is used both in a strict and in a large sense In a strict sense it is used for prediction or foretelling of things to come of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to foretell So those holy penne-men of Scripture are called Prophets 2 Pet. 1.10 And Philips foure daughters Prophetisses Acts 21.9 In a large sense Prophecy is taken for the interpretation of the word of God and the holy Scriptures And this is a gift of the holy Spirit enabling men to expound Prophecies concerning Christ and to interpret and apply the writings of the Prophets and Apostles Thus the word is taken Rom. 12.6 Having Prophecy let us Prophecy according to the analogy of faith And Ephes. 4.11 Christ ascending into heaven gave some to be Prophets speaking of Evangelicall Ministers This latter Prophecy being here meant hath two parts preaching and prayer for every Prophet is partly the voice of God to the people and partly the peoples voice unto God God said of Abraham Gen. 20.7 Give the man his wife againe and hee will pray for thee for hee is a Prophet And both of them are joyned together 1 Cor. 11.4 Both these parts of Prophecy are here meant especially the former which hath two parts first teaching which stands in right interpreting of Scripture giving the right sense raising sound doctrines and beating downe contrary errours Secondly exhorting which is the applying of doctrines to the use of edification and consolation These were distinguished in the primative Church into seuerall offices of Doctors and Pastors because of the abundant gifts then given and the indistinct multitude of beleevers not brought into distinct congregations but now for the most part they are confounded into one For the proofe of these parts of Prophecy see 1 Cor. 14.3 He that prophecieth speaketh to men for edification for exhortation and consolation II. To despise is not onely openly to contemne preaching and publike prayers but lightly to regard or carelesly to heare the word for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies basely to account of a thing and esteeme it nothing worth and of no reckoning which indeede is all one with despising it And the Apostle intendeth when he saith Despise not that they should not onely not loath and contemne the word but honour it highly esteeme it heartily love it yea sincerely follow it So the children are said to despise the counsell of their parents when they doe not follow it For thus the phrase Not to despise is used in Scripture Psal. 51.17 A broken and a contrite heart O Lord thou wilt not despise that is highly esteeme value at a high prise and rate In such speeches by a meiosis lesse being spoken than meant Christian men and women must not onely not despise but conscionably embrace the preaching and ministery of the word 1 Cor. 14.1.3 Above all other speciall gifts desire and esteeme Prophecying Prov. 8.32 33. Heare instruction and be wise refuse it not Blessed is the man that heareth me watching daily at my gates and giving attendance at the posts of my doores One reason hereof is in the Text By faithfull preaching the Spirit and his graces and motions are quickned and cherished as by it they are begun and continued 1. The Ministery is the chariot of the Spirit whereby he rides gloriously into the hearts of the elect Acts 10.44 While Peter spake the holy Ghost fell upon them which heard his words 2. Prophecy is that which inciteth and provoketh us in our dulnesse and quickens us to the faithfull imployment of such gifts as are given us by the Spirit Eccles. 12.11 The words of the wise are like goades and nailes fastened by the masters of assemblies As goades to pricke us forward when wee grow dull and sloathfull in the practise of piety and vertue and as nailes to fasten us to the sound love and obedience of the truth when we grow either wavering weake or weary for so the Apostles by preaching confirmed the Disciples at Antioch Acts 14.22 So Ieremy calls the word of the Lord a fire shut up in his bones which warme and heates our colde and frozen hearts and quickens our graces as the two Disciples whose hearts glowed in them while Christ opened to them the Scriptures 3. Prophecy is powerfull for Edification in the knowledge of God and Iesus Christ in faith in godlinesse love zeale repentance newnesse of life and all the heavenly vertues For Exhortation which containes admonition and reprehension both which are speciall good meanes to awake and quicken us when coldnesse and carelesnesse creepe on us And for Consolation for seeing it is the portion of the Saints by many tribulations to enter into the Kingdome they have great and continuall neede of matter of comfort and strength the which being onely to be had from the conduits of comfort in the Scriptures and from the gracious promises conteined therein what a forcible argument is this to make us highly esteeme and joyfully embrace so gracious a meanes not onely of instruction but of strong consolation 2. The gift of Prophecy and faithfull preaching is that precious gift which our Lord Iesus when he left the world bestowed on his Church Eph. 4.11 For the gathering together of the Saints for the worke of the Ministery for the building up of the body of Christ. Now with what safety can any man despise so great a gift of so deare a friend which hee was so carefull at his last departure to commend to his friends to so gracious a purpose and end as to gather them from under the wrath of God and from the dispersed and lost estate of the world whereas without vision or prophecy people are lost or as the word is naked exposed to Gods wrath and their owne perdition Prov. 29.18 Nay more the Lord in this one gift offers a whole mint of mercy to be divided among beleevers He offers us life of grace in it and therefore it is called the word of life and the word of grace Ioh. 6.33 the word that I speake unto you is spirit and life He offers us light of grace and glory without the shine of which glorious light of the Gospell men sit in darkenesse and shadow of death having their understanding darkned and strangers to the life of God through the ignorance that is in them Hee offers by it grace and peace with himselfe and in our owne consciences and therefore it is called a Ministery of reconciliation and the Gospell of peace whereby God through us beseecheth men to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5.19 He offereth us faith by this gift of Prophecy this being the ordinary meanes by which we attaine that precious gift of gifts Rom. 10.17 Without hearing no faith Rom. 10.8 The word of faith which wee preach Lastly he offereth us by it the end of our faith even the salvation of our soules 1 Pet. 1.9 and therefore it is called a word of salvation Acts 13.26 Now what
against the teacher which is an usuall bait of Satan to make all good things carelesly rejected Micaiah for this was turned out of dores as no fit Counsellor for King Ahab So the itching eare which is still desirous of novelties as the young man having heard the olde commandements would still heare more new And a tediousnesse in hearing the same things often which the Apostle calls a safe thing The latter are 1. Hardnesse of heart cast as much seede as you will among stones and cover them therewith no fruite followes for the stones hinder the rooting as we see in Pharaoh Mollifie the heart throughly and the word wil abide in it 2. Cares of the world which are as thornes to choake it All seede sowne among thornes getteth no strength but perisheth The Pharisies mocked Christ in his doctrine because they were covetous Luke 16.14.3 Voluptuous living makes men heare onely for fashion and to be like those widdowes which are ever learning but never come to the knowledge of the truth 2 Tim. 3. or at least not to joyne vertue to their knowledge as the intemperate patient that heares the physitian but will not follow him II. Provide and furnish the soule with helpes to hold that which is good These helpes respect 1. Intention 2. Attention 3. Retention First the Intention must must bee cleane and sincere we must not heare for envie as the Pharisies and Iewes in Paules time nor for newes as the Athenians nor for gaine or curiosity as Felix but to receive as babes the sincere milke of the word to grow in grace thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 This intention shall be the better furthered by premeditation of the force use and efficacy of the word that it is the power of God to salvation the incorrupt seede the word of life the instrument of faith the sword of the spirit the bread and water that preserveth eternall life Secondly Attention must be used Acts 8.6 the people of Samaria gave heede to the things that Philip spake This attention is a keeping of the heart and affections to the word deliuered Acts 16.14 when Paul preached Lydia attended and the Lord opened her heart When Christ preached all the peoples eyes were fastened upon him Luke 4. Attention is the doore by which the word enters It is much furthered by a due estimation of the word Thy word saith David is wonderfull therefore my soule keepeth it Men will attend to their learned counsell when their free-hold is in question so here conceive aright of the word as a matter of life and death a matter that concernes thy inheritance in heaven thou wilt carefully attend it Thirdly Retention must follow In the body there are two nutritive powers one Attractive to draw meate into the stomacke the other Retentive to hold it there till it be turned into nourishment so in the soule And if the former draw too little the latter holds little and so the body pines and if the former draw too much that the body is not able to hold it the body pines still So here the soule must be still drawing but it must also forcibly holde it till the soule be refreshed Now this Retentive faculty is strengthened by 4. meanes 1. Meditation cleane beasts chew the cud Deut. 11 2. Consider the workes of the Lord Psal. 1.1 Meditate in his Law both day and night The acts of God must be in the mouthes of them that feare him Psal. 149. and 39.3 while David mused his heart was warmed Phil. 4.8 whatsoever things are honest just and pure thinke on those things men have therefore evill thoughts because they nourish not the good 2. Conference which is a whetting of holy lessons both on our selves and others Deut. 11. the Iewes are commanded to conferre of the word early and late Acts 17. The Bereans are commended for comparing the Apostles doctrine with Scripture 3. A full purpose of heart to practise good things Psal. 119.106 I have sworne to keepe thy law and 50.16 Why takest thou my word into thy mouth and hatest to be reformed 4. Fervent and constant prayer which is the key of knowledge gets the hearing eare and the soft heart it is a key to open the coffers of God out of which we may take those treasures which are not from our selves but from above our reach III. Chuse sure and safe places to hold good things in First in memory we must remember good things we heare Deut. 4.9 Take heed to thy selfe and keepe thy soule diligently that thou forget not the things thine eyes have seene Psal. 119.16 I will not forget thy word and ver 93. I will never forget thy precepts because by them thou hast quickened me Secondly keep them in the faith of thy heart else all is unprofitable Heb. 4.2 for that onely gives them rooting in our hearts Col. 2.7 Prov. 4.21 Keepe them in the midst of thy heart then shall they be as alight in the lanthorne shining through every part of thy life This was the coffer that Abraham locked up the promises of God in and held them fast without reasoning though it was difficult and seemed impossible Rom. 4.20 and David Psal. 119.11 I have hid thy word in my heart Thirdly keepe it in the affections of thy soule love earnestly the word of God and all good things for the things that wee like not or affect not we care not for keeping The great commandement is to love the Lord with all thy heart And every Christian ought to appeale to the Lord himselfe as Peter to Christ Lord thou knowest that I love thee Iohn 21.16 And the tryall of our love to him is to keepe his commandements chap. 14.15 Fourthly keepe them in the practise of thy life and whole conversation 1. By professing good things as Christ himselfe professed a good profession before Pontius Pilate 2. By promoting all good causes to thy utmost power 3. By maintaining and defending all good things and causes 4. By suffering for good things and every way giving testimony and setting seale to them if neede be with thy dearest heart blood IV. If we would hold good things let us furnish and arme our selves against theeves and robbers 1. Our owne carelesnesse Many times we care not to understand the things of God vanity of minde worldly lusts and desire of riches partly take up the roome partly choake good things so as they are neither received nor held But if we understand not let us not be ashamed to enquire and seeke out till wee doe understand 2. Satans slynesse who steales the word and good purposes out of mens mens hearts strangely even while they looke on and consent Doe as Abraham who drave away the birds that troubled him in sacrificing Gen. 15.11 so doe thou drive away these ravenous birds that are sent by Satan 3. Temptation and persecution Much ground keeps the seede till the heate of persecution comes and in persecution falls away and
a good honest man but a Christian so at this day hee is a right honest man but a Puritan Come to a Papist and tell him of a profane man that walkes after the flesh how odious his wayes are this doth not much trouble him hee may be a good Catholicke for all that hee will thinke very charitably of such a one Like one in Queene MARIES time taken in adultery in Red-crosse-streete said yet I thanke God I am a good Catholicke Tell him of a man that professeth enmity to his religion in many Articles of faith yet if he be not too precise there is hope of him there may be a reconcilement at least hee is a wise moderate man hee will not out-runne himselfe But tell him of a man that will cleave to the Scripture in all things both greater and lesse and will not bee beaten an hayre-breadth out of it and doth so flie from BABEL according to the commandement that hee will touch nothing that seemes uncleane Hee hates all appearance of evill Oh these curious fellowes saith hee are not to be suffered or endured they trouble the Church and Common-wealth Nay wee may wish some of our owne had not learned the Gileaditish language to preferre the Papists as better men and better subjects than the faithfull servants of God and their Soveraigne onely because they desire to avoide the least appearance of evill But whence should this bee but out of the hatred of goodnesse that they whose hands are yearely almost in some monstrous conspiracie should bee preferred before such as whose innocency was neuer yet touched Well let such as feare God buckle to this precept of the Apostle because First God lookes on such as bowe not their knee to Baal upon such as touch no uncleane thing 2 Corinth 6 and couenanteth to bee their Father Secondly wee cannot touch pitch and not bee defiled with it Thirdly it argues soundnesse of heart in our hatred of sinne when wee hate not onely capitall crimes which shame us before men but lesser euills and such as wicked men cannot hate Fourthly sweete shall be the comfort when wee suffer the word to binde us in least things not suffering us to cast downe our countenance but couenanting with our eyes neither to whisper evill of others much lesse to reproach them or haue our mouth full of cursing repressing also even unchaste thoughts and mentall sinnes before they come to appearances VERSE 23. Now the very God of peace sanctifie you throughout and J pray God that your whole spirit and soule and body may be kept blamelesse unto the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ. THE Apostle here proceedeth to the conclusion of the Epistle and annexeth a fervent and heavenly prayer to the former precepts For the Thessalonians might say you have heaped up a number of excellent precepts together but how should we that are but flesh and blood and weake to any thing that is good performe them You command much more than we can attaine You have given us not onely many precepts but of such nature and strictnesse as are rather fit for Angels and Saints in heaven than flesh and blood weake and fraile creatures on earth wee must Try all things hold all and onely that which is good and abstaine from not evill onely but all appearance of evill which seeme to us impossible commandements All which and the like allegations our Apostle meetes withall and tells them it is his meaning indeede First that they should ayme at full holinesse which is conversant in every good duty and shunneth the least sinfull defilement Secondly he sends them out of themselues to God who can sanctifie them throughout Thirdly seeing he onely can teach them their duties but cannot goe further to give them grace and enable them to performe it he goes to God with them that by their joynt prayers they might be established in them and to sanctifie them throughout for if God sanctifie you throughout you shall be able to performe the former duties Whence note that it is the duty of godly Ministers not onely to preach exhort and admonish men in their duty but earnestly to pray for them and with them for the obtaining of good things which they have commended unto them It was the usuall manner of the Apostles to pray to God for the obtaining of those graces they had exhorted unto In this Text having chap. 4.3 shewed that this is the will of God even their sanctification and hauing laid downe the parts of sanctification in the particulars till this verse now prayes that according to the precepts they may be wholly sanctified So Rom. 12.16 hauing exhorted to like mindednesse in the 15.6 prayeth that they may be like minded Ephes. 3.14 15. having exhorted the Ephesians not to faint at his troubles he prayes for strength For this cause saith hee I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ that yee may be strengthened by the Spirit in the inner man And chap. 1.8 hauing shewed how abundant God was toward us in wisdome and understanding and in opening the mystery of his will he ceaseth not to pray verse 17. that God would giue to them the spirit of wisdome and reuelation that their eyes might be opened And in the 1 Pet. 5.10 Resist stedfastly in the faith c. then prayes the God of all grace make you perfect stablish strengthen settle you And this doubtlesse the Apostle learned of the Lord Iesus himsele whose custome was to teach and instruct in the day-time and to goe out in the night to pray for a blessing upon his Ministery Luke 21.35 1. God is hereby glorified and acknowledged the father of lights from whom every good and perfect gift is Iames 1.17 for now wee depend on him for wisdome and draw somewhat from his fulnesse 2. It is not in man to make his doctrine effectual he cannot reach the heart much lesse renew it Man may hold forth the light but God must giue eyes to see it man may speake to the eare but God onely can speake to the heart Paul may plant and Apollos may water but God must give the increase 1 Cor. 3. It is his priuiledge to write his law in the hearts of his people Ierem. 31. Lydia heard the word from Paul but not hee but God opened her heart Acts 16.14 3. As in all other labours and workes so much more here we must doe that which is our part and leaue God his The husbandman must plow and sowe and plant and water but hee must leaue all the successe to God hee cannot command raine nor blessing So in this spirituall husbandry Gods seeds-men must doe their worke cheerefully being co-workers with him but commend the successe to God in which sense the Apostle 1 Cor. 3.7 saith He that plants is nothing neither he that waters that is if hee be compared with that divine action which is all in all or nothing without him Hereby wee see
