffers them not to vnderstand and to enquire
himselfe that an impure heart and an vndefiled inheritance will not stand together and because he hopes for it in good earnest it is not a false hope it is not a dead hope therefore he sets himselfe on worke indeede to purifie himselfe he that hath that hope purifieth himselfe he cleanseth himselfe Who ever therefore doth not purifie himselfe it is an argumeÌ„t that his hope is dead which he hath of being saved it is but the hope of an hypocrite a hope that will stand him in no steede for it brings forth no endevour that is the second thing I must be briefe in this because this is not the poynt I intend but that which followes The third expression here vsed is he that sacrificeth and he that sacrificeth not This is but a Synecdoche where one particular is put for all other kindes of holy duties But the meaning is this you shall know a man by this in which of the two conditions he is he whose heart is vpright with God he dares not omit any holy ordinance he dares not omit any sacrifice he dares not performe forme them in a slight and negligent manner He againe whose heart is false sacrificeth not that is either he omits the dutie or else he omits the substance and life of the dutie You know in Iam. 2. 10. he sayth there he that abideth in all that keepes all the Commandements and yet fayles in one he is guiltie of all and so you may say of the ordinances he that keepes them he that observeth them but yet fayles in one it is argumeÌ„t enough that he makes not Conscience of any You shall finde this true that whosoever he is that sacrificeth not that is he that prayes not constantly he that heares not he that reades not the Scriptures he that sanctifieth not Gods Sabbaths he that partaketh not of the Sacraments c. he that vseth not holy Conference and fasting and prayer in its season such a man is in an evill condition It is given here as a note of an evill man he sacrificeth not But you will say to me may not a man whose heart is vnsound keepe a constant course in sacrificing to the Lord that is in praying to the Lord May he not keepe those ordinances constantly Beloved I answer He may keepe them constantly that is he may doe the outside of the dutie he may performe the dutie in a formall manner and many times men are deceived with this it is an vsuall case nothing more vsuall in the Church of God for a man to content himselfe with a perfunctory ordinary performance a customary performance of good duties But herein Sathan deceiues men as we deceiue children when we take from them gold and silver that is truely precious and giue them Counters things that haue no worth in them onely they haue a good glosse vpon them which quiets them because they be children because they cannot put a difference betweene things of show and things of true worth for even thus Sathan vsually quiets the Consciences of men with these bare formes of pietie because they are not able to discerne not able to distinguish betweene the precious duties and the right performance of them and betweene the formall and emptie performance which hath an outward splendour and glittering shew of performance but in truth he cozens and deceiues men with it therefore I say a man may doe these duties he may be constant in prayer from day to day he may be constant in hearing and performing all the ordinances of God in sacrificing as the Wiseman speakes here yet for all this not be one of these good men according to this note because he doth not performe them in a holy and spirituall manner You will say to me how shall I know that You shall know it thus when the ordinances of God are spiritually performed when holy duties are performed in a holy manner you shall finde these effects in them First They are a fire to heate the heart as in Iere. 23. my word is as fire Againe They quicken the heart when it is dead heavie and dull and indisposed to any good dutie they raise and quicken it Againe They build vs vp we are gâ—iners by them wee grow more rich both in grace and knowledge Iude. 20. verse Edifie your selues in your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost As if he should say that will edifie you and you know what Christ sayes take heede how you heare for to him that hath more shall be given that is he that heares as he ought to heare every time that he heares he growes something more rich he gaines some more saving knowledge some greater degree of saving grace Againe The ordinances of God heale the soule They heale the distempers of it they compose it and put it into a good frame of grace as in Iob 15. 3. 4. sayth Eliphas there to Iob dost thou dispute with words not comely c. with talke that is not profitable surely sayth he thou restrainest prayer from the Almightie As if he should say Iob if thou diddest pray thou wouldest not fall into these distempered speeches as thou dost thy heart would not be so disordered thou wouldest not be so passionate and froward as thou art therefore surely thou restrainest prayer Whence I gather that duties performed as they should be compose the heart and heale those dâ—stempers Againe They make the heart fruitfull and therefore they are compared to raine that fals vpon the earth and comes not in vaine Againe They teach vs to distiâ—guish betweene good and evill to divide the flesh and the spirit still a man sees somwhat more then he did in his owne heart he sees the good that is in it and the corruption that is in it Lastly They cleanse the heart yea the heart of a young man where lusts are strong where the staine is deepe and will not out without Fullers sope David Psal. 119. 9. sayth that the Word clenseth the heart c. Wherewith shall a young man clense his heart c. Now then examine thy selfe whether thou so performest these ordinances and holy duties that God commands thee that thou finde these effects of them If thou dost then thou art one that sacrificeth if otherwise then thou art one that sacrificeth not and therefore consider whether thy heart be warmed by them If they be to thee as painted fire such as hath no heate thou dost not sacrifice it is but an outward forme consider if they quicken thy heart or if it be as dead and as backward and as indisposed to good duties and as prone to things that are evill after thou hast performed them as before if so though thou seeme to sacrifice yet thou art of the number of those that sacrifice not dost thou finde it doth not divide the flesh and the spirit that it is as a â—word without an edge that it is as
to vs to giue vs strength to inable vs to doe the duties he commands vs and to abstaine from the evils he would not haue vs to doe But we must keepe his ordinances and goe by his Rules and if we fayle in either of them that we neglect the meanes or adventure vpon the occasions now the Lord is discharged of his promise as we may so say the Lord now withdraws his power from vs as he did from Sampson If you will needs marry with such a people sayth the Lord they shall turne away your hearts for now I will not keepe you If you will needs touch that tree if you will needs goe into such a company if you will needs gaze vpon such objects or if againe you will neglect prayer and hearing and sanctifying the Sabbath if you will neglect to obserue the Rules that he hath appointed in all these cases the Lord withdrawes his All-sufficiencie And therefore lay the fault where it is That is Vpon your selues Doe not say with thy selfe it is because the Lord is not All-sufficient but rather thinke that he hath power to goe through the worke he hath appointed me to doe but it is because I haue not kept those Rules I haue neglected the meanes I haue ventured vpon such occasions Secondly Consider with thy selfe that the Lord doth this to humble thee It may be he is as willing to be bestow a greater measure of grace but he dispenseth a lesser measure it is that the heart may be kept humble for humilitie is the nurse of graces take away that and grace withers in the heart And therefore when he is willing to bestow a mercy or a grace on vs he doth as he did with Iacob he leaves a lamenesse together with it he will not so bestow it on vs that he will make vs perfect but he leaues some defects some wants that by that humilitie may be preserved and that may cause vs to cleaue to him and depend vpon him that he may keepe vs from an All-sufficiencie in our selues and teach vs to waite on him for without that he doth not communicate and dispense vnto vs that sufficiencie that is in himselfe Moreover Consider with thy selfe that the Lord many times suffereth vs to see changes in our liues conversations that by them we may learne to know him better and our selues also if we were able to doe it by our selues the Lord would spare vs but who is able to doe it It is said in the Psalmes that therefore the wicked feare not God because they haue no changes and truely even the godly men if they had no changes they would feare him lesse so that every change in a mans state and the falling into sinne and the rising againe leades a man to some new knowledge of God and of himselfe also to a new experimentall knowledge and that knowledge leades him to a new degree of feare so that still by their sinnes they get advantage that they shall finde in their spirituall estate for even as we see the Sun when it breakes out of a thicke Cloud of darknesse it shines the brighter so grace when it breakes out of a thicke cloud of sinnes or of temptations it shines the brighter we are still gainers by those changes I say we learne to know God and our selues also the better and for these causes he leaues vs to those changes that we may be gainers by them and so we are Therefore say not with thy selfe because I finde some defects and some unevennesse in my sanctification therefore the Lord is not sufficient for it is for thy advantage it is not for want of sufficiencie in the Lord nor of willingnesse in him to communicate it to thee but it is for thy advātage that thou shouldst finde these changes and this vnevennesse in thy wayes Therefore my Beloved build vpon this that he is All-sufficient It may be when thou goest about a worke thy selfe thou findest it a difficult thing to overcome such a lust but that which is impossible with men is easie with God Those that rowed all night and did no good a word from his mouth brought them to shore presently The spirit that is in vs lusteth after envie Iames 4. but the Scriptures offer more grace That is Grace is able to heale these naturall hereditary diseases there is an All-sufficiencie in him he is able to doe it He that can still the Sea and command the windes that at his word they are quiet can he not still strong lusts He is able to restraine them therefore labour to see his All-sufficiencie in this as well as in all things else Thinke with thy selfe he hath a soveraignty over all thy affections over all thy lusts for what is it that troubles vs and interrupts vs in our way but some temptations of the flesh or the world Is not the Lord the Master of them As Paul sayth 2 Cor. 12. though Sathan were the chiefe Buffetter and the lusts of the flesh the messengers yet the Lord sent that messenger marke it therefore he goes not to Sathan he wrangles not with the messenger but he immediately sought the LORD he beseeches him to recall it So thinke with thy selfe when thou art set on with a strong lust with a temptation that seemes too hard for thee say with thy selfe this is a messenger from God and I must goe to God and beseech him to take it off and rebuke it for he is able to doe it he is All-sufficient they are all at his command as the mastiue is at the Maisters command he is able to rate him but a stranger is not able to doe it and when he hath done that which his master would haue him he cals him in so the Shepheard sets his dogge vpon his Sheepe to bring them in but when they are brought in he rates his dogge And so doth the Lord with lusts and sinne and temptations he sets them on his owne Sheepe his owne Children but for this end to bring them in it is not in their owne power to rate these temptations and lusts nor in the power of a stranger but onely in the Lords who is Maister of them whose messengers they are he is able to rebuke and recall them they are at his command as it is sayd of the diseases of the bodie they are like the Centurions servants if he bid one goe he goeth if he bid another come he commeth so it is true of the diseases of the soule if he say to such a messenger as Paul had to such a lust to such a temptation goe and seaze vpon such a man goe and vexe him for a time it shall goe if againe he call it backe and restraine it shall it not be restrained Labour thus to see Gods All-sufficiencie My Beloved if you looke vpon other men or your selues you shall see experience enough of this Looke vpon David or Paul vpon Salomon Lot
way Besides As there is this ground of it so there is another cause of it Because the outward occasions both for good and evill I say they are both forcible and yet transitory Evill men haue some outward things some outward helpes which put them on to a good course they are so effectuall and yet God suffers them not alwaies to haue them but takes them away they are but transitory Therefore a man may walke in a good course whose heart is not yet right and yet long he shall not doe it because those outward occasions shall be tooke from him As for example Ioash walked in the wayes of God all the while that Iehoiada lived here was the outward occasion he was drawne with another mans synewes he was heated with another mans heate and when that man was tooke away you see he fell to his owne course and by as againe the outward occasion was strong but it was but for a time and so he returned to his old course The like in the case of Vzziah he was hemmed in for a time with Zachariah the Prophet but sayth the text after his dayes his heart was lifted vp to destruction And so Herod he kept within compasâ—e he was stirred vp to doe many things at the Preaching of Iohn Baptist but he did not alwayes continue for God so disposeth it in his providence he will not suffer evill men alwayes to haue these outward occasions of good As it is as true on the other side good men may haue strong temptations that may transport them for a fit but God will not suffer them alwayes to lye vpon the godly he will not suffer a temptation of affliction he will not suffer the rod of the wicked to lye alwayes vpon him it may for a time and he may for a fit put out his hand to wickednes he may vpon some exigent vpon a sudden when he is put to it vpon some outward trouble or crosâ—e when his heart is shaken and distempered when he is not himselfe but God so disposeth of it in his providence that they shall not alway lye vpon him but they shall be remooved in due season as well as the helpes to good shall be taken from the wicked So you see that may come to passe for a few steppes for part of the Iourney an evill man may goe right and a good man may swarue from the straight way Therefore let vs neither judge our selues nor others by it for if we should we should justifie the wicked and condemne the generation of the just So much shall serue for this and for that point The next and maine point that we intended was this That whosoever hath interest in Gods All-sufficiencie must be a perfect man That is He must be sincere he must haue integritie of heart though he may be subject to many infirmities yet God requires this of him If I be All-sufficient sayth he to any that is the scope of it he must be perfect with me I am All-sufficient therefore be thou perfect otherwise thou hast no interest in this All-sufficiencie of mine The poynt is cleare and it is a poynt well knowne to you I shall not need to confirme it by any other places of Scripture but rather spend the time in giving you the grounds of it And secondly in shewing to you what this intirenesse and perfection and sinceritie of heart is First I will shew the grounds why no man shall be saved he shall never haue part in this All-sufficiencie of God except he be perfect except he haue integritie of heart First Because the new Adam should otherwise not be so effectuall as the old the new Adam should not be so powerfull to communicate grace and life as the old Adam is to instill corruption and sinne for the finne that hath beene conveyed to vs by the first Adam hath an integritie in it it hath gone over the whole soule there is a whole bodie of death that hath possessed vs Now should there not be in those redeeming actions by Christ a contrary integritie and perfection a throughout holines as I may call it The plaister then should be narrower then the sore and the remedy should be inferior to the disease Beloved you know a leprosie is gone all over except the holinesse went all over too from top to toe I say there would not be an answerablenesse in the second Adam he should not be able to doe as much good as the first was able to doe hurt Secondly the worke of Redemption should be done but by halues if the Lord should dispense with imperfect holinesse The workes of Creation you know were perfect God looked vpon all his workes and he saw that they were very good Beloved doe you thinke the workes of Redemption should come short of the workes of Creation Are not they likewise perfect when the Lord shall looke on that worke shall he not say likewise it is very good If you doe marke the parts of it hath not Christ redeemed vs from our vaine conversation The holy Ghost doth not he mortifie every sinfull lust The bloud of Christ doth it not wash every sinne The Word and meanes of grace doe they not strike at every rebellion It is certaine they doe and therefore there is an integritie required in all otherwise I say there should be an imperfection If you object notwithstanding this though Christ hath redeemed vs yet you see there are many imperfections left in men and therefore how can you say the workes of Redemption are perfect I answer They are not perfect in degrees for they must haue a time of ripening but that which wants any part of perfectioÌ„ though it be ripened when it wants the roote and principle when the frame and first disposition is not right let it grow vp never so fast it will never be perfect So this is true of the workes of Redemption of the works of God in a mans heart of destroying the workes of Sathan and setting vp a new building which is the worke of Iesus Christ and the end for which he came I say this is true of it it is perfect it wants onely growth As you may say it is a perfect seed when it is ripe it will be a perfect flower or it is a perfect plant when it growes vp it will be a perfect tree it is perfect in all respects Such a perfection is in the workes of Redemption and if the heart of man be not entire if the worke of grace be not throughout if there be a defect in the principle and constitution of it there should be a defect in the workes of Redemption that cannot be Thirdly if there was not a perfectnesse of heart wrought in all those that should be saued the commands of the Gospell should be commands of impossibilitie for the Gospell requires at our hands that we should haue respect to all the Commandements that we should keepe the whole Law in an
