abound The Apostle saith It is impossible that those that are dead to sinne should live any longer therein as if he should say Set aside all your carnall reasonings it is impossible for him that is dead to sinne to live yet therein how can he as if he should say Whosoever is in Christ the Spirit of Christ is sent into his heart that mortifies sin so that he cannot live any more in it there is such a change wrought in him hee is a new Creature if hee be once in Christ that is the first rise as soone as we are justified the Spirit of Christ is sent into our hearts But is not the Spirit sent into our hearts before when he workes faith It is true but the meaning is when wee are once in Christ the Spirit of Sanctification is shed more plentifully and in a greater degree than before for there is a certaine work of the Spirit that begetteth faith and the same worke of the Spirit in its time begetteth the degrees of Sanctification But now that this may not be in notion only we will shew you how the Spirit workes this that you may not think these to be things carried in clouds and to have place only in our understandings but that you may know it in the experience that every man finds in himselfe that after hee hath taken Christ there is indeed such a Spirit shed into his heart that changeth him For the understanding of this know that when wee come to invite men to come into Christ as it is all our businesse to invite men to the marriage all the world stands out and every man gives that answer that they did in the Gospell they have bought farmes and married wives every man is so set on these outward things that his carnall heart carrieth him to that they will not hearken to us so that we may preach in vaine you see to how many Christ himselfe preached in vaine and the Apostles had preached in vaine if there had been no more than their owne preaching So likewise now the Spirit is sent into the hearts of men that when wee come and invite men to come into Christ the Spirit also secretly compels them to come in Wee are indeed bidden to compell men to come in but unlesse there bee another compeller that is except there be the Spirit within to doe it the worke is not done unlesse there be two compellers at the same time the Holy Ghost within preaching to your hearts when we preach to your eares except there be two callers that when wee call men the Lord send his Spirit to call you too it is in vaine And that you may understand this you must know that it is as hard a thing to move a man to leave his pleasures and divers lusts and his vaine conversation as to turne the whole course of nature which I call the instinct that God hath put into every creature to move that way that it goeth as the water to move downward and the fire to goe upward Thinke with your selves now whether there must not be an Almighty Power to turne the course of nature because the heart of man naturally goes downward to sinne it descends downward with the same propensity it hath the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we call it the same forwardnesse and pronenesse to evill that any naturall thing hath to goe the course that is naturall to it Now unlesse there be an Almighty Power to turne this course of Nature no man will ever come to Christ. As for example That rectitude of Gods Image that is expressed in the Word come to experience and looke upon every mans heart living and see whether it be not quite contrary to it in all things even as contrary as the motion of the stone is from ascending towards the heavens but when the Spirit commeth he turneth this course of Nature Now when wee come to doe this doe you thinke that any man in the world is able to worke it in the hearts of men It is true a man may goe thus farre It is possible for a King or for a man in authority to set preferments on the one side and punishments on the other to make a man to doe much or to suffer much but all this while here is but a turning of the actions of men but to turne the inclinations of mans heart it is proper only to God man is not able to doe it in any particular If a mans heart be set upon covetousnesse Christ saith it is impossible all the men in the world can change his heart But put the case a man could doe it as no man can if he could turne a mans heart it would be but in a particular or two but to turne the whole frame of the heart to make a generall change to make him another man another Creature It is impossible for any man in the world to doe it Or put the case he could doe so it must be after long reasoning but to do it upon the sudden and at one Sermon as the Spirit sometimes doth to take one word and by it to change the heart of man it must needs be the worke of an Almighty Power Therefore in the 2 Cor. 3. Chap. and the last verse when the Apostle speakes of this great change he saith when we reade or heare the Word we see there the Image of God as one seeth his face in a glasse and are changed into it from glory to glory that is from one glorious degree to another But how is this done It is done saith he by the Spirit of the Lord. As if he should say It is impossible for a man to be turned into the glorious Image of God and not by the Spirit of God A man may as well say I will make a clod of earth a shining Starre as to say he can make the carnall and dead heart of man to be like the Image of God It must be the Spirit of God himselfe that must doe it it is a work above Nature It is therefore done by the Spirit which doth so enlighten the understanding and so bow the will that whereas before there was in man such a strong appetite such a strong propensity to ill such a strong inclination that would over-weigh all the reasons that could be brought to the contrary when the Spirit hath wrought this work there is such a contrary inclination such a propensnesse to God and to that which is good that it over-ballanceth all the temptations that the world the flesh and the Devill can lay against it Is not this a mighty Power that must doe this that whereas there was in a man before such a strong inclination to sin there is a disposition so contrary now such a desire wrought in him such a strong impression that carries him to God to Christ and to holinesse that let all the reasons in the world be brought to the contrary they cannot keepe
condition he is in so when the Law comes it humbles a man making him to draw in his Thoughts and to see his misery and when he is wounded with the sense of his sins and with the wrath of God then and not till then the feet of them that bring glad Tidings of salvation are beautifull Likewise Humiliation is necessary for this cause because except men be throughly humbled they will never take the Kingdome of heaven by violence and they must take it so else they shall never have it now by the Kingdom of heaven is meant the Gospell you know it is called the Gospell of the Kingdome that is righteousnesse and grace therein revealed and offered In Matth. 11. and Luke 16.16 you shall find that from the time of Iohn the Baptist The kingdome of heaven suffered violence and the violence take it by force The meaning is this saith Christ to them we preach the Gospell so did Iohn with him it began to be preached but deceive not your selves many thinke they take the kingdome of heaven but you must know there be two kinds of taking some are content to be saved and to doe many things as Herod did and as the second and third ground did but this is a false taking and deceive not your selves thereby There is another kinde of taking when a man takes this kingdome violently and indeed none shall have it but after this manner Now what is it to take it violently When a man takes a thing violently he doth it with all his might he puts all his strength to it he doth it not coldly and slightly and overly but with all his might So the meaning is this The kingdom of heaven is as if one were to come within a narrow doore which cannot be without difficulty when hee puts to all his violence and strength to doe it According to the phrase in Luke Since the time of Iohn the Baptist they presse into the kingdome of heaven that is with violence as if God seemes to hold the kingdome of heaven in his hand that unlesse you pull it and extort it from him as it were you shall never have it Now will any man doe thus till he be humbled It is impossible he should When a man is brought into feare of his life and is like to die the feare of losse of naturall life wil make him worke any thing with violence much more then when a man sees eternall death that he shal die for ever will he take the kingdome of heaven with violence that is he will not performe duties in a slight manner as if God were beholden to him not with that laxity in his judgement of the truth as he conceives nor with that coldnesse in the duty Those that will be saved must take Salvation by force which a man will never doe till he be humbled There is much profession and many kinds of taking Christ in the world but the right taking is when a man wil be at this cost to part with all to deny himselfe perfectly and every way and take up his crosse and every crosse when his lusts are throughly mortified and this cannot be till hee be humbled For marke nothing mortifies but joy and love that doth properly and immediately mortifie for no man will part with his lusts till he finde Christ sweeter than they till then he will never part with them in good earnest now Christ will never be sweet till we have found the bitternesse of sin till God hath so prest it on their consciences that they feele the weight and burden of it And so much for the reasons of it Now the vse of this is double First is this so necessary Then labour to see your selfe humbled if ever you looke to be saved and justified for though God offers Salvation to all as it is true none is excepted yet he lookes to none with a gracious eye to save him indeed but him that is poore and contrite in heart and trembles at his Word And good reason for none else will looke after him the poore receive the Gospell and none else When we preach the Gospell it is like Cyrus his Proclamation it was a generall proclamation that all that would might go out of captivity and build the Temple but saith the Text onely they went whose heart the Lord stirred up to goe other would noâ— goe So when we preach we offer Salvation to all men that is our Commission Marke 16. Goe and preach to all Nations that is offer Grace and Salvation to all men but when it comes to the point that men must goe out of their captivitie and build a Temple to God they will not doe it they will rather live in captivity still because they be not humble To goe out of their sins wherein they have been captivated a great while and to build a Temple to Christ that is to make their hearts fit Temples for Christ to purge themselves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit to labour to walke in his feare to leave all even the beloved sinnes and to delight in the Lord in the Inner man they will not what is the reason they are not yet humbled and therefore they cannot be saved The Iubile among the Iewes may be a very fit resemblance hereof and for ought I know may be so intended to resemble the glorious Liberty in the times of the Gospell Now the Iubile was this All servants should then goe free but if any would not as of them there were many then he was to be bored in the eare and to be a perpetuall servant So when we preach the Gospell this is the great Iubile every man may be free the Son comes to that end and it is the end of the Truth to make men free The Son comes to deliver every man out of the Gaole if he will but men will not be at liberty they will be servants still because they were never humbled they never felt the heavinesse of Satans yoke they were never wearied with sinne for if they were so this would be acceptable newes but it is not so Now marke this by the way if a servant would not go free he should not afterwards be at libertie to goe and stay when hee list but his eare shall be bored and he should be a perpetual servant So if you deferre this when you heare the Gospell preached and thinke I will not alway live in this condition I will repent and come out of it know that is not enough God will not wait thy leasure if thou wilt not come out take heed lest God bore thee in the eare that is never give thee an heart to come out Doe not say If it be so necessary I will doe it hereafter take heed that thy opportunities be not wholly taken from thee and know that Christ came into the world not only to take away sinne for that was but a part of it But what was his businesse he came like
false grounds may be as secure as another that hath peace on the best grounds and this imitates true faith So a man that is naturally meeke may carry it better than one that hath true meeknesse therefore it is hard to finde the difference But if you looke to the principles whence they come the masters whom they serve you shall finde they may be good all the way but not at the journeyes end they have an ill scope they ayme at a wrong marke Let them have what they will Circumcision nor Vncircumcision availes nothing unlesse they be New Creatures else God regards them not And so much shall serve for Excuses Now adde this to the rest labour to aggravate your sin by removing the Excuses which the nature of man is witty to invent use the ordinance of God which hee hath appointed to humble you and to worke these things on your hearts and that is his Word Ier. 23.29 Is not my Word as fire and as the hammer that breaketh the stones The scope of the place is to shew the power of preaching the Word purely what is the chaffe to the Wheat you shall know my Word and distinguish it from the word of men my Word when it is right is as a fire which melts and thawes the hearts of men and as an hammer to break their strong and stony hearts Come to the Word powerfully preached as it is in its owne nature delivered in the Evidence of the Spirit as it should bee and it will bee a meanes to soften the heart and breake thy stubborne spirit as an hammer and fire not suffering thee to be at rest untill thou commest under the power of it And if with this thou art not satisfied goe one step further to the Spirit of God thou must have a spirit of Bondage else thou canst expect no power All that we have said in drawing this mappe of sin in adding these aggravations and removing these excuses is nothing if God give not a spirit of Bondage to cause you to feare for it is that that makes the Law effectuall as the Spirit of Adoption makes the Gospel no man without it can see sin with a saving and feeling sight But how doth it worke this effect in a mans heart Not by making him feare God as a slave for that the Holy Ghost will not doe therefore that is not an Act we can attribute to him but my meaning is The Holy Ghost by the spirit of bondage enlightens a man to see his sin and the sentence of the Law against it and to judge of his estate with a righteous Iudgement and when he sees things as they are hee knowes and feeles the bondage he was in before though before he felt it not I say the Holy Ghost enlightens us which enlightning discovers to us and convinceth us of sin and then we looke on the Law and there finde Cursed is hee that continues not in all these Commandements to doe them Then observing our hearts and seeing how farre wee are from that rectitude the Law requires our spirits begin to feare like a man in bondage that is shut up in prison and in danger of his life therefore as for the Word so labour for this Spirit the Word is a sharp sword but how can it wound us without an Arme to handle it And when you have done that you will easily doe the thing I have exhorted you to do that is you will then come to Christ you will not stand to cheapen the Kingdome of God but you will buy it though you give all you have for it and yet will thinke you have a good bargaine you will not seeke the Kingdome of God in such a lazie and laxe and remisse manner as you were wont to doe but will take it violently And if you come to God after this manner if you be driven out of your selves and see what your owne righteousnesse is that it will not serve your turne and therefore seeke for a righteousnesse at his hands you may be sure he will not deny you You may see what Paul saith Galat. 3.8 That you may be assured that seeking you shall obtaine saith he If an Angell from heaven preach another Gospell or if I my selfe should doe it beleeve not the Angell and let me accurst As if he had said I have made this Truth knowne that you shall be justified by meere Grace without workes that you are to come to Christ with an empty hand bringing nothing with you If any man now should question this Gospell and thinke to bring something of his owne and will not sticke to this cleare promise nay if an Angell come from heaven and contradict it let him be accursed This is the true Gospell and you may beleeve it If you can therefore doe as Paul did Philip. 3.9 That reckoned all as drosse and dung that he might be found in Christ not having his own righteousnesse of the Law but that which is through faith in Christ. That when you came to see your condition you desire the righteousnesse of Christ with that earnestnesse that he did when he reckoned all as drosse and dung even his own righteousnesse which he knew would not serve the turne If I say thou canst thus goe to Christ knowing that no antecedent condition is required but onely thirsting for him being fully perswaded that thine owne righteousnesse is unsufficient and having a saving and firme knowledge That mans nature is full of all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse Christ cannot deny thee he will receive the to mercy We will now briefly come to the next point and that is this There is a revelation of wrath against all unrighteousnesse of men And that is another thing that will humble us for there must be two things to doe it one is to see our sins to know that there is no worth no excellencie no worthinesse at all in us And the second is to have an apprehension of wrath due for sin and so his misery under the same Though a man be never so miserable yet if he have a bottome to stand on he will not goe to Christ but when hee sees his owne nothingnesse and withall that the wrath of God hangs over him so that he must sinke utterly and that there is no way to helpe him when both these concurre a man is humbled Men may have one without the other As the Scribes and Pharisees O yee Generation of vipers who hath warned you to flie from the wrath to come they were sensible of wrath and had so much to humble them but they did not see that viperous serpentine evill disposition that was in themselves Againe many men may see their sins and acknowledge the insufficiencie of all they have but they are not sensible of wrath God hath not charged sin upon their consciences nor revealed his wrath and therefore they goe on in a senselesse manner and are no more moved with the other