how necessary it is to begin and end our Ministery and Sermons with prayer to God who is all our sufficiency The Apostles begin and end their doctrine and Epistles with prayer and haue not wee more neede I know not what pride of selfe-sufficiency or whether profanesse shut the hearts and cover the mouthes of many Preachers who are almost ashamed to pray for this blessing nay reproach and scorne them which doe Sure I am whether he shall doe more good to others by his prayers or preaching I will not determine but hee shall certainely by his prayers reape more comfort to himselfe And he that neglects prayer with his preaching may well be suspected that he more aymes at his owne glory than Gods Let people also joyne willingly and conscionably in their Ministers prayers which strive for a blessing upon themselves and importune God who makes his Sunne shine upon the just and unjust to let the Sun of grace shine into their hearts saying O Lord if thou build not the house it shall never stand as those that waite for all successe from God It is recorded that Pope Adrian having built a stately Colledge at Lovaine did set in golden letters on the gate this poesie Trajectum plantavit ibi natus Lovanium rigavit ibi literas didicit Caesar dedit incrementum ex praeceptore Cardinalis factus One tooke a pen and wrote under Hic Deus nihil fecit Now to the prayer it selfe where we have to consider 1. To whom the Apostle prayeth The very God of peace 2. For what he prayeth in two particulars 1. For full sanctification 1. In generall sanctifie you throughout 2. In a speciall enumeration of parts spirit soule body 2. For finall sanctification untill the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ. First of the person to whom our Apostle prayeth the very God of peace Consider here three things 1. Why he useth this Attribute peace 2. What is the peace here meant 3. How he is the God of peace 1. This is not an idle epithite but well fitted to the matter in hand because our Apostle had in verse 13. exhorted them to peace among themselves and hath in all the precepts hitherto directed them how to uphold both outward peace vers 14 15. and inward peace from the 16. to this verse And he notably in this title confirmes their faith and strengthens their prayers that so long as they aske nothing but things pertaining to the peace of the Church and the peace of every mans conscience the God of peace will surely grant their requests See Rom. 15.13 14. Secondly What peace is meant Peace is threefold 1. Externall 2. Internall 3. Eternall 1. Externall which is nothing but an outward prosperity and tranquility in our outward estate and this is 1. In the Church when it hath rest from heresie schisme persecution and tyranny Acts 9.31 this is called the peace of Ierusalem which we must pray for Psal. 122.6 2. In the Common-wealth in the peace whereof we have peace when we are free from civill warre within and forreine enemies without Ier. 29.7 3. In the family and speciall places where we live which is a private agreement with all sorts of men good and bad so farre as may be Rom. 12.18 Have peace with all men 2. Internall and spirituall and this is the sweet quiet and comfort of conscience rising out of our assurance of our attonement with God through Iesus Christ and out of remission of sinnes by his blood which peace passeth all understanding Phil. 4.7 and in which the Apostle placeth the kingdome of God Rom. 14.17 3. Eternall which is the perfect rest peace joy and glory that the Saints shall enjoy in heaven Esay 57.2 Peace shall come but it is when we sleepe in our beds called Rom. 8.6 life and peace Our Apostle here aymes especially at the second kinde of peace which is a steppe and degree to the third For the third why is he called the God of peace Answ. First because hee hath the fountaine of peace in himselfe peace in him is as in a fountaine Secondly as the Author and communicatour of all peace unto us in all kindes As 1. In Church the peace of Ierusalem must be begged of him he stills all warres and maketh all stirrs in the Common-wealth to be husht and gone And it is hee that makes men dwell together in one house 2. He is authour and the God of eternall peace for eternall life is the gift of God 3. After a speciall manner is he the God of internall peace the peace of conscience at which our Text aimeth which is a quietnesse of minde and conscience through our reconciliation with God First because hee sent his Sonne 1. To merit it for us when wee lay in the horrour of an accusing conscience who is therefore called in himselfe Esa. 9.6 the Prince of peace and in respect of us our peace And therefore Ambrose expounds here the God of peace to be Christ himselfe If it be asked how Christ merited our peace the Apostle answereth Ephes. 2.15 16. He made peace by slaying hatred on the crosse by his perfect obedience overcomming and abolishing whatsoever God might hate in us 2. To preach and publish this peace and invite men unto it And that first in his owne person Esay 61.1 The spirit of the Lord is upon me to preach good tidings to the poore to binde up the broken-hearted to preach liberty to the captives c. And how this Prophecie was accomplished see Luk. 4.18 Secondly in the person of his Ministers Christ preacheth peace Ephes. 2.17 Christ came and preached peace to you which were farre off Object Why Christ never preached to the Ephesians Answ. Yes hee did in the persons of the Apostles and so now in the Pastors and Ministers of his Church to the end of the world Secondly because hee sent his Spirit to apply and seale this peace onely in the hearts of his elect therefore it is called a fruite of the Spirit Gal. 5.22 and the Spirit cryes in our hearts Abba Father chap. 4.6 He workes faith in the heart and so we have peace with God Rom. 5.1 and bold accesse to the throne of grace Eph. 3.12 This is that creating Spirit which creates the fruit of the lippes to be peace Esay 57.19 Thirdly because God doth not onely command and commend to us this peace but approoves and delights in it and no where else but there he sets up his throne and dwelling his Temple is in Ierusalem the vision of peace his Disciples must onely abide among the sonnes of peace Matth. 10. and much more doth himselfe How we are to looke upon God in our prayers First in all our prayers we are to behold him a God of peace labour to see him reconciled unto us And 1. this beholding of God reconciled gives us assurance of obtaining whatsoever is good for us 2. The sence of his infinite essence and power and
shew all love to their persons still All which discovers a great deale of corruption in our affections First Many hate sinnes in another and not the same sinnes in themselves and this is the hatred of the person and not of the sinne Secondly many seeme to hate evill but not out of love to goodnesse some say they hate Popery but are farre from the love of the truth they dislike grosse profanesse drunkennesse adultery but have no affection to true godlinesse hatred of evill is joyned with cleaving to good Thirdly many hate most where God most loves as persons for grace sake and two sorts of men are the butts of the hatred of this age 1. Zealous and godly Ministers because their life and doctrine reproove evill mens workes Ahab hateth Eliah Hast thou found mee O mine enemy the more they love the lesse they are loved for a Minister to hate mens sinnes or to speake the truth doth it deserve such hatred If we should love mens sinnes wee should hate their persons and if we hate not our brothers evill we could not wish his good 2. A generation of men who are so precise they will not sweare nor be drunke nor game away their time they are Iewishly strict in keeping the Saboth so zealous as they cannot abide the sent of Popery they repeate sermons pray in their families cleave to the Scripture in all things so curious and nice they will touch nothing that is uncleane But are these hated of God Nay are they not in singular favour with him 2. Are not their workes objected against them the workes of God imposed by God upon all Christians upon paine of damnation as to hate swearing to be strict in the Saboth to detest Popery to be frequent hearers of the word to set up Gods worship in the family to cleave to the Scriptures and get out of the way of evill men In this way which they call heresie must we worship God 3. All this zeale against zeale is kindled not with a coale from the Altar but fired with a flame from hell Iohn 15.19 Because I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you 4. How generall is the hatred of grace by gracelesse men that pinch and reproach good affections zeale they call distemper sorrow for sinne is but melancholy and next to madnesse love of the word is but precisenesse and more than needes love of good men but faction and partiality hatred of every evill worke but singularity holinesse a kinde of heresie purity hollownesse and all that is nought How unlike is the world to God and Christ who commended shewes of goodnesse in the young man never quenched smoking flaxe but kindled it and enflamed it and whosoever hateth grace in another first hates it in himselfe 5. How generally doe we love and cherish in our selves what the Lord hateth First hath hee not specially manifested his hatred against an outward forme of religion severed from the power and life of it Esay 1.14 My soule hateth your feasts and new Moones his owne institutions because they were severed from faith truth and inward holinesse But how generall is the profession of religion without power prayer of words not of spirit hearing without conscience of doing washing the outside when all is foule within Secondly how great indignation hath he testified against people unfaithfull in the covenant as a jealous husband hates the wife of his bosome that playeth false with him Ier. 12.8 yet how universall is our unfaithfulnesse to God the contempt of grace the slighting of the meanes the Apostacy and turning backe of the kingdome from God So as we see how our affections are swerved from the rule and what great neede we have to be stirred up to a more carefull watch over our affections Consider therefore and see the mischiefe of disordered affections First how powerfully they draw us from Christian duties as how they interrupt prayers which was the Apostles argument betweene man and wife an heart troubled with passions cannot be familiar with God nor behold his face no more than a man can see his owne face in a troubled water Consider how they hinder the powerfull working of the word 1 Pet. 2.1 Therefore lay aside all malice envie c. and then receive the word A full vessell can receive no liquor sweete water in a fusty vessell is but lost seede cast among thornes commeth to nought how they unsettle the heart in grace pulling it off from confidence in God love of the truth from exercise of grace from the joyes and consolations of the Spirit For as no man can see the beames of the Sunne when the heavens are covered with clouds so cannot the soule discerne the shining beames of Gods love when it is clouded with passion Secondly how potent are unruly affections to draw us from our duty so suddenly and violently doe they carry us into many sinnes how suddenly are great professours snatched into the love of the world and so become Apostates as Iudas and Demas How doth the love of the world draw on a number of sinnes and drowne men in lusts and perdition How suddenly was David snatched into foulest sinnes not watching his affections How was Peter pulled from his purposes and promises by inordinate selfe-love to the deniall of his Master Acquaint thy selfe with the difficulty of guiding the affections aright for though the common errour thinke it the easiest thing in the world yet the whole power of nature cannot reach it for what a divine wisdome is required holily to temper the affections and keepe them even To temper faith and feare that they enterfeare not to mingle love and hatred that they entrench not one another to holde the ballance even betweene Moses zeale and Moses meeknesse to contend for faith and not be contentious to be couragious and bolde and yet suspitious and alwayes fearefull to be christianly patient and not stoically insensible The same Spirit must afford this wisdome that appeared in the shape of a dove and of fire Consider the necessity of this care and carriage of our affections 1. In beholding the numbers of occasions which daily thrust in upon us to thrust them besides their right objects and enthrall us in pride unjust anger envie wantonnesse carnall love feare c. And were there no such outward occasions who feeles not the spirit in him lust after envie and after the world and after all forbidden fruites so as all care is too little wisely to watch and prevent the continuall disorder of the whole man by his affections 2. What great necessity is it that wise Christians difference themselves from common men it is a great weaknesse to corrupt our affections by the provocations of wicked men to shoote in their bowe to doe as they doe But the godly must be different from them not feare with their feare nor joy with their joy nor kindle anger by theirs nor curse when they
conflicted by the contrary extreames the feare of God with distrust and presumption faith with naturall infidelity and so the rest Now therefore our naturall corruption must be daily wasted and mastered else will it be with us as a man that rowes against the streame if hee leave never so little he is driven twice as farre backe as ever he was Secondly sinnes in our affections doe marvelously quench the Spirit as the Apostle saith that Anger gives advantage to the Divell Eph. 4.26 27. Saul had many good motions but cherishing his anger against David hee lost the spirit of God and was haunted with an evill spirit not onely a melancholicke humour as some thinke but even an evill Angel So for voluptuousnesse a lust which while Herod cherished hee lost all his gifts And covetousnesse in Iudas lost all his gifts together with himselfe The light of the Sunne puts out the light of the fire and the love of the world puts out the love of God So for carnall feare the feare of men of danger of losse c. it quencheth thousands of good motions insomuch as men neither by 〈◊〉 nor yet by night dare come to Christ but 〈◊〉 themselves to be as the cake halfe baked on the hearth not warmed through Thirdly sinnes in our speeches corrupt communication vile speeches doe banish and vexe the Spirit Eph. 4.30 31. Let no speech that is corrupt proceede out of your mouthes and then it followes Grieve not that holy Spirit of God Therefore we must keepe our mouth with bit and bridle and see that our words issue from the spirit of grace and minister grace to the hearers Fourthly sinnes in action doe quench the Spirit exceedingly how did David after his sinnes of adultery and murther lose the feeling of the Spirit for sinne blindeth the minde hardeneth the heart and leaveth a blot behinde it Now among all actuall sins some there bee which more violently quench the spirit than other as 1. Sinnes that are studied and meditated which is not a slipping into sinne but as a pitching of a mans selfe into the sea A woe is denounced on them that devise wickednesse on their beds and in the morning practise it Absolom for two yeares together plotted his brothers death and at last compassed it How can this but extremely quench the spirit whose motions all the while are resisted 2. Sinnes repeated doubled and traded in which argues greedinesse and delight in sinne when men live in an evill course purposely and constantly These are as the complicated diseases seldome cured How often doe wee see ordinary drunkards quarrellers riotous persons left by God and his spirit and now ruled by the Diveâ—â— and commanded by him to outrages against their owne and other mens lives 3. Sinnes against conscience when Gods word stands as an armed man in the conscience yet for all that the wretched sinner resists the lowd call of Gods word ringing in his owne conscience This is an opposing and a resisting of the spirit joyned with a wilfulnesse and obstinacy in sinne notwithstanding all calls to the contrary these sinnes thrust downe the regiment of the spirit and therefore David prayeth against them Psal. 19.13 Keepe thy servant from presumptuous sinnes that they prevaile not over mee So much of our owne sins The sins of others also are a great meanes to quench the spirit of God How doth profane company dead the spirit as Peter in the high Priests hall Salomon fell by the company of outlandish wives and shall we looke to stand where he fell The Israelites hated the Aegyptians and yet through conversing with them learned their manners Besides when wee thrust our selves into evill company we ordinarily say nothing at all or nothing but what is pleasing unto them by both these means the spirit is grieved and quenched But especially if they be the sinnes of superiours sinnes of Magistrates they suddenly infect and fall upon the inferiours as sudden raines fall off the hills into the valleyes and stand there But especially sinnes of Ministers by preaching seldome coldly or maliciously mens greene wood will not burne without better blowing As also when their lives are scandalous what will fire in preaching doe when a man carries water in his life and is noted with pride covetousnesse contention drunkennesse or any such foule lusts III. A speciall meanes of quenching the spirit which is to be avoyded is To grieve the hóly Spirit of God Eph. 4.30 Now he is grieved foure wayes 1. By not preparing or not preserving our hearts as sweete and holy Temples for him if we doe not wash trimme and perfume our houses and sweepe out every distastfull thing and beautifie them in most seemely manner for so honourable a personage If an honourable or noble person should vouchsafe to come to a meane mans house and finde the house sluttish and nasty annoyed with filthy smells and every way unprovided hee would be sorry hee came into such a noysome place and begin to thinke of departure So if the holy Spirit of God finde our hearts a sinke full of corrupt thoughts our speeches as noysome and filthy smells our actions foule and polluted he is sore grieved and will not stay 2. By shutting up and hardening the heart against the word and workes of God Psal. 95.10 Forty yeares long was I vexed in the wildernesse while they hearkened not to my voyce nor regarded my wonders Acts 7.51 Yee stiffe-necked and uncircumcised of heart yee have alwayes resisted the holy Ghost even as your fathers 3. By not following and fostering his motions who would not be grieved to see his counsell despised nay the contrary counsells of Satan himselfe tending to destruction to be preferred and wilfully undertaken How this drives away the spirit see Prov. 1.30 They would none of my counsell therefore they shall eate of the fruite of their owne way 4. By dishonouring him in his owne Temple can a man indure to be wronged in his owne house But so is he when we give way to lusts when we follow the sway of corruption the fashions of the world and forget the guest that is within and ought principally to be pleased Also when wee turne his gifts against himselfe our knowledge to puffe us up our wisedome to earthlinesse our zeale against zeale the word to maintaine our sinne the sacraments to feede our hypocrisie and the whole grace of God into wantonnesse Againe if we must not quench the spirit then must we observe and carefully mark not only the presence but the worke of the spirit and be able to judge whether he be quenched or no Therefore here I say to every one as Saint Paul said to Timothy 1 Tim. 4.14 Neglect not the gift that is given thee And this observation is of great use 1. Highly to esteeme the gifts and graces of Gods spirit and keepe them the more carefully 2. To be so much the more thankfull for them seeing
they are so freely conferred upon us as David Psal. 116.12 Oh what shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits towards mee 3. To binde us to the more care in dispensing them for the greater our receit is the greater is our Lords expectation 1 Pet. 4.10 Let every man as he hath received a gift minister the same to others as a good steward of the manifold graces of God 4. To enable us to make up our accounts according to the number and measure of our gifts Matth. 25.24 the master observes the number of talents and the servant that received tenne talents must bring in according to tenne Quest. How shall I know if the Spirit be quenched or no Answ. By the application of this observation thou shalt see whether thou art gone forward or backward whether thou hast quenched or cherished the Spirit This examination shall be reduced to five particular heads in respect of 1. Graces 2. Good motions 3. Good duties 4. Sinne and 5. the Spirits worke on thy affections First examine thy selfe in graces received both for number and measure 1. If the Spirit in respect of the number of graces be quenched try thus If a man make no conscience of some points of doctrine or practise which heretofore he hath made conscience of as swearing usurie lying gaming family-duties and the like now the Spirit is quenched hee is like a man who being in decay for matters of the world doth cast off some of his traine So also when a man is not able to feede his understanding and practise as one ignorant about what he may imploy his head and hands A tree being in decay withers first at toppe because it cannot send sappe so farre from home so is the life of grace knowne to be in decay if it feede not all the parts of the Christian course Or to use our owne Metaphor As an aged man appeares by his head his white haires shew a decay of naturall heate and moysture so a Christians falling from right understanding judgement and practise is as white haires and argues a decay of spirituall heate and vigour For preservatives in this case first consider that God expects the number of talents committed unto us Secondly why should wee be like the brute beast which wants the art of numbering why should wee be as the silly bird that layeth twenty egges yet take away all but two she is as well and as painfull for them as for all and all because she wants numbring How can a Christian be so simple as to please himselfe as much with few graces as with many 2. In regard of the measure of graces try thus If a man waver and stagger in that wherein hee hath beene constant still he hath some faith some zeale some patience diligence and other graces but he wants that measure which sometimes he had now though he have an under measure in all yet hath he quenched the spirit Even as an olde man is knowne to be decayed because though hee have his whole number of parts that ever he had yet he hath them not in that measure of vigour as formerly hee had them For preservatives against this decay first consider that the Church of Ephesus is blamed for falling from her first love that degree of carefulnes which once she had Rev. 2.4 Secondly consider that we are commanded in the Scripture to adde grace to grace as dayes are added to our lives 2 Pet. 1.5 6. yea in respect of the measure and strength of grace 2 Tim. 2.1 Thirdly this is remarkable that those whose hearts have once beene heated with the fire of Gods spirit and afterwards have abated doe grow more frozen in iniquity than any other as water once hot is afterward most colde and freezeth hardest Secondly examine thy selfe in regard of good motions If these be lessened the spirit is quenched As for example when thou hast beene moved to heare the word and hast neglected it for some vaine pleasure or some small profit or sometime thou hast a motion to leave thy swearing cursing lying usurie gaming c. Gods spirit did knocke at the doore of thy heart but thou didst shut the doore against him and keptst out that heate which hee would have put into thee this is to quench the spirit Take heede lest failing thus in so necessary duties thou faile of the meanes whereby thou shouldest rise Repent and doe the first workes or else I will come unto thee quickly saith the Lord and remove thy Candlesticke out of his place Rev. 2.5 And againe Matth. 21.43 I say unto you the Kingdome of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation that will bring forth the fruites thereof Thirdly examine thy selfe in regard of good duties after this manner 1. If in stead of fervency in prayer thou findest thy prayer colde dead remisse formall interrupted with idle and wandering thoughts now the spirit is quenched who makes us cry and stirres up groanes which are unutterable 2. If once comming to the word thou wast wont to finde it sweete and a word of life unto thee but now thou commest with an impenitent heart a slumbering and a sleepy conscience oh certainly the spirit is now quenched who is never so sweete and cheerefull as in the word for he thawes the benummed heart and makes it burne by opening the Scripture A man in a swone if rubbing and Aqua vitae fetch him not againe his soule is gone the same is thy case if the spirit of God do not revive and quicken thee 3. In keeping the Lords Sabboths if sometimes thou couldest account thē thy delight the most comfortable day of the week but now thou formally passest them over not altogether hardened but with colde and heavie motions in confessing sinne in petition in thanksgiving if thou be slow of heart to beleeve heare and meditate in the word by this know that the spirit is quenched in thee who worketh joy and sweetnesse in the heart while it is in the presence of God and societies of the Saints 4. If after the performing of good duties thou hast sometimes found cheerefulnesse strength and good assurance thy selfe refreshed by them and better disposed but now thou findest in thee loathing or discontentment no strength or small comfort know for a certaine that the spirit is quenched some sinne or other is as a cloud hindering the beames of his sweete grace and comfort from thee Psal. 77.2 3. I sought the Lord yet my sore ranne and ceased not my soule refused comfort I did thinke upon God and was troubled I prayed and my Spirit was full of anguish Verse 7. Will hee absent himselfe for ever and will he be favourable no more Consider here what a dead carkasse is without the soule and so is all our service without the spirit Fourthly examine thy selfe in respect of sinne thus 1. If some sinne which was of great burden and weight