Evangelicall manner that is in a true indevour the Gospell requires that we should loue the Lord our God with all our hearts for the truth of it It requires in a word that we should keepe the whole Law in that sence so as to square our liues to it to keepe it all in truth and sinceritie though we cannot reach the highest top and degree of it Now if the heart were not perfectly holy that is thoughout there could be no proportion betweene the Commandement and the facultie and abilitie vpon which the Commandement lyes for it is certaine except the heart were perfectly holy it could not keepe the whole Law there were an impossibilitie we should not reach every Commandement And therefore there must be integritie and entyrenesse in the heart that we may be able to keepe them at the least in a Evangelicall sincere manner though wee cannot perfectly keepe the whole Law of God Fourthly it is required because otherwise there should not be a correspondencie and agreement betweene the Covenant on Gods part and on ours God hath said he will be All-sufficient but he requires this againe on our part that we be altogether his My beloved is mine and I am his and Psal. 18. I will walke perfectly with them that walke perfectly with me there are the termes of the Covenant the Lord will haue it thus farre vpon even termes there shall be an integritie on both sides and therefore if a man be holy but by halues that makes not the match it makes not the agreement betweene the Lord and vs for all and halfe is not a match but all and all is that which makes the match the agreement and sutablenesse betweene God and vs and this is another reason why it is required Now last of all this perfection and integritie is required because otherwise all that we doe is nothing it is to no purpose for except you seeke the Lord and serue the Lord with a perfect heart you serue him not at all you cannot serue him as God you cannot serue him as a Maister you cannot serue him as a Lord as a soveraigne commander except your hearts be perfect with him This reason I take out of Math. 6. a place well knowne No man can serue two Maisters That is It is true a woman may loue many as friends but shee can loue but one as a husband A man may looke to many subordinate ends but he can haue but one vltimate end A man may haue respects he may affect many things in a remisse manner but to affect many things in the highest degree it is impossible it can be bestowed but vpon one Therefore I say to serue him as God it cannot be except the heart be wholly bestowed on him if you will take in any thing with him either credit or profit or pleasure now you make God an Idoll and you make that as God so that whatsoever a man loues and respects or obeyes I would aske him but this question Eyther it commands the same thing with God when it commands vnder him and so in yeelding to that you obey God himselfe or else it commands somewhat different and if you yeeld to that and not to the Lord you reject him and take that for God Therefore I say the heart must be perfect or else the obedience is nothing at all So much shall serue to shew you the grounds of this why such a perfection and sinceritie and integritie of heart is required in all those that shall be saved But the chiefest businesse will be here to shew you what this integritie is the best way to finde it out is to open to you all those expressions in the Scriptures by which it is presented to vs and you shall finde them to be these fiue And in the opening of them we shall sufficiently shew you what this sinceritie or perfection of heart is First you shall finde it often expressed by puritie and soundnesse blessed are the pure in heart and God is good to Israell even to them that are of a pure heart Now what is it to be pure That is pure which is full of it selfe and hath no other Heterogeneall thing mingled with it So that heart is pure which hath no sinne in it which is holy which hath a renued qualitie of grace which hath an inward regenerate man that will mingle with no sinne that is full of it selfe and admits not the mixture of any sinne My Beloved I must be warily vnderstood here I say it admits not the mixture of any sinne It is true sinne may cleaue and adhere to a man as drosse doth to the silver but it mingles not with the regenerate part that mingles not with it that is it enters not into the frame and constitution of a mans heart it is not weaved into the texture of his heart it is no ingredient into the very frame and fabricke of it but though sinne be there yet the heart still casts it out of it selfe it resists it and rejects it and purifieth and clenseth it selfe from it this properly is a pure heart As in other things you say a thing is pure when it is solid and cleare and vnmixed though it may haue some drosse and some mudd cleaving to it you say it is pure gold when it is digged out of the minerall though there be much drosse in it and we say it is pure ayre though for a time there be many fogges and mists and adventitious vapours within it So we say it is pure water though there be many inundations of mud cast into it or that come from the spring or Channell from which it runnes So a man may be said to haue a pure heart that is a perfect heart though there be an adhesion of much drosse many evill thoughts that cleaue to him yet I say they mingle not with him that is Beloved it is certaine that the holiest men haue a fountaine of originall corruption in them and from this fountaine sinnes arise continually as the scumme in the pot but yet if the liquor be pure and good if it be right wine or right honey whatsoever the liquor is though the scumme arise still it purifies it selfe and casts it out this is the propertie of a pure heart with the impure it is quite contrary the scumme ariseth as in the other but it is sodden in it is mingled and confounded with it there is not such a segregating such a clensing disposition in it but there is a mixing of them together this similitude you shall finde Ezek. 24. 12. whence I take it she wearied her selfe with lyes c. And her great scumme went not out of her There is a similitude going before of a boyling pot into which much flesh was put to which he compares the Children of Israell of that time but this is the Conclusion that God makes her great scumme went not out of her As if he should say it is very true the
out this perfection that is here spoken of Walke before mee and be thou perfect Now a single heart is called so from the singlenesse of the object that is a single eye that lookes but vpon one object and that is a single heart that lookes but vpon one thing likewise that is a double eye and a double heart that lookes vpon two objects and is divided betweene two and knowes not which to choose like a man that is in bivio in a double way he stands and lookes on both and knowes not which to take so an imperfect hearted man an vnsound hearted man he stands and lookes vpon God and vpon the world and he knowes not well which to choose sometimes he is following the one sometimes the other this is his condition he is distracted betweene both such a man hath a double eye and therefore sayth the text a wicked eye for so it is called if the eye be single all the body is light but if the eye be wicked for so it must be interpreted if the eye be double which is a wicked eye So my Beloved an vnsound harted man is not described to you by any thing so plainely and perspicuously as by this that his heart is not pitched vpon God alone but he hath an eye vpon God and an eye vpon credit he hath an eye vpon God and an eye vpon his walth vpon his pleasures or whatsoever it is when there are two objects for in that regard a man is sayd to haue a heart and a heart not as commonly it is taken to make a shew of one thing and haue another within But it is a heart and a heart when there are two objects vpon which the heart is set that the heart is divided betweene two so is cloven asunder as it were And so it is a double heart by way of division and not by having one thing in shew and another within Now then if you will finde out what a perfect man is I say it is he that hath a fixed resolution to cleaue to God alone that hath his eye vpon him and vpon nothing besides This is a single heart when a man shall resolue for instances will best make it cleare to you when a man shall say as Ioshuah did Well sayth he I see you are readie to take divers wayes but I am resolved for my part for me and my house we will serue the Lord that I am resolved on So David I haue chosen the way of his commandements I haue sworne to keepe them and that I will doe When a man is once resolved throughly when he is grounded and hath a setled resolution an vnchanged resolution that pitcheth him vpon one he is no longer in doubt betweene two this is a perfect hearted man So Moses takes that resolution I will suffer affliction with the people of God as if he should say I haue chosen it whatsoever become of mee though I be a banished man though I liue a poore life though I turne from Pharaohs sonne-in-Law to keepe sheepe in the Wildernes yet this is my resolution here I haue fixed my staffe this will I doe Herein the perfection and integritie of his heart was seene So the three men Sidrach Mesech and Abednego This say they we are resolved vpon whether we be delivered or not delivered whether we dye or liue whatsoever come vpon vs we will serue the Lord we will not worship thine Idoll And so Iâ—b the place you know though he kill me yet will I trust in him That is though he multiplie miseries vpoÌ„ me even to the very death yet I am resolved to serue him my heart is there pitched his will I be This is Beloved to haue a single eye and a single heart When the heart is divided it is imperfect such a man is vnconstant in all his wayes sayth Iames Such a one was Saul and such a one was Amaziah that indeede is the case of all hypocrites And to this I adde that which is said Math. 8. the fourth ground is said to haue an honest heart I put them together a single heart that I would explaine to you they come much to one an honest heart stands in this that a man resolues to serue the Lord with patience and with abstinence that is the definition that I will giue of it he that hath an honest heart he resolues to serue God in all things with patience and abstinence one of them is exprest in the text he brings forth fruit with patience the other I adde for a more full explication of it The meaning is this he hath an vpright and honest heart that so pitcheth vpon God that he will not be drawne aside for any thing Now there are but two things that draw vs aside that is eyther persecution affliction and trouble And for this the honest heart hath patience he resolues to suffer them whatsoever they be and therefore he is able to goe on or on the other side pleasures and divers lusts that drew away the third ground as persecution did the second here he hath a resolved abstinence he is content to part with them and to be without them therefore he brings forth fruit when another doth not that is another may haue a faire blade but either persecution or else pleasures and divers lusts come betweene and intercept his maturitie that he never comes to any bearing of fruit to any purpose This expression I put together with singlenes of heart a heart without guile and without mixture because there is a similitude betweene them So much fo that expression likewise A third Expression there is in the Scripture which you shall finde in these words Ier. 3. 10. They did not turne to me with their whole heart but faignedly And very oft Thou shalt serue the Lord thy God with all thy heart So that the wholnes of the heart the integritie of the heart he that hath this is a perfect man he that wants it is an vnsound hearted man Now what is this Integritie and wholnes of heart you shall see in these three the integritie of the subject the integritie of the object and the integritie of the meanes whereby the subiect and the object are joyned together The Integritie of the subject that is the heart of a man that I call the subject The Integritie of the object I call the Commandements when he hath respect to all of them The Integritie of the meanes I call that which brings the heart and the Commandement together that is the vse of all holy ordinances and the abstinence from all occasions that may draw vs another way So now he is a perfect man with God that first hath a whole heart that is such a heart whereof every part and facultie is sanctified There is no part of it but it is seasoned with grace there is no wheele in all the soule but it is turned the right way according to that 1 Thes. 5. He
he will returne agaâ—â—e to his folly wickednes it cannot be beaten out of him it is the nature of an vnsound hearted man though he be often deliuered he will returne againe and againe Ieroboam though he were admonished yet still hee will returne the Israelites though they were often quieted and satisfied yet being a stiffe-necked people they still rebelled and murmured against God so did Phoroah so that you may take this for a sure râ—le that take a man whose heart is not sound and all the miracles in the world all the preaching all the admoniâ—ions all the mercies all the afflictions all the experience that he can gaiâ—e by all the passages of Gods prouidence towards him and about him will noâ— keepe him from returning to his siâ—ne but still he fals backe to it againe and againe it gets strength still but with a man that haâ—h a sound heart that is perfect it is not so hee doth not easily returne againe but though he doe fall for a time as I deny not but hee is many times ouertaken with the same infirmity yet he still cleanseth himselfe But you will obiect take the holiest man may he not relapse many times into sinne may he not fall into the same sinne againe and againe yea euen into grosse and great transgressions Beloued I cannot deny but he may for we must not take away the rightâ—ousnes from those that are perfect whilest wee seeke to exclude those that are hypocrites and vnsound-hearted and therefore I say I deny not that there may be many relapses into the same sinne though the heart be perfect and sincere and therefore to shew you cleerely the difference wee must spend a little time in this point There are these foure differences between the turning againe of a man whose heart is vnsound and betweene the relapses that are incident to a man whose heart is perfect with God First you shall finde this difference between them that a man whose heart is perfect with God though he doe relapse into sinne yet still he gets ground of his sinne euen by euery relapse marke it I say he gets ground of sinne and grace gathers strength by it whereas on the other side an vnsound-hearted man the oftner he fals the more sinne gathers strength and euen the goodnesse he seemed to haue had is lessened more and more till at length it bee quite abolished This is a point much to be obserued and the ground of it is this because any grace where it is a proper grace where it is a right grace let it be wounded by any relapse by any transgression I say it gathers â—trength euen by that relapse it is the nature of true grace so to doe It gathers strength euen from the contrary as fire doth when it is compassed about with coldnesse by an Antiperistasis so it is with grace It is a common saying that you haue and true as you commonly vnderstand it that Vertue growes stronger when a man fals into affliction but more true if thus taken that grace gathers strength when it selfe hath receiued a wound when the grace it selfe is weakned as thou thinkest it gathers more strength As for example let a sound-hearted man whose grace is true and right and genuine and not counterfeit let him fall into any transgression that giues a wound to his graces say he fall into an act of intemperance of anger and passion he gathers more strength by it euen these graces they grow brighter by it It is not so with other men the more they fall the weaker they grow Dauid when once he had committed the sinne of cutting off the lap of Sauls garment none was more carefull then he was afterward he would not offer him the least violence And so Peter when that grace of Courage and boldnesse for the Truth had once receiued a wound by his denying of Christ you see what strength hee gathered by it hee grew afâ—eâ—wards â—he boldest of all the Apostles as you see Acts 4. So it is generally with all the Saints euen those woâ—ds by which it is expresâ—sed in the Scripture discouer as much vnto vs Hezekiah when hee was falne into the sinne of pride and boasting of his Treasure saith the Text hee humbled himselfe you shall fiâ—de 2. Chron. 32. 25. the words there vsed are the Lord tryed Hezekiah the Lord left him that he might 〈◊〉 him and know all that was in his heart The like phrase is vsed of Peters falling Satan desires to winnow thee but I haue prayed for thee that thy faith doe not faile And now marke it when they doe fall into any sinne it is to them as a tryall to the Gold and as a winnowing to the Corne euery sinne euery temptation euery fall though Satan intend to burne out the good mettall yet the issue still is this they lose nothing by their fals but their drosse the chaffe is still winnowed out euery sinne they fall into discouers that corruption that before they tooke no nocice of as Hezehiah knew not the pride before that was in his heart but that action discouered it to him so it was thereby cleansed and emptied forth So likewise Peters cowardlinesse and fearefulnesse was discouered by that act hee knew it more and therefore he was more watchfull against it hee gathered more strength against it so that this is the nature of the relapses of the Godly that still they empty their hearts more and more of those sinnes that they fall into againe â—he graces to which they giue a wound still gather more strength but with others it is not so still they are weakned by their relapses the good things they seemed to haue are still lessened and suffer diminution till at length they be quite abolished that is one difference The second is though a godly man fall backe to sinne againe and againe yet hee neuer fals backe to the allowance of any sinne there is a great difference my beloued betweene these two betweene returning to the act of a sinne and the allowance of it Another man doth not onely returne to the sinne but hee returnes likewise to the continuance in it he is ready in the end either to excuse the sinne to finde out some deuice and excuse for it or else hee is ready to say I see it is impossible for me to ouercome it I see there is no remedy I must giue vp my selfe to it This you shall see in the relapses of Saul Saul tooke a resolution more â—hen once that he would peâ—secute Dauid no more and no doubt this resolution was exceeding hearty for the time but you see hee did not onely returne to the act but to a continuance in it and an allowance of himselfe in it So likewise did Pharoah hee resolued many times that hee would let the People goe and made that promise to Mosâ—s and to â—he Lord that he would let them goe but you see hee returned