finde in us abundance of idle Thoughts and wicked thoughts which like a shower of raine you cannot number for multitude If a man should write down all the Thoughts that passe thorow his minde in one day and observe their little dependence one up another so vaine are they and so foolish when he comes to reade them at night he will thinke he was half out of his wits and be amazed at himselfe And thinke not this a small matter for Thoughts are the first contrivers the first plotters of good and evill and therefore are of more moment than that which immediately acts it Againe are not they things which we should entertaine God with Hee comes and dwels with us he sups with us we are Temples where God inhabits Now if we are to entertaine a great Prince if we never speak to him but spend our time with idle Companions will not hee thinke himselfe much injuried And will not God thinke so when we bestow the Thoughts in vaine things which should be occupied about him Againe consider Thoughts are other things than men reckon them for it may be said of every Christian he is a Garden wherein God walks wherein he eats his honey with his milk God would have fruit of the Trees which he hath planted in us now our Thoughts are the fruit of the best Tree even of the Vnderstanding You know Christ was angry with the Tree that bare no fruit And when he comes to the understanding of a man that should be full of good thoughts and finding nothing bâ— loose nothing but empty and frothie thoughts what will he thinke of it Wee doe not give a due esteeme to Thoughts and that 's the reason we give such liberty to them that we are not more humbled for them for Thoughts are the water wherwith is driven the wheele of businesses and why doe we let so much water run beside the Mill that is they are the things we should occupy in every thing we doe they are precious And as Esay saith of a cluster of Grapes Destroy it not for there is a blessing in it So your Thoughts which you so little account of have a blessing in them then why doe you make such waste of them as if they were of little worth Consider it is no small thing to anger God with your Thoughts they being the same to God that words and actions the interpreters of Thoughts are to men God sees them without any Interpreter as men heare and see words and actions Therefore it was said to Simon Magus Pray to God if perhaps the Thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee If thou seest a Christian in poverty and despisest him for it God sees it and it is a sinne in Thought The second actuall sinne is our words And here likewise you shall finde the Truth of this that our natures are full of impiety and wickednesse and exceeding proane to evill The tongue of man is very slippery nothing being so cheape as breath it is ready at hand to doe any evill If a thing be to be acted there is time required to prepare for it but a word is quickly out So the frequencie of offending with our tongue should humble us And againe as our offences herein are frequent so it is a matter of much moment which we haue cause to marke because we do esteeme not so of them Iam. chap. 2 3. vers 4. you shall finde three Similitudes by which the Tongue is expressed and there you shall finde what it is to offend in words It is compared to a Bit which will keep in the wildest horse and to a Rudder which though it be exceeding great will turne the Ship And thirdly to a fire what a great matter will a little fire kindle Men thinke it a small thing to offend in speeches but God will have them know it is another kinde of matter Therefore consider this you that suffer your tongues to walke up and downe at randome from morning till night and thinke it a small thing I will aske you these questions out of these Similitudes Is it a small matter to neglect the Rudder of the Ship will it not quickely runne to the Sands Suppose a man ride on an unruly horse Is it a small thing not to keepe the hand on the bridle to neglect it To have a tongue without a bridle is as an unruly horse in a dangerous place or on a narrow bridge the neglect is not small Therefore consider it and if you have not yet learned the meaning of that place learne now to understand it Secondly you shall give account for every idle word It will be thought that to speake a few words is not so much but a few sparks will set a great City on fire you see what the tongue did in Arrius for evill and in Luther for good There is no Element so active as fire and nothing so efficacious as your tongue which you so lightly esteeme of Againe fire flies about so doth the tongue it hath wings Fire likewise assimulates turning things quickly into its own nature so the tongue assimulates the hearts of men to whom we speake it changes them and now consider if it be a light thing to neglect it You are wont to say Take heed to the fire for you know not what a sparke may doe and is it a small matter to neglect your tongues specially where there be thatched-houses and combustible matter neare And are not the hearts of men to whom we speake as Tinder ready to take fire at the least sparke if you heed it not And is it then so small a matter to neglect words Gather this out of all these Similitudes to humble you If the tongue be as a Bridle as the Rudder and as Fire then it is of much efficacie that cannot be denied for to prove that it is the only end of these Similitudes And if it be so then learne hence to know what the illnesse of your speech is for the more efficacious any thing is if it lye idle the greater is the sin looke what good you have done with your tongues the more that is the more is on your reckoning Againe if you have imployed them amisse a little rudder turnes the whole ship the meaning is it is very effectuall and therefore I say if there be such efficacie in them consider of how great moment they are when you use your tongues amisse to corrupt speaking to lying dissembling slandering back-biting thinke it not a matter of small moment it is a fire and if the State provides death for them that set barnes and houses on fire what punishment shall they be worthy of that set the soules of men on fire the Temples where God dwels And this the tongues of men doe Ignem in ore gestamus we carry fire in our mouthes Take heed lest we kindle such a fire in the brests of others as we shall never live to quench
is one and a principall One even to know the greatnesse of your sins The third and chiefe use of all the rest is this This Corruption of Nature this abundance of Corruption which hath beene shewed to you should drive us to Christ. And that is our end wee doe not preach damnation our end is Salvation Therefore wee would have men to know their condition to know that they bee in state of death For that that keepes men from comming to CHRIST and the reason that so few are saved that so few take the Gospell is they are not poore in spirit And why are they not so Because they see not their sins And for this cause wee have beene thus long in opening this point that you may know your selves And this I dare say If you did know your selves if GOD had kindled a light within whereby to see your Corruptions you would not stand cheapning the Kingdome of Heaven as you doe you come now in a lame and remisse manner but you would then come and give all that you have for it and goe away rejoycing and thinke you have a good bargaine God should not then deny you you would wrestle with him as Iacob did and give him no rest till you have obtained a blessing This would awaken men out of their dead sleepe of security as that is the condition of every man by nature as he is sinfull so he is secure he considers not his sins Therefore to all that I have said you must adde something of your owne what I have said is no more able to shew you the sinnes you are subject to than a little Mappe is to shew you the whole world it doth but point to the sinnes you are subject to as a point in the margent The way to make it profitable is to goe home to your owne hearts to consider these things particularly to see how your minde your Conscience Will and Memorie is out of order to consider how you have offended in thoughts in words and in actions by sinnes of Omission and of Commission and by that meanes you shall reade your Natures in your hearts and make what I have said profitable to you And doe not thinke you may goe too farre Doe not thinke we wrong your nature in saying it is more guiltie than it is for wee doe not so I may boldly say this Take that man that thinkes worst of himselfe hee is worse than he thinkes himselfe to bee and that I may not speake without Ground looke upon the first Epistle of Saint Iohn the third Chapter and the twentieth verse If our Conscience condemne us God is greater than our Conscience and knowes all things That is the Conscience of man hath some light but what is it to the eye of GOD to the light that is in him And so much as his light is greater than ours so much more hee sees what is amisse in us The heart saith Ieremie is deceitfull aboue all things who can know it There is a depth of evill in the heart which no man can search it is deceitfull and puts false glosses on things to hide them from our eyes Therefore doe not thinke thou canst exceed but labour for thy Humiliation to see all these things in a greater measure in thy selfe than as they bee here described and that not nakedly but with all Circumstances The end of the Third Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The Fourth SERMON ROMANS 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse AND this is a thing wee are very unwilling to do for the Medicine shews the Disease The Apostles taking of so much pains to perswade men that they shall not be saved by their own righteousnesse is an argument that it is an hard matter to perswade them It is the hardest thing in the Word to perswade a civill man that he must not sticke to his owne righteousnesse till God himselfe puts his hand to the worke for it is not in any mans power to convince him of his sinne or of the deficiencie of his righteousnesse Therefore that use wee should make of all that hath beene said to see the necessity that lyes on us to goe to Christ and that there is no salvation without him Now to make this Doctrine more effectuall to awaken you the more to rouze men out of that sleepe wherein they are by nature we will handle these two points First that the aggravations of sin are more than the sins themselves Secondly we will take away all excuses that so every mouth may bee stopped and when these two are done you will have much adoe to finde any starting-hole to keepe you from comming to Christ. For that is our End And these are very necessary For though you doe consider in your selves all the sins formerly named if it be done negligently without the Circumstances sin is a sword without an edge the Circumstance is that that gives it an edge that sharpens sin that makes it fit to wound us And secondly if the sword be never so keene and sharpe and yet we be forced to keepe it off it will not wound us Therefore we will I say in the second place take away the excuses by which men fence themselves and decline the stroke of truth decline this wound of the Law And so we will conclude this point and hasten to the rest For the first to make all you have heard before effectuall we will adde the Circumstances which is a thing necessary for it is a true rule the Schoole-men have that in moral things the circumstance is more than the thing it selfe Many times in natural things accidents are nothing in comparison of the forme but In moralibus as they say Circumstantia plus valet quà m forma For it is the Circumstance by which an action lookes if you looke round about it and see all that borders on it it will aggravate and make sin out of measure sinfull To run thorow them briefly First Consider this Circumstance in sinnes committed I speake of the corrupt nature of man that every sin committed against God is not only an offence committed against so great a Majesty for I will not stand to enlarge that Circumstance that the sin is greater as the person is greater against whom it is committed but consider the affection with which you commit it and you shall finde all this in a sin committed by a naturall man First an hatred of God in the sin They thinke they love God but if it be so what is the reason that word is put in Rom. 1.30 where the Apostle speaking of the rebellion of mankinde he reckons up particularly that which here he puts up in the grosse in the generall Haters of God You will say you doe not hate God but let me aske you this question Wouldest thou not live at liberty
to me in holinesse and righteousnesse and so thou plaist the harlot as a wife and that makes the sin out of measure sinfull And it is true of particular vowes that you may judge aright of sin and know the greatnesse of it Lastly sin is aggravated from the meanes you have to resist sin consider how many means we enjoy and yet profit not by them The mercies of God should draw us to him God expects a returne of that fruit at our hands and yet as the Prophet complaines Ier. 5.22 You have not said in your hearts Let us feare that God who gives us the first and later raine and keepes for us the appointed times of harvest As if he had said God expects this at your hands hee gives the first and later raine for this end that you may remember him and thinke of him and when we say not in our hearts Let us feare that God that doth this and that for us God takes it amisse for his bountifulnesse should lead us to repentance and therefore the despising of it must aggravate sin So after Corrections as no man can say he hath had no correction a sin is much aggravated Therefore Ierem. 5.3 it is complained of I have strucken you and you have not sorrowed I have wounded you but you have refused to receive correction As if he had said This is it God takes exceeding ill at your hands and it showes that your rebellion is come to a great height he hath smitten you and you have not sorrowed that is you have not taken the sin to heart that hath caused this smiting Therefore he is angry as Hos. 4.14 I will visit your daughters no more c. because they have not profited by what I have done already that is the meaning of the place But chiefly and of all the rest of his mercies he will not beare the contempt of his Word I will name but one place 2 Chron. 36.15 saith the Prophet there I rose early and sent my messengers but how did you carry your selfe towards them You mocked my messengers and despised my Word till my wrath rose against you and there was no remedy As if he had said When a man once comes to this that when God shall once speake in his Word shall declare his truth shall make knowne sin and call him home by the Gospell but he shall neglect it take no good by it not suffer it to worke on him Now there is no remedy What then the wrath of God rises against him and then comes destruction so that it rises not the second time so that as God hath shewed you more mercy so are your sins more Doe but think what an unreasonable unequall thing it is that you should take so many mercies health and wealth from his immediate hand and yet never so much as thinke of him never worship him nor feare him nor take his mercies to heart How many taste of his goodnesse and yet continue to despise him and not to bring forth fruit by his Word which is no small thing And so much shall serve for the aggravations of sin Now wee will come to take away the Excuses And first Every man is ready to say Though I faile in many things yet I hope my meaning is good I have as good an heart as another man though I make not such a show But I will aske thee this briefe question Whence come thy evill words c. are they not fruits and buds that proceed from a sappe within When sparkes fly out of the Chimney top shall we not say there is fire in the house If we see evill words and actions shall not we say the corruption is greater in the root than in the branches Thou wilt excuse it It is my nature and I hope I shall be excused and that God will not deale so hardly with me he knowes I am flesh and bloud and the strength of my nature Well I will adde something to that I have formerly said it being a point hard for us to beleeve and to make use of I say the badnesse of thy nature is so farre from excusing thy sin that it exceedingly aggravates it I have shewed many reasons and will now adde these foure and then it will be evident to you First whereas you thinke your sin is excusable because of your natures you must know it is most strong and violent and stirring there for I will aske you whence come your sins It is answered Matth. 15.19 Out of the heart comes Adulteries Fornications c. And if out of the heart is it not thence as from the cause the Principle Are they not minted there And is not every thing strongest in the Cause If the Dough be sowre how sowre was the Leaven If so much ill be in the fruit there is much more in the Parents of that fruit Secondly as it is strong in the heart so it is much more abundant there that phrase expresses it sufficiently Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh As if our Saviour had said There is some evill in the tongue but it is abundant in the heart so that take any sinfull action it is a dish of water taken out of the Sea or like a drop taken out of the fountaine for there is an abundance a sea of corruption within Thirdly consider that sin in the heart is a spring and therefore an actuall sin that is exceeding hainous is not so much in Gods sight as a sinfull lust that is in the heart because it is a Spring and therefore is vertually more than a great Pond I say vertually more for it doth more Take a great vast sin it is a broad Pond that vanishes away as every action doth but a lust within is fruitfull it is a spring of sin and therefore is in efficacie more Fourthly the last consideration is neare this and that is sin in the heart is permanent the poison of Corruption remaines the action passes but the sinfull disposition continues in a man that when God lookes on him he sees him as an hatefull person he lookes on him as we doe on Toads and Serpents for his very nature is bad and that continues and in this regard exceeds sin in action This I say that you may make this use of it When you meet with any particular sin which appeares hainous let it be as a River to lead you to the Sea When you see a sin of covetousnesse of vanity of wrath of uncleannesse let that lead you to the heart and conclude that you have an uncleane heart a contentious heart a covetous heart a rebellious heart This use David made of his murder and upon that occasion he was brought to conceive aright of originall sin which perhaps he never so considered before Psal. 51.4 In sinne hath my mother conceived mee the greatnesse of his sin made him breake forth in that manner Against thee have I