have become better for good mens company Saul himselfe among the Prophets will prophecie And shall the wicked in their companies abet and further one another in evill and shal not good men in good 5. Observe the first motions of Gods Spirit and the ayme of God in his wayes with us and follow them For the first the prodigall sonne is a good example he had a motion and good inspiration he remembred the estate that he was in and the estate that he had beene in and the estate of his fathers house and in no case suffers this motion to die but followes it surely I will starve here no longer but resolves to goe to his father and goes Many kill good motions in the rise of them many follow them to purposes and resolutions but there they die few follow them to practise So in Gods wayes with our selves If he make our estates prosperous and advance us in the world above others what is his ayme but that we should be eminent instruments of his glory Many purpose when they come into great places of Magistracy or any preferment to doe much good every way but they suffer this purpose to die and never follow their resolution unto execution So what is the ayme of God in crosses and tryalls but to excite and exercise our graces which while we suffer to lie still God takes us in hand and mooves us and shakes us by the north winde of afflictions to blow our ashes and dust from us Therefore in every trouble let us follow this ayme of God and make account that every of them is the Lords bellowes to blow up our graces so shall our afflictions yea our sinnes themselves bee as the smithes water on coales to heate us the more 6. Let us exercise diligently our generall calling of Christians In our selves let us practise piety and keepe on worke the grace received for the Lord recompenceth the practise of grace with the increase of grace No man used his talent but with gaine And to others let us exercise friendly admonition exhortation reprehension and loving chastisement of such as are under our charge For first every Christian is a debter to every one and all gifts are given for the body Secondly the nature of grace is as fire which will fasten and kindle where ever it can find matter Thirdly the recompence shall be much increase as the meale in the barrell and the oyle in the cruse the more spent the more increased The speciall calling also feedes all graces and calls for the practise of them as of piety and justice patience and charity and the rest yea is indeed a schoole of all vertues 7. Propound wee still to our selves an higher pitch and a further degree of grace than as yet we have attained consider how farre wee are short of perfection Thus did Paul stirre up himselfe Phil. 3.13 I forget those things which are behinde and reach forth to those things which are before c. Men are never rich enough they think have never money enough so long as any are before them this makes them bestirre themselves to gather still But a little grace is enough yea a small measure is thought excesse and too much The Pharisy lookes to such as in his conceit are behinde him and then hee is not such a one or such a one But we must set before us the best examples and to imitate the best things in the best men and not onely men but the Apostle propounds to the Church the example of Christ that unerring patterne Heb. 12.2 Now to stirre us up both to avoid the meanes of quenching the Spirit and to use the meanes of quickning the Spirit 1. Let us consider that we must be countable for all our graces and all the meanes of grace our Master is an hard man and in the day of account will not call onely for his owne but for the whole tale and number and the evill servant that brought the owne talent but not the number was condemned Therefore neglect no meanes of well-doing 2. Cherish the Spirit and his graces for the blessings hee brings with him even all the fruites of the Spirit illumination consolation holinesse happinesse If while the Arke was in Obed-Edoms house he was blessed for it which was but a signe of Gods presence how much more blessed shall that heart be that entertaines himselfe Cheare the Spirit in thy heart and he will cheare thee 3. Whosoever will vexe the Spirit the Spirit will vexe him If the hypocrite quench him and grieve him he utterly departs and leaves and gives over that party unto death 1 Sam. 16.14 The good Spirit went and the evill Spirit came upon Saul and the Divell entred into Iudas Of them that by Apostasie so farre provoke the Lord it is most true Their latter end is worse than their beginning better for them they had beene heathens yea dogges better for them that the Spirit had never given them the least common grace better they had never knowne the way of truth and righteousnesse 2 Pet. 2.20 And if the godly quench him by security or any sinne hee will hide himselfe till they know what they have done Object What matter he will come againe if I be Gods no great harme if he goe for a while Answ. 1. Thou maist deceive thy selfe in thy reckoning and thinke he dwells in thee as one of the elect when he is in thee but in some common graces and then he goes quite away at length and never comes any more And likely it is that thou art such an one in whom this deceit discovers it selfe who canst be content he absent himselfe when as David prayed Lord take not thy holy Spirit from mee Psal. 51.11 2. Suppose he will come againe to thee that art the Lords yet hee will not come againe so freely but thou shalt know to thy cost what thou hadst and what thou hast lost and shalt shed teares and sigh and cry and learne how to prise him before he come againe See Cant. 5.2.6 3. Perhaps hee will neuer come with that abundant blessing as hee did before and thou shalt never attaine thy first love thy first joy and the comfort thou once hadst yea thou maist passe all thy daies in griefe to see how much thou wantest of thy selfe and to consider of thy decayes Therfore deceive not thy selfe watch thy heart to receive and entertaine the good Spirit whilest thou hast him lest he depart in displeasure and thou be left to lament thy losse VERSE 20. Despise not Prophecie THe Coherence of these words with the former is this The Spirit of God and his graces are continued and cherished in the hearts of beleevers by the meanes of Prophecy therfore if you would not have the Spirit quenched you must not despise Prophecy To finde out the meaning hereof consider these two things 1. What Prophecy is 2. What it is Not to despise it I. Prophecy in Scripture
great and unspeakable wickednesse were it to despise so great salvation to despise the word of life of grace of light of peace of faith and the end of it which is salvation for it is the ingraffed word able to save soules Iam. 1.21 3. Manifold is the evill that overtakes a despiser of Prophecy 1. He is destitute of the Spirit who hath no being no delight to be there as the connexion of the precepts witnesseth 2. Prophecy being neglected piety is lost and men prove profane persons this was a brand of Esaus profanesse that hee cared more for a meales meate than he did for the blessing Heb. 12.16 3. Despise thou prophecy thy prayer shall be despised and all thy service is abominable Prov. 28.9 and chap. 1.28 Because I have cryed saith the Lord and yee would not heare yee shall cry and not be heard 4. It ties and fastens sinne on men yea and heapes up judgement for first it nourisheth ignorance a maine supporter of Satans kingdome secondly it resisteth faith by refusing the onely and ordinary meanes of it thirdly it barreth out repentance because this is the meanes of our regeneraration and change of heart and life fourthly it makes sinne farre more sinfull because here is a refusall of mercy and grace offered by prophecy Ioh. 15.22 If I had not come and spoken they had not sinned but now they have no cloake for their sinne Fifthly the refusall of prophecy provoketh the Lord to give up men to vile affections to worke all uncleannesse with greedinesse because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved 2 Thess. 2.10 Lastly it tyes on judgement as fast as sinne and wraps the despiser in the curse of God Heb. 2.3 How shall we escape if we neglect much more despise so great salvation Consider the threatnings Acts 13.41 Beholde ye despisers and wonder and vanish away Beholde I will worke a worke in your dayes which a man would not beleeve for the terrour of it out of Habak 1.5 This serves to reproove 1. Anabaptists and Enthusiasts who pretend the Spirit and despise prophecy they have the Spirit to guide them and therefore neede no preaching 2. Those profane Atheists at home who despising the Spirit of grace and the word of grace live as without God in the world Many who have Iacobs voice professe in word better things yet prize the preaching of Christ as a thing of nought It is better to be casting up some account or reading some history or walking in the fields or visiting some friends or perhaps going to a play than to a Sermon Are these the sonnes of Abraham or the sonnes of God and not rather the profane sonnes of profane Esau What can hee tell me saith one which I know not As if thy knowledge could priviledge thee to despise Prophecy And what thinkest thou These Thessalonians had knowledge as well as thou for they were taught of God 1 Thess. 4.9 yet must not they despise Prophecy and wilt thou despise it We see not saith another but that all this preaching doth breede barrennesse as an immoderate raine and brings preaching into contempt As if the abundance of prophecying did priviledge the profane heart to despise it The Israelites made just such another reason Oh wee have nothing but Mannah Mannah and our soule is weary of this Mannah and yet by their owne confession if they loathe this Mannah they must have nothing else to live by they shall surely die and their blood be upon them Object Wee see not that this preaching doth any thing but breede contention among Preachers and hearers Answ. As if because a bad stomacke turnes wholsome meate into bad humours therefore good meate must be despised and because mans nature spider-like turnes wholsome doctrine into poyson therefore wholsome doctrine may be despised Many other allegations the Divell puts into the mindes and mouthes of men against Prophecy because he knowes by preaching his kingdome falls like lightening Luk. 10.18 But those that feare the Lord will abhorre them 3. Others are reprooved who can be content to heare the word read and thinke themselves in good case if they can reade the word or good bookes at home but despise prophecy and interpretation which what else is it but to reject Gods wisedome in his owne meanes who hath set us apart to pray men in Christs stead to be reconciled to God The conversion of men was never committed to mens owne private reading no nor to the ministery of Angels no nor Christ himselfe undertooke to convert the world by his owne industry but left his Disciples to doe greater things than himselfe Ioh. 14.12 Contemne Gods meanes and thy owne shall never succeede Besides will not any say that hee understands better by interpretation of things than by bare reading Yes any but grosse malice and wilfulnesse 4. Others will heare the word not read onely but preached and yet despise Prophecy because they despise the practise of that they heare as Herod That which a man cares not to keepe hee despiseth Blessed are they that heare the word of God and keepe it and doe it Therefore beware of despising Prophecy and of receiving the grace of God in vaine 2 Cor. 6.1 but rather heartily and sincerely embrace it Meanes 1. Labour to see the necessity of it being the power of God to salvation Rom. 1.16 and a principall ordinance of his to reveale the great mysteries of salvation which thou canst never understand without a teacher 2. Make conscience of hearing the word often 1 Pet. 2.2 As new-borne babes feeling their want would sucke every houre of the day and night Esteeme it with Mary the one thing necessary 3. Attend at the gates of wisdomes house Prov. 8.33 It was the praise of these Thessalonians that they heard the word with all readinesse Act. 17.11 and a great worke of God in Lydia chap. 16.14 The Lord opened her heart to attend to the words of the Apostles 4. Rejoyce in it as the Iaylor Act. 16.32 Hee rejoyced that hee and all the household beleeved And the wise Merchant went away rejoycing Not to delight in the word is to despise it Ierem. 6.10 Beholde the word of God is to them a reproach why they have no delight in it 5. If thou wouldest not despise Prophecy despise not Prophets This were to despise Christ himselfe for Hee that despiseth you despiseth mee Luk. 10.10 But have them in singular love for their workes sake as our spirituall fathers begetting us unto Christ. Wee see how the Prophets of the olde Testament were esteemed even of Kings themselves as Ioash though a wicked King finding Elisha ready to die fell on his face and wept and cried My father my father the horsemen of Israel and the chariots thereof 2 King 13.14 And shall not beleevers in the new Testament honour the Prophets of the new Testament who as good lampes consume themselves to give others light But
to give account of his faith and therefore must be able to expresse his owne faith Salomon records it as a part of extreame folly to be so credulous Prov. 14.15 A foole beleeveth every thing that is rashly gives credit and hearkens to every Deceiver But a prudent man takes heede to his steppes that is examineth and weigheth what he heareth and what he doth before he undertake it And Iob makes this the chlefe office of judgement Chap. 34.3 The eare tryeth words as the mouth tasteth meate Let us seeke judgement among us and let us know among our selves what is good And what difference is there betweene a wise man and a foole but that the foole wants judgement followes his fancy and is led by his senses and appearances without tryall Object Charity beleeveth all things 1 Cor. 13.7 Answ. 1. That is in other mens sayings and actions it beleeves the best but suspecteth his owne wayes most Prov. 14.8 2. It beleeveth not all things simply and indefinitely not errours and falshood but rejoyceth in the truth verse 6. 3. Not all things without tryall and discretion for then it should rejoyce in unrighteousnesse but after it hath tryed them 4. Nothing is contrary to charity that is agreeable to wisdome but with the judgement of charity there must goe a judgement of prudence Object 2. Is not this a disparagement to our Teachers and to the truth which should be freely embraced or how will this stand with mingling the word with faith Heb. 4.2 Answ. 1. Our Proverb is A man may tell money after his father not in distrustfulnesse as if he suspected he would deceive him for this were against duty and charity but in wisedome because he may unwittingly deceive and this is held no disparagement to his father no more is it to our spirituall fathers 2. The truth loseth nothing but rather gaineth by being tryed because it is more approved and justified than before as gold is no whit prejudiced but purged and refined by the fire Thirdly this Doctrine reprooves the preposterous courses of many men some of whom are unwilling to try any thing at all others try something but not by the right rule some in great matters nearely concerning them purposely abstaine from all examination as those in the 2 Pet. 3.5 they are willingly ignorant in matters both of judgement and practise thinking that while they hood winke themselves they may the more freely entertaine whatsoever makes for their pleasure profit or preferment some controversies they dare not looke into for feare the light should make them losers Some practises they would neuer bring to the tryall it is death for them to haue their usuries their affected games their strange fashions meddled withall or brought to the touch-stone they would stoppe both their eares or wish there were no tongue to touch their darling sinnes for feare they should be brought to dislike such profitable and pleasurable sinnes which to lose were to part with their hands and eyes These persons resemble that gluttonous Parasite who covered his tongue with a skinne that he might swallow any thing though never so hot they have covered their consciences with a seared skinne that they may take downe any thing insensibly without examination But here let us consider 1. what an expresse commandement we have for the duty Rom. 12.2 Proove what is the good and acceptable will of God and Eph. 5.10 Proove what is pleasing unto God Gal. 6.4 Let every man proove his owne worke Lam. 3.40 Let us search and try our wayes 2. How will it stand with wisdome to be curious in trisles and in every outward thing be it never so small and yet neglect the greatest Wee will try our meate our drinke our money our mettalls our beasts nothing shall come into our hands untryed But onely in the greatest things appertaining to God and good conscience we are altogether carelesse 3. There is nothing wherein a man may be so dangerously deceived as in matters of this nature To be deceived in counterfeit money or golde to be deceived with false evidences and titles of land is a great oversight but nothing in comparison of this the deceit here is in things eternall touching our rights and free-hold in heaven 4. Never had any man such dangerous cheaters about him to deceive him as wee have for their number power and subtilty all cunning enough to worke upon our simplicity Satan will surely sift and try us hee will winnow us as wheate Luk. 22.31 The world and all sorts of wicked ones lye in ambush to entise us Our owne deceitfull Delilah our owne flesh which is the nearest and most powerfull over us is most treacherous against our selves Every occasion without stirres up inward corruption We had need therefore try every thing offered unto us lest we take from these cheaters a boxe of counters for a box of gold 5. God observes and commends such as carefully try doctrines and courses Rev. 2.2 To the Church of Ephesus write thus I know thy workes and that thou hast examined them which say they are Apostles and are not but hast found them lyers 6. This is necessary to comfort our owne hearts in the many tryalls and scornes of evill men who will be ready to turne all our glory into shame and all our religion into hypocrisie and all our godly indeavours into precisenesse and faction We had neede try our wayes by the Rule that we may be able to outstand their imputations and contemne their contempt and scandalous falshoods So long as we holde our Rule we shall be ever able to appeale unto God and holde our innocency till we die let it be faction let it be schism yea heresie we shall boldly say In that way which they call heresie we will worship the God of our fathers Acts 24.14 7. There is a day of tryall for all things and a fire which shall try every mans worke of what kinde it is 1 Cor. 3.13 Let the fire of the word goe before the fire of the world let that try which is stubble hay and chaffe and which worke will abide There is a Iudge who one day will straitly examine what men now passe so slightly and he will judge our wayes then as the word now judgeth them If we would in tryall be approoved then we must now have our courses approoved by the same word which shall judge us at the last day Iohn 12.48 Fourthly this Doctrine reprooves such as would walke by a rule but not the right rule And these are diverse according to their diverse rules 1. Some will have corrupt reason to hold the scales and this ingrafted principle of naturall reason must be followed as the onely rule Men would captivate the commandement to their owne reason and limit the wisedome of God within the narrow bounds of their owne wisedome Naaman being commanded by the Prophet Elisha to wash seven times in Iordan was incensed and began to compare