into these things that they might know them these things they willingly know not So beloued it is an argument that the knowledge of God and the knowledge of the truth hath not a perfect worke when there is something that a man willingly will not know when a man shall winke with his eyes as it is said Mat. 13. 15. They winke with their eyes that they might not vnderstand with their hearts and bee conuerted that I should heale them They winke with their eyes that is when the light shines to them they will not see it when the conscience suggests something when there is somewhat intimated and whispered to the hearts of men their will runnes a loose course therefore they will not suffer their vnderstandings to be informed they will not see all the light whereas a man whose heart is perfect if the light beginne to appeare if he see it thorow a creuice he opens the windowes of his soule and lets it in euen into euery corner of it and the ground is because his heart is sound he desires to make his heart perfect he is not willing to spare it in any thing hee desires not there should bee any exempt place in his heart or in his life or any of his courses for he sees Ioh. 3. 21. Hee that deth euill comes not to the light but hee that loues the truth hee whose heart is sound that is not an hypocrite he comes to the light he comes to be enlightned in what he doth hee comes to the light that his deeds might be made manifest that is that it might be euident that his workes are according to Gods will he desires not that the light should bee kept off This is another instance Patience will haue her perfect worke and the knowledge of the truth will haue its perfect worke so I may say of all other graces Temperance will haue its perfect worke if the heart be sincere and sound that is it will restraine euery inordinate appetite it will cause a man to for beare euery inordinate delight euery inordinate pleasure it will make him withdraw himselfe from excesse in euery thing in dyet in sports in ease c. So likewise chastity holinesse and purenesse it cleanseth the heart from all kinde of vncleannesse if it haue its perfect worke it suffers none of that leauen to remaine in soule or body eyther neither in the eye not in the thought This is another effect of an vpright heart of one that is perfect with GOD that euery grace hath its perfect worke and by this thou maist know whether thy heart be sound or no. I will adde but one more exceeding briefely and so conclude This is a fiâ—th effect that ariseth from integrity and sincerity of heart It breeds in vs 〈…〉 and a quietnesse of spirit as you may see Iam. 3. vlt. But the wisdome that is from aboue is first pure and then peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercie full of good fruits That wisdome is first pure and then peaceable As if hee should say The purity of wisdome the perfectnesse the entirenesse the sincerity which holy wisdome brings forth it is seene in this effâ—ct it will make the heart peaceable it is first pure and then peaceable His meaning is that peaceablenesse is an effect of the purenesse and entyrenesse of the heart so that when any mans heart is perfect with GOD you shall finde this effect rising from it that his heart is quiet and humble and gentle and peaceable towards men full of loue and of mercy and of good fruits and of good actions and workes but when the heart is impure and vnfound and hollow it is awkward and froward and contentious and implacable towards men they are not full of mercy but full of wrath they are not full of good fruites and good workes and actions but they are like the â—aging Sea that casts vp myre and dirt vpon those with whom they haue to doe So that this is the effect of a pure heart it breeds a quietnesse a peaceablenesse of spirit whereas the other bring forth tumult and a turbulent disposition they are easie to be intreated to be handled saith the Text whereas the other whose heart is vnsound they are as Dauid saith of the wicked they are as thornes that they cannot â—asily bee handled a man cannot easily deale with them they are not easily intreated So my beloued this frowardnesse this waspishnesse of spirit this implacablenesse is a signe of an vnsound heart of an impure heart of a heart that is not perfect with the Lord as you see the Deuils are the most impure Spirits of any other the most full of malice and of enuy and reuenge of all other Iesus Christ on the other side as he had the most pure heart so hee was the most gentle of all others he returned not rebuke for rebuke but he was as a sheepe before the shearers c. Vse a Wolfe or a Tyger neuer so kindely they will bee still implacable and greedy vse Sheepe neuer so roughly they will still be meeke and gentle so it is with the Saints because their hearts are pure I say the ground of it is this because an vnsound heart breeds in it continually strong lusts and eager desires and eager desires are vnyeelding and vnruly and that is the cause of contention and implacablenesse with men whereas when the heart is cleansed when it is pure and perfect it is emptyed of these strong and domineering lusts it growes to a quietnesse of spirit to be quiet within and when it is quiet within iâ— will bee peaceable towards others without When it is quiet thus the spirit is ready to see GOD and to yeeld to GOD in his prouidence in all vnkindnesses and in all the euill dealings of men they are neither ready to murmur against GOD nor to fret against men for quietnesse followes a pure heart as vnquietnesse and awkwardnesse and frowardnesse followes impurity and imperfection of heart So much shall serue for this FINIS THE TENTH SERMON Gâ—NESIS 17. 1 2. Walke before mee and be thou perfect And I will make my Couenant betwenne me and thee I Will not repeate what hath beene deliuered but come to that which remaines and so proceede to the second Verse The last effect therefore of this sincerity or integritie of heart is that which wee finde expressed Mat. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God That is this ariseth alway as an inseparable effect of purenesse of heart that it is able to see God to see him heere and it shall see him face to face hereafter When the heart is yet vnsound and impure it is not able to see him but when a mans spirit is cleansed from that drosse from that corruption a man is growne pure and entire and faithfull he is able then to see God that before hee could not doe that is he is able to
God writes the Law in their hearts so that there is a Law within answerable to the Law without that is an inward aptnesse answering euery particular of the Law an inward disposition whereby a man is inclined to keepe the Law in all points which Law within is called the law of the mind therefore if you adde to this that Rom. 7. I see a law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde so there is a Law in the mind within answerable to the Law of GOD without it answers it as Lead answers the mould after it is cast into it it answers it as Tallie answers to Tallie as Indenture answers to Indenture so it agrees with it in all things that is there is an aptnesse put into the minde that it is able and willing and disposed in some measure to keepe euery Commandement that answereth to all the particular Commandements of the Law of GOD this is to haue the Law of GOD written in the minde and this is that which is first meant by it there is a Law within answerable to the Law without in all things The 2. thing meant by it is that it is not only put into the mind as acquisite habits are but it is so ingrasted as any naturall disposition is it is so rooted in the heart it is so riuetted in as when letters are ingraued in Marble you know they continue there they are not easily worne out and that is meant by it I will plant my Law in thy heart it shall neuer out againe there I will write it there it shall continue so that is the second thing that is meant by it it shall bee naturall to you for that is meant by this when it is said it shall bee printed it shall be grauen and written in the heart and likewise it shall be perpetuall it shall neuer weare out againe as things that are written in the dust but it shall be written so as it shall neuer againe be obliterated The third thing to be expressed is the manner of the writing of it the Apostle here compares himselfe and all other Ministers to the pen but it is Christ that writes the Epistle the Epistle is his for these workes he doth in it it is he that takes the pen it is he that handles it and vseth it it is he that puts inke into the pen it is he that applyes it so that though the Minister be the immediate writer of these Lawes in the heart yet the inke is the Holy Ghost and it comes originally from Christ and besides they are not left to themselues but the LORD must concurre with them immediately we are but coeworkers with him he holds our hands as it were when we write the Epistle in any mans heart it is hee that guides the penne it is hee that puts inke into it it comes originally from him and therefore the Epistle is his Besides this is further to bee considered in this Metaphor that God will write his Lawes in our hearts that we may see these Lawes wee may reade them and vnderstand them for when a thing is written God may see it and man may see it a man himselfe may see it and others also may reade it God sees it himselfe for he hath written it man sees it for hee is able to see the Law in his minde he is able to see that habituall disposition that is infused into him and others are able to see it for saith he you are our Epistle euident to all men that is they see the fruits and effects of it as you may see letters grauen in stone so they see this Law written in your hearts So beloued you see now what this Couenant of Grace is and how it differs from the Couenant of Workes it is the ministration not of the letter but of the Spirit because it doth not onely present the oâ—tward letter of the Commandement but there is a Law written within and that is done by vertue of the Spirit So that the order is this first it reueales righteousnesse secondly it softens the heart it is the ministration of the Spirit and thirdly it is a ministration of loue it is a ministration of freedome and not of bondage and enmity for when the Law is thus written a man is not haled to it he comes not to it as a bond-slaue to doe his worke but hee comes willingly he finds he hath some ability to doe it he findes a delight in it as Paul saith I delight in the Law of God according to the inward man So you â—ee the difference betweene the Couenant of Grace and the Couenant of Workes Now this Couenant of Grace is twoâ—old it is eyther the Old Testament or the New they both agree in substance they differ onely in the manner of the administration that which is called the New Testament Heb. 7. 8 9. which is opposed to the Old Testament for substance is the same Couenant they are both the Couenant of Grace onely they differ in the manner and you shall finde these 6. differences between them First the New Testament or the New Couenant is larger then the Old it extends to the Gentiles whereas the first was confined onely â—o the Iewes it was only kept within the walles of that people and extended no further Secondly the Old was expressed in types and shaddowes and figures as for example they had the blood of Bulls and Goats they had the washings of the body in cleane water they had offering of Incense c. by which things other things are meant as namely the dâ—aâ—h of Christ and that satisfaction he gaue to his Father by his death and likewise the inward sanctificatioÌ„ of the Spirit signified by the washing of water and also the workes and the prayers of the Saints that are sweet as Incense now saith the Text Gal. 4. these were clements and rudiments that God vsed to them as children that is as children haue their A B C â—heir first elements so GOD did shew to the â—ewâ—s â—hese spirituall mysteries not in themselues but in these types and shaddowes they were able to see theÌ„ from day to day for therin was their weaknesse they were not so able as to conceiue spirituall things without a mediate view they saw the blood shed and againe they saw the washings and the rites these were in their eye whereas now in the time of the Gospell these things are taught to vs these we comprehend in our minds wee serue the Lord in spirit and in truth but there is not that visible sight that was a helpe to their weaknesse so that these differ as the Image and the substance it selfe euen as you see things in prospectiue shewes and in painting that are different from the things themselues when you come to see Countries and Cities and Mountaines and Woods it is another thing And this is the second difference betweene the Testaments the one was expressed but in types and