and no way to scape it then goe to Christ for these two things we must doe First Wee must have our mouthes stopped that so all men may bee culpable before him Secondly Wee must bee shut up in prison hee shuts up all under sinne that the promise might bee to them that beleeve when a man is shut up under the wrath of GOD so that there is no evasion this will bring him in Indeed if the minde of a man can finde any way to get out hee will never come in to CHRIST But when hee shall not tell how to scape the wrath of GOD if hee sinne against man man shall judge him but who shall when hee sinnes against GOD If hee consider the Terrour of GODS wrath if hee shut up and his mouth stopped and hee left inexcusable and shall see himselfe a miserable man I say this will make him goe home to CHRIST And that is the use you should make of it and bee sure hee will receive you if you goe to him Sinne is like the firy Serpent and the Wrath of GOD like the Sting when you are wounded therewith then know there is no way to bee healed but to looke up unto IESUS CHRIST the Brazen Serpent and if a man bee not wounded hee will not looke up GODS promises are generall he hath bound himselfe in his Word Goe and preach the Gospell to every Creature none excepted and let him that is a thirst come and take the waters of life freely Let these drive thee to the LORD CHRIST and thou shalt certainly be accepted And so much shall serve for that point The end of the Fourth Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The Fifth SERMON ROMANS 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse AND now wee have almost gone thorow these words the last part of them remains that is which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse Wherein after the Apostle had declared the corruption of mans Nature in generall he now pitches on one particular especially that is such as with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse against whom the wrath of God is revealed In these words marke these three things First that there is a truth which God hath written in the hearts of naturall men Secondly that this truth is with-holden by them The word in the Originall 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies keeping it in Prison it is kept downe not suffered to rise up and shew it selfe in practice and action Thirdly the cause of it is out of love to unrighteousnesse or delight therein that is of unrighteous lusts But we will put all these into this one Proposition It is the condition of the best men before Regeneration to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse That is the point Paul speakes not of the condition of some few but of the condition of men in generall And these be the men against whom the wrath of God is chiefely revealed these be the men that of all other thinke themselves the free civill men that carry themselves soberly deale justly with men that doe well in many things that indeed know much but practise not according to knowledge these I say be the men against whom the wrath c. It may bee you will object here That is strange that the more truth is revealed to men the more knowledge they have the more morall vertues they practise the worser it shall be with them For answer to this you must know that the having of this Truth the bestowing of any of these common graces puts no man into a better condition It is Gods worke and put upon his reckoning only Indeed the using or abusing of them is his owne worke and put upon his owne reckoning And therefore in regard hee may abuse them they may doe him hurt And those that have much of these Truthes but use them not or that if they doe use some of them yet doe it for their owne Ends and not simply for Gods glory are as abominable to God as those that run into the greatest outrages Men that are more civill are like Wolves tyed up others are like Wolves at liberty It is true other men do more mischiefe that is they commit more sinfull actions and consequently run into more guilt and their Condemnation shall be greater but those that are tyed up that by civility have their lusts restrained are no lesse abominable in Gods sight than others a wolfe tied up is as hatefull to a sheepe as one that is at large and so it is with these men for it is the condition of the best men before Regeneration to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse Now in this point wee will handle three things First what this truth is Secondly how it is with-holden Thirdly the greatnesse of the sinne of with-holding the Truth c. For the first what this Truth is you must know there is a three-fold kinde of Truth First a naturall Truth written in the hearts of men to whom the Scripture was never revealed Secondly a common Truth or common knowledge such as they have that live in the Church but are not sanctified Thirdly a spirituall knowledge which sanctifies the heart of them in whom it is the two first whereof natural knowledge and common knowledge naturall men may have Now the thing we have to doe is to shew you what this knowledge here meant is because the difference is not very apparant Now as to understand what an accident is you consider the subject the author and efficient and the extent thereof so consider you these three things and then you shall know what this Truth is First where this Truth is now there is a Truth placed in the speculative part of the mind or understanding which is that by which we know and judge aright concerning God and morall vertues what is good and what is bad what is just and what is unjust whereby many men can discourse learnedly and clearely as Seneca and Tully and others of the Heathen in whom we finde many glimmerings and sparkles of true light As wee may finde Flowers in the waste though the proper place be the Garden The Church is the Garden of God as in Canticles My Sister my Spouse is as a Garden inclosed and it is true these Flowers properly grow there and if you will have them you must seeke them in the Scriptures in the Church of God but we may likewise finde them abroad Secondly this Truth is placed in the practicall part of the understanding and that is when we judge of good things to be done and of ill things not to be done and that as having reference to God that judges or rewards And this is it Divines call Conscience and it differs from the other in this that that judgeth simply whether it be good or bad but this gives lawes and rules and edicts of life it
therefore since the wrath of God shall in such a manner be revealed against such as with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse You need no other Argument to shew that the sin is great Againe One Evidence more is in this very Chapter that is from the kinde of punishment for punishments you know where the Iudge is just are according to the measure of the sinne Now marke God punishes this with giving them up to a reprobate sense For this cause saith the Apostle Rom. 1.26 God gave them up unto vile affections And afterwards in the eight and twentieth verse As they regarded not to know God even so or therefore God delivered them up to a reprobate minde that is a minde without knowledge an injudicious minde that cannot judge of things And looke in all the booke of God among all the Armies of sorrow there is not any like this to be given up to vile affections to lusts to an injudicious mind in matters of God and things belonging to their Salvation This punishment shewes the greatnesse of the sin but men slight this as it is the greatest judgement so it is the least felt men lye at rest they are cast into a dead sleepe but it is like the sleepe of them that have crazie braines they wake in a frenzie so these shall wake in an horrible astonishment their sleepe is such a calme as will end in a tempest and such a tempest as shall never be blowne over Therefore let no man blesse himselfe in this I feele none of these things for thou hast the greatest judgement on thee when thou feelest it least And so much for the three things I propounded to you what this Truth is how it is with-holden and the greatnesse of the sin now wee will come to make use of it And the first use we are to make of it is that which is the maine scope of the Apostle here and that for which we pitched on these words and that is to humble us to learne to know our selves to know in what Condition we are for the Truth is revealed to us but we with-hold it in unrighteousnesse This Truth that should rule in the hearts of men that should be as the supreme governour in the soule of which it may be said as it is said of the Peace of God let it rule in your soules that where by men should be acted is by men imprisoned Therefore Rom. 2.9 the Apostle denounceth Tribulation and anguish upon every one that disobeyes the Truth Intimating that Truth is our King that should governe and rule in our hearts now when men disobey it nay goe further imprison this Truth it is as when men imprison their lawfull King or servants their Master and they run riot and at liberty in the meane time And this is our case we doe with it as children doe with their Masters we desire to be rid of it because it watches over us and so we grow enemies to it And this is no small sinne for if we consider whence this comes who puts it into our hearts it will appeare hainous by the Law of man it is death to kill children that are begot by man but this Truth is begot by the Holy Ghost it is put in by the Spirit of God and to extinguish this Truth not to suffer it to live not to nourish it not to bring it forth is the great sin of all Even the Heathen shall rise in judgement against Christians for this who maintained the Vestall fire because they conceived it to come from heaven they for that cause never suffered it to go out But this Truth is a fire which came from heaven a sparke put into the brests of men to guide their feet into the way of Peace when men shall extinguish this Truth let it goe out and not maintaine it the Heathen shall rise against them in judgement as the men of Niniveh should rise up against the men of that Generation among whom Christ lived We were wont to take care of precious things consider the preciousnesse of this Truth what is precious we wil not be willing to destroy as the Prophet said of the bunch of Grapes Destroy it not for there is a blessing in it And what doe you thinke of this Truth is it not a precious thing Yea it is the chiefe thing in a man In a ship a wise man will have an eye to the rudder for that turnes all the rest of the body of the ship Of all things in our selves wee looke to our eye the guide of the body so we should learne to watch and be tender over this Truth as over our eye for the one is the light but of this life the other is the light of the soule to eternall life In Micah 3.5 It is threatned as a great Iudgement when God shal turne their Visions into night and their Divinations into darknesse when the Sunne shall goe downe on their Prophets and the day shall be darke on them and will you bring this Iudgement on your selves They that are guilty of this that have not used this Truth but imprisoned it and laboured as much as they can to cause the Sun to goe downe and rise no more to turne the day into night let them consider what the sin is when you reade the story of the Kings and heare them saying to the Prophets prophesie not imprisoning them as Ahab did Micaiah and slaying them as Ioash did Zecharial you will little thinke you are guilty of the same sinne but when this Truth comes as a Prophet from God and tels you such and such things ought to be done and such and such evils ought to be abstained from and you shall desire it to be silent and shall say Prophesie not when you shall not suffer it to speake freely I say your sins shall be as great as theirs therefore learne to consider of it and be humbled for it men are wont to thinke their Condition better because they know more than others but it is quite contrary for nothing aggravates sin more than that It is an extreme folly in men when they cannot deny the fact they slight the fault and will not acknowledge it It was Adams fault when God came towards him he fled and hides his sinne and it is the fault of all Adams posterity But let men know that the quite contrary way is the way to Salvation It is not with God as it is with men among whom confession makes way for condemnation for with God confession is the way to salvation Therefore be not unwilling to examine your selves consider how much you have knowne what truths have been revealed to you Do this with one eye with another eye looke on your lives and see how short your practise hath beene of your knowledge come willingly and if you confesse you shal be forgiven This wil drive you out of your selves it will be your Schoole-master to bring you to Christ. They that carry this
light in a darke Lanthorne that rake these sparkes in the ashes that as they would not have others see what they doe so neither would they have their own Consciences take notice of it that will sinne let men say what they will that live loosely that either heare not or regard not what they heare let them consider it for they doe in a speciall manner imprison the Truth they with-hold it in unrighteousnesse labour to know the sinne your miserable condition and learne to be humbled under it A second use we may make of this is from hence to discerne the condition of those men which are miserable but see not their miserie that are neare the kingdome of God but not in it Men that are meerly civill that heare much and doe much and goe far keeping their lights burning till the very point of the Bridegroomes comming and for want of a little more oyle are excluded as Ananias for a little reservation lost all and the young man in the Gospel that kept all the Commandements of the Lord from his youth up that came within a step but never into the mountaine of the Lord. This is a race many misse of as the Apostle 1 Cor. 9 speaking of many running in a race sayes Many run but all obtaine not that is there is a company of men run in the wayes of God as well as the Saints both run both doe very much if you looke on the wayes they goe you shall scarce finde difference in any outward action that they do yet many obtaine not and why they either runne not as they ought or else they hold not out to the end Amaziah and Ioash ran long almost to the end of the race but because they continued not faithfull to the death they received not the Crowne of life these bee the men that come neare the kingdome of heaven but never enter into it And the scope of the Text serves to discover these men when we heare therefore that there is such a Generation it concernes every man to desire to know his Condition lest hee should be of that number for that cause we will spend this use in discovering these three things First that the good things that these men have in them doe them no good Secondly that they doe them much hurt Thirdly I will set downe how far they goe and yet how far short they be of that which is proper to the godly First I say the good things in them do them no good for they are the gifts of the Holy Ghost and shall be found to the praise of the Holy Ghost and not to their owne advantage at all they are not their owne but the workes of the Spirit within them Hebr. 6. the Apostle speakes of men enlightned and that have tasted of the gift of the Holy Ghost that is there be gifts that the Holy Ghost puts into their heart as we lay flowers in the window which doe not grow there or as some Out-landish fruit which is brought over but it will not grow in our Countrey except the soile be altered and changed it will not thrive there nor bring forth fruit to any purpose So though these things be in them yet they are not theirs neither shall they be to their owne praise and advantage Againe they cannot doe them good because they doe not make them good they doe not as Divines say redundare in personam they make not any mans person better though a man not yet truly regenerate have never so many excellent things in him yet his person is never the better for them As we say of godly and regenerate men though they commit evill yet their persons are good in Gods sight God sees their evill but he scowres them by affliction and he hates the evill but loves the person which shewes that the person is not accounted evill for if the person were evill he must needs hate it On the other side they that have received common Graces though they have gone farre yet their persons are not the better but the same And there is good reason for it for it is not the person that doth the good thing But as Paul sayes of â—in It is no more I that doe it but sin that dwels in me so they may say It is not I that doe it but the good that is in me therefore it is reason it should not doe them good when it makes not their persons good but leaves them the same notwithstanding So that it may be said of the good things in them as is said of beauty in an evill woman or as of a pearle in a swines snout the things be good and precious the pearle is a pearle indeed yet notwithstanding they may be evill women in whom beauty and swine in whom the pearle is found So you see the first that though a man have excellent things in him before regeneration yet they shall doe him no good Secondly which may make every man look about him and to consider with feare and trembling if it be not his owne case If a man shall have these Truths revealed but he shall either let them lye still and rust or if he bring them to action shall checke and curbe them and not use them as he should they shall increase his Condemnation And that may be made evident from hence the sinnes such men commit are augmented and aggravated from hence they are committed against more light and the more their light is than others the greater their sin is than others Therefore that is to be marked Rom. 2.9 Tribulation and anguish on every soule that doth evill to whom To the Iew first and then to the Grecian Marke it They that doe evill are of two sorts Iewes or Grecians Iewes were they that knew and were acquainted with the Law and the Grecians were ignorant of it therefore Tribulation shall be first and in greatest measure on the Iew so that their knowledge aggravates their sin it had beene better for them that they had not had the Truth that they had never heard of the Gospell of Christ nor beene acquainted with the wayes of God because when they have light and sin against it the more light they have the more resistance there is and so the more inexcusable they are and the more inexcusable they be the greater is their sin Againe these men of all other are most apt to resist God to resist Christ and his righteousnesse and that doth exceedingly encrease their sin because they crosse God in his chiefest end and that must needs make their sin great and that they doe more than others for Gods chiefe end is to have Christs righteousnesse revealed but these men having a Conceit of their owne righteousnesse regard it not and so resist God What else is the reason of that in Luke 15.1 There resorted to him saith the Evangelist Publicans and sinners but the Pharisees murmure at him What is the meaning of
that It is as if he had said They that were righteous more than others that were in all their Conversation unblameable that did more good and abstained from more ill than others these men did not come to Christ for they thought themselves in a reasonable good condition already But the Publicans and sinners resorted to him So these men that have many good things in them we have most adoe to drive them out of themselves and to bring them to Christ so that they that resist Christs righteousnesse which is Gods chiefe end must needs do themselves most hurt Againe they in whom Gods Iustice doth most appeare their condition must needs be most miserable but so it is with these men they that are acquainted with his will and doe it not in them at the day of Iudgement his Iustice shall most appeare Otherwise to what end did God send the Prophets Why sent he Isaiah and Ezekiel c. it was not onely to convert men to win their soules to bring them to Salvation What then To cleare his Iustice and to increase their condemnation How was that done by making knowne these Truths that knowing them and not practising them their Condemnation might be greater So we Ministers come not only to convert the soules of men not only to build but also to plucke downe not only to open the hearts of men to beleeve the Truth but to harden mens hearts to hate the Truth not but that we long for the salvation of men and that the proper end of the Word is to save men but the use they make of it serves to encrease their condemnation So that the more Truth is revealed if it be not practised accordingly the greater is the sinne Againe these men are of all others farthest both from Iustification and Sanctification this Truth puts them farther off both I say the more knowledge is revealed the more they are acquainted with the mysteries of Salvation if they precisely answer it not in their life they are further than other men from Iustification because as I said before they thinke not themselves to be as other men as the Pharisee said I am not as other men or as this Publican Therefore sayes Christ The Publican went to his house justified rather than the other Againe they be further from Sanctification than others for they be wise in their owne eyes and will carve out their owne wayes they are not willing to resigne themselves to God they chose wayes of their owne thinking the Word to be foolish and common for the more the knowledge the stronger is the resistance and therefore they are said to contend with the Truth Rom. 2.8 To them that are contentious and obey not the Truth The meaning is Men that know much that are much enlightned but not truly sanctified they quarrell with the Truth they except against it they have many things to alleage against the wayes of God the resistance is stronger in them than in others they are contentious men that is not men that contend with men nor simply with God but they contend with the Truth not onely in will and affections but in their understandings also men reason against it and therefore are apt to disobey the Truth and so of all others furthest off from Sanctification they will goe their owne course and will not be taught So you see the second thing That the good things that are in these men doe them much hurt The end of the Fifth Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The Sixth SERMON ROMANS 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse NOw to come to that which remaines which is the third thing that is to set downe how far these men may goe and yet how farre they fall short of that which is proper to the Saints that shall be saved And thus farre they may goe First they may be enlightned to understand all the truths of God there is no Truth we deliver to you but an unregenerate man may understand it wholly and distinctly and may come to some measure of approbation he may be wel acquainted with the mysteries of Faâ—th and Repentance so as he may discourse thereof better than many that have the things indeed Secondly not only so but hee may have a Conscience that shall doe its duty in many things hee may make a Conscience of many duties as you shall finde of divers in Scripture who notwithstanding were not sanctified When God sent Rohoboam that message not to goe to warre against Ieroboam knowing it was Gods command he made Conscience of obey-it and likewise for some yeares he served the Lord. So when the Lord would have Amaziah send backe the Israelites hee durst not disobey the voice of the Lord although if he had looked on all probabilities it might have ruined him So Abimelech durst not meddle with Abrahams wife when God had given a charge to the contrary So Balaam in many things restrained himselfe and would not doe but as the Lord commanded him So that an unregenerate man may keepe a good Conscience in secret when no man sees it or knowes it Thirdly he may not only have his judgement enlightned and his Conscience enabled to do its duty in many things but likewise he may have many common gifts planted in his will and affections many excellent morall vertues of Iustice and Temperance and Patience and in these he may many times exceed the godly as many times Blazing-starres goe beyond true Starres for light so may these exceed the godly in outward appearance Fourthly there is not only all this wrought within them but they doe many times expresse it in their actions Come to their lives they are able to doe many things as it is said of Herod he heard Iohn gladly and did many things So the second and third ground as they knew something so they practised according to their knowledge In their performances they may not come short of any of the godly and may for a long time have as faire specious and probable showes of goodnesse as any Fifthly and lastly they may goe thus farre they may have two men in them aswell as regenerate men one that contendes for the Truth the other that resists it And what stronger signe is there in regenerate men to evidence their regeneration than this Contention betweene the flesh and the spirit yet this may be found in them there may be strong Inclinations to that which is good and a resistance of it This Truth may lye in their brest as a fire that would rise and breake out but much quench-cole and wet stuffe within may keepe it downe so that there may be and are two men in the Civill man as well as in the Regenerate Now to shew how farre they fall short of them that be truely sanctified First in matter of light and understanding