ruine to themselves The second use is an use of instruction If wee must try all things then must we learne to get wisdome rightly to apply the rule to every particular which is to be regulated 1 Cor. 2.13 Comparing spirituall things with spirituall for to try is nothing else but to apply the rule or touch-stone to the thing to be tryed And when I speake of wisdome I meane that spirituall wisdome whereby the spirituall man comparing spirituall things with spirituall discerneth all things This man led by the Spirit acknowledgeth Christ and followes him in all things takes faith his companion and sets in his eye Gods glory the end and scope of all things Quest. Can you helpe us to some directions or Rules by which we may be guided in this application which is the onely difficulty now to be opened in this Treatise Answ. Yes and these Rules are of two sorts 1. Generall Preparative 2. Speciall Practicall The generall or preparative Rules to application are foure 1. We must be industrious to know and be acquainted with the Scriptures in their right sence of them whether historicall and litterall or allegoricall and figurative For this is to have our Rule at hand and in our hand without which it must be with us as with the Sadduces of whom our Lord said Ye erre not knowing the Scriptures And because true Scripture is not in words and sillables but in the true sence of it wee must be carefull not to rest in the words without the true signification of them The Papists heare our Saviour saying of the Sacramentall bread This is my body and sticking to the words and applying them without the sense runne into infinite absurdities and errours on one hand and so the Lutherans on the other Against both which wee may not unfitly mention one of the two rules of Augustine in his bookes of Christian Doctrine Si praeceptiva locutio videtur flagitium aut facinus jubere aut utilitatem aut beneficentiam vetare figurata est It is not a proper but a figurative speech which seemes either to injoyne a thing unlawfull or to hinder a lawfull So this speech of our Lord Vnlesse ye eate the flesh of the Sonne of man and drinke his blood ye have not life in you seemes at the first to impose on us a kinde of cruelty therefore it is figurative So Augustine 2. If we would be fit for this tryall we must lay up and hide in our hearts such Scriptures as wee understand that they may be neare us to serve our severall uses The Prophet David professeth that hee had hid the word in his heart that he might not sinne against God And Mary was commended that shee pondered all the sayings concerning Christ and hid them in her heart A Carpenter or Mason whose worke is squared or laid by rule is never without his rule in his hand or at his backe so should it be with Christians 3. We must absolutely submit our judgement to the word of God without reasoning or disputing though it be never so difficult and dangerous unto us for what is else the use of a rule but to rule Abraham left his owne Countrey and went he knew not whither at Gods commandement Heb. 11.8 One would thinke this were folly in Abraham but that the Scripture acquits him and saith he did it by faith And in a more difficult commandement hee rose earely went three dayes journey to kill his onely sonne whom he loved and reasoned no cases but went Good Moses would weigh the word of God in his owne ballance fixing his eye rather upon the impotency and impossibility of the meanes than upon the strength of Gods word which cleaves the hardest rockes therefore he sinned in striking the Rocke when God bade him onely speake to it and for it was barred out of Canaan 4. We must ayme at an absolute conformity betweene the whole word and our whole man This Rule takes place above all mens rules and lawes which rule the outward man but this the inner man the soule and the conscience the heart and the will yea the affections and thoughts which in regard of mens lawes are free but the word captivateth every thought and brings it into subjection 2 Cor. 12.5 It rules the whole outward man also our speeches and actions even the least our lookes and behaviours our callings and conditions our sports and recreations and as David saith of the Sunne Psal. 19.6 there is nothing hid from the heate and discoverie of it so nothing in man is exempted from the rule of the word We must therefore bring our practise thereto and thinke it not enough to be a rule in it selfe unlesse it be a rule to us also And lay this for a ground in our soules that there must be a proportion betweene the rule and the thing ruled Now we come to the speciall rules for the application of this Rule And they concerne 1. Doctrines 2. Actions and Practise Rules for the Tryall of Doctrines are sixe First all Doctrines must be brought to the analogy of faith and squared thereby Rom. 12.6 Whether wee prophecie let us prophecie according to the analogy of faith By analogy of faith the Apostle meaneth the measure of faith and Doctrine which is indeede the holy Scripture the heads of which Doctrine or the summe of which faith is contained in the Creede the Decalogue and the Lords Prayer If any Doctrine agree not with these which are the key and rule of faith it is unsound and to be rejected As for example 1. The Church of Rome teacheth that the bread in the Sacrament is turned into the very body flesh blood and bone of Christ which was borne of the Virgin We hold the cleane contrary Now bring this Doctrine to the analogie of faith that teacheth that Christ was born of the Virgin true man with a true humane nature like ours in all sinne things sin onely excepted visible circumscribed palpable in one place only at once as is ours that teacheth that he ascended into heaven in that humane nature and there fitteth at the right hand of God untill his second comming and therefore cannot be really and locally in the Sacrament 2. Romish Doctrine teacheth that a man may merit by his good workes remission of sins and eternall life they establish the merit of mans workes in the matter of justification we utterly exclude them Bring we this Doctrine to the analogie of faith The ten Commandements say The Lord sheweth mercy to thousands that love him and keepe his commandements If the reward be given by mercy then not for the merit of the worke done The Lords prayer teacheth us to pray for forgivenesse of debts and therefore we are farre from meriting The same prayer teacheth us to pray for every morsell of bread Is it not madnesse to thinke wee can merit the kingdome of heaven if we cannot merit a morsell of bread The Creede
thus 1. Because they have most neede to borrow 2. Because they are most liable to wrong and oppression 3. The commandement of Loane is made especially for their good 4. Vsurie on them is a more grievous sinne and crying Exod. 22.21 Object But if it were unlawfull God would forbid it to the stranger Sol. 1. The morall Law forbids it to all 2. It is by God dispensed with by a Iudiciall for the hardnesse of the hearts of the Iewes for the unjustice of the Gentiles who exacted it on the Iewes and for the overthrow of the Canaanites The word is Deut. 23.20 not Lemicro but Lamicro extranc◠huic that is to this stranger meaning the Canaanite 3. It is no more lawfull than Poligamy or a bill of divorce which was against the Institutor 4. When the Canaanites were destroyed all usury was afterward absolutely forbidden Psal. 15. and Prov. 28.8 Ierome on Lev. 18. In the Law usurie is forbidden onely to brethren but in the Prophets to all absolutely and in the Gospell much more because all are now brethren So much for the second Rule Thirdly in all doubtfull Doctrines that is the truth which gives most glory to God and least unto any creature for as God in all things intends his owne glory most which is the maine end of all his courses so doth his word which after a speciall manner resembleth himselfe This word so propoundeth all the frame of mans salvation from the lowest staire to the highest as God may have his glory in all 1 Cor. 1.29.31 That he that glorieth might glory in the Lord and that no creature migh◠share with him in his glory which he never would communicate to any other verse 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That no flesh might glory in his presence To apply this to particulars 1. The Church of Rome maintaines a Doctrine that Saints departed are to be invocated as Mediatours though not of redemption yet of intercession Wee affirme the contrary according to the Scripture Bring now this point to this tryall whether gives more glory to God and lesse to the creature we who affirme him to be a God hearing prayer who onely knowes the hearts of the sonnes of men and is omnipresent to heare and omnipotent to helpe all which are incommunicable Attributes of the Deity or they which against the Scripture robbe God of this part of his honour and bestow it on creatures which are not capable of it Isay 63.16 2. The same Church of Rome teacheth that to the justifying of a sinner before God is required not onely an imputed righteousnesse but an habituall righteousnesse which are workes of charity which makes a man of just more just Wee in this Doctrine of Iustification utterly exclude humane merit Now bring this different Doctrine to this Rule Whether gives more to God and lesse to the creature that Doctrine of Iustification by faith onely which utterly takes from man all that hee can thinke of to justifie himselfe withall and ascribes the whole worke of salvation from first to last unto God or that Doctrine which puffes up man in conceit of some righteousnesse in himselfe and takes from the Lord this honour to be Hee that justifies the ungodly And this is the Rule to which the Apostle brings the same Doctrine to be tryed Rom. 3.27 28. By what Law is boasting excluded Not by the Law of workes but by the Law of faith And because this Doctrine excludes all boasting hee concludes Therefore is a man justified by faith without the works of the Law See Rom. 4.2 3. The Church of Rome also maintaineth the Doctrine of humane satisfactions and enjoynes many penances to satisfie the justice of God for veniall sinnes Wee on the contrary teach that wee must every day pray for the pardon of our daily sinnes Now bring this different Doctrine to this Tryall Which gives more to God and lesse to the creature that which applies an infinite justice to God the violation of which must be made up by an infinite person or that which imputes to him an imperfect justice such as a sinfull man may satisfie and an imperfect mercy if our owne workes make not supply 4. The same Church teacheth and so the Church of the 〈…〉 that God hath elected all to salvation and Christ hath redeemed all and every particular man We according to the Scripture holde that God hath chosen onely heires of salvation and that Christ for his part redeemed not all particulars but all kindes for hee that would not pray for the world would not die for the world How shall we bolt out the truth Answ. Bring the Doctrine to this Rule Wee aske If God have elected and Christ have redeemed every particular man why is not every particular man saved Because say they God foresawe who would beleeve and who would not which is to make Gods election frustrate as electing such as hee foresaw would not beleeve as also dependant on the will of man and mans will to overrule Gods And not mans salvation to depend on Gods will and election than which nothing can be more dishonourable to the Majesty of God Rom. 9 19. Who ever resisted his will Adde hereunto that in the Doctrine of falling from grace Gods glory suffereth for thereby the seede of God loseth the glory of being incorruptible and Gods truth suffereth who saith it abideth for ever 5. The same Church teacheth according to their ordinary practise at this day that the Pope hath power to make lawes to binde the conscience hee hath power to dispence with lawfull oathes and untie the conscience which Gods law hath bound he hath power to dispense for marriages within degrees prohibited by God the like We deny any such power can agree to any mortall creature and holde it a tyrannicall usurpation Bring these and the like positions to this Tryall Whether gives more glory to God and lesse to the creature to acknowledge him the Lord of his owne Law onely above it or to set a Prelate not onely in his chaire of estate but above God who is able to reverse and abrogate his Lawes at his pleasure and to sit in the consciences of men which is the Lords owne and onely consistory That is the third Rule Fourthly all sound Doctrine directs and leades unto Christ magnifies and sets up Christ who is the end of the Law and Gospel and as Christ prooved the Iewes not to be of God because they dishonoured him the Sonne of God Iohn 8. So whatsoever Doctrine dishonours Christ cannot be of God And if we bring the whole body of Popery to this rule of Tryall it will appeare not to be of God 1. Their whole Doctrine of merits and humane satisfactions how doth it obscure the merit of Christ yea abolish the absolute satisfaction of Christ who hath paid the uttermost farthing This Doctrine makes Christ but a peece of a Saviour halfe a Iesus for every man must be a
but a veniall thing This will please the carnall man farre better than to tell him that he may not lye for Gods greatest glory and that the very first thought of stealing the least trifle is damnable But what is all this but to speake peace to the wicked man to whom the Lord saith there is no peace Esay 57. ult 5. Who would not be a Papist if that Doctrine were not prooved false by this Rule which offers release from sinnes and from hell yea offers the whole kingdome of heaven for money who would not sweare whore profane the Lords day rise up against Magistrates oppresse riot and addict himselfe to all villany if for a little money he may have a pardon for all his sinnes or suppose hee must needes goe a while into the kitchin of Purgatory yet for a little money or lands to the Church and Priests for Masses he is sure to be remooved to Gods parlour in heaven 6. In our whole courses let one Preacher come and call men to a diligent study of the word or to a strict observing of the whole Saboth let him seeke to pull out of mens mouthes their owne words out of their hands their cards or cuppes and injoyne them a constant sanctification of the Lords rest let him call them to the often receiving of the Sacrament and strict preparation to it let him call them to circumspection against the least sinne to zeale and profession in holinesse oh what a tedious and irksome Doctrine is all this Now farewell liberty sports and all good company what a precise fellow have wee gotten to make fooles of us c Let another Preacher as some such there be come and tell us A man may doe well enough without so much preaching and what should private men meddle so much with the Scripture That to spend the Saboth so religiously and strictly is Iewish and not so necessary That men may take some liberty to play and recreate themselves on the Saboth day That it is not good to be overforward in religion for that were to smell of purity and be too strict yea wise overmuch That Ministers may doe well and winne their people by being good companions That men be men not Angels nor God so strict in so small matters Here 's a man indeede that winnes the spurres hee carries Townes and Countries after him Here is a Preacher for our people as was once said of the Prophet that prophecies of wine and strong drinke But who is the true Preacher now by our Rule hee that carries the generall applause of the multitude or he that is the greater enemie to the liberty of the flesh Oh were we wise to apply this Rule Gods pure ordinances would get strength apace and our selves should thrive apace by the Doctrine we heare The sixth and last Rule for tryall of Doctrines is this That Doctrine which most soundly comforteth distressed consciences is the soundest and to be embraced For the end of all Scripture Rom. 15.4 is That we through patience and comfort might have hope and the Prophet Psal. 19.8 saith The testimonies of God rejoyce the heart The reason why God hath given learned tongues is to speake words of comfort to the weary And most excellent is that in Gal. 6.16 Peace shall be to him that walkes by this rule and mercy and upon the Israel of God The Gospell is a word of peace and glad tidings of salvation And therefore that Doctrine which brings the most welcome message to a distressed conscience is the true Doctrine most agreeable to the Gospell To make some application 1. We teach that a man may be certaine of his salvation in this life by an ordinary and speciall faith because faith assureth the soule of pardon of sinne and present favour of God and brings in comfort as Matth. 9.2 Iesus seeing their faith said Sonne be of good comfort thy sinnes are forgiven thee it brings peace and boldnesse with God Rom. 5.1 2. it brings in joy of faith unspeakable and glorious 1 Pet. 1.8 But the Papists and some amongst our selves hold there can be no such certainty of salvation but conjecturall and probable and deceitfull Bring this Doctrine to this Rule A poore soule afflicted in conscience sees nothing but Gods wrath and hell ready to swallow him hee is afraid of damnation which hee knowes he hath deserved whether hath more comfort for a Papist to tell him of the unspeakable love of God here is an emplaster and remedy but you must not be so presumptuous as to apply it all this increaseth the torment or for him that brings the emplaster to say here is the unspeakable love of God the unsearchable grace and merit of Christ here take and apply it holde the comfortable possession of Christ which enrighteth and entitleth you into the unchangeable love of God Here the heart rests not in the emplaster but in the application of it Popish Doctrine is like an emplaster to a broken bone but kept in the pocket 2. What uncomfortable Doctrine is it that they teach us to seeke life in the Law which is to seeke life in death because of our weaknesse Gal. 3.21 If there were a Law that could have given life righteousnesse should have beene by the Law Rom. 8.3 The Sonne of God supplyed what was impossible to the Law by the infirmity of our flesh What an uncomfortable Doctrine then is it that wee must place our hope in our owne righteousnesse and that the Gospell is nothing else but a more perfect Law than Moses was Surely if we ground our joy in our selves it shall be like that of Israel dancing before the Calfe of their owne making Exod. 32.16 as short and unsound 3. What an uncomfortable Doctrine is that of falling away from grace and out of Gods favour What comfort can I have of my faith and hope if of a true childe of God to day I may become a childe of the Divell and be cast into hell to morrow What glorious and unspeakable joy can there be in such a perswasion but rather a desperate feare of finall rejection No it is the continuance of our joy that makes it so unspeakable and this is the sure anchor of our hope that Gods love is unchangeable and he preserves us by his power to salvation saying as Isaac He is blessed and hee shall be blessed Gen. 27.33 and as Pilate in Christs superscription What I have written I have written Iohn 19.22 His Decrees are as the Lawes of the Medes and Persians which cannot be altered Dan. 6.8 Whom he once loves he loves to the end Ioh. 13.1 and also upholds them to love him to the end 4. What an uncomfortable Doctrine is it to a wounded soule that he must come upon paine of damnation once in a yeere and confesse all his sinnes to a Priest against whom hee hath not sinned hee must confesse a debt to him to whom he owes nothing and to him
thy selfe the Agent thou art a plaine infidell yea worse than an infidell there being no cure but by faith in the Divell thou hast runne out of thy calling hast cast off the yoake of God and by the hand and helpe of the Divell hast avoided the hand of God for the present to the scandall of thy brethren and the wounding of thine owne soule II. Many addict themselves to many sports and recreations on the Saboth day Oh the Saboth was made for man and not man for the Saboth c. But bring this to the forenamed Rules 1. Where hath God commanded it Sure we are hee hath commanded the sanctification of the Saboth day which is the whole and parts Is this to sanctifie a day to the Lord 2. Whether maketh more for Gods glory in whose sight we are Saboth-dayes duties or recreations whether dare wee pray rather for blessing and successe upon in which have we more comfort and would have God to finde us in 3. Whether beseemes a Christian better who is commanded to cease from his ordinary calling and lawfull vocation because they destroy the Saboths rest and much more sports and play lesse necessary whether is recreation for rest or labour Whence wee conclude that howsoever on the Saboth wee may and must rejoyce yet our rejoycing must be that of the Iewes Nehem. 8.12 that they understood the Law namely in things spirituall and holy III. Others worke and thinke they may in their callings in the morning and evening of the Saboth as some of our tradesmen and shop-keepers Bring this common practise to this Rule 1. Gods word is expresse Thou shalt doe no manner of worke Ier. 17.21 2. Hast thou God in thy presence he rested from all his worke 3. Doth it beseeme that profession which is heavenly Savours it of heavenly contemplation or base earthlinesse 4. Art not thou runne out of thy way seeing thy calling on the Saboth is wholly to cease from thy calling and doe no worke but workes of mercy and such as serve to preserve the Ministery and Gods worship 5. Is not the example as wicked as the action and the hurt to others more than the advantage to thy selfe 6. The Psalme for the Saboth directly meetes with this objection Psal. 92.1 It is a good thing to praise the Lord in the morning and to declare thy truth in the evening and in the night season 7. If a man plow and thresh on the Saboth day hee is counted a profaner of it an Atheist and so he is and why not hee also that labours at the racke or in the mill or the boate Alasse the profanesse of our dayes that he that is drunke diceth cardeth or sweares on the Saboth is counted honest and religious enough and those that passe their Saboth worse than beasts which though they can do nothing to sanctifie their rest yet doe they nothing to profane it are applauded whilest conscionable observers of it are scorned IV. For resorting to stage-playes and frequenting of places of idle resort and unlawfull games which would men bring to the Rule they should not be so frequented as they be 1. Gods word is that such filthinesse ought not to be named among Christians much lesse acted and that we ought to passe away all our time in feare and trembling 1 Pet. 1.17 2. God is there present to take account of every idle word and there is the passing of nothing but idle and hurtfull words against God and man and an holding of mens eares to them many houres together 3. Wouldest thou willingly he should take thee at a play or at cards or dice when hee comes to judgement 4. For one speciall circumstance Are not men there in womens apparell contrary to Deut. 22.5 5. For thy selfe thou art neither in thy generall nor in thy speciall calling and therefore art out of the way of Gods protection 6. For thy brethren as thou maintainest the Players or gaming houses or alleyes in an unlawfull calling so thou offendest others by thy example especially if thou beest a Master or Magistrate that abettest such ungodly and unlawfull courses thou sinnest by example against duty and decorum Oh let unthrifts so spend their time and not thou who shouldest punish and represse them V. The last instance concerneth our fashioning our selves in our apparell and behaviours both to the strange fashions of other countries or the fantasticall fashion of our owne 1. Gods word is Zeph. 1.8 I will visite the Princes and the Kings children and all such as are clothed with strang apparell How hath God visited the late strange fashion and coulor of yellow ruffes both in the deviser and first wearers on which God hath cast speciall reproach that in scorne not only chimney-sweepers but hang-men in their office taken it up which yet some will not be warned by 2. Whether doth thy conscience tell thee that thou art assured that strange and fantasticall fashions make thee as comely in Gods eye and to Iesus Christ whose spouse thou professest thy selfe to be And whether darest thou say thou glorifiest God by them Art thou sure thy conscience is neither erronious nor doubtfull 3. For the circumstances hast thou an eye to adorne thy profession with thy body Or doth it beseeme the profession of holinesse to runne through all lightfashions The Apostle 1 Tim. 2.9 commands womeâ— to aray themselves with modestie and good works as women professing the feare of God And garments should expresse the hidden man of the heart and shew the sober fashion of our minds and not the vain fashions of forrein Countries 4 For thy own person do these fashions argue thee to be a beleever whose cheif care is to adorne the soule Or canst thou thinke the Lord Iesus can be put on together with such fashions 5. For thy brethren how doest thou scandalize them offending some provoking others and bringing a blott of levitie upon thy selfe whose good name should bee a precious oyntment and whose course in this behalfe should favour of grace and gravitie sutable to the gravest presidents of good and godly women and the most sober of thy ranke and degree Object Some will be ready to turne off all this which hath ben sayd replying thus Alas man you are too precise your selfe and you would have vs so too wee cannot put on our clothes without you nor take any recreation without your leave no nor yet with it Answ. According to the text Try all things And can he be too strict or curious that must try every thing even the least Let me see that man that thinkes himselfe exempted from this precept or any of his wayes No no there is a strict Tryall and account behind and hee shall best fit it that is strictest in Tryall afore-hand Hold that which is good THis precept is aptly knit to the former and informeth us what we should doe after we have examined and tryed the truth and hath in it 1.