an offensiue and a defensine League and when we seeke to him and put him in mind of it he can not deny vs. The people of Rome had other parts and Nations that were allyes with them and if they were to fight at any time the Romans were bound in honour to defend them and to assist them and they did it with as much diligence as they defended their owne City of Rome If we doe implore GODâ— ayde doe you thinke that God will breake his Couenant Will he not 〈◊〉 vp himselfe to scatter his and our 〈◊〉 Certainely hee will This great benefit you haue therefore you haue cause to magnifie your â—elues in this Condition and to blesse the Lord to magnifie him for his great goodnesse that he would eâ—ter into Couenant with you this was the greatest fauour that euer hee shewed to Abraham and it is the very scope of this place Abraham I am willing to enter into Couenant to tye my selfe to enter into bond and therefore since the LORD is not ashamed to make vs his people let vs not bee ashamed to call him our God to professe it and make it good vpon all occasions This is the first vse Secondly from this difference of the Couenants you haue these two things to obseâ—ue First in that the Couenant of Grace onely is the ministration of the Spirit when the other is but the ministration of the letter it should teach vs thus much to labour to grow to assurance of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes If a man would deâ—ire to change his course to haue his heart renued to be made a new creature to be translated from death to life beloued the way is not to consider presently the Commandement for a man to thinke with himselfe this I ought to doe and I will set about it I haue made a Couenant I haue resolued with my selfe to doe it but the way is to labour to get assurance of forgiuenesse to labour to apprehend the Couenant of Grace for by that meanes thy heart shall be softned there shall be an infusion of the Spirit that shall write the Law of God in thy inward parts all those places of Scripture make this good wherein it is said faith purifieth the heart and by the promises we are made partakers of the godly nature as 2. Pet. 1. 4. and likewise Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ which through the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without fault to God purge your conscience from dead workes to serue the liuing GOD. The meaning is this if a man would haue his conscience purged from dead workes let him labour for faith whereby hee may bee iustified let him labour to be sprinkled with the blood of Christ to haue assurance of the forgiuenesse and pardon of his sinnes through that blood then he shall haue that Spirit put into his heart that eternall Spirit that shall purge and cleanse his conscience from dead workes So likewise Gal. 3. Did you receiue the Spirit by the workes of the Law Did you not rather receiue it by the hearing of â—aith preached And so Gal. 5. Faith that workes by loue that is it is faith that brings forth loue and loue sets vs on worke All these shew thus much vnto vs that the best way to heale any strong lust the best way to change our hearts to get victory ouer any sin that it may not haue dominion ouer vs to haue our conscience cleansed from dead workes to he made partakers of the diuine nature is to grow vp in the assurance of the loue of God to vs in Christ to get assurance of pardon and forgiuenesse for beloued know this if the heart doe no more but looke to the Commandement if you heare onely that there are such duties to be done and consider them and you compare your owne heart and the Commandement together there growes a quarell betweene the heart and the Commandement an exâ—lâ—eration betweene them and an enmiâ—y they looke one vpon another as enemies but when the heart is softned and reconciled to God it closeth with the Commandement as the soft clay doth with the mould and is ready to receiue any impression but till then it rebels against the Commandement and stands out as a hard stone that receiues no impression and therfore the way is not â—o go about to reforme our liues as morall men to thinke with thy selfe there are these duties I must take a course to keepe them and enter into vowes in particular courses with my selfe to doe them no my beloued the way is to get assurance of forgiuenes to labour to bee partaker of the Couenant of Grace your hearts will then be softned when you haue receiued the Spirit that hath wrought in your hearts a disposition answerable to the Law without when the Law is put into your minds And this is the first difference The 2. is in regard of the difference of the two Testaments the second Testament being stablished vpon better promises What is the reason that the New Testament is said to bee stablished vpon better promises Beloued you shall finde this to be the condition of the New Testament you shall finde in it very little expression of the promises of this life looke in all the Epiâ—tles of paul and the other Epistles looke to all the Doctrine of the Gospell and you shall see the things that are iâ—erated still they are these You shall bee saued you shall haue your sinnes forgiuen you shall bee iustified you shall bee sanctified you shall receiue the adoption of sonnes you shall receiue the high price of your calling c. These are the things that Paul euery where magnifies as the condition that exceeds and goes beyond the conditions in our forefathers times Now this great Mystery is reuealed now these great riches are opened that before were hid Whence you may gather this much that grace and spirituall things spiritual priuiledges things belonging to the Kingdome of God and of â—esus Christ exceed much all outward and temporall happinesse Why are they otherwise called better promises There are many other places I know to shew the vanity of outward things and to preferre spirituall things before them but let this be added to the rest this Couenant is established on better promises labour then to worke your hearts fully to that perswasion namely to thinke with your selues it is better to be rich in grace better to haue the priuiledges of Iesus Christ then to bee rich in this world Reu. 2. I know thy pouerty but thou art rich You must thinke with your selues this is the great riches and therefore the Apostle exhorts rich men that they-change these other riches they enioy to spirituall riches Now a man will neuer be exhorted to change except it bee for the better Charge those that are rich in the world that they bee rich in good workes let them so vse their
rebellion against it I say this keepes men off from the life of God But on the other side when a man lookes vpon the promises he begins to see the Couenant that his sinnes shall be put a way he beginnes to see the goodnesse and the mercy and the tender compassion of God towards him hee begins to see a possibility of fulfilling the Law in such a manner as GOD now requires then his heart melteth hee becomes not onely applyable to the Commandement but is ready to delight in it this a man gets by applying his heart to the Couenant of grace or by applying the Couenant of Grace to himselfe that very applying of the promises of forgiuenesse I say it begets a disposition in the heart which the Scriptures call a new life that euen as you see the Sunne when it applies its beames to a fitly disposed matter and stayes vpon it when it pitcheth its beames vpon it with any continuance it begins to beget life and motion in it and makes it a liuing creature so doth the Couenant of Grace when it is applyed to the heart of a man it begins to beget life in him and to make him a new creature it makes him another man there is that power in the Couenant of Grace in the promises of the pardon and forgiuenesse of sins that it begets another life in a man it makes him a new creature it makes him a liuing creature to GOD which before he was not the ground of which you shall see 2 Cor. 3. 6. Hee hath made vs able Ministers of the New Testament not of the letter but of the Spirit for the letter kills but the Spirit giues life Marke it the meaning of it is this when the Couenant of works is deliuered to you that is when you heare the Law the Commands the duty you cannot performe there is no more deliuered to you but the bare letter that is you know the duty and no more And what doth this duty doe what doe these Commandements and precepts doe when they are applyed to the heart of man Saith hee they kill Now that which kills fights before it kills and that which fights must needs be an enemy so then the Commandement is an Enemy that is euery man esteemes it as an enemie to himselfe and therefore hath an enemy-like affection to it againe that is he hates it he would be rid of it he wisheth there were no such Law or Commandement hee desires it should be dealt with as he would haue an enemy dealt with he would haue it vtterly taken away when they grow in enmity one with another as indeed they doe the naked Commandement and the heart are at enmity for the Commandement would haue one thing and the heart would haue another there are contrary wils and there is a striuing betweene them the one striuing this way the other that way the one resisting the other and in the end the Law and the Commandement gets the victory because the sting of the Law is sinne now the Law is the cause of sinne as a straight Rule is the cause of crookednesse for without the Law there should be no sin now it causeth sinne for if there were no Law you know there could bee no feare no transgression because there could bee nothing against which the transgression should come this sinne is the death of a man so now the letter kils But come now to the Couenant of Grace saith the Text it is the ministration of the Spirit and the Spirit giues life that is when a man lookes on the Couenant of Grace he lookes not on it now as an enemy as hee did before vpon the Commandement but he sees in it much loue and much friendship to wards him he sees God intends not any hurt any euill to him as he apprehended before he sees God exceeding kinde and mercifull and willing to put away all his sinnes and willing to accept the sincerity of his obedience though there be not a perfection of obedience now he begins to change his opinion both of God and of all his Lawes and precepts when he sees Gods kindnesse towards him and his compassion and readinesse to forgiue him then his heart begins to relent towards the Lord againe he begins to magnifie Gods goodnesse and to condemne himselfe he beleeues those promises and thence he growes vp in loue toward GOD I say hee growes vp in faith and loue and in this act of faith is the Spirit infused into his heart this Spirit being thus infused writes the Law in his inward paâ—ts that is it that breeds in him a holy disposition that inables him in some measure to keepe the Law it prints in him all those graces that giue him strength to obserue the Commandements that God hath given him so my beloued if a man will goe about this great worke to change his heart and to change his life let him not goe about it as a morall man that is let him not onely consider what Commandements there are what the rectitude is that the LORD requires and how to bring his heart to it but let him goe about it as a Christian that is let him beleeue the promises of pardon in the blood of Christ and the very beleeuing of those promises will be able to clense and purge the heart from dead works in that place we then named and we could doe no more but name it you shall finde it Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ which by the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without fault to God purge your consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God The meaning of it is this when a man hath once applyed the blood of Christ for his iustification this effect will follow vpon it there will accompany it a certaine vigour a certaine vertue a certaine power and strength which will also purge his conscience from dead workes that is there shall goe a power of the Holy Ghost together with this blood that shall not onely forbid him and shew him that hee ought not to doe such and such euill things but it shall clense his conscience from those rootes of dead workes those corrupt lusts and sinfull affections that are in him that dispose him to that euill he shall find this power growing vpon him if hee doe but apply the blood that is if he apply the promise of pardon and forgiuenesse through the blood of Iesus Christ. The like you shall see Gal. 3. 5. He that ministreth to you the Spirit and workes miracles amongst you doth he doe it through the workes of the Law or through the hearing of faith preached That is saith the Apostle if I should onely deliuer to you the Commandements and the Precepts and the Rules by which you ought to walke I might preach long enough to you but you should neuer haue ability to keep any of these saith he you may obserue those that preach the Law to you did
and art able to describe him to others but for all this thou findest not thy heart affectioned towards him thou seest not that excellency and beauty that is in him so that thy heart is not enamoured with him thou canst not say thou louest him with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength What wilt thou doe in this case Goe to Christ the Prophet and beseech him that hee would teach thee to know the LORD this is his promise if thou pray to him and he doe not doe it vrge him with this it is a part of his Couenant that hee hath confirmed by Oath and must doe it and beloued be assured of this if wee seeke and be earnest with him he will teach vs to know the Lord and to know him so that wee shall loue him with all our soule and with all our strength The like may I say of any thing else put the case afflictions come vpon thee and thou bee not able to bee patient vnder such afflictions suppose that it be a matter of disgrace and discredit that so wounds thee that thy heart cannot be at rest what is the reason of this thou callest to minde it may bee all the rules of patience that should teach thee to beare afflictions well and yet thou art not able to doe it the cause is because thou dost not yet know these outward temptations these outward euils as thou oughtest to know them if thou diddest they would seeme small to thine eyes sinne would be an exceeding great griefe but these would be but trifles and flea-bitings in comparison of the other goe to Christ now and beseech him to shew thee what is the nature of these outward crosses and losses that thou mayst be taught of him once hee is the great Prophet that teacheth a man so hee so presents things in their owne colours to the vnderstanding that the will and affections follow and apprehend them aright goe to him and beseech him that thou mayst know them as thou oughtest and thou shalt finde that thou shalt be able to beaâ—e the greatest crosse with patience it shall bee nothing then to thee it will appeare to be a small matter when he hath taught thee to iudge aright thou shalt not be deceiued in it So likewise for pleasure when a man finds his heart so wedded to any sinfull lust to any euill haunt wherâ—in his heart is held inordinately that it cannot diuorse it selfe from it goe to Christ hee is the great Prophet Thus we may doe beloued with the rest This is the second part of the Couenant The third part of the Couenant is that which he will performe to vs as he is King and it consists in these 3. things You know the Office of a King is to guide and rule now if thou finde thy heart vnruly if thou finde thy selfe subiect to vnruly affections to sinfull inordinate lusts which thou canst not master it is a part of his Kingdome now to set vp his owne gouernment in thy heart to put his Law into thy minde and to write it in thy inward parts that so thou mayst bee indeed subiect to the Kingdome of Christ in a willing manner When a man sees nothing as wee said before but the outward letter of the Law he will neuer be subiect he will neuer yeeld obedience but Christ comes as a King now and puts an inward disposition into the minde that shall answer the letter without and so he makes a man subiect to his gouernment Beloued that Phrase is to be marked Heb. 2. 10. Saith the Lord I will put my Law into their mindâ— there are Lawes out of mens minds Lawes without that euery man may see but it is another thing to haue the Law put into a mans minde for example this is the Law without Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart with all thy soule and with all thy strength To answer which you shall see Deut. 30. 6. I will circumcise thy heart and then thou shalt be able to loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soule and with all thy strength That is I will put this affection or this grace of loue within thy heart it shal not be without onely but I will put it within that there shall bee a grace within a habit of loue within answerable to the Commandement without this is to put the Law into the minde and so likewise Ier. 32. 40. you know this is the Commandement of the LORD You shall feare the LORD and keepe his Ordinances and his Statutes and his Commandements to doe them Well saith the Lord there I will make a Couenant with you and what will I doe I will put my feare into your hearts I will not onely giue you this precept that thou shalt looke on without Thou shalt feare mee and keepe my Commandements but I will put the affections of feare into thy heart there it shall bee and then thou shalt easily feare mee and keepe my Commandements thou shalt feare to disobey me thou shalt feare and tremble at my Word and take heed how thou doe any thing contrary to my mind and beloued when this is done hee makes indeed Kings as hee makes vs Priests and Prophets for when a man is thus taught he is a Prophet other men need not to teach him for hee is a spirituall man then and is able to iudge of all things I say when this gouernment is set vp and the Law is put into his minde when it is put into his inward parts I say when this is done then he makes vs Kings for when men haue so much strength within themselues that they can guide and rule themselues and walke in the way of righteousnesse now they are made Kings and such Kings the Lord makes all those that come to him This is the first part of this Kingdome The second part is to giue vs abundance of all things to giue vs peace for the Office of a King you know is to keepe his people in peace as it is said of Saul hee cloathed them with scarlet that is he made his people to abound with wealth and peace and quietnesse this the Lord doth likewise and this is a part of his spirituall Kingdome Now his Kingdome is spirituall therefore the maine worke of it is to giue vs inward peace and ioy you may haue troubles in the world but my Kingdome is not of this world and therefore wee are not so much to expect an outward worldly peace though we haue likewise a promise of that but in mee you shall haue inward peace saith hee the Kingdome of God is in righteousnesse that is the first part when God workes righteousnes as I haue named before the second is peace and ioy so that that is a part of the Couenant GOD promised inward peace and ioy beloued when you want it know it is a part of the Couenant you may goe to