step to Salvation And so much shall serve for this third use Fourthly if this be the case and miserable Condition wherein every man is before Regeneration to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse Then take heed of putting thy selfe into that Condition consider the danger of disobeying this Truth of offending it of doing any thing contrary to it of restraining and curbing it for it is of that nature that if thou offendest it it will offend thee It is a Truth that God hath set in thy heart and appointed it to rule there if thou oppose it and set up usurpers he will doe as Iehojada did that set up the right King he will even set up this Truth at the day of death to accuse thee and to raigne over thee as a Tyrant It sits in thy Conscience it markes what is done amisse and will be assuredly revenged for every rebellion and offence committed against it as it is said of Truth in generall Magna est veritas praevalet if thou be for the Truth it will be for thee and if thou be against it it will be against thee and it hath God on its side it is attended with the wrath of the Almighty who will be ready to execute upon thee whatsoever this Truth shall alleage against thee though he doth it not presently yet all the while thou art in the way to Damnation as it was with Iudas and Achitophel Therefore be sure to keepe this Truth well that thou offend it not as thou art tender over thy weake stomacke to give what contents it to avoid what may offend it and then it shall be as a continuall feast to thee otherwise it shall be as a sicke stomacke to thee that doe what thou wilt yet whether walking or sitting still it will trouble thee So this Truth thou wilt not be able to deceive it will see what is amisse whether thou wilt or no 2 Cor. 4.2 saith the Apostle Wee commend our selves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God by manifestation of the Truth That is the Conscience within will see thee thorow doe what thou canst there will be an agreement betweene it and the Truth that is presented to it it cannot but observe all the obliquities of thy life all thy errours thou canst not deceive it nor long shake it off But it may be objected May not a man observe this Truth too much may he not be too scrupulous too carefull in regarding it I answer the Conscience may mistake and give that charge that it ought not but as wee say of Thistles they are a bad weed but it is a signe of a good ground where they grow so though scrupulousnesse be not good yet it is a signe of a good heart where it is If a man be to goe thorow a narrow passage or over a narrow bridge it is good to goe in the midst so it is good not to be scrupulous and yet not to give it offence for if thou dost with-hold it imprison it or restraine it thou shalt finde it will be revenged on thee for it is attended with the wrath of God Fifthly if this be the miserable Condition of all unregenerate men thus to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse As there have beene words of Humiliation and reproofe so let mee shut up with a word of exhortation Be exhorted therefore from hence to give this Truth leave to rule and governe in thy heart and life doe not make a bancke against it or an hedge about it restraine it not fetter it not but suffer it to walke freely in every part of thy conversation to rectifie and reforme every facultie speech and action for so it ought to doe and as I said before thou shalt finde it a dangerous thing to restraine it Among men he that imprisons one whom he should not runs into a Praemunire and forfeits all he hath Commonly we faile both these wayes we give Lusts liberty which should be restrained and imprison Truth which should be at liberty therefore our judgement shall be accordingly For letting thy lusts goe at liberty take heed lest God say to thee as he did to Ahab for letting King Benhadad goe Thy life shall be for his life lest on the other side by imprisoning the Truth you forfeit all things and God take advantage of your forfeiture Since the fall of Adam man doth turne all things upside downe according to that which is complained of those Prophets They did slay the soules of them that should live and gave life to the soules that should die So doe men the Truth that should live they slay and the lust that should die they give life unto But you know what Gods judgement was on them Ezek. 13. He would destroy both the dawber and the wall of untempered morter God requires at thy hands that thou give account of the Authority committed to thee and take heed of abusing it If the King send a Privie Councellour or a great man about him to reveale his will to expresse his commandement in this or that particular that so men may know it and be free from the danger of the Law if a man in stead of obeying it imprison him how will the King take it at his hands What then will God doe in this case He hath put his Truth into the hearts of men he hath sent his messengers to shew his will that this he will have done If thou imprison this Truth be assured God will not hold thee guiltlesse therefore let it have liberty let it rule and raigne in thy heart let it doe what it will This benefit thou shalt have Thou sets it at liberty and it shall set thee at liberty Ioh. 8.32 If you continue in my words c. the Truth shall make you free From what or what great benefit hath a man by this freedome a benefit unspeakable thou shalt be free from the feare of Death from the hands of all thine Enemies to serve God in holinesse and righteousnesse from the feare of Iudgement from the feare of hell from the guilt and punishment of sin from the rule and tyranny of sin and is not this to be desired Againe if thou set this at liberty if thou wilt practice and use it thou shalt finde more benefit and sweetnesse from it than from the meere contemplation of it we are deceived in thinking that the knowledge of it is pleasant but the practice hard Indeed that that keeps the world from practice is because it is accompanied with persecution whereas bare knowledge crosses not at all and therefore most men are willing to heare and know but in practice they fall short But in this they are deceived for this Truth brings more pleasure in the practice and use of it than in the knowledge and contemplation of it Instance in Faith suppose thou know all the doctrine of Faith the knowledge is pleasant much more the practise if thou wilt
the Prophets prophecie not but is willing to be informed to the full yet when he hath it he acts it not he doth not exercise nor practice this Truth That is another degree of with-holding it And this is a frequent Case for a man may know and be informed in all Truths yet they may lye there unused and unacted they may lye there idle Now when a man is not willing to practice the meanes by which these Truths are used he doth properly with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse As for example the way to act the Truths we have to stirre them up to blow up these coales to bring them to present memory so as they may be brought to present practise is the Communion of Saints the company of holy men that when a man hath forgot godly company may bring to minde againe so frequent reading and hearing these doe act the Truth for the end of our ministery is not onely to make you to know these things but to bring those things to minde which you have forgot if we will not use but neglect the meanes of acting the Truth then we with-hold it So for private prayer whereas a man should bring his heart to God every day should doe it throughly should call himselfe to a reckoning for every sin for all sorts of Omissions or of Commissions this is a meanes to act this Truth this good purpose and inclination this sparke which God hath kindled were it not for this they would be raked up in the ashes againe now performing prayer in a devout and fervent manner doth liven them whereas to doe things for fashion or to satisfie naturall conscience and not throughly is to neglect them so that when a man doth not practice not exercise the Truths hee hath as the very exercise quickens them againe when he doth neglect any of the means by which these coales are blowne up by which these Truths are to be stirred up he properly imprisons the Truth Let no man say But when a man imprisons a thing he barres the doore but to let the Truth lye is a matter of negligence how is it then an imprisoning Yes it is an imprisoning a surprising of it as it is with fire if it have not a vent though you cast no water upon it yet you put it out as on the contrary side if you give it vent you encrease it so you are guilty in this Case of murdering the Truth of putting it out As in any Art that a man learnes if he let his Art or Trade lye still and unused he forgets it so these Truths are extinguished when a man is not diligent in using all meanes of grace The receiving of the Sacrament is a meanes to quicken and Act these Truths fasting and prayer when God cals for it is a meanes to quicken them goe through all meanes which God hath ordained to put us in minde of these Truths and so farre as you neglect the meanes so farre you detaine these Truths in unrighteousnesse The end of the Seventh Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The Eighth SERMON ROMANS 1.19 20. Forasmuch as that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him that is his eternall power and God-head are clearly seene by the creation of the world being considered in his workes to the intent that they should be without excuse THe fourth Case wherein we withhold this truth in unrighteousnesse and imprison it is when we directly suppresse it when we doe indeed suffocate it when we doe this of purpose this is an evident Case when a man not only withdrawes fewell when he doth not only not act it neglecting the meanes but doth purposely suppresse it As for example when God shall kindle a good sparke in any mans heart and put in a good motion not only reveales but stirres up some Truths which concerne his salvation and hee doth endeavour to put it out to quench it and labours to lay that truth asleepe and is glad when by any meanes he can forget it lest it should trouble him this is a great suppessing of the Truth and by this we not only suppresse this Truth but we doe harden our owne hearts exceedingly as in iron when we quench it we doe not only put out the fire but harden the Iron so when God stirs up many Truths as it is in hearing the Word in apprehension of death in suffering some calamity in a good mood the putting out of these doth harden the heart Therefore when a man shall have good purposes and thinke with himselfe I will now begin to be another man and to change my courses and yet shall goe into ill company such as it may be he hath kept before this is an evident suffocating of the Truth a thing often spoken of and blame me not that I speake of it againe for it is the great quench-coale of Religion a man cannot prosper therein if he looke not to his company because it is as a continuall dropping on a fire-brand which will be sure to put out the light and life and grace which one hath Chrysostome compares ill company to putting in of swine when a man hath planted an Orchard with tender Plants when he hath sowed it and the corne or whatsoever it is appeares leave the hedge open and let the swine come in and they will overturne all by the roots So when we Ministers have sowed the Seed and it begins to grow a little to put forth when ill company come in they spoile all they marre all they pull up all by the roots so that we have lost our labour it is indeed so effectuall to keepe downe the Seed and to make us imprison the Truth Againe custome in sin giving your selves liberty in any sin that keepes downe the Truth and nothing more Therefore of all other things you must know nothing suppresses that Truth that knowledge those beginnings of Grace those good motions in us so much as actuall sin because it is quite contrary to it Fire is not quenched so much with any thing as with water being quite contrary thereto and light is not hid so much in any thing as in darknesse Take heed then that you be not led away with the deceitfulnesse of sin you may thinke you shall be able to leave this sin afterwards but it is not in your power to do so for sin takes away the sense and a great sinne weakens the faculty that should resist it puts out the Truth because it is so directly contrary unto it And herein you must observe a notable difference betweene men that live godly and others the godly when they fall into sin it is so farre from putting out this Truth that it helps it forward for their fals doe but discover such sins and so it causes them to search themselves by which meanes they finde out that to be in them which they never
the Plague By the late faithfull and worthy Minister of IESUS CHRIST IOHN PRESTON D. in Divinity Chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolns INNE LONDON Printed by R. B. for NICHOLAS BOURNE and are to be sold at his shop at the Royall Exchange 1633. A SERMON PREACHED AT A Generall Fast before the Commmons-house of Parliament Iuly 2. 1625. NUMBERS 25.10 11. And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar the son of Aaron the Priest hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel while he was zealous for my sake among them that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousie WE are met together you know to sanctifie a Fast to the Lord. I will therefore speake a word or two of that Dutie before I come to the Text which I have read to you But I will doe it briefly the Common place thereof being too large a subject at this time to enter into And first wee will say thus much to you That this duty is a necessary not an arbitrary thing which wee may doe or leave undone at our pleasures You know there be many examples of it many commands for it in Scripture but of them wee will onely repeate two The first is that in Ioel 2.15 a place you wel know Sanctifie to me a Fast call a solemne Assembly When the Lord began to send Iudgement on the Land he straitly enjoyned the performance of this dutie which showes that it may not be left undone at pleasure To which I will adde that in Esay 22.12 13 14. The Lord called in that day to weeping and mourning but because at that time they fell to rejoycing It was revealed by the Lord of hoasts that that sinne should not be purged away till their death When there is a time for Fasting and when there are Iust occasions for mourning and humiliation the Lord doth then so require it that if you doe it not but will doe the contrary the Lord will never forgive it it is a sinne that shall not be purged away till you die You will say then What is a Fast In a word a Fast is nothing else but the sanctifying or setting apart of a day for humiliation reconciliation and reformation I say it is to sanctifie a Day because the day of a Fast must be equall to the Sabbath the very word used in that place of Ioel Sanctifie to me a Fast shewes as much In that day you may doe no servile worke but must keepe it holy to the Lord. That you have to doe in that day is first to humble your selves as in that place of Ioel Turne to me with fasting mourning and weeping Secondly it is for Reconciliation Lev. 23.27 it is called a day of Atonement Lastly it is for Reformation and therefore in the day of fasting the whole people entred into covenant with God as in Nehem the ninth chapter and the beginning of the tenth verse you shall see the Princes and people came altogether and seale a Covenant to the Lord to reforme their sinne of taking strange wives and entered into a curse and an oath to walke in Gods law I will say no more of that but will onely tell you what are the failings which we are most subject to in this businesse for wee may know the disease by the medicine if God takes great care to prevent our falling into a sinne it argues that we are apt to fall into it And first we are very ready to rest in the worke done in opere operato to thinke that the very action will please GOD. Therefore it is carefully added in Ioel 2. Rend not your clothes but your hearts that is when you come to sanctifie a Fast doe not thinke that the very outward performance of the duty moves mee It is the heart that I looke to therefore you must take care that at this time your greatest businesse be with your hearts Lev. 23.29 He who in that day meaning the day of the annuall Fast which was then instituted doth not afflict his soule for so the word is to be translated shall be cut off from his people The outward performance is not the thing that God respects or accepts he doth not regard that for hee is a Spirit and beholds the behaviour of the spirit he considers how we are affected in secret before him A second thing werein we are apt to faile is to thinke that One day is enough and when that is done there is an end of the businesse but it is not so that is but the beginning of it Esay 58.5 Is this a Fast to hang downe your head for a day Is it to bow it downe as a Bulrush Bulrushes you know in a storme hang downe their heads but when faire weather comes they lift them up againe So when affliction is upon us we are apt to humble our soules for a time for a fit but when a little peace or prosperity comes we forget to be longer humbled whereas the end of a Fast is so to begin the worke of Humiliation that we may the better continue it afterwards A third defect is this we are perhaps content to doe the duty and with some affection too but there followes no reformation of life Therefore in the same Chapter see how carefully that is put in Is this an acceptable day to the Lord Will I accept such a Fast as this When you finde pleasure and continue in strife and debate That is the Lord regards not the bare performance of the duty unlesse the end of it be attaynd now the end of it is nothing else but that every man in particular reforme the evils he is subject to yea his particular weaknesses and personall infirmities the mending of which is carefully to bee endeavoured when we sanctifie a Fast to the Lord else we assemble together for Wine and for Oile Hos. 7.14 As if hee should say you have not sought Mee when you howled upon your beds but your Wine and your Oile That is men are affected with the Iudgements of the Lord they desire to have them removed they wish for ease and prosperity and for that they assemble themselves but to Me saith he ye returne not A beast will doe as much when it feeles any evill oppressing it and therefore God cals it howling on their beds an action proper to beasts but the Lord lookes that you seeke him in sincerity and that you labour to make your hearts perfect in him In a word to conclude this remember That there is a double performance of every holy duty one is when we doe the worke as a taske and are glad when it is over when we doe it as servants that doe eye-service to their masters another is when not onely the thing is done but your hearts also are wrought upon for that is the end of the outward performance and