Church for whom it was purchased is honoured with this title to be the Pillar and keeper of truth 1 Tim. 3.15 for there in the Church fundamentall truth fitteth as on a rocky foundation And every good man is a part of that good ground described Luke 18.15 who with honest and good hearts heare the word of God and keepe it 4. No man but desires comfort when he most needeth it especially in the houre of death Now there is no surer way to provide and lay up comfort for these seasons than by carefull keeping the truth This ministred comfort to Paul 2 Tim. 4.7 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith c. The Scriptures are the wells of consolation Esay 12.3 5. It is not enough for a man that expects future salvation to heare know or professe the truth unlesse he abide and continue in it Hence saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15.2 Whereby yee are saved if ye keepe what I have preached unto you And our Saviour tyeth blessednesse not to those that heare the word of God but to them that keepe it Luke 11.28 This serves to confute the Schoolemen who have turned all Divinity into questions even the Articles of religion and fundamentall points are turned into Vtrums and a questionary Divinity from which no edification no proficiency in piety can be expected These be most of them vaine bablings and oppositions of science falsly so called 1 Tim. 6.20 As vaine as if a man should dispute whether the Sunne be risen at noone And yet in Popish Schooles and Churches he is not thought a teacher of any worth who is not a Quodlibetary and prepared to dispute pro et con of the least apex or iota in Divinity So as nothing can be so certaine or grounded but they must call it into question and boldly dispute and propound opposite reasons which is farre from this precept of Holding that which is good A farre safer way they might learne of the Turkes who suffer not a word of their Alcaron to be called in question under paine of death Secondly this reprooves many of our ordinary hearers who are farre to seeke in this precept 1. Some come and heare much good and wholesome doctrine but hold little or none of it but are like the tunnell that takes in the liquor at one end to let it out at the other so many take in the word with one eare and let it out at the other yea some that seeme to take some content and delight in the word while they heare keepe as little as the other whom wee cannot compare fitlier than to the sive in the water so long as it stayes there it is full of water but take it out it keepes never a drop so many longer than the Church holdes them they hold nothing for an after-use For how comes it to passe that many men are so grosly ignorant of many principles of religion some not knowing at 60 yeares of age whether Christ was a man or no wherein they have beene often instructed but because they thinke it enough to heare and not to keepe How have many lost many worthy things in which they have beene greatly strengthened and comforted but because they made no conscience to keepe what they seemed to have 2. Some can heare and seeme to keepe something if they can carpe or catch any thing either to feede their owne corruption or to heape their displeasure upon the head of their teacher Ahab could remember that Micaiah never prophecyed good unto him Oh such a man spake many yeares agoe against our government he tolde us of our trades buying and selling setting of rackes and vatts on the Saboth day hee was busie with our fashions and habits our games and recreations hee speakes inconsideratly and uncharitably And a great deale such they can holde and mutter some foure or five yeares after as if they were spoken but yesterday But aske such men what was the text of the last Sermon you heard but two dayes agoe you put them into a study and after a long pause and rubbing their memory they will perhaps tell you they doe not remember These men are like the boulter poke which lets out the finest flowre and if there be any bran or huskes will be sure to keepe it And most opposite to our rule because they catch and hold not that which is good but that which is worst and most hurtfull The proud man will hold his fashions and the foole his folly though you bray him in a morter and the ambitious his errour if it will adde but one cubit to his height and state in this world 3. There is a kinde of Academicall and Skepticall Christians who notwithstanding all their hearing are unstaid and unsettled in their judgements and courses such as holde all things in suspence and question that they may admit of any thing that may make for their profit or preferment who walke not certainely in wisdomes way for that doth try all things and keepes that which is good and how can he hold any good thing that holds not the rule of good which is the word Thirdly let us frame our selves to this so necessary precept to hold the good lessons which are delivered unto us And for our direction herein we will consider 1. The Rules of holding good 2. The Meanes of holding good 3. The motives thereunto The first is in the Text Hold Doctrine after examination when we have tryed it to be good and sound 2 Tim. 3.14 Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and art perswaded thereof for the very keeping of good is not acceptable except it be out of faith and sound judgement The Pharisies thought they did God good service not onely in their devotions but in their revenges and murders of the Saints but all our service must be reasonable Rom. 12. 2. Rule Hold onely the good for the extent of keeping reacheth onely to good because many keepe some good but some evill also with it The Iewes will worship God in the Temple but keepe their high places and altars too Papists will admit of Christ but not part with Moses they will worship God and Christ but Idolls too Many Protestants will serve Christ and Mammon too would walke in the Spirit and in the flesh both at once and thinke themselves excused because they hold some good although mixed with some evill 3. Rule Hold all that is good Some will not sweare or curse often and ordinarily but sometimes nor by great oathes but ordinarily by smaller but the rule is Sweare not at all Some will sanctifie some part of the Lords day but if they hold all good they must sanctifie the whole day as the Lord did Magistrates will hold some good and looke to civill peace and justice but if they did hold all good they would looke as carefully to duties of the first table to
loseth the word in temptation we must arme our selves against the tryalls of the truth and having obtained to beleeve we must also get of God strength to suffer for his sake The third generall proposed is Motives to hold that which is good 1. Let us consider how little we have kept heretofore of all that wee have heard If a man lay coyne or jewells in a chest and afterward come and finde none in it he will presently conclude certainly a theefe hath beene here so may wee in these losses certainly the Divell hath beene here Looke to it more narrowly 2. This is all the commendation of a Christian 1 Cor. 11.2 I commend you that you keepe the ordinances as I delivered A good husband will keepe and save his stocke yea and increase it 3. Keepe them and they will keepe thee as Salomon saith Prov. 4.6 Forsake not wisdome and she shall keepe thee Hold them and they shall uphold thee love her and she shall preserve thee keepe them safe and they will keepe thee Iohn 8.26 If the Sonne set you free ye shall be free indeede that is from errours in doctrine and corruptions of life So long as we keepe the word we cannot fall quite away because the seede of God abideth in us 4. There is no such losse in the world as to lose the good things that thou seemest to lay hold on Losse of wealth of honour of children is nothing to the losse of spirituall good things A man had better lose all the seede he sowes upon his ground than the good seeede sowne in his heart Better for a man to lose all the joyes and pleasures of the world than the joy of his salvation Better to lose all the labour of his calling and put all his gaines in a broken bagge than lose what hee hath wrought in his generall calling Therefore suffer the word of exhortation 2. Iohn 8. Looke to your selves that ye lose not the things you have done but may have a full reward 5. Let us consider that this is more necessary for us than for any seeing Satans aime and scope is to make great places and townes more backward and carelesse to hold good things than others Hee sets his throne in great places because he knowes that thence wickednesse shall be plentifully derived into the Country round about as tradesmen doe their wares Wee for example sake must labour to know love and obey the truth that Gods throne may be set up every where that our godlinesse and obedience may come abroad and provoke others Let it be said of other great places that pride pleasure and profit choake the word and that there is but a forme of godlinesse without power Let us stirre up our selves to our first beginnings our first diligence in receiving the Gospell Object No doubt but we shall keepe good things Answ. 1. You are indeede that which you are in tryall You hardly keepe them while you have good meanes what would you doe if the meanes were gone 2. What if tryall should come as wee may justly feare it could wee then stand Oh now lay a good foundation provide for it that thou faint not in the day of adversity VERSE 22. Abstaine from all appearance of evill AS a carefull father who is come to the end of his life hath but a while to speake and therefore heapeth up his lessons shortly together which he would have his sonnes remember when hee is gone So the Apostle here drawing to the end of this Epistle heapes together his most necessary precepts in short manner as knowing what a friend brevity is to memory God who hath put an infinite distance and disproportion betweene light and darknesse betweene which as the Apostle saith there can be no communion their natures being so fully abhorring hath under that similitude shewed how hee hath separated and put as great contrariety betweene good and evill truth and falshood which are a spirituall kinde of light and darknesse so as they can never agree in one subject but where light comes darknesse is chased before it and when darknesse succeedes the light gives place unto it And as darknesse is the privation of light so evill is the absence of of good and as it is impossible for a man at the same time to be both good and evill so neither can he affect evill and good at the same time but if hee will hold that which is good he must abstaine from the contrary evill or if he will not abstaine from evill let him never professe the holding of good Whence not onely this Scripture but many other joyne these two by an inseperable band Psal. 34.14 Eschew evill and doe good Esay 1.16 Cease to doe evill learne to doe well Rom. 12.9 Abhorre that which is evill and cleave to that which is good And here Hold what is good Abstaine from all appearance of evill for there can be no holding of good if a man withhold not himselfe from evill 1. By evill is meant whatsoever departeth from the rule of good and 2. by abstaining is meant refraining or removing a mans selfe from it as farre as may be so the word is used Matth. 15.8 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Their heart wandreth farre from mee 3. The Apostle saith not Abstaine from evill but from the appearance of evill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or species is that which seemes to be a thing but is not a shape or representation of a thing rather than a thing it selfe So the same word is used Iohn 5.37 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yee saw not his shape 4. The extent of the proposition all appearance yet more helpeth us to the true sense of the words which requires of us to runne as fast away from whatsoever hath any shew of evill as if it were evill in it selfe for the same word is used 1 Pet. 2.11 Abstaine from fleshly lusts and in 1 Thess. 4.3 the will of God is that ye abstaine from fornication All noting that we must avoid the least shew of evill with the same care that wee doe the greatest evill it selfe and even all shews as making conscience of all Christians must not onely avoid that which is apparantly evill but that also which seemeth to be evill or may carry some evill with it though it selfe be be not so For the explaining hereof we must know that in every action there bee three things First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the action or evill it selfe whether it be an evill of doctrine or manners as all false doctrine heresie superstition and all sinnes of all sorts which stand not in conformity with the law This is not so much aymed in the text Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the leaders incentives or moovers of our selves or others unto any sinne so Eves looking on the Apple was not in it selfe evill but so farre as it drew on her appetite yea her conference with the Serpent and Adams with her in that subject
presence with us confounds us unlesse the sense of his grace and favour susteine us and hence our Lord taught us to begin our prayer with this title Our Father 3. Our chiefe unhappinesse were to be neare God if hee be not at peace with us for our God offended is a consuming fire Then wee must beware of sinne which is the breach of peace betweene God and us especially before prayer let every one that calls upon the name of the Lord depart from iniquity 2. Wee must acknowledge our happinesse to consist in our peace with God Make peace with him and thou shalt have prosperity Iob 22.21 If they of Tyrus and Sidon made so much of outward peace that they by all meanes desired it of Herod and if the Iewes having by Felix obtained outward peace and quiet acknowledged it wholly in all places with all thankes much more should wee for spirituall inward and heavenly peace Secondly in our prayers we must labour to conceive of God in such Attributes as may strengthen our faith in our speciall suites Behold him not onely the God of all grace 1 Pet. 5.10 but of this and that particular grace 1. To this end the Scripture denominates him from particular vertues that in the want of any of thē we may resort to him confidently as the Scripture stileth him the God of love the God of patience the God of hope the God of all consolation of wisdome c. that in our want of any speciall grace wee may cast our eye upon these titles or Attributes 2. The Scriptures are stored with many names and titles of God that we might so conceive of him affected to us in our prayers as hee hath declared himselfe to be Doe wee begge the accomplishment of any promise come to him in the name IEHOVAH who gives being as to all things so to his promises Doe wee pray for any thing but see many things stand in the way of our good publike or private now come to him in the name of EL a strong God who can quickly bring mountaines to plaines and effect by a mighty power whatsoever he will Lacke we any blessing and are destitute of all meanes and comfort now come to him in the name of of EL-SHADDAI I am God All-sufficient and that is meanes enough Findest thou thy selfe beset with severall wickednesses and armies of wicked Angels in high places and invironed with temptations or dangers now come to him in the name of EL-TSEBAOTH Lord of hosts who hath armies of Angels to set round about the tents of his people this name of the Lord is an assured strength when the righteous fly unto it Hast thou received any blessing or promise now come to him in the name IAH as wee are commanded Psal. 135. who is thy good Lord and bountifull benefactour If the Apostles had neede thus to encourage their prayers much more wee Whosoever would have true peace must have it from the God of peace as he that would have water must goe to the well or fountaine Iob 22.21 Acquaint thy selfe with God be at peace with him so shalt thou have prosperity The Apostles in all their salutations pray for peace from God and from our Lord Iesus Christ. 1. Because God himselfe and our Lord Iesus challenge this peace to be their owne prerogative to give neither can it be had elsewhere For the former as God is called the God of peace 2 Cor. 13.11 c. so this peace is called the peace of God Col. 3.15 Phil. 4.7 as whereof he is the sole Authour For the latter our Saviour saith to his Disciples Ioh. 14.27 My peace I give unto you my peace I leave with you not as the world giveth give I unto you Where he first challengeth it to be his owne having clearely purchased it Secondly his owne to give men may wish peace but he can give it men wish the peace of God or Christ he gives his owne Thirdly hee sheweth that this peace cannot be elsewhere had not as the world giveth plainly distinguishing his peace from the worlds both in the gift and the manner of giving The world 1. gives a kinde of peace but that is a false peace mine is a true peace 2. That is a peace in externall things mine in internall 3. That is temporary and inconstant mine lasting yea everlasting For your joy shall none take away from you 4. That is given most to wicked men for the world loves her owne but this is given onely to beleevers being a fruite of faith against whom the world bends all her forces 5. That peace is against Gods glory and indeede the worlds peace is the keenest warre against God the very foment and cherisher of lusts and impiety This peace is for God and his glory and a warre against sinne a cherisher of grace and piety 6. That peace ends in destruction though men cry peace peace c. This is given for salvation and for the fruition of perfect peace 2. As this peace is onely Gods to give so is it onely the portion of the children of God who are called sonnes of peace this is onely childrens bread and must not be cast to doggs Matth. 15.26 And it is a gift of promise Gal. 6.16 Peace shall be to all the Israel of God Such onely as have God for their Father and the Church for their Mother have right unto this and that because they be sonnes Esay 54.13 Much peace shall be to her children that is of the Church and because they be beleevers for this peace is the fruite and undivided companion of faith Rom. 5.3 leaning upon the mercie of God in Iesus Christ for the pardon of sinne The wicked man hath none of this peace of God because he hath not mercy nor grace with the God of peace The seate and place where this peace resteth prooves plainly that it is a proper and peculiar gift of God and that is the heart soule and conscience which none can reach but God himselfe Col. 3.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The peace of God must take the chiefe command in the heart and Phil. 4.7 The peace of God which passeth all understanding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall preserve your hearts A military word taken from souldiers that come in to ayde an army so this peace shall bring ayde to the heart and strengthen it when Satan and sinne and temptation and persecution lay siege to it And who else can revive the heart but he that made it Who can reach comfort to the conscience but the Lord of it Who can say to the soule I have pardoned thy sinne but the Lord the party against whom it is committed and so pacifie it Who can worke faith in the heart but the Spirit of God and who can preserve this gift there being by so many enemies surprised but the hand that creates it by the power of which we are preserved to salvation 1 Pet. 1.5
Then are wicked men most unhappy who being estranged from the God of peace can have no true peace Esay 57.21 The wicked are like the raging sea that cannot rest whose waters cast up myre and dyrt there is no peace to the wicked man saith my God Object Who have more peace than they they have outward prosperity and abundance even what their hearts can wish and their consciences within are quiet and they die like lambes c. Answ. 1. Their outward prosperity deserves not the name of peace it is at the best but a truce with God 2. They be not inwardly so quiet as they seeme there is a conscience within that sometime tells them unpleasant tales and tidings 3. When it is quiet it is not at peace but benummed slumbring or feared and shall one day be wakened and as a wilde beast fly in the face of his master 4. All this seeming peace being not in God but against God must needes be 1. uncertaine as a dreame Iob 20.5.7 or as the crackling of thornes under a pot Eccles. 7.6 2. Vnsound in the face not in the heart In laughter the heart is heavy Pro. 14.13 or at least hath cause so to be 3. Miserable in the end Their Sun must fall at noon Amos 8.9 their end is woful yea fulnes of wo and therefore let us never affect nor extoll this peace This reprooves such as content themselves with a kinde of peace but contemne God the Authour of true and lasting peace Many affect peace but not that which is an effect of Gods mercy in Iesus Christ whereas the foundation of all true peace is our peace with God through the Prince of peace Iesus Christ. Many content themselves to be counted peaceable men quiet neighbours who never tooke the course to attaine this true peace which is gotten by sorrow strife and warre against sinne by stirring up the heart to embrace the promâ—ses of the Gospell and to beleeve the truth of Gods word by going to God in frequent and fervent prayer by hungring after reconciliation and mercy above all things in the world Againe if thou hast attained this peace of conscience be thankfull and blesse the God of peace for since that old Serpent had disturbed the peace of heaven from which hee was cast downe with his Angels his next worke was to dissolve the peace on earâ—h by plucking man from his God whereby Satan the Authour of all enmity hath corrupted the whole nature of man and ever since hath watered these seedes and brought them forward so as all the sonnes of Adam are children of wrath turned naked into the fury of God and ly under the same as vessels filled with wrath and the fruites of it in his soule minde conscience will and all his motions being at enmiâ—y with God with his owne happy estate with all the creatures And this is our estate of nature till it pleased God by his Sonne Iesus Christ called the Lord of peace to lay the foundations of our peace in his blood and to bestow the blessed Spirit in the hearts of beleevers witnessing peace betweene God and us by the which Spirit now renewing their hearts they become sonnes of peace united againe unto God at agreement in themselves and in all their faculties and knit and joynted together among themselves in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace Quest. My conscience I thanke God is quiet and still but how may I know it to be true and sound peace that I may rest in it and be thankfull for it Answ. 1. The question is the more necessary because every quiet conscience is not a good conscience and every peace in the conscience is not from the God of peace A dead peece of flesh pricke it with a needle it feeles nothing So that is a dead conscience which feeles no sinne nothing at all but that is a pacified conscience which is alive and indeed feeles sinne but forgiven and apprehendeth God not onely offended but now againe pacified 2. A dead man is quiet enough makes no noyse or motion So a dead conscience may be still but sound peace of conscience is comfortable and hath joy and refreshing in it as a man at a feast it rejoyceth that it hath gotten a sweete glimpse of light and favour from God it rejoyceth in that it hath got a sight of Iesus Christ and in that happy present condition it hath by him obtained These are sound causes of peace and quietnesse 3. Sound peace from the God of peace hath sound fruites and effects as well as sound causes A conscience may be quiet because for the present it hath no enemy disturbing it and no molestation because the strong man hath carried all away But a good conscience is therefore peaceable because it is strong and stirring in temptation it outstandeth and hath prevailed against temptations 4. A bad conscience may be quiet because of the darknesse or senslesnesse of it for it neither sees nor feares any danger it sees not the offence of God by sinne nor feares his wrath and damnation though never so justly deserved But sound peace of conscience sees the offence of a Father and feareth now transgression more than damnation 5. A sleepy conscience may be so much the more quiet because it can secure it selfe from the worlds enmity which hateth nothing but the light It can avoid persecution and sleepe secure as we say on both sides But sound peace of conscience sheweth it selfe most in greatest afflictions and persecutions and makes the Saints sing in sorrow and rejoyce in suffering for the name of Christ as Paul and Silas in prison and the Apostles rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Iesus Acts 5.41 Here is the peace of Christ himselfe which when the world by all meanes of persecution and indignities seeke to interrupt it as in our head himselfe yet none can take it away whereas light persecution sends packing the peace of hypocrites who are soone unsettled 3. If the God of peace have possessed thee with this sweete peace make much of it preserve it do nothing to disturb or forfeit this happy peace or to provoke God to withdraw it Rules of furtherance herein 1. Beware of security peace is maintained by an expectation and preparation for warre Many are the examples of them who by a secure peace have lost peace and all Therfore preserve in thee a feare of not offending God 2. Beware of falling into any grosse actuall sinne How did David and Peter disturbe their peace by foule sinnes And daily experience shewes that the godly are often by Gods just correction for sinne sometimes inwardly sometimes outwardly as men set on a racke or in an hell of horrours and sorrowe till they undoe by repentance some foule offence witnesse the 32 and 51 Psalmes especially presumptuous sinnes prevaile against our peace 3. Prepare and arme we our selves against temptation for
to grow up in holinesse as plants and children naturally grow so also doe the children of God being planted in his courts To helpe us herein we will somewhat at large consider three things 1. Meanes of obtaining a full measure of holinesse 2. Markes of one that hath attained it 3. Motives to provoke us thereunto The meanes are five I. Meditation and sound consideration concerning 1. God 2. thy selfe 3. grace it selfe First in God thinke 1. of his will 1 Thess. 4.3 This is the will of God even your sanctification We ought to follow God if he should call us through hell it selfe much more in the sweete practise of sanctification which hath a happy fruite 2. Of his promises 2 Cor. 7.1 Seeing we have these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and grow up unto full holinesse All the promises are made to the practisers of holinesse Matth. 5.8 Blessed are the pure in heart 3. Of his glory which thou oughtest by all thy endeavour to promote being the end of thy life and of thy selfe but herein especially is our heavenly Father glorified when our light shines before men Matth. 5.16 Secondly in thy selfe consider these things 1. In thy creation thou receivedst a soule a body faculties and sences with parts and members from him and in him thou now livest movest and hast thy being and canst thou doe him too much service in them Doth any man build an house but he will looke to dwell in it Doth any plant an orchard or vineyard and not looke for usefull fruites to himselfe Thy selfe art Gods house thy soule Gods garden and doth not hee expect not onely fruite of holinesse but much fruite 2. In thy redemption the end of which was not onely to deliver thee from the condemnation of sinne but from thy vaine conversation 1 Pet. 1.18 redemption is not onely from the guilt and punishment but from the service and corruption of sinne and sanctification is an inseperable companion of justification 3. In thy life and present estate thou art a Christian and professest Christian religion which onely prescribes the rule of holy life whereby thou must walke thou must life like a Christian that hast communion with Christ that walkest in the light as hee is in the light 1 Iohn 1.5 that hast the Spirit of Christ which perfecteth daily his owne worke and beautifieth his owne dwelling 4. In thy death and future estate remember thou must die and onely holinesse of heart and life shall attend thy soule when all things else shall leave it and without holinesse thou shalt never see God Heb. 12.14 If death shall leave thee unholy the last judgement shall so find thee So therefore live now as thou maist ever live hereafter Thirdly meditate on the grace and worke of holinesse it selfe 1. what a difficult worke it is and therefore thou must goe seriously about it oh the worke of mortification is a painefull work a man cannot die without paine no more can the olde man sinne hath a strong heart and is loath to die and therefore as to die is no dallying matter so he that meanes to dally in this businesse shall never happily proceede in the degrees of holinesse 2. What an excellent worke it is for hereby we shall be daily partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.3 which is not in respect of the nature and essence of God which is incommunicable but in respect of the most excellent and precious qualities and gifts bestowed by the Spirit of God on those that are regenerate wherein we shall be like unto our heavenly Father and grow up to the similitude of Iesus Christ till he shall be all in all unto us II. Meanes of growing to a full measure of holinesse is in our Text Prayer First for the grace it selfe Psal. 51.10 Create in me a cleane heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Secondly for the increase of the grace Phil. 1.9 And this I pray that yee may abound yet more and more in knowledge and judgement verse 11. being filled with the fruites of righteousnesse 1 Thess. 3.13 The Lord make your hearts stable and unblameable in holinesse Thirdly for continuance and confirmation in grace as in the Text. Ephes. 3.14 I bow the knee that yee may be strengthened by the Spirit in the inner man Psal. 51.12 Oh stablish me with thy free Spirit Let it be thy daily prayer as Davids Psal. 86.11 O Lord knit my heart unto thee let thy good Spirit leade mee even to the land of the living Fourthly for a blessing on the meanes of grace Psal. 119.18 Open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy Law III. Meanes An holy use of the word and Sacraments For the word in generall Iohn 15.3 Now you are cleane by the word which I have spoken unto you and chap. 17.17 Father sanctifie them in thy truth thy word is truth Rom. 1.15 by preaching the Gospell the righteousnesse of God is revealed from faith to faith Now there be in the word foure things which specially helpe forward our sanctification 1. The commandements and precepts Psal. 119.4 Thou hast commanded that wee should keepe thy precepts diligently These let us see what wee ought to ayme at and how farre we are off from our duty 2. The promises and comforts of it Psal. 19.11 In keeping of them there is great reward Revel 20.6 Blessed and happy is hee that hath part in the first resurrection on such the second death hath no power 3. The threats and denunciations of judgement that are in it Revel 22.15 Without shall be dogges and enchanters and whoremongers and murtherers and idolaters and whosoever loveth or maketh lyes 2 Pet. 3.11 Seeing all these things shall be dissolved what manner of persons ought we to be in holy conversation and godlinesse 4. The examples that are in it Heb. 12.1 Seeing we are compassed with such a cloud of witnesses let us cast off every thing that presseth downe and the sinne that hangeth fast on us Examples of holy men will make us trust in God Psal. 22.4 Our forefathers trusted in thee and thou didst deliver them this confirmeth our confidence Godly women must shew the holy and hidden man of the heart as Sarah did 1 Pet. 3.5 Observe in the reading or hearing of the word these particulars for the decay of corruption and the increase of sanctification The Sacraments or visible words helpe forward sanctification because by baptisme we are borne into the Church and notably it both representeth and sealeth our mortification and quickning Rom. 6.4 and by the Lords Supper wee are fed and nourished in the grace of the covenant in faith love and comfortable assurance IV. Meanes Godly company That man goes apace in the grace of sanctification who is a companion as David of all them that feare God Psal. 119.63 Now godly company furthereth sanctification 3 wayes 1.