euery mans conscience and therefore when the people then desired a Mediator that might speake and that GOD might speake no more another thing was signified by it that no man is able to come to God by yeelding obedience to the Law but he must needs haue a Mediator to goe between GOD and him The other obiection is from the Ceremonies of the Law they were ready to say We haue a Priest we haue Sacrifices we haue diuers washings and Rites c wee were wont to bee saued by them why may we not so still The answer to it is That these were but the oldnesse of the letter for indeed all these did but cloathe the Couenant of Grace the Couenant of Grace was deliuered to the Iewes the Ceremonies did indeede but set it out they were but types and shaddowes by which it was expressed to the Iewes the Iewes by reason of their ignorance were not able to see the body for the clothes they were not able to see the signification of the Spirit for the letter they were not able to see the sword for the sheath the kernell for the shell that is they could not see Christ himselfe the inward promises but stucke in the outward barke and rinde of Ceremonies in the shell of them and so they became vnprofitable but indeed those Rites did nothing but cloathe the Couenant of Grace and set it forth to them So much shall serue for the dispatching of those fiue things Now hence you see how those difficulties may bee answered that I mentioned before For example it is said the promise is made to the seede yet the promise is made to vs and yet againe the Couenant is made with Abraham How can all these stand together The promises that are made to the seede that is to Christ himselfe those are these promises Thou shalt bee a Priest for euer and I will giue thee the Kingdome of Dauid thou shalt sit in that Throne thou shalt be a Prince of peace and the gouernment shall be vpon thy shoulder likewise thou shalt bee a Prophet to my people thou shalt open the prison to the Captiâ—e thou shalt be anoynted c. and then shalt goe and preach to them These are the promises that are made vnto the seede The promises that are made to vs though they bee of the same Couenant yet they differ in this the actiue part is committed to the Messiah to the seede it selfe but the passiue part those are the promises that belong to vs You shall bee taught you shall bee made Prophets likewise you shall haue your sinnes forgiuen you shall haue the effect of his Priesthood made good vnto you you shall be subiect to his gouernment by an inherent righteousnes that he shall worke in you for you shall bee made Kings So the promise is made to vs. How is the promise made to Abraham for it is said In thee all the Nations of the Earth shall bee blessed The meaning of this is they are deriuatiue promises the primitiue and Originall was made to Iesus Christ but why is it said then that in Abraham all the Nations of the Earth shall be blessed the meaning of it is this there was none that was euer partaker of these promises but the children of Abraham and therefore they were deriued from Abraham to all the men in the world besides that euer haue beene since Now what is it to be a childe of Abraham not to be borne of Abraham according to the flesh but to be like Abraham you are the children of the Deuill Why You are like him So that all that haue faith are the children of Abraham but more is meant then that I say all that doe partake of this promised Messiah are deriued from Abraham either deriued from him or grafted into him one of these two all that were saued before the comming of Christ were either such as descended from him or were ingrafted into the same Nation But what doe you say of the Gentiles that are now come in How doe they receiue from Abraham How can it be said in Abraham shall all the Nations of the world bee blessed Beloued you know it is said Rom. 11. that the naturall branches were broken off and the wilde Oliue is ingrafted in that is the reason likewise why the Law comes from Sion the Lord will haue the Gentiles to bee ingrafted into the stocke as it were he will haue the Law to proceede from Ierusalem he will haue them put into that Famely as the proselytes and so were all Nations for they receiued it from Ierusalem for they had the Oracles of God committed to them all the Nations in the world receiued them from them they drew that sap of knowledge from them so that they were grafted in thus all the Nations in the world were blessed in Abraham and Abraham was blessed in the seede it selfe But yet one obiection is behinde that is how comes this to passe that to be renewed in the spirit of our minds and to walke in the wayes of the LORD in the way of regeneration should be a part of the Couenant on our part you shall repent and beleeue and be renewed and then you shall be forgiuen c. you shall haue the Kingdome and yet for all this you see it is a paâ—t of the Couenant on Gods part saith the LORD I will giue you a new heart and a new spirit Ezek. 36. 26. I will giue you c. there is an expression of the Couenant and yet it is a condition that is required on our part Beloued to this I answer briefly the condition that is required of vs as part of the Couenant is the doing of this the action the performance of these things it is to repent to serue the LORD in newnesse of life but the ability by which we are able to performe these is a part of the Couenant on the LORDS paâ—t to haue new heaâ—tâ— and new spirits whereby we are able to repeâ—t and to bring forth fruite worthy of amendment of life I say the inward abilâ—ty the change of the heart the renewing of vs in thâ— spirâ—t of our mindes the wrâ—ting of the Law in the inward paâ—ts that is a branch of Gods Couenant but the doing of this the bringing forth the fruite of these inward abilities of these inward habits and graces that are planted in vs by the power of Christ that thing is required in vs. As for example the very habit of faith the very grace and power of beleeuing that God hath promised to giue it belongs to him but to beleeue to take the promises to accept of Iesus Christ and to receiue him and the gift of righteousnesse by him this is required as a condition on our part And so much shall serue for the opening of this and for this point The next question wee had to propound to you was this How a man should know whether he be within
of men is empty glory the applause of men that pleased him before he lookes now vpon it as a bubble blowne with the breath of men an empty thing hee esteemes it a thing that quickly liues and dyes and vanisheth hee seekes no more after it And so for the lusts of the flesh when a man before thought it the only life for a man to satisfie the flesh and the desires of it now hee beginnes to looke on it after another manner he begins to see the filthinesse and the bitâ—ernesse of those sinnes he beginnes to see that fleshly lusts fight against the soule as enemies hee lookes vpon them as things more bitâ—er then death more sharpe then a two-edged Sword Now when GOD hath enlightned a man thus and hath written his Lawe in his heart and hath taught him that hee iudgeth so of his sinnes and lusts now his sinnes and lusts are dissolued in him his heart is circumcised now they are cut off now the building of Satan is pulled downe and yet beloued this is but one part of this Couenant There is not onely this but likewise there followes this further when Christ hath written his Law in the heart that man hath not onely his heart weaned from all the finfull lusts that before he delighted in but there followes a wondrous forwardnesse and propensnesse to the Law of God to keepe it there is a wondrous desire to grow in grace to doe the duties of new obedience that by his good will hee would liue in another Element But in doing the duties and vsing the meanes by which he may receiue strength to doe them beloued when that Law is out of the heart when wee looke vpon the letter of the Law there is no such matter but when it is put into the heart when it is written within there is an inward disposition and proâ—enesse put into the heart If you looke vpon the Law without Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God and shalt feare him c. it is a hard Law who can keepe it but when thou hast it put into thy heart that is the grace of loue for that is to put the Law into the heart when there is such a habit planted in the heart a habit of feare and of euery good grace then there is a great pronenesse and aptnesse in a man and willingnesse to keepe the Law and therefore in that place 1. Tim. 1. 9. The Law is not giuen to the righteous they are a Law to them selues Beloued if thou fiâ—dest this to bee thy case that thou needest not the Law to set thee on with terrours and the threatnings of it but thou art now a Law to to thy selfe that is thou findest in thy selfe such an inward aptenesse and propensnesse to keepe the Law of God that if thou were put to thy choise if there were no necessity laid vpon thee if there were no threatning no Hell yet thou delightest in God and desirest exceedingly to haue communion with him there is nothing seemes to be so beautifull as Grace as the Image of God renewed in thy soule I say this will bee thy disposition and this is for a man to be a Law to himselfe for you know this common nature is betweene the Image of the old Adam and the Image of the new betweene the flesh and the spirit betweene those lusts that remaine in thee when thou art vnder the Couenant of Workes and betweene this Couenant of Grace and feruency in well doing I say common nature is betweene these two as a Bowle betweene two byasses Now the LORD when he comes to write his Law in the heart he doth not only knocke off the old by as of sinfull lusts that carried him out but he sets a new by as vpon thy soule that bowes and bends thee to the waies of God that still there is a strong inclination that carries thee on that way besides the Commandement that thou dost not euery thing as of necessity a man before this time it may be prayed it may be he was constant in prayer he would not let a morning or an euening goe without it it may be he would doe euery other duty but hee did it as a taske as a man that dares not omit it there is a naturall conscience in him that will be vpon him if hee doe he feares God will become his enemy hee shall taste of fearefull Iudgements if hee neglect it all this while he doth it out of feare but one that hath the Law written in his heart that is a Law to himselfe that hath a new byas put vpon his heart I say it still bends and inclines him to it he cannot doe otherwise hee longs after it exceedingly he is exceeding forward to it the inward inclination of his minde stands to iâ— This is the third way whereby you may know whether you be in the Coâ—enant or no if you finde that Christ hath thus taught you and hath written his Law in your hearts if you bee thus enlightned with knowledge that both the lusts of the former ignorance are dissolued and likewise there comes in the roome of them a wondrous pronenesse and propensenesse to well donig when there is a certaine connaturalnesse betweene good duties and thy heart when thou canst say indeed as Pâ—ul I delight in the Law of God in the inward man and if I might haue my desire if GOD would giue me my wish as hee did to Salomon that which I would desire aboue all things in the world is that I may haue a greater measure of the Spirit that my sinfull lusts may bee more and more mortified that I may excell more in grace and holinesse that his Image may be more renewed in mee and that it may shine more bright in all the parts of it I say when â—hou findest this be assured thou art in the Coâ—enant So much beloued for that point I will adde a second which is this from this difference whereas this is one of the differences betweene the old Coâ—enant and the new the Old Testament was made with the Iewes onely it was shut vp within the compasse of that Nation the New Coâ—enant is enlarged to the Gentiles there is now an open doore for them to come in there are now better promises more knowledge a larger effusion of the Spirit both for intention and for the extent of it it is to many more and beloued were it not for this Coâ—enant all you now that heare this Couenant of Grace preached vnto you and haue heard it often you had neuer heard it but this benefit you haue by the New Testament that now this good newes is come to your eares Beloued this God brings home to the Gentiles and they haue their seuerall times and this is the season that GOD hath brought it home to you euen when you heare these promises of Grace made And what vse should you make of it surely this Take heede of refusing the acceptable time
impotent and beggerly rudiments The reason is because their knowledge was exceeding little therefore it brought little profit to them they were beggerly they had little riches in them and they were impotent they could communicate little power and strength and efficacy to the inward man On the other side now the New Couenant is strong and rich and liuely and effectuall and the reason is because there is more knowledge in it wee are taught to know GOD better and to know the whole mysterie of the Gospell better Therefore I say if you would bee strengthned in grace if we would be enabled to keepe the Couenant more then they were labour to grow in knowledge let it not be vnusefull vnto you whatsoeuer is deliuered but make benefit of it You see what riches of knowledge are deliuered to vs in Pauls Epistles let none of this be lost it is thy benefit that this is now discouered to thee that was hid from all the world aforetimes It is that benefit that the Apostle Paul so exceedingly magnifies that to vs this mystery is reuealed that wee haue this grace to make knowne to principalities and powers the manifest wisdome of God the vnsearchable richâ—s Christ make this vse of it grow in knowâ—edge and thou shalt grow in grace by that 〈◊〉 the strength thou gettest in grace it is â—â—om â—he abundance of knowledge beloued this is an exceeding vsefull point Those are â—he complaints ordinary amongst men they would faine doe otherwise they would abstaine from such sinnes and they would obserue such â—â—uties they intend it and desire it and purpose it but they are not able to performe it What is the reason of that Because they want grace and strength that is the immediate cause But what is the cause they want grace Because they â—ake not paines to grow in knowledge Beloued that place 2 Pet. 3. see how they are put together Take heede you bee not plucked away with the errour of the wicked but grow in grace How shall we doe that Grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ. I deny not but a man may haue much knowledge and want Grace but on the other side looke how much grace a man hath so much knowledge he must haue of necessity Though there may be much wood that is not kindled yet looke how much fire there is so much fuell there must needs be Knowledge is the Oyle wherein the flame of â—he Spirit liues and you cannot haue more Gâ—ace then you haue knowledge though you â—ay haue abundance of empty and vnprofitaâ—le knowledge without grace Therefore if 〈◊〉 would haue the fruite of this Couenant laâ—our to grow in knowledge Ioh. 1. 17. that place is excellent for this purpose The Lawe continued till Iohn Baptist the Law came by Moses but grace and truth came by Iesus Christ. Marke it grace and truth What was the reason there was more grace dispersed by Iesus Christ than by Moses The reason is because there was more truth reucaled to the sonnes of men by CHRIST then there was by Moses truth was hid in Moses time vnder vailes and shaddowes but was manifest in the time of Iesus Christ. Now because truth was more reuealed by him hence it was that there was a greater communication of grace a larger effusion of the Spirit because there is more truth but that place comes as neere to this purpose that you shall finde 2 Cor. 3. you shall see there an expression of the difference betweene the two Couenants Neuerthelesse when their hearts shall bee turned to the Lord the vaile shall bee taken from before their eyes Hee said before To this day when Moses is read there is a vaile laid ouer their hearts but when their hearts shall be turned to the Lord the vaile shall bee taken away And what then They shall behold as in a glasse the glory of God with open face and be transformed and changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. The meaning is this saith he in the time of the Old Testament there was a vaile that couered their hearts and their eyes that they were not able to see the truth cleerely but now saith he that vaile is tooke away and we see the truth with open face euen as you see an Image in â— Glasse But what is the benefit of this knowlâ—dâ—e Now the vaile is taken away we know much more saith hee by seeing with open face we are transformed into the same Image that is by the knowing of it by looking vpon it by renewing those truths that are deliuered in the Gospell by seeing the wayes of GOD and the Image of GOD there described and set forth to vs by this knowledge we are transformed and changed into the same Image from glory to glory that is from one glorious degree of that Image to another not that the very knowledge shall doe it but it pleaseth the LORD to accompany that knowledge by the Spirit this is done saith hee as by the Spirit of the LORD So my beloued the way to grow in grace and in strength to receiue that immediate benefit of the Couenant is to grow in knowledge Ioh. 17. it is a part of Christs prayer vers 17. Sanctiâ—ie them with thy truth thy Word is truth The meaning is this as if he should haue said Oh Lord I know that the way to sanctifie them the way to increase grace and holinesse in their hearts is to reueale more truth to them now Lord I beseech thee reueale thy Word to them for thy Word is that truth teach them to know thy Word acquaint them with it more and more for by that meanes they shall get grace and sanctification So then if you would receiue the strength of the Couenant you must labour to grow in knowldge labour to vnderstand it more and more for beloued this is a very sure rule there is not a new notion that a man gets there is not a beame of truth of new truth there is not a further enlargement of knowledge and illumination but it brings some riches of grace with it it comes not empty but it comes loaded with something it hath some power and strength and it giues a new vigour to the inward man and therefore if thou wouldest abound in grace study the Scriptures much attend to them much meditate in them day and night labour still to get some new sparke of knowledge some new light out of them and thou shalt finde this that grace will follow as it is the Apostles exhortation to Timothie saith he Giue attendance to reading and to learning so thou shalt saue thy selfe and shalt be able also to saue others The meaning is the way to get that grace that will saue a man is to giue much attendance to reading and to learning for beloued whatsoeuer it is that begets a man the increase of that likewise edifies and builds him vp