the worke is so farre accepted as it hath an operation on our hearts and affections It is so in every duty as in Prayer when you call on God in private doth God regard the words of a prayer No but ' its working on your hearts ' it s humbling of them ' it s bringing of them into frame and making them perfect with God every day by a thorow renewing of your repentance and this is the doing of the thing Amongst your selves if a servant doth onely make a show of doing a thing it is not regarded but hee that brings the thing to passe is accepted of you and that is it which the Lord requires and accepts in our performances Now we shall see that this Text will helpe us to all that is required in a Fast as will appeare in the particulars Phineas the sonne of Eleazar c. In the former part of the Chapter the disease is set downe and that is Sinne which is indeed the onely disease of the soule illustrated from two consequents First from the wrath of God who as the Text saith was very angry with Israel for they had committed whoredome and joyned with Baal-Peor That was the disease the sin for which they had brought on them Gods wrath And secondly from an effect of that wrath the Plague God struck them with pestilence that is the punishment In this verse is set downe the remedy and that is the turning away of Gods wrath For as the Physitian sayes Morbi curantur contrarijs so it is true in Divinity as the wrath of God was the cause of the Plague so the turning away thereof is the remedy This turning away of his wrath is set forth by the cause of its turning away and that was the zeale of Phineas while hee was zealous for my sake and that is made good by two reasons One is in the latter end of my Text therefore have I not consumed them in my jealousie As if hee had said If Phineas had not beene zealous my jealouâ— should have burned more and more and the jealousie of that should have beene utter destruction The second is Gods owne Testimony set downe before my Text. The Lord himselfe said unto Moses that his wrath was turned away I will say no more for opening the words but in them you shall see these five points lye evidently before you First in that the removall of the Plague is attributed to God and to the turning away of his anger this is clearely deduced That it is God only that doth good and evill for you see his anger brought the Plague on them and the turning away of his anger healed them againe Secondly it is sin that causes Gods anger anger in God hath alway relation to sinne for sinne is the cause of it Thirdly the way to turne away the Lords anger is zeale for his sake Fourthly if there be want of this zeale among us his jealousie shall grow hotter and hotter it shall encrease upon us more and more Fifthly and lastly the issue of this jealousie of his will be utter destruction Wee will begin with the first which is That it is God onely that doth good and evill to every Nation to every Church and Kingdome yea to every particular person As you see here it was not the corruption of the Aire that brought the Plague nor the clearing of it with fâ—ost and wind that turned it away but the cloud of the Lords wrath shed this storme on them and when he was appeased with them there followed health and peace The Lord wounds and the Lord heales For what is the Plague but a sword in the hand of an Angell who drawes it out and puts it into its sheath againe at his Masters appointment And is not there the same reason of all other evils Warre you know is a terrible thing when Enemies come as Bees on a Land but doth not the Lord hisse for them And againe they are driven away as with a breath at his appointment Famine is a leane devouring evill which causes the Land to eate up the inhabitants thereof but is not the Lord the onely cause of it Doth not he make the Heaven as Brasse and the Earth as Iron Doth not he when he will open the windowes of Heaven and unstop the bottels of the clouds and powre outraine unseasonably And is not hee the cause of death which is the journeys end of both the former To which every one of us is subject yet wee consider it not Though we see men fall from the Tree of Life every moment yet wee regard it not This the Lord takes onely to himselfe Psal. 68.20 To the Lord belong the issues from death and therefore let us give to the Lord this great Prerogative of his That he onely doth good and evill and let no man question it You will say who doth question it It is very true we doe not question it in words but if we question it in our deeds it is an argument that our hearts make a doubt of it though our tongues doe not question it Therefore let us examine the matter If wee thinke the Lord onely doth good and evill why then will not we obey him and serve him and please him in all things But provoke him to anger by our words and by our workes as the Prophet speakes Perhaps you will say to me as Saul answered Samuel when he came from the warre of the Amalekites Oh thou blessed of the Lord I have fully kept the Commandement of the Lord but saith Samuel If thou hast done so What meanes the bleating of the Sheepe and the lowing of the Oxen So I say to you if you obey the Lord what meanes so many sinnes amongst us What meanes Fornication and Whoredome which is so frequent What meane those Oathes amongst us for which the Land mournes Not onely greater oathes but smaller oathes which exceed the greater for frequency though the greater exceed them in that they take the Name of God in vaine Againe what meanes the breaches of the Sabbath Of which I will speake a word by the way and that you may know that I doe not blame you for that as a sinne which is no sinne I will make this digression Doe you not think that Sabbaths are to be kept and to be kept holy I will name but two reasons to make it good you shall finde them in Esay 57.30 It is My Holy Day First it is a Holy Day and if it be holy you may doe nothing thereon that is common A Vessell that is sanctified and made holy may not bee imployed to take up common water or used in common services for it is holy So the time of the Sabbath is holy therefore you must not spend it about common actions for if you doe you prophane that which is holy Seeondly it is My Day and if it be My Day rob mee
of his sins and that he in recompence of this kindnesse should serve his lusts Therefore he reasons as Ioseph did with his Mistresse Shall I doe this and so sinne against God and my Master he hath committed all to me hee hath done thus much for me and shall I thus requite him And as Nathan taught David to reason Hath the Lord made thee King over Israel and done thus and thus for thee and wilt thou serve him thus So that I say there is an holy Ingenuity bred in us whereby out of thankfulnesse wee will shun whatsoever may offend him Besides this we are taught that we sustaine another person and every man desires to maintaine the dignity of the person hee sustaines When a man is once in Christ he thinkes not the courses he lived in before to be sutable to the condition he is now in Therefore the Apostle reasons 1 Pet. 1.14 Fashion your selves no longer after the lusts of your former Ignorance but be holy as he is holy that is if you take your selves to be in Christ and that you be come unto God admit not any more those lusts which though they suted with your former yet not with this condition he reasons as Nehemiah did Shall such a man as I doe this Lastly which is the chiefest reason of all As soone as a man hath taken Christ and is justified there is a strong impression made upon his Soule by which he is caused to cleave unto him and to long after him as the Iron doth after the Load-stone that cannot bee at rest untill it hath attained it A man shall set himselfe in the wayes of God though it were but to give satisfaction to the desires of his Soule And indeed were it not for this wee should not serve the Lord this makes us New Creatures I say there is a strong inclination in every man that is justified that he can doe no lesse than serve the LORD even to satisfie that For example when Eliah had called Elishah hee could not choose but follow him all the reasons in the world could not keep him back At the time when he cast his mantle on him there was an impression made on him as when Christ said to Levi and Peter and Andrew and the rest follow me their profits and nets and fathers were nothing they needed no more perswasion for there was a secret impression made upon their hearts together with Christs Word and to satisfie that they must needs follow him Such an impression as this was made on the heart of Ruth to follow Naomi you know how she put her to it but Ruth would not goe backe for she loved her and therefore nothing but death should separate them And the same was in Iacob to Rachel seven yeeres and seven yeeres service the length of time and hardnesse of labour could not keep him from his Vncles house nor drive him off such a strong desire was planted in his heart towards her and such a desire is planted in the heart of every Christian that is justified a strong Instinct as I may call it a strong affection after Iesus Christ and he must needs goe on in the wayes of Sanctification seeing there is no other way to satisfie himselfe So that putting all this together when a man shall see such reason for holinesse when he shall have affections of delight therein of love thereto when he shall see it best for him and that it is impossible hee should have the Lord Iesus Christ whom he so much desires if he serve him not in the duties of Sanctification he must needs come to a fixed resolution I will be another man and runne another course I will change my life altogether I will serve him in holinesse and in the duties of new obedience And after this manner doth Sanctification arise from Iustification first from a worke of the Spirit and then by all these passages that goe thorow the minde of a man which though they be not marked distinctly yet are truely in the heart And so much for the first point Now we will come to the second which is That Iustification and Sanctification are inseparable they cannot bee disjoyned But you will say this is a point that needs no proving I would my Brethren it did not I would that men were perswaded of the truth of it but we may see by the lives of men that they are not perswaded of it for their lives be loose and they thinke that if they can call on Christ in the day of death and cry for pardon it will be enough and that without such strictnesse a man may be saved Therefore to make it cleare to you you must remember this as a ground No man can be saved by the second Adam except hee bee borne of the second Adam As no man could be condemned by the first Adam that was not borne of the first Adam for the reason why all mens natures are corrupted is because all are borne of him If a man were created and did not descend by generation from him he should be free from Sinne and so could not be condemned but comming out of his loynes puts us into a condition of condemnation And so on the other side except you be borne of the second Adam you shall not be saved What is that You must be made New Creatures Ioh. 1.12 As many as received him he made the sonnes of God What is that a meere title No verse the thirteenth They are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of the will of God that is they are borne of the second Adam and Ioh. 3.5 Whosoever is not borne of the Spirit shall not enter into the Kingdome of God Now as our nature was corrupted in the first Adam there being a compact and covenant betweene God and him that if Adam stood all his seed should stand with him but if he fell then that all that were borne of him should by vertue of that covenant compact or agreement have his sinne imputed to them and so should be corrupted as hee was and die the death So there was a second covenant betweene us and the second Adam which is the new Testament spoken of in Ier 31 and in Heb. 8. I will make a new Covenant saith God And what is that I will put may Law in your minde and write it in your inward parts that is by vertue of the compact and agreement which is the new Testament following upon the former all that shall be saved by Christ shall be borne of him they must be new men whosoever shall be justified by him must be a new Creature Secondly because it is the will of God It is true God might have saved us without it if it had beene his pleasure it had beene no more but calling men at the houre of death but is otherwise 1 Thess. 4.3 This is the will of God even
but think with your selves doe you thinke he lesse pities the diseases of the Soule than he did the diseases of the Body Doe you thinke that he hath lesse compassion now he is in Heaven than hee had when he was on Earth Or doe you think that His Arme is shortned that he cannot doe as much now to heale the running sores that are on thy soule as he did on earth to heale bodily diseases My Brethren if you doe but seeke to him if you can get but a word from him if he say but to you Be whole if hee doe but rebuke thy sinfull lusts as he rebuked the Feaver it shall presently obey him Hee that was able to calme the sea and that hath the strong winds in his power is he not able to dissolve a strong inordinate apprehension a strong lust a strong unruly affection and so set them at liberty certainly he is able You know the woman that had spent so many yeares and all that she had upon Physitians and could doe her selfe no good by all yet when shee comes to Christ once you see it was done in an instant So I say a strong lust an old lust which is contrary to this New Creature which it may be thou hast been contending with many yeares and cannot get the victory over it yet if thou canst come in this manner to him and contend with him and knocke at the doore and never give over till thou hast awaked him certainly hee will give thee the holy Ghost he will change and renue thy heart he will set thee at full libertie This he hath confirmed with an oath and whatsoever God hath sworn he will performe it without all reservation where hee is said to doe a thing without an oath there may be a reservation left therefore we never finde an oath to the old Covenant but he hath sworne to performe the new Covenant and you know this is a great part of the new Covenant to give a new heart to make a man a new Creature therefore where the new Covenant is made there this is repeated in Ier. 31. and Heb. 8. I will make a covenant with my people and what is that I will put my Law into their minds and in their hearts will I write them that is I will make them New Creatures Therefore I say this is a matter of much use to you If you goe to Christ and labour to have this done My Brethren there is nothing left for us to be assured nor any other experiment that wee need have that there is another life that Iesus Christ hath done these great things for us and that the Gospel is true I say there is nothing else left for us no other experiment in comparison of this that we see wee are made New Creatures This is all the miracles that we have nay I dare be bold to say more It was the greatest miracle that they had in that time when all the miracles were wrought And therefore you shall find that Paul gives this as the maine argument among the rest That they shall be raised againe at the last day that they were in Christ that the Gospel is real and true For saith he We have received the Spirit we have had the Spirit which is the earnest the pledge the annointing you shall finde it every where scattered in his Epistles the receiving of the Spirit is the maine ground that hee builds on as in the 2 Cor. 1.23 Hee hath established us together with you and hath annointed us and sealed us by giving the Spirit as an earnest into our hearts As if he should say this is the Argument we have that we shall be saved not for all the miracles so much as this that we have received the Spirit for that is the true annointing wee feele it in our selves that sealeth and confirmeth us wee cannot doubt having had experience of such a mighty worke in us that is the earnest and the pledge we have and therefore Ephes. 1.19 He prayes that they might see the exceeding greatnesse of his power working in those that beleeve as if that would bee a great confirmation to them if once they should finde an experiment of the greatnesse of his power And so Phil. 3.10 I care not for all the world on this condition that I might know him and the vertue of his resurrection that is that I might know him by the power of his Spirit changing my heart killing my sinnes raising me againe and in a word making me a New Creature that I might know this experiment I looke upon all the world as drosse and dung as things not to be named So I say seeing there is nothing else left in comparison of this and when miracles were wrought there was nothing like this that wee might have this experiment in our selves we should goe to God and not give him over till the worke be wrought in us that we might be made New Creatures That which keepes men off from religious courses for the most part is discouragement they think they shall not be able to go thorow it when they heare they must bee made new men in all things that there must be nothing that is old left but all the old leaven must bee purged out it discourageth men because they thinke they shall never bee able to reach it whereas this is an assurance to thee that if you go about it you shall not faile of your purpose but you shall certainly bring it to passe because if you seeke it at Gods hands he cannot deny you only I told you you must pray It may be for this purpose God will not heale thee altogether but suffer many lusts to grapple and to contend with thee that thou mayest be taught to doe this duty and therefore wee should learne to goe to Christ wee should feed on him every day and by that meanes we shall be renewed we shall get new strength otherwise what is the meaning of that In this mount hee will make a feast of fined wines and of fatlings of fat things full of marrow of wines fined and purified Esay 25.6 The meaning is this when you come to Christ to renue your Communion and your Covenant with him which is done through faith and prayer you draw neerer to him and that strengthneth the soule as Mannah strengthned them in the wildernesse that you live by it for every day there growes new distances betweene Christ and us we let goe our hold as it were in some measure and begin to fall off from him a little therefore every day we should renue this Covenant especially when we come to the Sacrament As Ionathan and David they renued the Covenant of God againe that was between them as if there were a new Solemnity of marriage if it were often to be renued to make the parties joyned more united make no question of it we should renue our match with Christ we should come neerer to him