doe them Happy is that man that his conscience tells him that his will is now framed to Gods will and in regard of Evangelicall obedience which stands in true purposes and endeavours hee may say since the time of his calling unto the grace of the Gospell with the Apostle Acts 23.1 I have lived in all good conscience untill this day 3. It must be a peaceable conscience in that hee hath done or not done it is at peace with God and with it selfe This is when it excuseth the person aright both for his person and for his actions First for his person as now reconciled justified accepted Secondly his actions as having a true desire and endeavour to please God in all things Now the conscience being truly peaceable it riseth up to be truly joyfull which makes the heart merry and cheerefull as a continuall feast neither wants he any good cheare that hath it Prov. 15.15 Nor wants hee good company that hath a good conscience he can rejoyce alone without all other company or comforts The heart is held up in absence of all worldly comforts and in presence of all worldly evills and none can take away the joy of it 4. It must be a watchfull not a sleepy conscience a waking not a remorslesse conscience 1. It watcheth against all sinne both to be committed and as a faithfull monitor pulls the Master backe As also for sinne already committed and smites with remorse and biting as David I have done very foolishly Object But doth not a bad conscience shew some remorse after sinne what else did Iudas Answ. Yes but with this difference 1. A bad conscience hath some scratch on the outside and sometimes a deeper gash and an incurable wound but it never goes on to godly sorrow as a good conscience doth 2. It seekes not to the remedy but sinkes under the burden the wound bleedes to death as in Iudas Secondly a good conscience watcheth to all good duties and occasions desirous to please God in all things and at all times according to the conscience enlightened This pure clearing peaceable and waking conscience is necessary to an unblameable and renewed spirit Thirdly seeing the true evidences of the purenesse and holy temper of the spirit are holy and well guided thoughts wee must carefully looke to our thoughts and cogitations Here 1. Choose them so as thou be sure thy heart be a receptacle of holy thoughts examine them whence they come and whither they goe and by examination thou shalt finde some vaine and evill thoughts these thou must hate all of them Psal. 119.113 And if thou hatest them put away the evill of your thoughts and Ier. 4.4 Let the wicked forsake his thoughts knowing that evill thoughts are as damnable as evill actions Acts 8.22 pray if thy thoughts may be forgiven which implies guilt Some thou shalt finde wandering roving thoughts which must be taken up as vagrants and corrected lest as Dinah thou be defiled and corrupted with fleshly lusts passe them away quickly Some other thou shalt find idle thoughts but unnecessary send them away harbour no idle thoughts nor yet cast them out without censure and disgrace Some are perhaps lawfull but lesse necessary put these of till another time that the more necessary may take up the roome Some are unruly thoughts rising up against against God or men thoughts of infidelity of revenge dishonourable thoughts against Gods servants and ordinances all such disordered and proude thoughts must be brought into the subjection of God 1 Cor. 10.4 2. Watch them well being so infinite so quick and nimble and in so secret a place being also so slippery so soone interrupted and corrupted by idlenesse by society loosenesse of senses roving of affections unallowed objects therefore set a sharpe eye upon them and seeing that will not serve bring them under Gods eye keepe them close to God for as the husbands eye and presence is the best way to preserve the wives chastity so the heart betrothed to God carrying it selfe in his sight is not easily polluted with strange and uncleane lusts To enforce this watch know it differenceth from an hypocrite First an hypocrite can watch over words and actions in respect of man but a godly man watcheth over his thoughts onely the true sanctified man makes conscience of the tenth commandement for the government of his thoughts and desires Secondly it differenceth from a wicked man who dare not act many evils but none so foule but hee dare insatiably minde and contemplate them Here is a difference whereas wicked men are most carelesse of their thoughts the godly have most complained of them Rom. 7. and then have beene most truly comforted in them whiles the conscience of thoughts hath beene a true triall of their sincerity 3. Labour to feede thy thoughts 1. with the sweetest 2. with the most necessary objects First the sweetest objects are heavenly things Col. 3.1 Seeke the things which are above Iesus Christ and his merits the happinesse of heaven and the chiefe good which is God himselfe O how might the minde be fed and ravished with these contemplations what sweetnesse might a man sweeten and season the dayes of his vanity withall if he would minde heavenly things and thinke on the way thither Is it not a description of ancient beleevers to thinke on his name Mal. 3.16 Secondly the most necessary profitable thoughts are 1. to thinke often of our sinnes both to call to minde some sinne past unrepented as also to prevent some sinne thrusting in 2. To thinke on good duties to excite to some duty neglected and to apprehend occasion and season of some offered unto us 3. Of the vanity of this life and our departure hence 4. Of Gods comming to judgement and our finall account and reckoning Prov. 14.22 To them that thinke on good things shall be mercy and truth Now whereas some thinke thoughts free and others conceit liberty and impossibility and most no necessity of this guiding the conscience and thoughts To them I say First as thoughts be so are words and actions out of the heart commeth thefts adulteries therefore rectifie these Secondly good thoughts are evidences of the Spirits presence being his immediate motions wee of ourselves not able to thinke one good thought 1 Cor. 2.5 Thirdly God will call them to strict account and in judgement make inquisition after them their thoughts shall accuse or else excuse one another Rom. 2.15 Fourthly even good thoughts are recompenced David had but a thoughts to build the house of God and God rewarded it with building him an house and stablishing him a kingdome 2 Sam. 7.16 and Psal. 32. I thought I would confesse my sinne and thou forgavest me all The Prodigall thought to returne and his father thought to meete him Thus carry thy thoughts begin the day with holy thoughts and meditations which is a sweete seasoning In the night call them in to thinke of God
and holy things adde prayer to keepe them in temper 2 Chron. 18.29 Fourthly The memory must be made and kept unblameable And that is two wayes 1. When we keepe in fresh memory our sinnes and declinings so farre as to be humbled for them A corrupt memory is the corruption of the whole man Deut. 9.7 Remember and forget not how thou provokedst the Lord to anger in the wildernesse The memory is Gods register and officer and though now there be none in office yet in the day of Christ it will bring forth the records which seemed to be lost a prelude and taste whereof wee see in such as are distressed in conscience 2. When we keepe good lessons in our memory Rev. 3.3 Remember how thou hast received and heard and hold fast and repent II. Directions to keepe the soule unblamable Every man may holde himselfe bound in conscience and charged by God with the safe custody of his owne soule under God Deut. 4.9 Take heede to thy selfe and keepe thy soule diligently A man would be loath to forfeit a joynt of his body by heedlesnesse how carefully doe men looke to their eyes heads hands and every member and the least part of the body and yet more carefully to the whole body and this nature teacheth every man But is not the soule that better part that calls for so much more care and circumspection and this grace teacheth us to keepe our soule above all for if a man lose his soule what recompence shall he give for it Now because that in the soule is included 1. the heart 2. the will 3. our affections all these faculties in the soule must be kept safe as the soule it selfe and layes upon us a necessity to watch them narrowly First for the keeping of thy heart the precept is â—eep thy heart with al diligence for thence issueth life or death the chiefe part of the body is heart the fountaine of life and the chiefe care is to keepe that sound so the soule the heart desires and choyces are to be chiefly intended for thence are the issues of life or death And indeed according to the well tending or neglect hereof the constant course of holinesse is either furthered or hindered Besides nature in the framing of mans body begins with the heart and the liver and other inward vitalls and comes last to the face and other outward parts teaching us the method in grace where to begin our frame keepe the heart well and unblameable and all will be well And for this end observe some rules Fist therefore if thou wilt keepe thy heart unblameable thou must keepe it humble it must be an humble and contrite heart that God will not reject and a broken heart is a sacrifice of Gods delight the soundnesse of the heart is the through breaking of it the plow of the law must rend up the fallowes of our hearts and fit it for seede this must helpe both the rotting and rooting of the weedes Ier. 4.4 This is called a melted heart in Iosiah for as golde can never be approoved and purified before it be melted no more can the heart till it be a melted heart It is called the circumcision of the heart with circumcision not made with hands Col. 2.11 wherein the foreskinne of the heart is removed sinfull flesh and beloved lusts are wounded the party put to paine and made sore as the Sichemites in parting with a peece of his owne flesh This exercise of painefull mortification of sinne is the entrance into possession of a good heart and the grounds of all soundnesse in religion whereas they onely prove unsound and rumous in religion who never were soundly humbled nor traded in selfe-deniall as that building when the foolish builder would not be at paine to diggge deepe whereby to lay a firme and sure foundation Secondly then see thy heart be not onely an humble heart but a cleane heart Blessed are the pure in heart Matth. 5. striving after inward purity as well as outward For these an hypocrite can resist an hypocrite can wash the outside and may seeme to others to be pure and blamelesse But an heart desirous to free it selfe from blame deadly hates naturall pollutions filthinesse of heart vile thoughts and lusts and because it cannot be cleane without faith which is an inward purifier it labours for the increase of faith in the meanes to apprehend Christs merits and holinesse And because the word is a meanes of purifying and cleansing the heart as Psal. 119.9 and Christ saith they are all cleane by the word he will shew himselfe in embracing the word in heeding of it and framing himselfe according to the rules of it and apply his heart unto it And because a fusty vessell is not fit for sweete waters he will still and still be cleansing his heart that it may be capable of the word And because by nature the heart is foule and doth every day contract some filthinesse wash it with the blood of Christ and get neare unto Christ to have part in his holinesse and get the beesome of the Law to sweepe it daily and by the exercise of repentance and mortification daily part with the uncleannesse of flesh and spirit Thirdly see it be a single and sincere heart called a true heart Heb. 10.22 Let us draw neere to God with a true heart void of guile of deceit of dissimulation with such an heart as Nathaniels was commended by Christ a true Israelite in whom was no guile This is the heart of Gods delight 1 Chron. 29.17 Now you shall know the singlenesse of it 1. By this it is not one heart in one estate in one company and another in another but the same in sicknesse and health on the Saboth and on the weeke day the same in tryall as in peace but if there be any difference a single heart will be better in a bad age and most carefull among a most carelesse generation true grace is like light it shines brightest in the darkest roome and like fire hottest in the coldest and sharpest weather 2. You shall know a good heart by this it cares rather to bee good than seeme so it is more carefull to have grace than seeme to have it it doth not onely abstaine from evill but abhorre it Rom. 12.9 True godlinesse and soundnesse of heart consists in the power of godlinesse it doth not onely forbeare the sinne it loved but loathes it as the sicke stomack-doth loathe that meate most that it once surfeited on and what once cast up it ever hateth it 3 It will be religious alone and if it cannot get company it will be singular â— good heart will walke to heaven alone if it cannot get company it would rather have company but if it cannot it will rather goe alone to heaven than any where else with company Ioshuah saith I will goe my way if you will not goe with me I will not goe
yours As for me I and my house will serve the Lord. And Lot in the midst of a naughty generation did not follow that patterne but walked alone in his owne way Eliah stood alone for the worship of God and in Iohn 11. Mary desired that her sister would come and sit with her at Christs feete but she will sit downe alone if Martha will not so a good heart will if it can get company to heaven and be glad of it but if it cannot it will goe alone But a false heart will looke at rulers at rich men at safety among men at lawes at multitudes and cannot abide the reproach of singularity Fourthly see thy heart be well watched for it will soone be bowed away from God 1. Suspect the deceit of it for it is deceitfull above all things Ierem. 17.9 therefore thou must looke well to it and to the flipperinesse of it it will deceive thee else deale with it as with an untrusty fellow set a watchfull eye over him to keepe him from his flippery trickes 2. Watch it in the first motions of sinfull thoughts for these being admitted defile the man and make him justly blameable Matth. 15.18 Consider that a godly man is said to have right thoughts Prov. 12.5 and that his desires are onely good chap. 11.23 not that his heart is quite empty of evill motions and desires but hee resists and fights against them he hates them and repents of them and God imputes them not 3. Watch it in the least sinnes as well as in the greatest for he that is unjust in the least is unjust in much a pilferer will easily purloyne a greater booty Yea watch it well not onely in sinnes that bring no benefit but in those that are somewhat beneficiall not onely in things our inclinations or occasions carry us not unto but those which run with the streame of nature Herod will doe many things but leaves not Herodias Iehu destroyes Baal but not the calves for that was now dangerous hee feared the people and walked for all this in Ieroboams sin that set them up 4. Because thy watch is not sufficient set it under Gods watch keepe thy heart in Gods presence set thy selfe still in his sight and thou shalt not sinne Shall I doe this saith Ioseph and sinne against God Walke with God as Henoch did and avoid blame Fifthly let thy heart be a right ordered heart carried in the wayes of God and this will leade the whole mâ—n in the same way To this purpose 1. Get the law written in thy heart Psal. 119.3 Blessed are they that keepe his testimonies they worke no iniquity Ierem. 32.40 I will write my law in their hearts and they shall not depart from it Keep the word and it shâ—ll keepe thee The Lord having written his Law in Tables made choyce of the Arke to lay up the same in Exod. 25 1â— but this Arke must be laid with pure golde within and without signifying that the proper place to lay the word in is a sincere heart both within and without any other but this will shut it out one time or other 2. Thou must see thy heart holde and hide all the commandements Psal. 119.6 Then shall not I be confounded when I have respect to all thy commandements It is a generall sinne of men they desire to have the word framed and fitted to their desirable and unprofitable lusts but thou must come to the light as one carefull to get a word for every action and as one submitted to the whole forme of doctrine delivered 3. Frame thy heart to the word and never seeke to have the word framed to thy heart So Ely 1 Sam. 3.18 The word of the Lord is good it was not fitted to his heart being a lamentable prediction of his owne ruine and the ruine of his posterity But yet he fitted his heart to it And so did Abraham to the difficult commandement Goe and sacrifice thy sonne So Hezekiah 2 Kings 20.19 Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken when he was threatned by the Lord for his pride he frameth his heart unto the word and acknowledgeth it good Now for the second faculty and that is the will And because a perverse will upheapeth the measure of sinne and blame and there is no sinne we commit which is not a preferring of our owne will before Gods therefore it is impossible that any man should keepe his soule without blame unlesse hee set a narrow watch round about his will to keepe it in some order and frame with the most righteous will of God For which end our wills 1. must be denied 2. renewed 3. freed 4. framed unto God 1. Our wills by nature are crooked and rebellious the naturall will is not subject to God nor can be so long as it is naturall Now the cure of the crooked will is to deny it and captivate it to the will of God in all things let our wills loose to themselves they will be sure to approove improove chuse and refuse cleane contrary to God And therefore as he that must set up a frame must carry away the rubbish so must hee deny his owne will that must frame to Gods who commandeth Honour mee by not doing your owne wills 2. They must be renewed else shall a man still fulfill the will of the flesh And it is not in us to will till the Lord worke first the will and then the deede so that grace now must guide thy will as nature hath formerly swayed it 3. They must be freed Voluntas est libera quatenus liberata They are chained to unrighteousnesse and when the Sonne sets us free we are free indeede and till this time we are servants of sinne whose wills are not their owne but their masters we must every day seeke more freedome to good and get grace against the bondage under evill Rom. 7.25 4. They must be framed that there may be but one will betweene God and us that wee may say feelingly Thy will be done This is when the will determines every thing with God and for God both in matter of faith and obedience First in matter of faith and repentance If the will of God in the Gospell require repentance of sinne and to beleeve in Iesus Christ let thy will determine now with and for God bewaile thy sinne beleeve the promises cast thy selfe upon Iesus Christ claspe the promises against reason as Abraham did in receiving his sonne Secondly in matter of obedience both active and passive 1. Active If the Law require duties to be done to God or man there God expresseth his will frame now thy will to such duties be they never so difficult as Abraham in sacrificing his sonne never so dangerous as Daniel in praying to the God of heaven even under the sentence of death 2. Passive in any crosse or affliction upon thy selfe or others when God reveales his will
determine thy will with his as David Psal. 39.9 I held my tongue and spake nothing because thou Lord didst it There must be but one will betweene God and a faithfull soule betweene Christ and a Christian. Quest. How may I know my will thus denied renewed freed and framed to God Answ. The signes of it are 1. in respect of it selfe 2. in regard of sinne 3. in regard of good duties 1. In respect of it selfe it will not runne before but will waite upon sanctified knowledge and renewed reason it will not inthrall the light of the minde to inordinate desires it will be prooving still what is the good and acceptable will of God It will resolve and purpose that so long time as it is in the flesh to walke after the will of God 1 Pet. 4.2 2. Thou shalt know it in regard of sinne 1. It is resolute in resistance of sinne and the occasions for although the will renewed admit sinne in respect of corruption yet it selfe is in great part set against sinne that it willeth it not fully it purposeth not to sinne as David I vowed I will keepe thy judgements it hath a fast purpose to cleave to God Psal. 119.104 and hates all the wayes of falshood 2. When it yeelds to sinne it is with griefe it doth not sleepe in sinne so but that the heart waketh So the Apostle Rom. 7.15 he even hateth sinne while he is a doing of it I hate that I doe 3. After sinne it riseth timely by repentance if he fall into sinne he hardens not his heart Prov. 28.14 he wills it not neither before nor after there is a strugling and a reluctation in him against it and thus you may know the will rightly framed 3. In regard of good duties it will not onely be well-doing but chearefull in well-doing he doth good duties willingly freely There is a difference in doing one and the same action betweene a good man and a wicked man the worke of the will renewed is not onely to take opportunity to doe good but seeke opportunity to doe it it will not doe good of constraint but will doe it with willingnesse he will doe it cheerefully as a good Pastour feedes his flocke not by constraint but of a willing minde 1 Pet. 5.2 Quest. Why should wee thus looke to our wills Answ. First the state of Christianity is rather a willing than a doing the will of God thou that canst doe no more wouldst thou doe lesse Secondly no greater plague can befall a man than to be given up to his owne will the holding to a mans owne will is the losse of the will and soule too Thirdly as thy will is pleased with the sinne so it shall be revenged in the sorrow of it that will of thine that will not be compelled to obey shall be compelled to suffer all the plagues of sinne by a just recompence are laid upon the will as his sinne was a resistance and renouncing of the will of God for in hell no sinner shall ever obtaine what hee would but shall ever sustaine what hee would not Thus God brings the wayes of the wilfull sinner upon his owne head Ezek. 11.21 Thirdly to keepe the soule blamelesse we must narrowly watch all our affections wherein the soule moves it selfe every where for man by his fall hath lost not his affections but the holinesse and rectitude of them for now man naturally hateth the Lord and his image in his word in his servants and graces he feares and flies what hee should most joy and delight in that is God himselfe he joyes in swallowing the pleasures of sinne the baytes of his perdition hee is angry and impatient at God himselfe as Ionas and carried with a rageing madnesse causelesly and intemperately on any occasion And therefore we must fly to the grace of regeneration which doth not abolish affections but the disordered motions of them and restores them towards their originall rectitude and goodnesse Where this worke of grace is not and where the spirit hath laid no bridle upon the affections no marvaile if that soule runne riot into all unruly lusts and make it selfe blame-worthy and guilty every moment of foule sinnes Yea where this grace is care must be to preserve it even in every affection the least disorder of any of which is enough to impure the soule and leave it under blame Now the rules of keeping the affections unblameable and then for the reasons I. To keepe thy affections unblameable thou must labour seeing they cannot be unblameable if they be not good in the rise to get a good rise for thy affections a good motion must be from a good mover labour to see who is the mover of thy affections whether the Spirit of God or the wicked spirit or thine owne carnall spirit Excellent are those affections that are moved by the Spirit of God as when feare anger love joy griefe are 1. grounded on just causes 2. guided by the rule of renewed reason for the Spirit never moves but according to the word 3. tempered in ordinate measure now they become servants of grace Whereas if thy owne carnall spirit move them contrary to the word for their subject object manner or measure now they turne enemies to God and to thine owne soule II. Be sure they be carried upon right objects onely set thy affections where Gods Spirit would set them Here first the proper object of love is God himselfe and not for his gifts but for himselfe and of Iesus Christ whom if any man love not let him be accursed and that not as a Iesus onely but as a Lord And then the things of God wee must covet the most excellent gifts and with Mary choose the better part even our part in the Gospell and word of Christ and then entirely love the friends of God all our delight must be in the Saints that excell in vertue Secondly the object of our anger is sinnes not persons nor so much the sinnes of others as our owne which are nearer us Thirdly the object of our joy is pardon of sinne Gods favour and countenance Psal. 4. It is wrong placed when it is in the creature not in the Creatour when in the gift not in the giver Fourthly the object of our patience is evills of punishment which we must patiently suffer but not evills of sinne as Moses Fifthly of our feare the true object is God more for his goodnesse than greatnesse more for his mercy than justice Mercy is with thee to be feared Psal. 130.4 more lest we offend him than be offended by him And so in the rest What a businesse now is it to keepe our affections upon allowed and warrantable objects III. In these best objects see they be most vehement and intense To doe this observe these rules First bestow on the best things the best affections thou must love the Lord thy God with all thy soule all thy heart and strength nay more thou