shall not put it out but shall blow that sparke he shall put new fuell to that sparke till it ouercome till hee haue brought forth this beginning of Iudgement or integrity or sanctification to victory that is to get the victory ouer sinfull lusts now this is done by conuincing by dealing with the vnderstanding it is the worke of the Holy Ghost with the minds of men Now beloued the vse you may make of it is this If this bee the way by which the Holy Ghost sanctifies and infuseth and communicates to the hearts of men the graces of his new Couenant if it bee by the altering of the opinions of mens vnderstanding the way then that thou must take to grow excellent to grow strong in grace is to grow much in knowledge to study the Scriptures much and therefore let not this exhortation be in vaine to you make this vse of it still to meditate in the Law of God day and night still to doe somewhat therein to be trading therein to be busied in speaking or reading or in thinking on it Beloued if you doe but take any piece of this word and stay vpon it as the Bee doth vpon the Flower and will not off till you haue got somewhat out of it if you be still digging in this Mine here is enough it is a large it is a deepe Mine this would make you rich in knowledge and if you be rich in knowledge it will make you rich in grace likewise it is the expression that is vsed 1 Cor. 1. Therefore be assured of this we haue many businesses to doe in this world and euery man bestowes himselfe on something he spends his time and placeth his intentions some where now there is nothing in the world that you can bestowe it so profitably on as to get nâ—w light daily get new truths if a man gather knowledge of other things they are but trifles and yet that is a thousand times beyond the gathering of wealth but yet that is nothing to the other knowledge it is beggerly and impotent and poore as the Apostle saith for the things themselues are poore Is there any thing in the world can helpe a man to happinesse to any purpose if the things cannot doe it the knowledge cannot bee better then the thing I say the best naturall thing you can doe is to gather wisdome that will serue for this present life but to get that wisdome that will build you vp in grace that will make you strong in CHRIST that is farre more to bee chosen remember that which Salomon saith that it is aboue Pearles and that is not enough to expresse it but saith hee goe through all the precious things in the world it goes beyond them Why because it exceedingly increaseth grace And what is the profit of it It makes God to set a high esteeme of you it makes the mighty God who is able onely to doe thee good to delight in thee it makes him ready to doe thee much good which I gather out of that Heb. 8. saith the LORD there When I tooke your Fathers by the hand and led them out of Egypt saith hee they broke my Couenant and I regarded them not saith the LORD marke it but I will make another kinde of Couenant with you Now by the rule of contraries these men had little knowledge and by that meanes they had no strength and therefore they broke the Couenant of the LORD and therefore the Lord regarded them not but cast them away as you refuse things on the other side now there is much knowledge that brings men much grace that makes them keepe the Couenant of God in a greater measure if hee regarded not them that brake the Couenant certainely now he will regard them that keepe the Couenant those that are his peculiar people the men of his delight the men whom he loues vpon whom hee meanes to bestowe all his fauours they are fauourites to the Court of heauen this you shall haue if you excell in grace there are many other benefits but still I say remember this if thou wouldest haue much grace reade the Scriptures exceeding much make it thy chiefest study from day to day enquire into them if thou canst liue vnder a good Minister that is liuely and powerfull and enlightning set a higher price vpon him then thou hast done if thou hast an estate spare nothing for thy soules good for if wisdome be better then Gold and Siluer why should you not part with them for it and so by conference be doing something Wee see Psal. 1. what they are that are pronounced blessed that meditate in the Law of God day and night it is vpon this ground when a man meditates that is when he delights in it he will not meditate in it else grace will follow for there is no man bleffed except he hath grace and the proposition should not bee sure except a man doe settle himselfe to meditate day and night it brings ability to keepe the Law and therefore Ios. â— 8. you shall finde it so expressed saith the Lord to Iosuah Let not the Law depart out of thy mouth but meditate in it day and night that thou maist obserue and doe it that so thou maist make thy wayes to prosper then thou shalt haue good successe Marke if a man be still taken vp in doing something in the things that belong to the Kingdome of God that hee make that the element that hee liues in as it were that hee make it his chiefe and principall study that he busie himselfe about it from time to time as much as possibly hee can get leasure that hee preferre it before all things else doing it both day and night by this hee shall bee more ablâ— to keepe the Law he shall be more able to obserue it and when that is obserued it makes way for prosperity then God will blesse thee and giue thee good successe So much shall serue for this The next thing to be considered which wee propounded is When the Couenant is dissolued You must know that the Couenant is then dissolued when that is dissolued that did make the Couenant Looke what it is that puts a man into the Couenant of Grace at the first when that is taken away then the Couenant is disannulled betweene God and vs but till then the Couenant remaines sure Now what is it that makes the Couenant Marke it This is that that makes the Couenant when Iesus Christ offers himselfe to vs and makes knowne his consent he is the promised seede in whom all the Nations of the Earth shall be blessed when wee againe come and take this promised seede and giue our consent and make him our LORD and we be subiect to him to be his when we say to the promised seede he shall be my God and my Gouernour and I will be among his people and be subiect to him I say when the heart giues a full consent to this when
though he be hindered many times and often in his life vnruly lusts come and make a separation betweene the LORD and him yet he cannot abide to bee long from him it is the Lord that hee loues he cannot for his heart choose another Master hee cannot choose another Husband another Lord another friend but it is hee with whom he will dwell liue and dye if this be thy case know that thy continuall failings make not a breach of the Couenant for thou knowest that thy heart hath not chosen another Husband for though thou be forced sometimes through the violence of temptation to serue another yet thy heart cleaues to thy right Master it cleaues to him it inclines to him it bends that way this is one way to finde it looke to thy heart immediately If thou canst not doe it by this if this be too obscure a rule for thee I will adde but this for the making of it plain Looke to the effects Thou pretendest I haue not chosen another husband I haue chosen the Lord for my God and him will I serue It is very well it is a good profession but take heede you bee on a sure ground Now saith our Sauiour Ioh. 8. You pretend that you are the children of Abraham that you haue him for your Father and not the Deuill but I say vnto you hee that committeth sinne is the seruant of sinne and so likewise Know you not that to whomsoeuer you obey his serâ—ants you are to whom you obey Rom. 6. And againe 2 Pet. 2. Of whomsoeuer a man is ouercome to that he is in bondage Looke to it now art thou ouercome with sinne dost thou obey sinne when it comes with a command vpon thee dost thou commit sinne Certainely thou hast chosen another husband thou dost but deceiue tâ—y selfe Alas you will say is it euery committing of sinne No beloued that is not the meaning of it but take heed of this when a sinne is drawne out as a thread in the course of thy life now intruth thou obeyest it now thou art ouercome of it now it hath dominion whensoeuer it commands thee when there is I say a tract of sinne when a man is still giuen to such a way to such an infirmity I cannot properly call it an infirmity that you may say it is such a mans trade he walkes in it now a man obeyes sinne he is ouercome of it it hath gotten the victorie ouer him as we vse to say of men he is a worldly-minded man goe to him when you will you shall finde him so disposed you shall finde him in all his carriage to shew himselfe to bee such a man this sinne it runnes as a thread through his whole life still he mindes earthly things he is taken vp about them he disrelisheth the Word he doth not minde it hee doth not delight to reade it or to heare it hee doth not loue the company of the Saints and the like and so for any other sinne If this will not serue the turne thou maist iudge it by one sinne but that is somewhat more difficult I will giue you 3. examples you shall see Adam and Balaam and Saul you shall see euery one of them in one sinne breake the Couenant and if you can finde yours the same case you shall know whether you haue broken it by one miscarriage Take Saul first he was commanded to goe and kill the Amalekits and God would haue him destroy them vtterly Saul goes about his Commandement he seemes to keepe it exceeding well and where he failed in it he seemed to haue a faire excuse saith he I did but saue the King the whole body of the people was destroied again he saued but a few of the fattest of the cattell and for what purpose not for his owne profit to make him rich but to offer sacrifice to the Lord and he hoped there was no fayling in this Well saith Samuel thou hast cast away the Lord thou hast chosen another God Samuel charged him with no lesse for saith hee thy sinne is as witchcraft it is as Idolatry that is thou hast now cast God quite away thou hast chosen to thy selfe another Lord another Husband to obey How shall this be made good The meaning is this when a man receiues a Commandement from God marke it when a man knowes it is the Lords will that I should walke thus and thus before him that I should abstaine from such and such sinnes I cannot deny but this is his Commandement well when a man comes to the keeping of it his heart finds out excuses and saith in such and such a case I hope I may be somewhat excused from a strict performance of it I say when the heart at any time deliberates and yet that word is not sufficient to expresse it but when the heart workes according to its owne proper inclination and then disobeyes the Lord in any Commandement certainely then it casts God away Beloued it is not such disobedience as when a man is transported with a strong affection a strong temptation when he is not himselfe for a time and his sinne be discouered he easily returnes and will be the same man he was but I say when a man deliberately commits sinne when a man considers himselfe well and hee is not transported with the strength of temptation but his heart workes at liberty so that hee acts himselfe in this case he doth as Saul did hee casts God away and God sent him word that he had cast him away The like was the case of Balaam hee carried it exceeding fairely I will not if Balaac will giue me his house full of gold curse the people I cannot doe that which God hath not said to me yet Balaam desired much to doe it hee thought hee would make tryall he would goe as farre as he could God saw it and found it out and you see what iudgement was giuen vpon him and this was presently discouered he gaue aduice to Balaac to put a stumbling blocke before the children of Israâ—l that is by offering with the Moabites and committing fornication with their women and so saith he I shall be able to curse them when they haue committed sinne once then I may curse them to purpose I say there was the naturall the proper inclination of Balaams heart it was not a thing that he was drawne to but when his heart was left to it selfe to goe which way it would that way it went it is not so with a man that is in the Couenant for grace it still preuailes and hath power ouer him it is that which hath dominion and possession it is that which is the Lord of the house and whensoeuer he is lest simply to himselfe that his heart workes which way it would certainely then he pleaseth God he cannot he doth not sin against him I cannot stay to presse this further but rather come to make some vse of it but this remember so
neuer be without he obliterate all old writing he hath said he will giue the Holy Ghost he hath promised to giue thee a new heart and a new spirit now consider this it is a part of his Couenant goe to the Lord and beseech him to make good his Couenant this is the way for thee to ouercome it if thou go about it any other way thou shalt neuer be able to out-wrestle it Beloued for a man to thinke thus with himselfe to say I haue receiued grace I hope I haue some strength therefore I will be bold to venture vpon such a temptation or at least I hope by my promises by my vowes prayers and reading one way one way or other to master it and ouercome it this is not the way thou must goe to GOD and make vse of this Couenant and beseech him to giue thee strength for marke it GOD would not take this vpon him to giue vs new hearts and new spirits to sanctifie vs to make vs new creatures to crucifie the flesh to weaken the dominion of sinne hee would not take this vpon him and make a promise if wee were able to doe it but hee knowes it is in his owne power and he must doe it for vs and therefore in such a case we must goe to him and beseech him to doe it for know this when a man is in CHRIST once when he is in the Couenant he liues by a principle without himselfe and not by one within himselfe as Paul saith I liue by Iesus Christ that is he is without me and it is he still that giues me strength therfore goe to him If you aske the reason why will the LORD haue it so why may not a man haue a sufficient habituall strength in himselfe by which he may be able to out-wrestle lusts and to ouercome temptations The reason is because no flesh shall reioyce in it selfe and therefore Christ is made sanctification that is you deriue it from him from day to day from time to time that you might not reioyce in your selues but in him therfore let no man goe about such a businesse in his own strength for a man to thinke beloued by vertue of that habituall grace hee hath receiued to be able to ouercome sinne and to worke righteousnes it is all one as if a man should say thus with himselfe I see my house is full of light now I will shut vp my doores and windowes I hope to haue light enough when he hath done so you know the light perisheth presently because the Sun is shut out that which giues light I say so it is when a man thinks now I am some body I haue now gotten some strength now I hope I may walke with some confidence more then before this is to shut vp the windowes as it were No thou must haue continuall dependence vpon Christ otherwise if thou goe to ouercome any sin and thinke to doe it with thy owne strength it shall be too strong for thee for you wrestle with spirituall things and without a strength from one without thee they will be too strong for thee goe to the Lord and say Lord I confesse I am able to doe nothing of my selfe but I bring my heart to thee as an empty Caske beseeching thee to fill it with grace Lord I want much grace Iesus Christ is full of grace and hath filled himselfe for that purpose that he might communicate it to vs I say in such a case now if thou goe to the Lord and beseech him to make good his Couenant tell him thou restest vpon his strength thou goest against sinne as Iosuah went against the Caâ—â—â—ites not because he was able to ouercome them for they were Giants and had cities walled vp to heauen but hee went in the Lords strength I say if a man goe in this manner bee assured that the Lord will not faile thee he will giue thee ability to ouercome The third case is when any outward trouble lyes vpon a man let him goe and remember it is a part of Gods Couenant to blesse him To blesse him with what Withall kind of blessings and to be a Buckler to him there is no euill in the world but God hath promised to bee a Buckler to shield him and to defend him from it put the case thou lye vnder any pressure any calamity any crosse any disease any affliction of minde or of body or estate or of name why goe to God now and tell him it is a part of his Couenant to deliuer thee and labour to find out if thou canst beside the generall Couenant some particular The Lord hath said if thou bee in trouble call vpon mee and I will deliuer thee if thou be in a strait in extremity the Lord hath said he will worke thy workes for thee and so yoâ— may goe to him in particulars But when faitâ— hath once gotten a promise be sure that thou keepe thy hold pleade hard with the Lord and tell him it is a part of his Couenant and it is impossible that he should deny thee doe as the woman of Canaan when thou art on a sure ground take no denyall though the Lord may deferre long yet he will doe it he cannot chuse for it is a part of his Couenant Beloued therefore in this case doe as you see two Metaphors vsed in Scripture they are excellent for this purpose Esay 66. 11. there is a Commandement of the Lord for the children of Israel that they should sucke and be satisfied with the brests of consolation c. the words are obscure as they are read to you but the Originall makes them exceeding cleere there are two Metaphors vsed one is to milke consolation out of the promises the meaning is this that the promises are full of comfort as a dugge is full of milke now if thou be ready to faint goe and milke out consolation out of the promises that will relieue thee that will stay thy heart goe saith he and sucke draw out consolation from the dugges from the promises for that is the meaning which he cals the brests of consolation for hee repeates the promise presently after thus saith the Lord behold I will extend peace ouer her like a Flood c. The other Metaphor is to extorâ— to oppresse the promises that as a rich man oppresseth a poore man and gets out of him all that he is worth he leaues him worth nothing he playes the extortioner with him after that manner deale thou with the promises for they are rich there is a price in them be thou as an extortioner to them take out whatsoeuer thou needest or wring it out of the promises as it were Now when a man is poore and needy let him goe to the rich promises and bee as an oppressor to them that is consider the promises to the vtmost see the vtmost riches that is contained in them and they will make thee rich againe draw out the vtmost of