such change wrought in him doth delight in nothing but to doe evill to doe well he hath no pleasure Gods Commandements are burthensome to him therfore the Laws of God are too strait for him that he cannot march in them as David could not march in Sauls Armour for it was too heavie for him A man that is a New Creature doth things with facility and delight But this is not all If thy Soule be fashioned and cast into a new mould thou wilt not onely doe good things readily but well and handsomely to use our common terme when as other men bungle at good workes and know not how to turne their hand unto them They doe them indeed but as the Wiseman saith Prov. 26.7 As the legs of the lame are not equall so is a Parable in a fooles mouth When they come to doe any good Actions it is like a Parable in a fooles mouth the Parable is not fit for his mouth as when a man hath one legge longer than another he is lame so a Parable in a fools mouth is not equall to his mouth the action may be good yet he doâ—h it but lamely it is beyond his reach hee doth not doe actions as hee should but an holy man doth them as a workeman I speake not of doing of them before men but before God who judgeth righteously when he comes to performe an holy duty hee doth it as it is meet hee prayes fervently and consecrates himselfe unto the Lord with delight Hee shewes mercy with cheerefulnesse and every grace hath his peculiar property wherein the goodnesse of it consists as Faith Love and Hope are the concomitants of his actions wherein their excellencie consists whereas other men doe the same duties but not with that affection that they should and they doe it but with a dead heart they are workes of vertue and have the lineaments of true ones but they are dead workes because life is not in them Therefore consider how thou doest things the matter is not so much what thou doest as how thou doest them Againe if thou bee a New Creature thou shalt know it by thy doing of good constantly as a man that doth it naturally In Nature you know the habites and inclinations are close and neere unto us and growing in us therefore if thou doe good in thy constant practice it is a signe thy heart is changed This is the first thing there is a new frame all the bent of the faculties are changed and by this you may know it if you doe good readily with facillity and delight and constantly One thing more observe in this new Frame there is not onely a bending of the Soule to a contrary point as it were but moreover all must be changed as for example Cast any thing into a new mould there is not only one part altered but all so if you be New Creatures you must finde this in your selves that you doe not make choice in the duties of godlinesse but take all and omit nothing You must bee holy in all manner of conversation those words are added in all manner of conversation and they are much to be observed that is in all the turnings of a mans life As if he be a Magistrate hee must be exact in hearing of Causes neither to feare any mans face nor to be moved by any mans favour if hee be an husband his speeches and actions must be holy his speeches must be gratious If thou be a Subject in reverence to the King and respective to others thou must bee holy in all manner of conversation otherwise the frame is not altered this must be of necessity for that which God requires of us is the keepâ—ng of the whole Law as Iames saith Iam. 2.20 where hee speakes of keeping the Law Evangelically For whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet faile in one point he is guilty of all Goe thorow the whole Latitude of our obedience if in one part thou wilt favour thy selfe thou art guilty of all In the same Epistle Iam. 1.26 If any man among you seemeth to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceives his owne heart that mans Religion is in vaine That which is here said of the tongue may be said of any thing else Doest thou doe thus and thus doest thou sanctifie the Sabbath doest thou goe to God in prayer goe to all particular duties I know not what to name unto you and yet in any of these dost faile consider that the Apostle might as well have said unto thee for that thy Religion is in vaine hee speakes of keeping the Law in an Evangelicall manner a man must set himselfe to keepe every Commandement and if he doe but take liberty in any he is guilty of the whole Take this for a sure rule what God requires of us in the Gospell he gives us strength to performe but if our hearâ—s were not altogether new moulded the worke would be more than our strength therefore of necessity the heart must be altogether new moulded Therefore the Apostle saith and what he saith is common to all the Saints I can doe all things through Christ that strengthneth mee Every man that hath this new frame wrought in him may say so If thou be in Christ thou hast a new frame in thy heart which makes thee able to doe all things through Christ. Consider of this and apply it to your selves for it is a matter of much moment as the Apostle saith We are not ashamed to write unto you of these things againe and againe So it is a point we have touched before yet we will speake of it againe and again Consider with thy selfe whether there be such a generall change in thee or no for the goodnesse of a thing consists in the order else the whole is dissolved as in beauty there are two things wherein it consists the frame and order of it that we say is beautifull when the frame is good and no part is to bee admired above the rest so it is the frame and order of the Soule wherein its beauty consists when the whole frame is right and thou art inabled to doe the whole duties of new obedience Observe Gods dealing in this case when Saul had failed in one thing God cast him off But you will say this was an heard judgement did not David faile many times as well as he It is true but here is the difference Saul had a naturall heart to doe evill although his profession was good yet when he was put to the triall whether he would take the fat sheepe and the oxen he did it yet you must know it was not for that that God cast him off but because the frame of his heart was not good for hee would have done it againe and againe an hundred times over I say the disposition of his heart was evill Balaams eye unto the wages of iniquitie marred all though he kept himselfe aloft and
carried the matter fairly but like the Eagle hee had his eye upon the prey this secret eye marres all Doe not thinke that this is but a notion doe not say who is it but doth sinne and we may goe to heaven although we be not so exact as the Preacher saith we should be No it is more than so we may see good reason for it if we observe it well It is a good argument which we have in Philosophie A cup or a dish that is boared thorow is no dish yet there is but one hole in it because it is now of no use which makes it none because it is as good as none Take a dish boared thorow powre water into it it will hold none so take a mans heart for the reason will hold good in that and let there be but some secret leake in it or some secret evill disposition although Saul doth well in every thing else yet if he harbour any sinne or although Balaam doth well in all things else yet if there be respect unto the wages of Iniquity they are both but like a dish with an hole boared thorow that take up any thing there will be an issuing out Therefore deceive not thy selfe thou art no New Creature except thy heart be perfect in all things This which wee deliver unto you take it no otherwise than what with reason you shall finde grounded upon a sure word in Ier. 2. They sought mee not with their whole heart but fainedly When a man seekes God but not with his whole heart God reckons it but a counterfeit seeking of him Therefore I beseech you looke unto your selves see whether you be holy in all manner of conversation I cannot goe thorow particulars but I must leave this to every mans brest who must reflect upon his owne heart Consider with thy selfe if sometimes thou givest libertie to thy selfe in ill or in the duties of new obedience to performe them slightly as good never a whit as never the better if thou doest any duty which thou knowest to be a duty and not truly know it is not accepted If you continue in sinne and will not know it to be a sin as in your inordinate gaming and the vanity of your speeches although thou thinkest them small yet they are able to kill thee the biting of a Viper is as small a thing yet it will bring death with it so if any sin be allowed in thee thou art not a New Creature thou wantest this new moulding thou art not yet cast into a new frame So much for the First part The second thing which we observed in this description of a New Creature is that A man must be cast into a new mould by the infusion of a new quality of Grace A mans heart is not put into a new frame by the transient Acts of the Holy Ghost as in building of an house there is no more for a man to doe but with his hands to joyne one thing with another but it is done by the infusion of a new quality As in Adam there was not onely a defect of weaknesse but of wickednesse so there must be a new quality infused into thy heart else thou art no New Creature In all things in the world that have actions there is a quality as the fire moves upward and there is a quality of heat in it as our Saviour Christ saith of the tree it must be good before it can bring forth good fruit and as in the Heb. 12.28 Wherefore seeing we receive a Kingdome that cannot be shaken let us have grace whereby wee may so serve God that wee may please him with reverence and feare that is there must bee a new quality wrought in the heart whereby we may be enabled to serve the Lord with reverence and feare The question you will aske me will be what is that new quality Not to stand upon generals for it is not that which profits but to pitch upon it I will shew you what it is by two places of Scripture Gal. 6.15 For in Christ Iesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but a New Creature Compare this with Gal. 5.6 For in Christ Iesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but Faith which worketh by love Would you know what this new quality which is infused is It is faith and love that is when this is once wrought in thy heart that thy heart is humble and broken which makes thee to know what sin is and what the wrath of God is for sinne and thou desirest Christ and thou hast thy heart calmed againe through beleeving thou doest beleeve that God offers his Son unto thee and thou art willing to take him not as a Saviour only but as a Lord also to obey him not as a Priest only but as a King to bee subject to him not as a friend only but as an husband if this be done it is properly faith Againe consider whether it be done out of love or out of fear lest thy Creditours should come upon thee and cast thee into that eternall prison where thou shalt pay every farthing this is not out of love Againe doest thou take him for his kingdom and his wealth only That is the disposition of an harlot who takes her husband for his wealth and not because shee loves him but thou must take him for love The Virgins love thee Cant. 1.2 The harlots doe not so but the Virgins love thy goodly person Againe thou must not take him in a good mood but till death doe part you thou must love him for ever No man loves a man truely but he is rooted and grounded in his love when thou doest find thy heart so humbled that thou doest reckon sinne the greatest evill and doest hunger after Christ and doest keepe him as thy life when thou doest all this from a love unto him thou art a New Creatures when thou takest Christ with love and such an one as is a working love now be assured that thou art a New Creature for this is that wherein it consists I observe this by the way for those that thinke they never have beene humbled enough the New Creature consists not in that but in faith and love Hast thou faith and love Then thou hast the thing it selfe and if thou hast that thou hast the preparation That is the first expression Another is in Ephes. 4.22 23 24. That yee cast off concerning the conversation in times past the old man which is corrupt through deceiveable lusts and be renued in the Spirit of your minde and put on the new man which after God is created in Righteousnesse and holinesse proceeding from truth There you have the thing named what it is to be a New Creature and what it is to be the old man still To be the old Creature or the old man is nothing else but to bee guided by lust which comes from errour in judgement and understanding But
now dead except it be by the ingresse of this New Creature thou hast little cause to comfort thy selfe for those lusts are but covered and laid asleepe for a time and will wake and rise againe as Sampson when hee was tied with cords rose againe and was as strong as ever he was when the opportunity came And it was told him The Philistims are upon thee Sampson So lusts are laid asleepe till the opportunity comes when all the threed of good purposes breaks and they rise again in their strength therefore if there bee not a New Creature brought within thy soule thy lusts are but laid asleepe they will rise againe Or put case they be dead and rise no more yet except it be by the ingredience of this New Creature they are but dead of themselves and so long as they die of themselves God regards not that death for that which is required of us in Rom. 12.1 is that we sacrifice our selves Now two things are required in the Sacrifice one that it be slaine that it die not of it selfe for that is not a Sacrifice Secondly that it be offered to God and not to any other god Now this we oft finde that lusts die of themselves change of age experience operation of circumstances time place and many things may alter the desires for you must know The world passeth away and the lusts of it that is they are of a transitory Nature A man doth not desire that this yeare which he did the last Doe wee not see many have beene riotous and prodigall in youth yet there is a great change in them not for grace but age and use and experience and many things make alteration These are not slaine to the Lord but they die of themselves so God would not accept them Againe they may be slaine but not to the LORD thou mayest offer them to thy selfe which is the same as if thou offeredst them to another god that is a man may finde much evill and inconvenience much bitternesse in them it may be they have brought shame and misery on thee Againe thou mayst feare Gods judgements and therefore mayest restraine thy selfe In a word If thy selfe be thy end in abstaining from any sin what ever it be there is a Sacrifice thou hast slaine it but not offered it to the Lord it is not done to him It is not because thou lovest the Lord Iesus therefore it is not a fruit of the New Creature for till then every man makes himselfe his end in all he doth but when hee is made a New Creature hee makes the LORD his end This therefore is the use of this there must be two parts of this New Creature Vivification and Mortification an infusion of the new Quality and a weakning of the old Because this is a point of much moment I will presse it a little further and deliver this Rule I say this other Consectary may be gathered If it be so then thou must finde in thy selfe these two things Thou must find in thy selfe something more than Nature and againe thou must finde in thy selfe something lesse than Nature Thou must have lesse than what thy corrupt nature had in it and more than common nature hath in it or else thou wantest this third part of the New Creature this third thing wherein it consists the induction of a new Quality and a weakning of the old We will urge this a little First there must be a lessening and a weakening of that was there before for you must know every man hath some personall infirmities some sinnes more peculiar to his Nature than others something wherein hee is weake every man hath it one of one sort another of another sort every man hath a more inclination to this or that sinne which is bred and borne with him If thou findest that this continues with thee still that thou hast the same running-sore on thee that thou hadst that thou findest no alteration in that that there is no lessening no weakning no destroying and mortifying of that then thou art not a New Creature and consequently thy sins are not forgiven for Iustification and Sanctification are inseparable It thy sins were pardoned they would be healed that is the thing you must consider It is certaine therefore if you doe not find them healed you are not yet in Christ for if thou wert in Christ truly there would a vertue come out of him that would heale thy bloudy-issue for the vertue of his death is never disjoyned from the merit of his death where ever he forgives sin he cures sinne therefore if thou findest that hee hath not cured any sin know it is not forgiven You may see it every where Mary Magdalen as much was forgiven her so she had a great cure wrought in her shee was changed she became another woman you see how exceeding holy she was when Christ said Thy sinnes are forgiven she went away with another heart So it was with Paul when once his sins were forgiven when God sent word by Ananias that hee was a chosen vessell withall he was made a glorious Professour of a raging Persecutour there was a healing of sin as well as forgiving of it So David when his sinne was forgiven when God told him by Nathan so much his sin was cured hee did not commit adultery againe therfore in the one and fiftieth Psalme the cure stands on record that all the world may know that where God forgiveth he healeth likewise So Peter when God had forgiven him that sin of denying his Master he cured it too To adde a little more I say Sinne must be healed if it bee forgiven for it cannot bee otherwise if God take any man to beare his Name and his sins bee not healed his Name should be blasphemed it would redound to his dishonour Againe if he should forgive and not heale us we should have no comfort from him nor he no service from us we should have no comfort from him because of the rage and vexation of ruling lusts Againe he should have no service from us for how can we serve him when we are not healed Can a sicke man doe any service Hee must be healed and restored to health first Now doe you thinke God will put his children in a condition that neither they shall have comfort from him nor he service from them therefore it is of necessity wheresoever sin is forgiven it is healed Therefore in Hosea 14. When I take away your iniquities I will heale your rebellions So in Deut. 30.6 when he will have mercy upon them saith hee I will also circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your seed that you shall love mee with all your soule and with all your strength Hee never pardons but he likewise circumciseth So in Ier. 24.7 I will set mine eye upon you for good that is I will pardon you and receive you to mercy and also will give you an heart to know