must delight thy selfe in the Lord which goes beyond love Psal. 37.4 delight thy selfe in the Lord make him thy chiefe seeke God himselfe the peace of God the favour of God the glory of God with most fervent affections Secondly love and affect all things in God and for God and God onely for himselfe thou must love nothing like him much lesse above him and least of all against him in all his creatures in all his actions in all his gifts labour to taste his sweetnesse Psal. 34.8 true love of the word is to love God in his word the true love of our neighbour is to love God in our neighbour c. Thirdly get your affections more to heaven than earth as an higher and more noble object Col. 3.2 it is not enough to affect heavenly things unlesse thou doest it with the chiefest of thy affections Set your affections on things above and not on things below that is comparatively for two Masters cannot be served with like affection we must seeke spirituall and heavenly things simply and absolutely as being simply good and to be affected and asked whatsoever become of other things but temporall and earthly with condition and limitation as being but conditionally good at the best IIII. Hate the worst things most The worst thing of all is sinne it is simply evill and so is nothing else wee must then hate sinne more than punishment sinne simply and directly resisteth Gods glory so doth not punishment makes for it it in the manifestation of his justice A wise man should rather chuse hell than Gods offence Sorrow for nothing so much as thy owne sinne count nothing so shamefull as that and thy selfe for it feare the evill of sinne more than the evill of torment because evill of sinne is more evill V. Rejoyce in nothing so much as in the pardon of sinne the righteousnesse of Christ the favour of God and that thy name is written in the booke of life Luk. 10.20 Get Gods image into thy affections frame thy affections to God for matter manner and measure to love or hate most where God loveth and hateth for so doth the man after Gods owne heart First God loveth his Sonne Iesus Christ above all men and Angels so must then the Christian esteeme Iesus Christ above ten thousand Secondly God loveth his word dearely as himselfe being a resemblance of himselfe in all his Attributes so must thou love the word as God himselfe nothing so dearely nothing in comparison Psal. 119. Oh how love I thy word all the day long it is my delight Thirdly God loveth the congregation and assemblies of his people the places of his worship he layeth the gates of Zion above all the habitations of Iacob Psal. 87.2 so must thou dearely love his house and the place where his honour dwelleth esteeming one day there better than a thousand elsewhere Fourthly God loveth his Saints so dearely that he will not dwell in heaven without them so must thou love the Saints dearely for the image and in imitation of God On the contrary the Lord hateth every sinne with an infinite hatred yea his soule abhorres it so must thou avoid and hate every evill way even all the wayes of falshood yea the appearance of evill and the very garment spotted by the flesh 2. He hateth the society and congregations of wicked men they shall not come into his presence so must we hate the company and society of wicked men Psal. 26.5 3. Hee hates wicked and false doctrine Revel 2. Thou hatest the doctrine of the Nicholaitans which I also hate 4. Hee hates the wicked manners and fashions of men though never so much approved and applauded amongst men so must thou hate the works of them that fall away they must not cleave to thee Psal. 101.3 Thou that lovest the Lord must hate all that is evill Psal. 97.10 VI. Bring thy affections often before God appeale to God and his word for the right carriage of them Ioh. 21.15 Lord thou knowest I love thee thou knowest I love thy word thy servants thy house thy glory So Lord thou knowest I feare thee as Ioseph feared to sinne against God and Nehemiah I feare God Lord thou knowest I hate sinne and sorrow for nothing so much as sinne and then bring them often to the rule of the word to confine and bound them The word teacheth that the measure of our love to God is without measure but the measure of all our love to other things is so farre as it may stand with the love of God in summo that is above all it teacheth that all earthly joy is with reference to God our chiefe joy The word will measure our anger and confine it to a small time the Sunne must not goe downe on our wrath it alloweth us to be angry but not to mingle our sinfull corruption with it Doe this the rather because our affections must be presented before God one day Now let us examine our selves and try our affections by these rules before named First Aske we our selves what it is wee love or hate whether our affections are set on the right objects and carried towards God or against evill as they ought to be 1. Hath the Spirit carried us not to a dislike but to an utter hatred of all sinne none is so bad but hateth some sinnes The prodigall hates covetousnesse The Iew can hate a Samaritane and mixt worship The Pharise can say I thanke God I am no extortioner no adulterer But just hatred excited by the Spirit is generall of whole kindes against all that is called sinne as the lambe hates all wolves and we hate all serpents none excepted The Law bound the Iew to hate all uncleannesse to touch none but that defiled onely the body the least of this uncleannesse impureth the most precious soule of man 2. The Spirit never raiseth hatred of evill but out of the love of good to which it is contrary Aske we our selves then whether doe we love or hate that which we may lawfully love or hate because God loveth or hateth it for many can dislike many foule evills and yet be farre from good Many can forbeare evill because the law of nature proclaimes against it the law of men condemne it rulers punish it shame attends it a gracelesse man can doe it So to love religion love the truth because the law favours it the kingdome embraceth it and for the present it is the safest all this is but pollicie an Atheist can doe it But grace embraceth truth because it is so because the Truth himselfe honoureth promoteth and prospereth it and commendeth it to our love and trust 3. For the manner doe wee love and hate as God loveth and hateth as he loves not vices for persons sake so hee hates not persons but vices Wee know what workes are hatefull to God but not whose persons belong unto him therefore wee must hate the workes of them that fall away but
eye gusht out with rivers of teares because men kept not the word Psal. 119.126 These sinfull objects every where should be the griefe of our soules and as swords piercing our hearts which we can too easily conceive pleasure in 5. Our eyes should be ever looking homewards and heavenwards and towards the end of our way as quicke travellers gaze not on things before their feet but hasten to the end of their way This is by heavenly conversation and constant expectation of our Lords returne to take our account we should long after Christ and the place of his abode there should our hearts be where our home is our house our husband our father our eldest brother even Christ himselfe is Thus to order our eyes consider first the danger of a neglected eye in Eve shee saw the fruite was good and forgot the commandement Potiphars wife cast her eye immodestly on Ioseph and said Lye with me David saw Bathsheba washing and was all inflamed It can looke to all things else but not to it selfe that thou mightest looke to it so much more And if the eye spy not nets laid for us it selfe becomes a net Ambrose Secondly an evill eye is made a signe of an evill heart Mark 7.22 out of an evill heart commeth an evill eye and if the eye be evill the body is darke Matth. 6.23 Thirdly a man that gives his heart to God will give his eye too for God calls for both Prov. 23.26 My sonne give me thy heart and let thine eyes delight in my wayes And if thou give him not both he cares for neither and if thou give him not thine eye as well as thy heart thou wilt lose thy heart quickly the adulterous woman will steale away thy heart though thou seemest to give it to God if thou watch not thine eye Fourthly know that if thou wilt not looke to thine eyes hee that made the eye must needes see thee Psal. 94.9 he sees the least unlawfull looke Lots wife cannot turne her face backward but hee sees and smites This is Salomons argument to the young man that will walke in the sight of his owne eyes that God will bring him to judgement Eccles. 11.9 if thou wilt walke after the sight of thine owne eyes doe but know that for thy quicke and nimble and unallowed lookes thou shalt come to judgement Now the directions for the eare The heart cannot possibly be kept in good state without diligent observation of the senses no more than a Citty can be defended where the ports and gates are cast open And as in the keeping of a gate of a Citty diligent care must be taken whom they let in and whom they let out So in keeping this sense we must know 1. when to shut it 2. when to open it First we must keepe shut our eare against the voice of the tempter that Satan and sinne enter not by this wicket Eve not doing this death entred into her soule and all ours Secondly wee must keepe out the entising and alluring of sinners which are as the Syrens songs Prov. 1.10 My sonne of sinners entise thee consent not And take heede of evill rotten and poysonfull communication let no evill corrupt communication passe through thine eares for evill words corrupt good manners and the want of learning this counsell is the bane of all modesty and civility in this age for this corrupteth first the heart and then the conversation it is like fire cast into a barrell of gunpowder that sets all on fire presently A Christian must neither speake filthy language nor heare it Thirdly keepe out reproaches slanderous and reviling tales whisperings against the good names of our brethren for what difference is there betweene carrying of Satan in the tongue or in the eare A good man will not slander with his tongue nor receive it into his eares David sinned in the ease of Mephibosheth by meanes of slanderous Ziba whom he should have driven away with an angry looke Fourthly wee must not heare or give heede to false doctrine errours heresies and libertine opinions contrary to truth received Deut. 13.3.8 If thy brother thy owne sonne or thy daughter or the wife that lyeth in thy bosome or thy friend which is as thine owne soule intice thee secretly saying let us serve other Gods c. thou shalt not consent unto him nor heare him neither shall thine eye pittie him nor shew mercie nor keepe him secret but thou shalt even kill him and thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death and then the hands of all the people c. 1 Tim. 4.1.7 Beware of this itching eare which comes to Church rather to censure the Preacher than it selfe as Herod having Iohn before him sought some miracles to please his curiosity but sought not grace for his salvation and departed and left Iohn as he found him as the beasts uncleane went out of the Arke uncleane came they in and so they went out They sinne against this rule that desire novell doctrine forsake the beaten path and simplicity of received truthes and runne into new and strange conceits and confused errours troubling with the faith of men the peace of the Church and happy proceedings of the Gospell Fifthly especially beware of hearing Gods name blasphemed by oathes and cursed speeches or his religion or profession or servants dishonoured without our defence A godly heart is carefull neither to sinne himselfe nor communicate in the sinnes of others In a word in all the speeches we heare remember Iob 34.3 The eare tryeth words as the taste tryeth meates to let no words goe downe into the soule which are not wholesome else we are justly blame-worthy by neglecting this sence Secondly we must learne to know when to open the eare As 1. To heare the word of God This is called an hearing eare and an obedient eare an eare inclined to heare wisdomes sayings Prov. 4.20 Remember it is a note of him that is of God to heare his word hee heares what the Spirit saith to the Churches Iohn 8.47 hee is swift to heare Iames 1.19 2. There is a deafe eare by which men become like the idols that have eares and heare not And this being a great plague is followed with a greater the eare turned from hearing the Law Gods eare is turned from hearing his prayers his very prayer is abominable what then is his person Now would you know whether you have this hearing eare or not take it thus It is Swift Patient Wise. First swift to heare on all good occasions it knowes God hath given him two eares and on either side of the head to teach him to apprehend all occasions to gaine instruction Secondly patient in hearing our owne sinnes disgraced the coare of our owne corruptions lanced and let out our owne duties described it must be a boared eare like Christs signified by that boared eare of the Iewish servant Exod. 21.6 a painfull signe of perpetuall subjection and
it is said Thou lovest all words that may destroy oh thou deceitfull tongue How did the Divell use a tongue otherwise than in lying and deceiving for when hee speakes a lye he speaks his owne saith Christ. And God will destroy all them that speake lyes Psal. 12.3 because nothing is more contrary to his nature being truth it selfe 3. Take heed of an oily and a flattering tongue that can sooth and smooth and justifie an evill man in his evill Prov. 29.5 A man that flattereth his neighbour spreades a net for his steppes as a fowler layeth in waite to bring the bird into the net and holde him in it implying that this flattery is the Divells invisible net by which he catcheth and holdeth men fast in the snare For what man will not delight in any base lust when hee shall not onely not feare reproofe but be commended and graced in it But of all flatterers none is so serviceable to the Divell as a flattering Minister who brings whole flights of foolish birds into the snare and holds them fast to death 4. Beware of a slanderous and smiting tongue of which Ierem. 18.18 Let us smite him with the tongue because blowes and strokes hurt not nor wound a mans body more than the slanderous words hurt his name The slanderer is a monstrous creature for a tongue he hath a sting for words he carries swords in his mouth his breath is poysonfull and loathsome as gall of aspes yea hee carries a fire in his mouth set on fire from hell One compares the slanderer to the butchers mastiffe hee lies still in the shambles hee waites for the blood of the beast his mouth is ever bloodie But especially when he slandereth godly men in their godly wayes hee lies in the Divells sinne who is an accuser of the brethren Revel 12. And hee is often paid with his owne coyne that as hee sits as a moth fretting the names of others his name is wounded and gnawed on by others Whereas by the same overruling power of God a man chary of anothers name comming through his hands hath his name often defended and tendered passing through the hands of others 5. Beware of a wanton and filthy tongue addicted to unseemely and ribauldry speech full of corruption both in the speaker and hearer the one making no conscience of foule words easily comes on to foule actions the others good manners easily corrupted by evill speeches 1 Cor. 15. Say not with thy selfe Though I sometimes speake foolishly and merrily yet my heart is good I live well and honestly for all that I assure thee thy heart and tongue are both of one constitution and thou that saist thou art so honest of thy body but neglectest thy tongue carriest a world of wickednesse about thee still in that little member Thirdly use the meanes to keepe thy tongue unblameable For first it is a little member but unruly and as hard to keepe as a Citty without walls Secondly by thy words thou shalt be justified or condemned Thirdly all thy religion and profession is in vaine if thy tongue be unruled Fourthly a wholesome tongue is the tree of life How carefull will an husbandman be to preserve a tree of delicate and precious fruite Such a tree is a well governed tongue But if a man had the least sprig of the tree of life by which hee were sure to thrust away diseases paines sicknesse death and preserve himselfe in an happy healthfull undying and immortall estate oh how carefully would hee tend and charily watch it But Salomon commends a well ordered tongue to that whole tree of life Prov. 15.4 for the fruite of a long and comfortable life 1 Pet. 3.10 Quest. What are these meanes Answ. First set a watch before the doore of thy mouth and resolve with David not to offend with thy tongue Psal. 39.1 I purposed and vowed with my selfe to looke to my wayes and that I sinne not with my tongue and that man that will not sinne with his tongue must set a strong watch before the doore of his mouth And consider here first it is too much for a Christian to lodge corruption and filthinesse in his heart and yet if some uncleannesse will still hide it selfe in those deceitfull corners choake it there let not the tongue utter it nor the mouth vent it to the poysoning and infecting of others Secondly that a thought may be corrected but a word once spoken is irrevocable and therefore wisdome will examine every word first before it passe out of the mouth Secondly take lawes for our lippes from God and put them on our tongue Prov. 31. the godly woman the law of grace is upon her tongue the word of God is the bound of her tongue and speeches both for matter manner measure and end of her speeches A man cannot learne a forreigne tongue Hebrew Greeke Latine French unlesse he be taught the elements or observe the rules of speech Now to speake gracious speech is not our native language it is the language of Canaan to which wee are naturally strangers and can never get it of our selves unlesse wee acquaint our selves with the rules of it in the word of God Who can speake familiarly with God savourly of God or Christianly with men without Gods owne teaching in his word Thirdly labour to get a good heart for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh Matth. 15.18 and Prov. 16.23 The heart of the wise guideth the mouth wisely for as the shop is furnished out of the ware-house so the mouth with speech out of the heart Whence it must follow that the want of good and savoury speech argues a barren and naughty heart To speake the language of Canaan be a Iew within get a wise pure and converted heart and then thou art one of the people of a pure language 3 Zeph. 9.13 Fourthly accustome thy selfe to good and savoury speech flowing from grace in the heart that all thy speech may be the issue of knowledge faith holy affections of love joy zeale desire of godly sorrow c. and tending to the praise of God and to the exhorting instructing counselling and comforting of men as the damosell to Peter let thy speech bewray thee a Disciple of Christ a good Christian see the matter be good and pertinent the manner seasoned and bounded with godly discretion and the end tending to minister grace to the hearers The reason of this rule is First because corrupt communication slippes in for want of better communication which might have prevented it Secondly no way so expedite to breake off a bad habit than by frequent contrary acts which will grow habituall and familiar Thus much of the directions for keeping the outward man blamelesse If any thinke them not so necessary to be insisted upon or taken up carefully into his practise let him remember 1. That the heart is never renewed unlesse the outward man be reformed 2. It shall one