as you haue it in Math. 7. 16. 17. that is a man then is said to be a good man when there is a good sap in him when there is some thing in him that is good when there are some supernaturall graces wrought in him he that is not emptie of these he is a good man as it is said of Barnabas he was a good man and how was that proved he was full of faith and the holy Ghost See then whether thou hast an emptie heart or no. You say a thing is good for nothing when it is emptie of that excellencie that should be in it when Wine hath not that in it that belongs to wine you say it is naught and so we say of all things else When a man therefore hath not that in him that belongs to a man that is to a man as he was created in innocency he is wicked and naught a sonne of Beliall but when he hath a blessing in him as grapes haue wine in them when he hath supernaturall grace wrought in his heart when he hath the new Adam putting into his heart the sap of grace life then he is good Therefore see whether there be somewhat put into thee more then is in thee by nature see whether thou finde the new Adam effectually to cōmunicate new sap to thee new grace and new light to thee as the old Adam hath communicated corruption See whether thou be made a good tree or no for it is the tree that makes the fruit good and not the fruit that makes the tree good So it is the man that justifieth his worke and not the worke that justifieth the man and therefore thou must first see whether thou be in the Covenant whether thou hast this seale that thou seest some thing put into thee which thou hast not by nature Every man by nature is emptie when grace is put into him then he is said to be good As it is good wine when it is full of spirit when it hath that in it that belongs to wine So he is a good man that hath that in him which belongs to him in his regenerate estate Secondly Consider whether thou bring forth good fruit that is not onely whether thou doest good actions but whether they flow from thee whether they grow in thine heart as naturally as fruit growes on the tree that flowes from the sap within When a man not onely doth good works but when he is zealous of them it is his meate and drinke to doe them when they flow from him as water from the fountaine then he is a good man for if the tree be good that is if the heart be good a man will be as readie and will as naturally bring forth good fruit as the tree the Vine or the Fig-tree bring forth their fruit The third thing you shall see in the 2 Tim. 2. vessels are said to be good to be vessels of honour when they are prepared to every good worke So when a man is good and brings forth good fruit and not onely brings it forth but if there be any occasions to put forth the goodnesse that is in him he is parepared for it as a vessell is prepared for such a turne for such a service The word in the originall signifieth when a man is fashioned as a vessell is fashioned and the meaning of the holy Ghost is therefore to shew that then a man is good when his heart is fitted to good workes when he knowes how to goe about them whereas another bungles at them and knowes not how to doe them he is prepared for them and therefore there needs no more but to put him and the good worke together and he is readie to performe it The last is When there is not onely a readines but practice vpon all occasions when a man doth good as it is sayd that Iesus Christ went about doing good And therefore he is a good man that is a vsefull man such a man that every one fares the better for such a man as is serviceable to God profitable to men Before regeneration when a man is a stranger to this goodnesse he onely serues himselfe he is full of selfe-loue all his ends are to looke to himselfe that he may be kept safe he cares not what becomes of any thing els so it be well with him but when once goodnesse comes into his heart it hath this fruit he goes about doing good because grace brings that principle into the heart that never grew there before that it the loue of God and man whereas before there was nothing but selfe-loue in him which plant growes naturally in the garden of nature when grace comes it brings loue with it and that loue makes vs vsefull and serviceable both to God and man So that whatsoever a man hath what gifts what knowledge what authoritie he hath he is readie to vse it for the good of others As the Apostle saith of One simus in the Epistle to Philemon Now he is profitable to thee and mee whereas before he was vnprofitable So it may be said of all Saints when once this goodnesse is put into them now they are profitable to God and man they doe serue God and man with their fatnesse and with their sweetnesse before they were vnprofitable to others but now they are profitable both to themselues and others This is the first note by which you may know your selues Art thou a good and vsefull man dost thou goe about doing good doe those fare the better for thee with whom thou hast to doe dost thou spend the fatnesse and the sweetnesse that God hath given thee to serue God and man with it then conclude thou art in the ranke of those that are the Lords portion otherwise thou art yet without the Covenant thou art yet in the gall of bitternes The other three I must deferre till the afternoone So much for this time THE SECOND SERMON ECCLESIASTES 9. 1. 2. 3. I haue sarely given my heart to all this c. WEE will now proceede to the second difference which remaineth and that is this Consider whether thou bee cleane and pure in heart or polluted There is the same condition to the pure and to the polluted Now what it is to be cleane or to be washed you shall see 1 Cor. 6. 11. And such were some of you That is you were polluted with those sins there named but now sayth he you are washed And wherein stands this washing He tels vs it stands in these two things Now you are iustified now you are sanctified You are iustified through the name of Christ and sanctified through the spirit of our God So then he is a pure man or a cleane man that is first washed from the guilt of his sinnes that is that hath no sinne lying vpon his Conscience that hath not a polluted Conscience which is a phrase vsed Titus 1. whose mindes and consciences are defiled
salt that biteth not which doth not clense the heart it is an argument thou dost not performe them as thou shouldest for there is a sharpnesse in holy ordinances that makes vs sound in the faith because it discovers to vs the secret corruptions of the heart Dost thou finde thy lusts as strong as they were are they not clensed out it is a signe thou dost not vse the scowring as thou shouldest and so we may say of all the rest Dost thou finde the word to fall vpon thy heart as the raine fals vpon the earth or as vpon a stone that sinkes not into it that makes it not more fruitfull Dost thou finde that thou dost heare from day to day and yet art not richer in grace and in knowledge That it cannot be sayd to thee that thou hast so much more as thou hast heard more Dost thou finde that prayer builds thee not vp that thou gettest not some strength some strong resolution that thou confirmest not thy Covenant with God thy purpose of abstaining from sinne and the like that there is not somewhat added to that spirituall building thou art in the number of those that sacrifice not though thou keepe a constant course in performing religious duties So much likewise shall serue for this The last expression is He that sweareth and he that feareth an oath That which is said of this sinne may be applyed likwise to all others and so here is a fourth difference betwixt the good and bad A man who is within the Covenant hath this propertie that he feares sinne and dares not meddle with it that is he will not neglect looking to his heart he will not be negligent in keeping a Watch over his heart and over his wayes but hath a continuall eye vpon sinne as we say Timor â—igens oculos c. what a man feares he will be sure to haue a continuall eye vnto it If a man be about a busines and there be any thing that he feares he will neglect his worke to haue an eye vpon that whatsoever it be If a man feare sinne he will be very diligent in watching himselfe in taking heede that sinne come not vpon him by the by with some by-blow that he looked not for such a man hath a continuall eye vpon sinne he is exceeding diligent in looking to his heart and wayes when another man neglects it and therefore easily slips into sinne now into an oath now into Sabbath-breaking sometimes to the omission of prayer sometimes to the lust of vncleannâ—sse sometimes to lying and dissembling sometimes to one sinne sometimes to another and the reason is because he is negligent The foolish goes on and is carelesse that is he feares not sinne and therefore he neglects having an eye to sinne Now that you may finde out more distinctly what this feare is consider this he that feares he doth not onely feare the sinne it selfe but he feares any thing that he hath a suspition of he feares any thing that is doubtfull if it be such a thing as may be evill to him he feares it So a man that feares sinne though it be not cleare to him though he be not fully convinced that such or such a thing is a sinne yet if he be one that feares sinne he will not meddle with it Put the case he doubt whether the Sabbath should be so strictly kept notwithstanding because he is doubtfull of it he will not meddle with it Put the case he doubt whether gaming is to be vsed if he feares he dares not meddle with it As if there should be intimation given to a man that such a cup or such a dish were poysoned he would not meddle with it because he feareth it he feareth death he feareth sicknesse so a man that feareth sinne if there be but a suâ—pition of it though others swallow it without making any bones of it yet he dares not and therefore consider what thou doest in that case Besides when a man feares he not onely feares the thing but that which may make way to it for feare you know sets the heart to prevent evill to come the object of it 18 Malum â—uturum whereas the object of griefe is present evill so it is also with those that feare sinne Put the case sinne be farre off from a man yet if he feare it he will not come neere the occasions that might leade him to it but keepes himselfe farre from it as in Exod. we are commanded keepe thy selfe farre from an evill matter he dares not suffer his thoughts to wander he dares no gaze vpon vnlawfull objects he dares not come into company with them that will infect him he dares not come neare the traine though he be farre off the blow Thus a man is affected that feares And hence it is that when a man is possessed with a disposition of feare he doth not onely feare for a fit but if it be a thing that he naturally feares it is a constant feare he feares it at all times You shall finde evill men may feare by fits Ahab feared when Eliah brought a terrible message to him he feared and humbled himselfe So Pharâ—oh feared when Moses brought vpon him those heavie iudgements and plagues but these feares of theirs were as mists which cleared vp againe that continued not and therefore you haue that expression in the Proverbes Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes as if he should say by this we shew the sinceritie of our feare that we doe not feare by fits but feare alwayes The ground of it is this such a man feares onely the wrath of God he feareâ— onely the evill and therefore when that is taken away he feares no more but with the godly man it is quite contrarie he feares the Lord and his goodnesse Hosea 3. 5. and therefore when there is an end of evill and afflictions when the feare of that is blowne over when goodnesse comes in the roome of it when God beginnes to shew mercie to him to giue him health and peace and quietnesse when he is rid of his sicknes of his troubles crosses and calamities his feare doth not cease as the feare of Ahab did but he feares God still yea he feares him now more then ever The more Gods goodnesse is increased towards him the more he feares because the more his loue is increased the more his tendernesse of Conscience is increased the more sweetnesse he findes in God and therefore the more he is afraid to loose it the more he is afraid of any breaches betweene God and him This you shall finde in those that feare Againe You shall finde a difference in the object the thing that they feare When the feare of God and the feare of men shall come in competition there is the tryall When a man shall be threatned by man with death when he shall be threatned with the losse of his goods the losse of libertie the losse of any
by some particular actions 2. Cause Doct. Reas. 1. Ob. Answ. What sinceritie and vprightnes is Puritie Soundnesse Simplicitie Integritie What it is In 3. things The integritie of the subject Integritie in the object Integritie of the meanes Vprightnesse Approoving a mans selfe to Gods sight Vse 1. To examine our selues 1. Tryall 2. Tryall Ob. Answ. 3. Property He purifieth himselfe 1 Ioh. 3. 3. 2 Cor. 7. 1. Pro. 30. 12. â— Pet. 2. 14. 4. Obiect Ans. 4. Differences betweene the relapses of sound and vnsound-hearted men 1. Difference Acts 4. 12. 2 Chro. 32. 25. 2. Difference 3. Difference 4. Difference Rom. 7. 20. 1 Ioh. 4. 4. Rom. 7. 22. 4 Property He presâ—eth to the marke that is before him Phil. 3. 12. 15. Which coÌ„nsists 1. In ayming at the highest degree of holinesse An vnsound heart aymes not at perfect holinesse 2 Cor. 7. 1. He will not be at the cost 2. He aymes not at God 3. He wants light 2. A perfect heaâ—t followes hard to the marke Maâ— 18. 1 2 3. Lam. 3. 40. Simile 2 Ioh. 8. Reu. 3. 11. 2 Cor. 3. 12. Eph. 5. 15. 16. 5 Property With a whole heaâ—t Ier. 3. 10. Hos. 7. 14. 1 Tim. 6. 12. 2 Chron. 7. 14. Hosea 7. 16. 2 Chro. 12. 1. 2 Chron. 26. 7. 15. 6 Property He accounteth the Gospell wisdome 1 Cor. 2. 6. Heb. 6â—â— 5. Qâ—â—st Aâ—s 2. Quest. Ans. Foure Markes whereby to know this wisdome 1. It humbleth him 2. He knowes things as he ought 1 Cor. 8. 2. 3. He discerns things that differ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12. 2. 4. His iudgement is changed Effects of sincerity 1. It exalteth God Psal. 148. 13. Prou 4. 8. 1. In matter of honour 2 Cor. 4. 5. Act. 3. 12. 2. In matter of profit Act. 20. 24. 3. In matter of pleasure 1 Cor. 10. 33. 2. effect Nothing moues a man but Gods command col 4. 12. Psal 119. 6. Act. 13. 22. Psal 123. 2. Quest. Ans. Quest. Ans. Quest. Ans. 3. Effect He serueth GOD with all hâ—s might 1 Pet. 1. 22. The intention is deuided when things are done reâ—issâ—ly Psal. 27. 4. 4. Effect Euery grace hath its perfect worke Iam. 1. 2 3 4. Heb. 17. 1. Obiect Ans. Iam. 5. 11. 2 Chron. 25. 7 8 9. Men may doe much and yet want sauing grace Vers. 16. 2 Chro 11. 2 3 4. Rom. 4. 19. Obiect Ans. True grace may be interrupted Rom. 1. 18. 2 Pet. 3. 5. Mat. 13. 15. Ioh. 3. 21. 5. Property or effect The Spâ—â—it is quieted Iam. 3. 17. Last effect of sincerite To see God Mat. 5. 8. 1. In his attributes 2. In his works of prouidence 3. In his guidance and direction 4. In his Ordinances Gen. 17. 7. Doct. Twofold Couenant 1. of workes 2. of grace A threesold difference between them 1. Difference 2. Difference Gal. 4. 24. Heb. 12. 18. 3. Difference Heb. 8. 8 9 10. The Metaphor of writing the Law in mans heart explained 3. wayes Couenant of Grace twofold Six differences between them Gal. 4. Heb. 8. 18. Ex. 2â— Heb. 8. 10. Heb. 8. 6. Vse 1. Vse 2. 2 Pet. 1. 4. Heb. 9. 14. Gal. 3. Gal. 5. 2. Difference Quest. Ans. Quest. Ans. Reâ— 2. 3. Vse To mortifie sinne by applying the promise of free pardon 2 Cor. 3. 6. Heb. 9. 14. Gal. 3. â— A double infusion of the Spirit 2 Pet. 1. 4. Rom. 6. 1 2 3. Vse 4. 1. The Couenant 2. The Condition of the Couenant which is faith Reasons why faith is the Condition 2. Reason Gal. 3. 21. 3. Reason 4. Reason 3. The confirmation of the Couenant Gal. 3. 15. 5. Obiections against it 1. Obiect Ans. 2. Obiect Ans. Obiect Ans. Rom. 11. 17. Obiect Ans. Quest. Ans. Act. 2. 1 Sam. 12. 18. Ezra 10. 9. Act. 16. Eph. 5. 1 Ioh. 3. 3. 1 Ioh. 3. Eph. 1. 13. Râ—u 3. 20. Reu. 2. 17. Ioâ— 14. 21. Iob 27. 8 9 10. Obiect Ans. Wayes to know whether we are in the Couenant or no. Rom. 8. 15. Obiect Ans. Gal. 3. Quest. Ans. Six consequents of the Spirit 1. A spirit of prayer 2. Loue. 3. Clâ—nsing a mans selfe 4. Peace 5. Humility 6. Not to receiue the spirit â—f bondagâ— againe Third way of knowing whâ—ther we be in the Couenant is by our kâ—owledge which hath â— properties 1. It circumseth the heart id est subdueth Iusts 1 Lust of the eyes 2 Pride of life Simile Take the present opportunity Heb. 8. Vse To labour for knowledge Gal. 4. 