mee so that you shall be my people and I will be your God For you shall turne to mee with all your heart In a word they are never disjoyned take it for a sure rule as Ezek. 26. I will wash thee from thy Idols that is from thy lusts and idolatry and will give thee a new heart and a new Spirit he never doth one without the other therefore apply it It may be there be many particular sins which thou thinkest are forgiven Sabbath-breaking Swearing Vncleannesse goe thorow any particular sin if they be not healed they be not forgiven and so thou art in a miserable condition Therefore doe not say though I sinne againe and againe yet God is mercifull and I hope ready to forgive It is very true but thou must know that he is never merciful to forgive but he is as ready to heale and cure thy sins likewise therefore deceive not yourselves in that Only before I passe from this point mistake me not my meaning is not that it is so healed that there is not the least vigour left in it that it is so dead and buried that thou shalt never heare of it againe that the Spring of originall corruption is dried up that none of it is left but the meaning is it is healed that is Sinne is pulled downe from his Regency it may assault thee as a Rebell but it comes no more as a Lord as a King it is put out of possession it may creepe in as a Theefe but it comes no more as the owner of the house for that is resigned up to grace and the New Creature Sin creepes in as it were but there is another Master of the house so that now thou mayest say I doe it not but sinne that dwelleth in me that is that creepes in thy denomination is from that that beares rule in thy heart for that is all that is done in Regeneration Sin is put out of possession and Grace is now the Ruler the Lord of the heart therefore we may say it is healed that is it is so shut out that thou hast dominion over it it may assault thee now and then it may overcome thee now and then but it dwels not in thee thou never entertainest as a guest thou never biddest it welcome thou never makest peace with it thou hast perpetuall warre with it as there was with the Amalekites Againe corrupt nature must bee lessened weakned and mortified so there must be more than nature in thee that is thou must be able to doe more than any natural man in the world can doe or then thou wast ever able to doe before this change was wrought in thee for you must know Grace doth not onely mortifie and heale Sin but it goes beyond the power of Nature as we say Physicke helpes where Nature failes and Art helpes where Nature fals short Such a thing is Grace where Nature failes there is use of Grace indeed else what were the efficacie of the Word and the vertue of the Spirit and the power of Christ If they did not enable a man to do more than Nature doth Grace comes from an higher Well-head than Nature therefore it raiseth a man to an higher pitch than Nature can ascend to Therefore consider if thou hast that which goes beyond Nature Sampson had a strength beyond Nature he could doe what a common man could not doe but God being with him he had more than the strength of Nature How do we know that He was able to carry away the gates of the Citie c. which none else could do therefore there was in him strength above Nature Now examine canst thou doe that which no man else can doe that is a meere naturall man Thou must have a strength put into thee which none can reach to that hath nothing but Nature in him that is canst thou love the Lord Iesus and the Saints An Hypocrite can counterfeit many things but not love Againe canst thou delight in the Law of God in the Inner man I aske not if thou canst approve of it but canst thou delight in it counting it as meat and drinke to doe the will of thy Father This is a thing which cannot be counterfeit So canst thou deny thy selfe I aske not if thou canst deny this or that particular sinne but the whole body of sin if thou favourest the things of the Spirit if thou canst mortifie the deeds of the Body and walke according to that Spirit In a word whatsoever it is if thou art a New Creature thou must find thy selfe able to doe that which no naturall man can doe and which thy selfe could'st never doe before for otherwise what wilt thou have to answer for thy selfe when the Destroying Angell shall come if hee finde not in thee more than Nature the Destruction shall passe on thee as it was in the Passeover except there was found bloud on the door-posts they died for it Now the bloud that this Destroying Angell must see when hee shall passe over the world is that which is more than Nature You must know the bloud of Christ leaves an impression Their garments were made white in the bloud of the Lambe that is not onely the guilt of sin is taken away but a new vertue is put on them a new efficacie is put into them and if thou hast not the vertue of the bloud of Christ as well to purge thy conscience from dead workes as to take away the guilt of sin all is nothing you must know all the old world shall be destroyed and the workes of it and whatsoever is in it whatsoever is old shall be destroyed the Lord will spare nothing but what is new he makes a new Heaven and a new Earth and what is new shall be spared when he comes to take an examination of men and findes nothing but old in thee thou art sure to be destroyed if thou be new he will spare thee there is a blessing there this is the marke in the forhead this is that new Name this is that certain watch-word which if a man know not hee is counted as an enemie you have a fashion sometimes to give markes if they have that marke that token in their hand they are knowne to be of them that are allowed So there is a certaine sealing of men to life God gives a new name a white stâ—ne with a new name written on it which none can reade but God and thy selfe I say except thou art a New Creature for that is the new name the Destroying Angell shall not spare thee but thy sinnes shall be cast on thy conscience as usually hee doth when thou are on thy death-bed he never binds the burthen till then you have it before but you never feele it till then but when God shall charge it on thy conscience what wilt thou say if thou findest not these two things a weakning of this old nature an healing of sin and something morethan
this may make you feare and tremble So you may see there is an end of this doctrine now we will make a little use of it and so end First if it be Christs worke if it be he that must begin it for it is a creature then you see what businesse we have in hand that are Preachers of the Gospell our businesse is to make men other Creatures which is a transcendent worke it is the worke of God and not of man this is the errand we are sent about and the work we are taught to doe every Sabbath and every Sermon which we preach to you to turne Lions into Lambes to transforme the heart of man and to make you New Creatures This I speake of not for our sakes but for yours that you may make use of it you must learne to know when you heare the Word what action you have in hand and whom you have to doe with that is with the Almighty God and not with man for alas my Brethren what are we able to doe Ephes. 2.10 You are Gods workmanship in Iesus Christ created to good workes that you should walke in them It is true we are the Instruments but ye are Gods workmanship Take the best Instrument wherewith we make any artificiall thing an Axe or a Chisell or whatsoever it is you know if there be not an influence from the Artificer it will make no artificiall thing it will strike when you use it but it will not make any artificiall thing if there be not an influence from the Artificer So we are Instruments and the Word is an Instrument but if there be not an influence from God the worke will not be done you will never be made New Creatures Therefore you are Gods workmanship created to good workes he doth it and remember you have to doe with him You have an elegant expression of it in 2 Cor. 3.2 You are Christs Epistle administred by us and written not with Inke but with the Spirit of the living God That is the Law of God is written in your hearts You know Regeneration is in many other places of Scripture A writing the Law of God in their hearts then there is a writing and in this sense the Saints are called an Epistle but they are Christs Epistle we are the pen and he is the Writer he handles the pen and what shal the pen do when there is paper and no Inke will there be any Epistle written Now what is that you are Christs Epistle not written with Inke but by the Spirit of God We doe but apply the pen to the paper but if God put not Inke into the pen that is the Spirit of the living God nothing will be written in your hearts Therefore remember what you have to doe and with whom not with us for we are able to doe nothing not Paul or Apollo mighty in Scriptures We are the Ministers by whom you beleeve It is God that doth it we are but those by whom you beleeve Peter if that ever any man was able so to doe it he was that had his tongue set on fire by the Holy Ghost yet he was not able to doe it Galath 2.8 He that was mightie by Peter over the Circumcision God was mighty by Peter but the work was none of his we are the Rams hornes but who throwes downe the walls of Iericho Are we able to doe it No my Brethren no more than Peter was able to open the Iron-gates It is true when Peter came to them they opened and not before but it was the Angell that did it So when we preach the Gospell there be everlasting doores can we open the Iron-gates No more than any man can open Iron-doores Therefore Lidia's heart was opened else Paul might have preached long enough in vaine in Luke the last Chapter He opened their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures If he had not opened their understandings as he was God he had done them no good when he preached to them as man Therefore it is God that doth it But you will say of what use is this to us that God doth it It is of much use therefore when you come to this place every Sabbath day to heare the Word when you see you have to doe with the mighty God we are the Pen it is God that doth it learne to come with reverence and feare learne to say of this place as Iacob did when he saw God when he saw the Ladder and Angels ascending and descending Surely this is a fearefull place and no other than the gate of Heaven and the House of God it may be you thought of it before You come to heare Sermons as Lectures and Declamations to have your understanding bettered but you doe not remember that it is the gate of Heaven and the House of God you see not God standing over us you should over-looke us it is the gate of Heaven that is you shall never come to Heaven ordinarily if you goe not thorow this gate it is the House of God And indeed when you come hither your eye must be upon him more than upon us expect and wait what God will doe on you hearts in such a time if you come and heare and God hath done nothing observe that and say it is because God hath with-holden his hand therefore my heart is not quickned at this Sermon if any thing hath been done know it is a Sparkle kindled from Heaven therefore cherish it looke well to it for it is a sparke kindled from heaven therefore doe as they did in the Law see what David did on the Altar which he built on Mount Moriah when the Altar was built they laid the wood and Sacrifice and looked to God when hee would send fire from heaven So we are the wood looke to God for fire if you can get a Sparke be sure to maintaine it for that was the manner of the Priests when they had a little fire from heaven they alway gave fewell they never let it goe out againe Looke to it diligently if you have got a sparke from heaven let it not goe out againe as it is the case of many thousands to doe there may be sparkes and you may heat your selves by them and it may be but fire from earht When a Sacrifice was kindled by common fire God accepted it not though it burnt as other fire yet it was no sacrifice to God Morall reason and naturall wisdome may kindle a fire that may be very like true fire but it is not from heaven Therefore come with much feare to this place like men that have your eyes on GOD seeke him not for fashion and know it is to no purpose if God send not his Spirit from heaven Againe you will say what use is there of this that it is God that doth it and not man I say therefore give the praise and glory of it to God give it not to us but to him
this is not a light notion but of great moment for it will make thee love the Lord Iesus Saint Paul puts this among the greatest mercies He hath beene mercifull to mee with faith and love that amazed him that he could never be thankfull enough for it that is he hath wrought in me faith and love therefore gives him the praise It is God that doth it wee are but the instruments we praise not the Trumpet but the Trumpetter we praise not the Pensill but the Painter It is God that doth the worke give him therefore the whole praise of it this is a matter of much use to you For when there is a Minister of God that hath beene an instrument of bringing you to heaven you will love this man prize him and magnifie him in your thoughts and you doe well but remember that you take nothing from Christ alas what is the Pen to him that writes the Epistle What are we my Brethren give not to us what belongs unto him nothing unto us saith Paul we have done thus and thus but it is nothing it is Christ that hath done all and let him have all as the servants of Christ we must be wary that we rob not our Master of mens affections for we are but spokes-men to present you to Christ therefore be exceeding wary give your affections to the Lord to whom they belong If ever you receive any good by any Sermon if you be ever quickned if ever a little enlivened by the powerfull preaching of the Word give glory to Christ and say he hath done it let him have the praise of it love him so much the more for of all graces nothing is like that to worke grace in your hearts Againe if you will say what use is there of it That it is not the Minister but GOD that doth it Then doe not expect from us that we should come with excellency of wisdome or of words that we should come with wit and eloquence and learning Will this make a New Creature No it will not doe it for it is God that makes men New Creatures and if it be so he will doe it by his owne Instruments that is by his owne Word Thus Paul reasons 1 Cor. 2. Wee preach the Gospell not with excellencie of words for then the death of Christ would be of no effect that is no man will be a New Creature and Christ would die in vaine therefore we preach the Gospel in the evidence of the Spirit and Power these go together evidence of Spirit and power What then is this preaching in evidence of the Spirit Certainely it is never evident that the Spirit speakes but when you know the Word speake therefore when any man knowes that this is the Word we preach there is an evidence it is a speech of the Spirit and when the Spiriâ— speakes to the heart there is Power and that was the reason that Christ did so much good He taught with authority and not as the Scribes What is that to come with authority As when a Constable comes in the name of the King he shewes his evidence he hath that which makes evident to him with whom he hath to deale that he comes from the King We preach with authority then onely when wee speake from God to the consciences of men this consisteth not in excellencie of words but so much as there is of God so much authority Therefore come not with affectation of excellencie of words and wisdome If we had al the wit in the world to set Word of God in it it is better than that in which it is set as the Diamond is better than the Gold in which it is set If you were to chuse a Minister chuse not such an one desire it not expect it not the foolishnesse of preaching is wiser than men it will doe more than all the wisdome of man though it is but foolishnesse to some We speake wisdome to them that are perfect saith Paul they that be perfect will recount it wisdome it is foolishnesse to them that are children and unable to discerne Againe though it be but foolishnesse on the out-side yet there be treasures within and God hath hid these treasures under base out-sides that men may stumble at them as men that hide treasure under straw the foolishnesse of preaching saves the soules of men therefore seeing it is God that doth it he will use his own Instruments God workes by it Can words can all morall wit make a New Creature No it is God then why doe we make a question The more the Word is discovered and brought home the better it is because indeed when we preach any thing else you doe but see a Creature and you thinke you have to doe with a Creature for you can answer wit with wit and learning with learning and when you see you have to doe with men though never so excellent yet they are men But when Christ speakes to the conscience now the heart is brought downe when it seeth it hath to doe with God that only hath to doe with the consciences of men therefore expect not the contrary and remember that God is the doer of it it is he that writes the Epistle though we be the Ministers It is therefore not without use that we preach this doctrine to you And to all that I have said adde this one more Therefore if you find there hath not been a mighty work of God wrought in your hearts at any time when you have heard the Word know you have heard in vaine for the labour is lost if there be no more than the worke of a man Therefore you must know there be two Preachers at the same time one that speakes to the heart powerfully that makes you New Creatures that baptizeth you with the Holy Ghost and with fire and then there is a preaching to the eares And there are two hearings one is when you can repeat and recall the Word to memory but there is another saving hearing that is when is it ingrafted And when it is ingrafted even then when it maketh you New Creatures as a graft is then grafted when it changes all the Stocke Therefore consider whether you doe so heare or no that it hath bred such a change in you and know otherwise you have heard it in vaine For what doe we do when we preach the Word we doe as Gehezi did hee came running with Elisha's staffe to raise the childe but he could not doe it for though he had Elisha's staffe he had not Elisha's spirit So we come with the staffe but not with the Spirit therefore thou art not raised to life for there is the staffe without the Spirit therefore doe not thinke thou hast heard to any purpose if the Stocke be not turned if thou findest not the Spirit there What doe we when we dresse up a Sermon never so well it is but the rigging of the sailes and what will all
are in he is able to furnish you if you need any service from any Creature in heaven or earth he will give command to all the Creatures to wait on you In a word every man that comes to Christ shall be like a Spouse whom her husband hath placed in aâ— house well stored with abundance of all things that her heart can wish and all this you shall have if you will come in But because Generals move not so much we will come a little to Particulars and will insist upon these two as the only things that can move us to come in First the miseries hurts and inconveniences you are exposed to out of him And secondly the happinesse you shall have by being ingrafted in him and married to him If you were to perswade a woman to marry such a man you know these are the two Arguments which must winne her If you marry noâ— you will bee undone you know you are in debt and the debts bee debts which you are not able to pay and if you cannot pay them you are sure to be cast into Prison and to lye in that Prison till you have paid the utmost farthing this is your condition if you will refuse Againe on the other side if you will take him you shall have a husband that shall make you rich that will pay all your debts for you and make you honourable you shall want nothing If you will take an husband whom you may love take Christ for whatsoever is amiable is in him These two serious considerations will make her come in and be willing to marry and to take him for her husband And so it is with us if we consider what we are out of Christ and what we shall have by him it will move us to take him You know it moved the Prodigall sonne he saw that if he lived out from his Fathers house he must needs perish hee could not get huskes to live by Againe if he would goe home there was bread enough his fathers servants living there in plenty and these two moved him to resolve to come home You will say what are those evils in particulars that we must needs fall into if we come not in to Christ and what good shall wee get by him To this end I will name such arguments as are used in Scripture for this purpose for you know that the businesse of Christ himselfe and his Apostles was onely to bring men unto him and therefore we will open such arguments as we finde there as briefly as we can And first you have this for one maine motive to bring men in Marke 16 16. If you will beleeve and be baptized you shall be saved if you will not beleeve you shall be damned Goe saith Christ into all the world preach the Gospell to every Creature What shall we say when thou hast given us commission saith he no more but this Goe to all the world Tell them if they will come in and be united to mee if they will take me for their husband Lore they shall be saved use that for a motive on the one side and on the other side tell them if they will not come in they shall be damned And this you shall finde was practised Matth. 3. Iohn tels them If you will come in and repent you shall have the Kingdome That is if you will leave your sinnes if you will be married to the Lord if you will be divorced from all other husbands and turne from all your evill wayes you shall have a kingdom that is you shall be saved but if you will not what then The Axe is laid to the root of the tree and you shall be cut downe So we see when the Apostle Paul came to do this businesse with Felix to have brought him to Christ if he could what course takes he he tels him of his miseries out of Christ Reasoning of Temperance Righteousnesse and Iudgement to come he told him what Sobriety and Righteousnesse and Temperance was in another manner than ever any Morallist had done Now the Endictment being not enough without the Sentence hee addes the Iudgement to come And it is as if he had said Thou seest how short thou art of that Temperance and Righteousnesse that even naturall conscience requires of every man and thou must know there is a Iudgement to come though thou perhaps feelest it not for the present yet there is a damnation and wrath reserved for thee thereby shewing the misery he was in if he came not home to Christ and that is partly set downe and is probable the other was not omitted though it be not expressed there And so Peter dealt with them Act. 2. He shewed them their misery and so the Lord dealt with the Gaoler he teacheth him to see what case he was in and upon the sight of thaâ— to enquire after salvation As indeed the thing that brings men into Christ is to make them sensible of salvation and damnation and when the Gaoler came to this to thinke of salvation Sirs what shall I doe to be saved That was it that made him willing to doe any thing whatsoever Paul appointed him to doe for now he had a sense of the wrath of God a sense of those terrours he began to see the Almighty Power of God he began to have his heart smitten with the apprehension of Iudgement and when he was smitten with that he began to enquire after salvation and his heart thus prepared with these two motives the feare of salvation and damnation he was fit to come in then saith the Apostle Beleeve and thou shalt be saved So I say that is one motive if you will not come in you shall be damned if you will you shall be saved But now we have another businesse to make men regard these One would thinke that men should not need much perswasion to tell them of damnation that great evill and of salvation to be a thing that much concernes them but there is that deadnesse in the heart of man that it regards neither Therefore let me say a word or two to shew that these two bee matters of great moment First this Salvation and Damnation chiefly concernes you all other things are but trifles in comparison thereof because Salvation and Damnation belong to the Soule It is the Soule that is to be saved or to be damned Now the Soule of man is a mans owne selfe other things are but the out-side as it were and that is the reason that Christ saith What matters it if you win the whole world and lose your owne soule As if he should have said Thy Soule is thy selfe therefore to win other things and to lose that it is great folly what is it to save the ship and lose the fraught To save the shooe and lose the foot to save the cloaths and to have the body destroyed So what is it to thee to have thy body