9. Growing in kdowledge increaseth grace 2. Pet. 3. 17. 2 Cor. 3. 16. Ioh. 17. 17. Eph. 5. 14. 2 Pet. 2. 20. 2 Pet. 1. 2. 1 Cor. 1. 5. 〈…〉 When the Couenant 〈◊〉 broken Obiect Ans. Two rules to know whether we haue broken the Couenant 1 Rule â—ooke to thy heart Iam. 4. 2. Rule Looke to the effects Obiect Ans. Vse Heb. 10. Heb. 7. Heb. 10. 28. Heb. 11. Eph. 2. Obiect Ans. Obiect Ans. Deut. 32. Ob. Answ. Eccles. 8. 16. Consectarie Consectarie Eccles. 9. 3. Doct. It is a hard thing to be persâ—aded of Gods All-sufficiencie The holy Ghost must perswade Ob. Answ. Iohn 16. Reas. 1. God onely wise and therfore able to perswade Reas. 2. God onely knowes the severall turnings of the heart Ier. 17. 9. Simile Reas. 3. God onely can amend the heart Vse Why one man trusteth God and not another Iohn 16. 13. Ephes 1. 18. Doct. 3. All things are in Gods hands Math. 11. 27. Ioh. 3. 35. 1 Cor. 15. 24. Psal. 2. 8. Quest. Ans. Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Exod 33. 3. Reas. 3. Reas. 4. Deut. 8. 18. Vse Levit. 17. 5. Vse 2. Phil. 2. 8. 9. Ephes. 3. 12. Thankfulnes Doct. 3. All men divided into two Rankes Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Deut. 32. 9. Reas. 3. Vse 1. Vse 2. Ephes. 5. 6. Quest. Answ. Fouretryals Goodnesse which consists in foure things Mat. 7. 16. 17. 2. Tim. 2. 21. Act. 10. 38. Difference 1 Cor. 6. 11. Titus 1. Ezek. 36. 25. Simile It is not leaving but hating of sinne that sheweth puritie 1 Ioh 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1. 3. Difference Iam. 2. 10. Ob. Answ. Quest. Ans. How to know when we performe Gods Ordinances aright Ier 23. 29. Iudâ— 20. Mar. 4. 24. Iob. 15. 3. 4. Psal. 119. 9. Difference Simile Exod. 23. 10. Prov. 2â— 14. Hâ—sea 3. 5. Isa. 66. 2. Doct. 4. Things fall out alike to good and bad in this life Chap. 8. 9. 10. Chap. 10. 6. 7. Instances 2 Chro. 35. 23 God vseth a libertie in two things In Election In punishmeÌ„t and rewardes in two things Vse Reas. 1. To trie men Reas. 2. Tospare men Gen. 6. 3. Reas. 3. To hide events from men Rom. 11. 33. Act. 1. 7. Reas. 4. To bring forth his treasures Quest. Answ. Gen. 15. 16. Rom. 9. 22. Rom. 11. 22. Rom. 2. 4. Deut. 32. 33. 34. 35. Iam. 1. Math. 5. 10. Heb. 10. 36. Reas. 5. This life is a time of striving Rom. 2. 5. It shall not alway goe well with the wicked Because God is a iust judge He is immutable Gods blessednes requires it Vse Psal. 129. 3. Instances of the wicked Isa. 28. 24. Deut. 32. 35. Heb. 10. 37. Instances of the godly Iam. 5. 11. Psal. 37. 37. Verse 36. Luke 13. 4. Psal. 50. 21. The executioÌ„ not the sentence is deferred Ecles 8. 13 Ob. Answ. Wicked men die suddenly though they liue long Adversity and Prosperitie not truly good nor euill Ob. Doct. All things vnder the Sunne are subject to vanity Naturall things They are restlesse There is nothing new Mortal things Wisedome There is wearinesse in getting it Griefe in vsing it It freeth not from miserie Commendable actions Eccle. 4. 4. Are enuyed Great places Vse To see the change sinne hath made in the world Vse 2. To see the vanity of man Psal. 62. 9. 3. Vse It is an ill choise to loose heauen to gaine the creature Luke 16. 26. Vse Not to desire them ouer much Not to trust them ouer much Not to grieue ouer much at the losse them Vse 5. Labour to be weaned from them and to feare God and keepe his commandements tryall Doct. 2. Men of greatest abilities disappointed of their ends Reas. 1. No man stroÌ„g in his owne strength 1 Sam. 2. 9. 1 Sam. 2. 3. The Creature is ignorant It is weake Psal. 33. 16. God can take away the vse of the strength they haue Amos 2. 14. 15. 16. 2. Cause Men misse their times Eccles. 8. 5. 6. 3. Cause From the changes appointed by God Psal. 31. 15. Instances 4. Cause Vse Not to boast of outward things 2 Chron. 14. 6. 7. 8. Simile God delights to crosse men in carnal confidence To maintaine his own right 1 Sam. 17. 47. To shew his power To shew his providence 2. Vse Not to be discouraged in want of preparation Because weaknesse cannot frustrate Gods purpose Gods hand is then most seene God hath more glorie in that case Vse 3. Not to be over-ioyfull or sorrowfull for good or ill successe 1 Sam. 18. 1 Chro 5. 26. Vse 4. Not to make flesh our arme Ier. 17. Psal. 31. Isa. 51. 12. Why we feare men Instances of inconstancy Eccles. 8. 4. 5. 6. 7. Quest. Answ. Quest. Ans. There is a time allotted to every aâ—tion Eccles. 3. Act. 17. 26. Iob. 5. 6. Act. 13. 35. Reas. 1. Eccles. 3. 9. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Act. 1. 7. It is hard to finde out the time Reas. 1. To teach vs watchfulnes Reas. 2. That men may leaâ—ne to feare the Lord and depend vpon him Iam 4. 3. Proposit. Because men misâ—e the time they â—all into miserie Instances Haggai 1. Num. 14. Vse Not onely to looke to our actions but the time of them Watch our times in the things God commandeth Isa. 22. 12. 13. Watch opportunities in actions that concerne others Watch in actions concerning our owne safetie Luk. 19. 42. Ier. 11. 14. Quest. Answ. The causes of missing the time Directions to finde it Prov. 3. 5. Eccles. 8. 5. Act. 2. Psal. 25. 12. 2. Cause Of missing the time Luk. 21. 34. 1 Cor. 7. 4. Cause 5. Cause
the hands of the Lord as an Axe or a Sword or a Staffe and is not vsed except it be at his disposing it appeares that it is perfectly and absolutely subiect to the dominion of God But now for the second which is more than this when the Lord I say hath sent such a creature to thee aud thou hast it before thee that is the second thing that it is not able to comfort nor hurt thee without him Put the case the creature be pregnant full of comfort yet it is not able to giue downe that milke of comfort that is in it except the Lord educe and bring it forth except the Lord apply it in particular to thee And the same I may say of any hurtfull creature be it never so pregnant with evill be it never so full of it yet it is not able to exercise it it is not able to act that hurt it hath except the Lord bring it forth except the Lord set it a worke and vse it for such a purpose as an Axe if it be never so sharpe yet if the Carpenter doe not vse it to cut such a Tree to lop such a branch it is not able to doe it Now the ground of it why the creature is not able to doe this is from hence that all the comfort that ariseth from the creature proceeds from that sutablenesse and that agreeablenesse which is betweene the mind and it That is when the blessing and the minde are fitted one to another as the sword to the sheath or as the meare to the palate then the creature comforts but if there be an vnsutablenesse a disagreement a disproportion betweene the creature and the minde now thou receivest no comfort from it for what is it to thee for comfort lyes not simply in any thing but that is comfortable that agreeth with the appetite and the desire of a man Whatsoever it is let the desire be what it will if that which thou hast sute with that desire it is comfortable when a mans heart is sad such actions as are sutable to the disposition are pleasant weeping is pleasant and complaints are plealant musique grieues because that is not sutable to the present disposition And so in every thing else It is no matter what thy condition is but what sutablenesse and agreeablenesse is betweene thy minde and thy condition if thou be in never so good condition yet except God make that and thy mind to agree thou shalt receiue no comfort from it if a man be in meane condition if he be in prison if he be in the lowest estate if he be in bondage if he be in exile wheresoever he is if the Lord make but that condition and his minde to agree it will sute well enough And therefore hence comes the discomfort that is in the creatures when a man hath them and enioyes them it may be those things which thou hast are such as sute not with thee somewhat there is that thou affectest something that thou desirest that thou hast not and that thou canst not get As for instance Haman had an estate full of comfort and of all kinde of blessings yet there was not a sutablenes betweene his mind and that estate one thing came betweene Mordecai sate in the Gate and therefore this avayled him nothing Hest. 5. That is Though there were all this together yet since there was not a coniunction of the facultie and of the obiect this avayled him nothing Why because it was not sutable to his desire there was something that he would haue that his affections and appeâ—ite were set on that if he had he should be well And therefore sayth he all this avayles me nothing that is his expression So Amnon he was the Kings son and had all things that a Kings sonne might haue yet all this was nothing there was something els that his heart was set on that he had not Many the like instances I might giue but I neede not Therefore I say when the Lord puts an vnsuitablenesse betweene thy minde and the comforts that thou hast and sufâ—ers thee to haue an in ordinaâ—e appotite as women that haue good meate to â—ate yet sometime doe long after ashes coales and such things so when God giues a man an estate when he compasseth him about with mercies and blessings on all sides yet if he suffer such an inordinate appetite to take hold of him to desire some odde thing some by-thing that possesseth his soule he may haue the blessing and haue it present with him and yet receiue no comfort from it at all Now my Beloved all this tends to this purpose that you may know that it is the Lord that giues all good and evill both in that the creature is at his disposing that doth it and not so onely but the efficacie of the creature to exercise such an act of good or evill to vs that we should receiue actuall comfort of discomfort from it it is from him and all I say chiefly ariseth from that dominion that the Lord hath over the spirits of men it doth not lye so much in the creature as in framing the apprehension of the minde and therein is seene the truth of this poynt chiefly that we haue now delivered that the Lord onely is the Author of good and hurt and not the creature because he guides the apprehension for if it be true as it is most true Animus cuiusque c. it is the mind and apprehension of every man that maketh his life pleasant or it is the minde of man that maketh him happie and not the thing then the Lord that guides the minde and that fashions the heart he hath the onely hand in making the life pleasant When thou hast gotten all thou wouldst haue yet what is that except thy heart be fashioned to it This you shall see in Psal. 33. The Lord looked downe from his dwelling and from his habitation vpon the men that dwell vpon the earth and fashions their hearts every one of them Make he fashions their hearts That is A man hath such a frame of heart such an apprehension of things as it pleaseth God to giue him So that take any estate or condition that a man is in as you know there is a great varietie of conditions to be rich and to be poore to be in prison and to be at libertie to be in health and to be sicke to be in honour and to be in disgrace these are as it were the severall moulds into which the Lord casts men Now if he will frame the spirit to that mould like soft clay to the seale for that is an expression in Iob I say if he fashion the spirit to it make it pliable to the condition to that mould a man will beare and indure it well enough he shall finde comfort in it it is nothing to him And therefore the Saints the Apostles and Prophets when God was with them to
fashion their hearts to passe through the varietie of troubles might say of themselues Non patimur c. They seemed to suffer but in truth did not suffer What was it to Paul when he indured that state and condition that he did when his heart was so fashioned to it as it was Now I say in that the Lord hath this dominion over the spirits of men hence it is that he makes a mans life comfortable Put the case thy hand hath gotten much that thou hast gathered much wealth together yet you know Eccles. 2. 24. There is no profit to a man but that he eate and drinke and delight his soule with profit after his labour I say this also that it was of the hand of God That is All this is nothing except a man delight in it except a man enioy the comfort of it Well but is not that an easie thing when the mind and the state are put together No sayth the Wiseman this is of the hand of the Lord. That is Except the Lord doe it by a speciall hand vpon the creature it is not able to doe it except he fit the mind to the state except he sute them together it cannot doe it so I may say of all things else A hony-Combe may be very bitter to a man his stomacke may be so disposed as in a Feaver you know that which is sweete is bitter againe that which is bitter may be sweete to a man so those that are the greatest comforts may be bitter and those things that may be bitter to other men may be sweet to him It is sayd of evill men they feare where no feare is That is When there is no cause of feare yet the Lord can so fashion their hearts and so frame their apprehension that they shall feare where there is no cause of feare when they are but laru◠et spectra shadowes of evils Againe another feares not when there is cause of feare That is Though things be pu◠vpon him that are terrible yet the Lord can take away that feare And as we say of that affection so I may say of any other of joy and gladnes he fashions the heart Deut. 28. 65. where the Lord threatneth many Cursles and this is one amongst the rest You shall goe into a strange Nation and there you shall liue A man might obiect thus Though I liue in a strange Nation yet I hope I may haue some rest and some comfort there No sayth the Lord you must know this that I haue dominion over the apprehension of your hearts and affections when you come thither I will giue you trembling hearts and sorrow of minde That is Though there be comforts there yet you shall not take comfort from them and the reason is added for thine eyes shall sayle That is When thou commest thither I will put a restles vnquiet disposition into thee that thou shalt not content thy selfe with the comfort thou findest but shalt haue a longing desire to returne to thine owne home and that thou shalt not be able to doe so thou shalt haue a restles minde whilst thou art there Thus I will follow thee with judgements I am sorry I haue stayde so long in the doctrinall part the life of this poynt is in the vse and application of it I will adde a little that I may not wholly dismisse you without it And first this vse you may make of it If the Lord be All-sufficient hence we should learne how to guide our comfort how to guide our joy how to guide our affections That is Labour to see that fulnesse that is in God and that emptinesse that is in the creature if the Lord be thus All-sufficient my Beloved then let your hearts be satisfied with him alone let them be filled with him let them be so bottomed vpon him and so strengthned by him that you neede not to goe out from him to fetch in any comfort from any creature whatsoever if the Lord fill the heart it should strengthen you against all carnall joy What neede you goe out to others if you haue enough in him it will strengthen you against that expence of spirit and of your thoughts which you bestow vpon vaine things for my Beloved we haue but a short time to liue in this world the strength of our minde is the most precious thing we haue the thoughts and affectiōs that we haue the busines the actiuenes of our mindes we should be carefull to improue them we should be carefull that none of this water runne besides the Mill. That is That it be not bestowed vpon things that are vnworthy of it If the Lord be All-sufficient why should you not bestow it altogether vpon him Why should you spend it vpon the creature Why should your minde be occupied about it Why should you be so intent vpon them Why should you be so subiect to carnall griefes and feares and carnall desires Surely all these should be taken vp about the Lord for he lookes for it at our hands I am All-sufficient therefore let all these be bestowed vpon me And againe as we should learne to see this fulnes in God to haue our hearts bottomed and fixed vpon him so we should labour to see the emptines of the creature But you will say who doth not know that the creature is emptie It is no new thing my Beloved it is certaine we doe not fully know it if we did what meane those complaints and those griefes that we take vp vpon euery evill accident that falls out for nothing is said to be emptie but when you looke for a fulnes in it you say a Well is emptie of water because you looke for water there you doe not say a Rocke is emptie for you doe not expret it there So we may say of the creature if we thought and did beleeue that there were an emptines in it we would never expect so much from it as we do But when we complaine and say I thought to haue found such and such things and I find them not it is a signe that we looke for a fulnes there and therefore let vs labour to correct that conceit it will helpe vs against those griefes complaints to which we are so much subiect let vs looke for no more in the creature then is in it All griefe and stirring of affection ariseth from this expectation this over-weening this high prizing of the creature if you finde inconstancie in men why doe you looke for constancie in them they are creatures if you looke for stabilitie in your estate and wonder why a change should come I was heretofore rich and now I am poore I was honourable and now I am in disgrace why didst thou expect stabilitie in that which is subiect to vanitie Things would not trouble vs if we did not expect too much from them if we knew there were an emptines in them he that lookes not for