beyond that which is present and faith carries you beyond that and therefore you should have an eye to things future to things to come and not be occupied in things present and therefore though you have not those things for the present you shal have them and you should be content to want a little that you may enioy the more for the future you should consider things future and not present if reason teacheth you to doe so much more will faith But it will be objected againe It is true but these things that you tell us of they are not reall things they are things that consist but in notion and speculation It is not so you must know that these spirituall Priviledges are reall All that are in Christ are as truely Kings and Priests they are as truly Sonnes and Heires apparant and have all the promises of God intailed upon them and theirs as any Princes in this world and there is no regenerate man that knowes this that will change that glory that is reserved for him in heaven for any earthly kingdome But we have no feeling of these things We answer againe that there is a sense of them as quicke a sense and apprehension of them as there is of any other for what is it that makes men sensible of these outward riches and kingdomes and honours nothing but this because the understanding magnifieth such things and the affection loves and desires such things when you enjoy them then you are refreshed with them for pleasure is nothing else but the suting of a mans desires whatsoever they be No man would take pleasure in any outward things but because first he desire them and the satisfying of that is that that breeds a pleasure now when you come home to Christ you must know that you shall have other desires as you have it in this Text You shall be made New Creatures you shall have other affections than you had before and when these are satisfied you shal have as true Pleasure and rejoycing as ever you had in the other for if that be a true definition of Peasure and rejoycing that it is a satisfying of the desire a satisfying of the appetite whatsoever it is when that is changed Why should you doubt that you shall not have as much sense and as quicke an apprehension yea why may we not say you shall have more For this I will be bold to affirme that the object is greater and the faculty is more capacious and apprehensive The object is greater for it is durable riches it is durable honour a durable kingdome greater than any kingdome upon the earth Looke on all things that God propounds to the sons of men and they are far beyond the things that are here below To be the son of God is more than to be the son of any King to be an heire of heaven to be an heire of all things is more than to be an heire apparant to a Crowne whatsoever is propounded I say it is beyond it therefore the object is greater Then come to the faculties they are more capacious they have a more quicke and lively sense and apprehension as the rationall faculties the understanding and the will their apprehensions are deeper than those of phansie of sense or sensuall appetite and therefore you see the griefe of the reasonable part is more than that of the senses and hence it is that the misery of those that are in hell goes beyond the miseries of any in this life and so the joyes of those that are in heaven is beyond the joy of any in this life Man as he is more happy so he is more miserable than the Beast and why so because the faculty is larger and therefore a man that is heavenly minded a man that lives by faith that is in Christ hee hath greater things to enjoy than a worldly man hath or can have Againe the thoughts the faculties that are taken up about them they are of a larger apprehension and have a more deepe and quick sense than the others have and therefore in matter of sense we cannot yeeld that these things are not sensible For it is Peace of Conscience that passeth all understanding it is joy unspeakable and glorious It is said so of no outward thing and therefore these are farre beyond them that shall serve to answer that objection And so we have gone thorow three of them that they are things absent that they are things that are not reall that consist in notion and speculation that they are things not sensible Now there is a fourth objection but I must lose present things for them if we might have him and enjoy our pleasures if we could have him and enjoy riches and honour we would be content but we must be at a losse But to this we answer that you shall be no losers no not for this life you shall but make an exchange and change for the better What is it that Christ requires of you it is but to do some thing for his sake and to suffer something if you doe it is but seed sowen to the Spirit and as in other seeds every seed bringeth forth more abundantly it riseth with a greater plenty so every good worke you doe it wil doe you good at one time or other you shall be sure to have present wages for it and for that you suffer Mark 10. You shal have an hundred fold in this life and set aside eternall life for every thing that you lose for Christs sake you shal have an hundred fold Many particulars there he reckons up if you lose friends or goods whatsoever you lose you shall have an hundred fold in this life with persecution for there is the objection O but we see they are persecuted they are beneath and not above they are trampled on they are miserable Why though they be yet with persecution you shall have an hundred fold that is you shall have an hundred fold more comfort As I will give you but this instance Take Paul he was persecuted and afflicted had not he an hundred fold Take a man that lives in abundance and in plenty of all things compare his condition with that Apostles and see whether he have not more joy of heart more comfort in those afflictions when he went from Prison to Prison from affliction to affliction than Nero had in his Palace or that men have that enjoy outward things in abundance for they are not outward things that will comfort us them a man may have in plenty and yet want the comfort of them as many thousands have had So much shall serve for the answering of these objections Therefore since there are so many motives to move you to come into Christ the impediments which you finde in the way the objections of the flesh and the objections that come from Satan are but delusions Why should you not come in He is the ground of all
comfort have him and have all want him and want all things 1 Iohn 5. He that hath the Son hath life he that hath not the Son the wrath of God abides upon him That is he that hath the Son hath life and all things that pertaine to life that is it that makes a man happie as you know every thing is said then to be happie when it hath that which is agreeable to that being agreeable to that life that it leads A man that leads the life of nature is happie for this world according to his condition when he hath every thing that belongs to this life when hee hath wealth when he hath houses when he hath all conveniences Now when a man hath the Son he hath spirituall life and all things pertaining to it there is nothing wanting to make him happie when he hath not that The wrath of God abides on him that is the Lord is his Enemie that is the Governour of the world and he is not his enemie for a fit but the wrath of God abides on him for ever And therefore since the Lord is the cause of all our comfort he is the ground of all Salvation both of all the graces and of all the Priviledges that follow upon it this should move us to come in and to take him those two arguments I say the misery that you are in out of him and the happinesse you shall have by him but I will urge this no further so much shall serve for this Text. FINIS THE CVPPE OF BLESSING DELIVERED IN three Sermons upon 1 COR. 10.16 By the late faithfull and worthy Minister of IESUS CHRIST IOHN PRESTON D. in Divinity Chaplaine in ordinary to his Majestie Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolns INNE LONDON Printed by R. B. for NICHOLAS BOURNE and are to be sold at his shop at the Royall Exchange 1633. draw nearest to him as we doe in this holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper And therefore nothing concernes us more than that we doe not receive it unworthily because the Lord will be sanctified in those that draw nearest unto him that is either in the holinesse of their hearts or in executing his just judgement upon them And therefore that at this time and others also you may not come unprepared to the holy Sacrament we have purposely pitched on these words The Cup of blessing that we blesse c. In which ye shall finde these three parts First that in this Sacrament there is a true communicating of the body and bloud of Christ. Secondly the meanes whereby this communication is made to us it is the breaking of the bread and by powring out the wine Is not the bread that we breake the Communion of the body of Christ c. And thirdly the setting apart or the blessing or sanctifying of these elements to such a purpose The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ Now for the first of these I say in the Sacrament there is a communication of the very body and bloud of Christ The Papists affirme the same but all the question is in what manner there is this communicating of his body and bloud they say corporally that there is Transubstantiation there we say the thing is really done but it is done spiritually it is done mystically it is done sacramentally The reason of our difference is because of these words of our Saviour This is my body And the Popish indeed is so strange an opinion that I would not waste time in confuting of it but that I know there are divers amongst our selves that doe willingly leave the Papists in other points yet they are held with some scruple with this they know not how to contradict such plaine words This is my body and therefore they cannot be perswaded but that there is somewhat in it more than our Divines affirme and therefore it shall not be needlesse to spend a little time in shewing you the falsenesse of this opinion First I would aske this question whether there be necessity or no that there should be such a Transubstantiation for surely if there be not necessity if that be but an arbitrary thing wee may as well deny it as they affirme it Againe such a monstrous conceit as this compounded of so many ingrediences of so many strange miracles the least of which goes beyond the highest in all the Scriptures I say is not to be put upon us without necessity themselves grant that unlesse there be a necessity we have no reason to receive it at their hands And therefore we will enquire first and see what necessity there is First I say there is no such necessity that there should be any such Transubstantiation any such corporall presence of Christ in the Sacrament neither in regard of the thing nor in regard of the words This is my body I say it is not necessary in regard of the thing looke to all the ends of the Sacrament you shall finde that you may have all without such a Transubstantiation First if the end of the Sacrament bee to bring Christ to our remembrance as himselfe saith that it was his end Doe this saith he as often as you doe it in remembrance of me certainly it is not necessary that there should be a change of bread into his body for that purpose because the Sacrament it selfe with those words instituted are enough for his remembrance And besides this the very word Remember shewes that he is rather absent than present for we remember not things present but remembrance is of things absent Besides the other Sacrament represents Christ and cals him to remembrance where there is no such Transubstantiation and therefore it is not for remembrance that it is needfull that Christ should be corporally present Or secondly is it needfull for this the shewing forth the Lords death till he come Surely for this it is not needfull neither for in preaching we shew forth the Lords death as the Apostle saith to the Galathians Christ was so plainly preached that hee was as good as crucified amongst them And therefore it is not needfull for the shewing forth of the Lords death till he come Besides there is a particle put in there that may helpe us a little till he come which presupposeth that he is not yet here and therefore it is not necessary for that end But againe is it necessary for our union with Christ for that is another end of the Sacrament that we may be united to him surely if the union were corporall then indeed there might seeme some necessity of it if we were so united to Christ as when two boards are clapt â—ogether where one toucheth another but you know there is no such corporall union it is spirituall and not corporall it is by faith and not by sense What is the union betweene Christ and us Partly relative as the union betweene the husband and the wife
combate Object Answ. Differences betweene the combate in the New Creature and that fight that seemes to be in naturall men Consect 6. Thinke it not strange that you finde some aukednesse in the wayes of God at first Object Answ. Consect 7. Give God the praise of chanting thy Nature Object Answ. Observ. 4. The New Creature is Gods worke This is proved by foure Arguments Arg. 1. Arg. 2. Arg. 3. Object Answ. Arg. 4. Object 1. Answ. 1. Impediments of two sorts Answ. 2. Answ. 3. Object 2. To what use serveth this doctrine Answ. To foure uses Vse 1. To let us see that our condition in Christ is better than in Adam Vse 2. That it may appeare that God setteth us now about a worke which he doth not inable us to performe Vse 3. To make us love Christ the better seeing how much we are beholding to him Vse 4. To make us take heed of putting off the worke when Christ cals Vse 1. See what the businesse of Preachers is and with whom you have to doe when you heare the Word Learne hence 1 To come to heare the Word with reverence and feare 2 To give the praise of any good you receive by the preaching of the Word to God onely 1 Tim. 1. 3 expect not that the Minister should come with excellency of wisdome or of words Observ. 4. What workes you finde upon your owne hearts in the preaching of the Word Object Answ. In what sense he would be understood when hee affirmeth the wilâ— of Regenerate persons to be free Observ. 5. The order first in Christ and then New Creatures Hence learne 1 Not to be discouraged from going to Christ for any defect or imperfection that is in us Reason 2. From your union with Christ to perswade you to good workes Doctr. To bee in Christ is the ground of all Salvation 1 What it is to be in Christ. What giving is 1 Of what moment this union is Vse 1. Exhortation two-fold 1 Those that have this union with Christ let them seeke to enlarge it more In what sense this is to be understood Object Answ. How it may be done Five helpes to doe it 1 Consider your misery without him 2 Labour more to know the Vertues and excellencies of Christ. 3 Be perswaded of his love to you 4 Get experience of him 5 Pray that the Holy Ghost may draw thee to Christ. Object Answ. 2 Those that want this Vnion let them seeke to get it In what this taking consists In two Acts. Motives Mot. 1. You shall finde rest Object Answ. Forgivenesse of sinne makes a man blessed foure wayes 1 In taking away that which is the cause of all miseries 2 In giving boldnesse 3 In taking the sting out of affliction 4 In making God ours Matth. 1.21 Object Answ. Sinne is a burthen in two respects 1 As it brings a man under guilt 2 As it is a sicknesse or disease of the soule Mot. 2. If you be united with him you shall be free from all evill and enjoy all good In particular consider 1 Mans misery out of Christ. 2 Mans happinesse by being in Christ. Object Answ. If you beleeve you shall be saved if not you shall be damned Salvation and Damnation are matters of great moment 1 They belong to the soule 2 They continue for ever Mot. 3. Your thirst shall be satisfied and healed Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Object Answ. Iohn 6. Mot. 4. If you be united with Christ all things shall worke together for your good if not for your hurt 1 Cor. 3.18 Mot. 5. If you be out of Christ you are poore and naked and miserable 1 Poore What that poverty is 2 Naked Nakednesse what 3 Hungry Object 1. Answ. Object 2. Answ. Object 3. Answ. Pleasure what Object 4. Answ. Luke Object Answ. The time when some Fathers lived Why the Fathers are not so distinct in the doctrine of Transubst Damascene set transubstantiation a broach in Grecia 730. yeares after Christ. Lanâ—ranke Bishop of Canturbury 1030 yeares after Christ brought transubstantiation into England Bâ—ringerius lived foure hundred yeares since The benefits by Christ. What the wearinesse of sin is 1 In the service of sinne 1 Rest by Christ. 2 Wearinesse in the guilt of sinne 3 Wearinesse in the fruit of sinne Afflictions without sinne as the Adder without a sting 4 Wearinesse in the habite of sinne Sinne to the soule as sicknesse to the body 5 In all that sinne touches Folly quarrels at the best condition Wisdome makes the worst condition comfortable 4 Benefit by Christ. Kings have 1 Liberty Liberty what Christiaâ—s live as they list because they list not but to doe that which is good 2 Plenty Quest. Answ. 3 Peace To overcome what 3 Glory Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. Object Answ. 6 Benefit a feast Object Answ. 1 Property of spirituall foode it endures for ever 2 Satisfieth Quest. Answ. 7 Benefit apparell