rejects that blossome that never comes to fruite as the husbandman cares not for that blade that comes not to ripenesse Nay never content thy selfe with a faire progresse in grace at any time to desist For if a righteous man at any time forsake his righteousnesse all his former righteousnesse shall never be remembred and he that loseth the last of his dayes loseth all the former What were a man the better if hee had all grace in the highest perfection of it and fall from it nay what careth Satan if a man had attained whole sanctification not onely in part but in degrees if it be not continued in Adam in Paradise the more holinesse he lost the greater was his sinne and unhappinesse Nay the Angels in heaven what better were they for their absolute Angelicall happinesse when they left their first habitation 3. Relapse into a sicknesse is farre more dangerous than the disease and to relapse into sinne is to relapse into the most dangerous sicknesse of all and farre lesse curable than any This incurable estate our Saviour aimes at Luke 9.62 no man that puts his hand to the plow c. from this relapse they fall into that sin that unpardonable sinne 4. The very season of our present times aggravates this sinne of falling from the grace of God that makes it most inexcusable What to fall away so willingly in dayes of peace of meanes of protection in dayes of the honour of the Gospell What to fly as a wicked man when none pursues in a land where truth and peace kisseth each other where is neither danger nor losse nor enemies neere so cowardly to part with truth and fall from it to Popery What defence what excuse is left for this sinne It were too much in times of persecution in Marian dayes in the midst of those light fires in the house of inquisition in France in Italy or in Spaine in Ierusalem where Manasseh makes the streetes runne with the blood of the Saints But in the time of peace in the Sunshine in the triumph of the Gospell to decline and depart this hath no excuse for the sinne 5. What a kind of creature is this an Apostate a Mermaid halfe a man halfe a fish a cake halfe baked halfe a Christian as good as no Christian an Agrippa almost a Christian almost sanctified almost saved a Christian in the morning of his life but his righteousnesse being but as a morning dew dried up and withered before his evening a diary Christian without all acceptation looke on the Text againe here is a sanctification till the comming of Christ shall this great Sunne of righteousnesse rising and comming in his strength and glory finde all our righteousnesse as a dew dried up and vanished then must all our salvation vanish with it 2. This may serve for instruction Whosoever would have assurance of true grace must labour to holde out seeing an hypocrite may begin well and runne well for a while as Paul tells the revolted Galathians Gal. 5.7 Ye did runne well but onely true grace ends well Here for our furtherance I will set downe two things First The meanes of perseverance Secondly the motives to excite us to the meanes The meanes are three I. Lay a good ground begin well Col. 1.23 Be grounded and stablished in the faith first be grounded then settled and stablished A good beginning promiseth a good ending Now to a good beginning are required three things 1. Humility of soule 2. stability of purpose 3. sincerity of heart First Humility layes a low and a deepe foundation in the exercise of sound mortification the most that fall off from their beginnings are such as have but sleighted the matter of mortification and would not be at the paines and cost of deepe digging their hearts by serious humiliation This our Saviour expresseth in the Parable Luke 6.48 The sound Christian is that wise builder who builded an house and digged deepe and laid the foundation of it on a rocke so as neither floods nor windes could shake it Secondly Stability of purpose is a settling of the heart to follow goodnesse and hath in it two things 1. for judgement 2. for practise 1. A resting in the knowne truth and not as reedes to be shaken and carried away with every puffe of false and vaine doctrines or strange opinions contrary to the truth received the sinne of this unstable and libertine age in which numbers specially of our youth leave the assemblies and creepe into corners to learne another doctrine from teachers in the twilight against the Sabboths of God against the law of God against the ordinances of God the word and Sacraments as now preached and administred I seldome have observed any such shuttle hearers but have in the end come to nought and even to open profanesse because they never laid a sound foundation but were alwayes busie questionists ready to turne all religion into â—trums which was the very losse of all sound Divinity among the Schoolemen 2. A resolution in practise whatsoever come of it never to be carried away with the errour of the wicked nor the sinnes of the age times calling nor the corruptions of his owne heart all which are violent streames which a resolved Christian must rowe hard against This was it which Paul and Barnabas require of the new converted Antiochians Acts 11.23 that with full purpose of heart they would cleave unto God both in judgement and doctrine and in life and conversation This was the settled resolution of David Psal. 119.112 I have inclined my heart to performe thy statutes alwayes even to the end Thirdly Sincerity of heart is necessary which 1. casts out all sinne by repentance sparing none never so gainefull 2. hath respect to all the commandements of God A deceitfull heart cannot hold out in good duplicity of heart suffers not a man to continue for hee is unconstant in all his wayes Iames 1.8 This is when men looke to have their joy in this world and with God in the world to come when the end of their whole course is not sincere but they embrace goodnesse so farre as may stand with their owne estate or the disposition of the times or constitution of the kingdome and no further Ayme at this entrance into grace know that hee onely hath begun well that hath begun in truth II. Wee must arme our selves against all hinderances of perseverance and such things as plucke men away from love of truth and holinesse As 1. Beware lest our hearts be hardened through deceitfulnesse of sinne Heb. 3.13 Sinne is a sly thing of the Serpents brood especially the sinne of our nature easily seduceth and deceiveth us Rom. 7.11 The Apostle complaines that it deceived him for the sinnes of heart and nature lull men asleepe in some actuall sinnes in which they lie securely and so grieve the Spirit weaken grace and hinder holinesse 2. Love not the world nor the profits honours and
pleasures of it too well Demas forsooke the truth to embrace the present world Iudas by the same corrupt affection fell from the Apostleship Ioh. 12.41 Many chiefe Rulers beleeved Christ but durst not confesse him because of the Pharises for they loved the praise of men more than God Oh that we did not so cleerely see the strength of this lett in these dayes wherein so many baulke the way of holinesse and fall backe almost to open profanesse because they neither see many men nor great men yeeld approbation or countenance to such strict courses 2. Shunne lewd society and familiarity with profane persons if we would not fall from our owne stedfastnesse 2 Pet. 3.17 18. there is not more strength in any infectious pestilencious ayre to poyson the body than in this poysoned ayre to kill the soule Society with gracelesse men is a very blasting of grace fire is not more apt to burne than we to learne their wayes 4. The labour and paines of holinesse and mortification makes many weary of the good way but consider it is not in vaine to serve the Lord and there is profit in walking humbly before him thy paines shall be abundantly recompenced a small measure of holinesse with an upheaped measure of happinesse Every man will be contented to swallow much paines for a little earthly profit and is the state of heaven worth no labour 5. Persecutions drive many away much seed which comes up faire when the sunne of persecution ariseth withereth away But against this wisdome must cast the costs and prepare to defray the charges of this great building and the same Sunne that dries and burnes up the shallow seede shall set and ripen ours Many heare holinesse reviled and spoyled of her vaile and value they heare this sect every where spoken against and would as farre forget themselves as Peter to heare that voice Thou art one of them and perhaps renounce Christ and profession and all for if even the very Disciples of Christ and all they leave him and fly when afflictions comes neare Matth. 26.56 what marvell if they that want soundnesse shrinke in the wetting 1. But here remember and looke upon Christ Heb. 12.2 who endured such speaking against of sinners not for himselfe but for thee lest thou be weary 2. Hee that is now ashamed of Christ Christ will one day be ashamed of him and then he that will no◠beare the reproach of a blast of words for him shall be filled with an everlasting reproach before men and Angells 3. Sound judgement esteemes it the greatest honour to be highly dishonoured for Christ and his causes Matth. 5.12 Blessed are yee when men revile you and speake all manner of evill against you for my sake rejoyce and be glad great is your reward in heaven Object I could better endure mens words but I shall also sustaine great losse if I should be so precise I should lose my custome trading and profits Answ. Wilt thou receive a religion and not know it to be truth or knowest it to be so and wilt not be ready to confesse and professe it according to thy place and calling even in the middest of the different conceits of men 2. The Saints knowing this to be truth did for it joyfully suffer the spoyling of their goods 3. Put together in the ballance the losse of the world and the losse of thy soule and consider whether is fitter to save if thou cāst not save both For the losse of the world is an abundant recompence promised by a sure pay-master but what recompence is there for the losse of the soule Matth. 16.26 Nay if thou shouldest venture and give thy life for thy profession if God call for it it is no lesse than thou oughtest who oughtest to strive unto blood Hebr. 12.4 and yet this greatest losse were the greatest gaine Thus to lose thy life is to save it and to save it in this case were to lose it III. Procure to our selves and exercise the helpes of perseverance and keepe them neere us as our continuall companions And for this end First let the word of God be deepely rooted in our hearts for this is a speciall preservative from declining Psal. 119.102 I declined not from thy statutes for thou didst teach me Now the word sundry wayes keepes us As first by inlightening us to see our way both to chuse the right way and decline the wrong Psal. 119.105 Thy law is a light and lanthorne to our paths Secondly by comforting and incouraging us in the good way Rom. 15.4 Through consolation of the Scripture wee receive our hope Thirdly by preventing sinne in us Psal. 119.11 I have hid thy word in my heart that I might not sinne Fourthly by keeping out of sin and redressing our way Psal. 119.9 Secondly labour to preserve in thee a love of grace and holinesse let thy scope be in all the meanes of holinesse to gaine not knowledge and illumination onely but sound affection also to grow up in this as well as in that For first as a tree low and deepe rooted is stablished and continued in fruitfulnesse so when faith and grace is deepely rooted in the affection of the heart there will be perseverance Secondly it is not good words good actions or good knowledge that holdes out but good affections will Thirdly what other is the cause of so generall backsliding in the world which is the proper punishment of not receiving the truth in the love of it 2 Thess. 2.11 Thirdly feare God This is a wellspring of life to make us escape the snares of death Prov. 14.27 and 19.23 Anchora mentis pondus timoris Feare holds the heart steady as the anchor the shippe and joyne thy selfe to such as feare God delight in such as excell in vertue and grace these are able to encourage strengthen direct uphold raise and comfort thee in thy difficulties wearinesse and weaknesse and set thee forward not by their gifts onely but by their example Fourthly be instant in prayer for perseverance so our Text teacheth for it is the Lord that both beginneth and finisheth his owne worke hee not onely sets us in the way but leades us in the way and at length brings us into Canaan Fifthly looke still to the comming of the Lord Iesus Christ as a good servant hold thy selfe in expectation of the appearing so the Text Luke 12.36 Blessed is that servant whom the Master shall finde so doing Doest thou expect him from heaven and is not thy conversation there doest thou expect his comming in glory and meetest not him in grace lookest thou for him as thy head and wilt thou not as a member holde an happy union and fellowship with him expectest thou thence a Saviour and continuest thou not unto the end seeing onely such shall be saved Matth. 10.22 Now the motives to the meanes of perseverance First this is a true signe of a true friend of God who loves at all
times Prov. 17.17 not onely in prosperity but in adversity yea this is the praise of a true friend sound love to Christ is a sparke of Christs love to us of whom is said Iohn 13.1 Whom he loved he loved to the end Secondly this is the praise of true grace which cannot be measured but by the end Then may we praise the Mariner when he hath brought his shippe to the haven and landed his passengers Then praise the valour of a Captaine when hee hath got the victory We praise not all runners for many runne but one takes the prize and that is hee that continues to the end not hee that desists Thirdly there is none but desires that God would be constant to him in his goodnes shew himselfe best at last and thou must then be constant to him in his service for God is with us so long as we be with him but if we forsake him he may justly forsake us 2 Chron. 15.2 If the image have never so golden an head yet if the legges be earth and clay the stone in the mountaine shall breake it to pieces Fourthly who would sowe his field not to reape his seede againe who would not reape his prayers his teares and the dripping seede-time â—f mortification who would not reape his hope his patience and other graces But all reaping is on condition that wee faint not Gal. 6.9 and therefore the Apostle inferres that wee must not be weary of well-doing Object But alas I cannot goe so fast in the good way as sometime I did nor so stedfastly I could heare more fruitfully pray more cheerefully keepe my times with God more carefully bewaile my sinnes more feelingly than now I can Answ. If thou goest on all is well if thou stand not still nor goest backe a sofâ— pace forward goeth farre onely quicken thy selfe by all good meanes for thy better assurance 2. If thou beest sure thou goest to Canaan though thou sometime haltest of a limbe with Iacob through weaknesse yet comfort thy selfe hold on onely see thy heart be not halting Fifthly want wee examples to encourage us wee are compassed with them on every hand 1. Looke to God and he perfecteth all his workes of creation government redemption and salvation Deut. 32.4 2. Looke at Christ he finished the worke he had to doe Ioh. 17.4 hee continued through many afflictions setting the joy before him and despising the shame continued in his obedience till hee came to his consummatum est all is finished 3. Looke to the Saints and neither must we be sloathfull but followers of them who by faith and patience enjoyed the promises Heb. 6.12 Iob would not depart from his righteousnesse while he lived Paules life was not so deare to him as the finishing of his course with joy 4. Looke to wicked men how constant they are and continue in their wicked courses so as all meanes are too weake to pull them out and these shall condemne many a Christian who is so fickle and inconstant in good VERSE 24. Faithfull is hee which calleth you who will also doe it OVR Apostle here answereth a secret objection that the Thessalonians might make How should we be blamelesse untill the comming of Christ seeing we have all Satans power against us and the violence of the world and our selves are in a most changeable condition Our Apostle assures them of perseverance in these words by three arguments none of which are taken from their owne priviledge piety or power but from most sure grounds all seated in God himselfe and they are three First from his faithfulnesse and truth Hee is faithfull Secondly from the effect of his faithfulnesse already begun Who hath called you Thirdly from the conclusion of his worke begun Who will also doe it That is Hee will finish and perfect his gracious worke begun The first Argument prooving their perseverance is from the nature of God Hee is faithfull Here are two questions 1. Quest. Why the Apostle mentions Gods faithfulnesse in this place Answ. 1. To bring to their mindes the promise of perseverance and holde it before their eyes for Gods faithfulnesse ever hath respect unto some promise Now this promise of perseverance is in Ier. 32.40 I will put my feare into their hearts that they may not depart from me and Hosea 2.19 I will marry thee for ever unto me in faithfulnesse And in this promise they must seeke their stedfastnesse 2. To assure them that his prayer for perseverance was a prayer of faith and grounded upon Gods promise for no other prayer can have either comfort or assurance 1 Iohn 5.14 This is the assurance that if wee aske any thing according to his will he heareth us Matth. 21.22 Whatsoever yee aske if ye beleeve ye shall obtaine it And thus hee teacheth both them and us to frame our prayers if we would speede in our suites namely to looke at the promise before we pray 3. To set God before them in such a manner as they may apprehend him not onely true in himselfe in his word and promises but one that will not frustrate the faith and hope of such as waite and depend upon him but will carry them out to salvation 2. Quest. How must wee conceive God to be faithfull Answ. God is said to bee faithfull foure wayes In himselfe in his decrees in all his wayes and workes in all his words and speeches 1. Hee is faithfull in himselfe by an uncreated faithfulnesse and truth it selfe by one eternall and simple act and differeth from all created truth and faithfulnesse and truth in the creature First because this is the Ocean and full fountaine from whence all the faithfulnesse and truth in men and Angells issue and streame Secondly this is the rule and measure of that and the nearer that their truth comes to this the more compleate it is Thirdly this is unchangeable in the Lord in whom is no shadow of change whereas in the creature it is changeable The Angels that fell were faithfull but soone changed Adam by creation was faithfull to his Creatour but soone changed and departed from it But the Lords faithfulnesse is unchangeable as himselfe is Fourthly whereas that in the creature is at least comparatively imperfect in part and weake in God himselfe it is in most high perfection 2. He is most faithfull in all his decrees for the counsells of the Lord must stand and must certainely be executed both for manner and times and all circumstances as hee hath decreed them Esay 14.24 The Lord hath sworne Surely as I have purposed it shall come to passe See verse 27. 3. Hee is faithfull in all his wayes and workes which all of them are according to those decrees most holy and righteous Psal. 145.17 The Lord is righteous in all his wayes and holy in all his workes As for example Looke on him in the great worke of creation he is a faithfull Creatour 1 Pet. 4. ult In the worke of redemption
be any more diminished than the very essence of God himselfe can How dare wicked men come unto the hearing of the word professing obedience and listen with such attention as if they would catch the word out of their teachers mouth but their contrary course in all their actions plainly witnesseth that they take no more good nor no more expression of it in their lives than if so many bruit beasts came to Church void of all understanding Certainly if the word be true which they heare and professe either must they be as men dead in their tombes who understand not nor beleeve any thing or mad men that beleeving it runne so wickedly against it 4. How desperately doe numbers resist and repell the true and faithfull word as Iannes and Iambres resisted Moses 2 Tim. 3.8 so be there in every Congregation resisters and adversaries 1 Cor. 16.9 The Apostle Paul having a great and effectuall doore opened yet found many adversaries yea the greater doore open the more adversaries And how can it be other seeing 1. it is the property of truth to beget hatred Never was the Sunne so beset with clouds as this word with enemies and all the reprobates in the world fight against the light as the Priests and people Iewes and Romanes and all persecuted and crucified Christ the faithfull witnesse and teacher of his Church so it is not to be marvelled if true teachers that stand in the roome of Christ meete with adversaries proud and stiffe and implacable wronging them in their names in their meanes devising base and unworthy shifts to binde their owne hands from their good as void of reason as themselves be of conscience and equity But their comfort is which the Lord armed Ieremy with they shall fight and not prevaile for truth is strongest and that shall conquer 2. In sound profession is upright conversation and this also is upheld upon consideration of the Lords faithfulnesse Gen. 17.1 I am God All-sufficient walke before me and be upright hee hath given his word for our safety and welfare in this way and he never broke with his children Be there never so many discouragements persecutions and difficulties in this way of uprightnesse his faithfulnesse and truth shall be thy shield and buckler Psal. 91.4 Vpon the same ground of Gods faithfulnesse wee must lay all our perseverance in the faith so our Apostle in the Text layes his ground of prayer for perseverance upon the faithfulnesse of God and 1 Cor. 1.8 hee doth assure the perseverance of the Saints from the same ground God will strengthen you to the end that ye shall be unblameable unto the day of our Lord Iesus for faithfull is hee by whom ye are called This faithfulnesse of God will answer all objections against perseverance Object Alas I am plunged in the pit of temptation with such foule and violent temptations as I shall never be able to holde out Answ. Now looke upon this faithfulnesse of God waite a while 1 Cor. 10.13 God is faithfull and will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able but with every temptation will give an issue Object Alas were I faithfull God would be faithfull enough but I am unfaithfull in the Covenants and start aside continually Answ. But mans unfaithfulnesse cannot make him unfaithfull he hath promised that he will support the Saints and put under his hand that they shall never be removed nor utterly cast downe and mans faithfulnesse is not the cause of his perseverance but Gods faithfulnesse who gives his Spirit that they shall never depart from him they beare not the roote but the roote beares them The seede of God keepes them that they commit not sinne 1 Ioh. 3.9 they preserve not their graces but their graces preserve them they cannot comprehend him hee can comprehend them and by his power preserves them to salvation Object But alas he is so long absent from my soule that I must needes faint Answ. Canst thou not discerne his presence yet behold his faithfulnesse that will not suffer him to be so farre from thee as thou thinkest God is within call if thou pray to him but if thou canst neither call nor pray yet groane and sigh after him for the Lord heares the very sighes of his servants O Lord my sighes are not hid from thee Psal. 38.9 2. If he seeme further off or stay long it is not ad exitium but ad exercitium onely to try thee as a father may try his childe but his love lets him not leade him further into danger than hee will leade him out againe the childes trouble is the fathers crosse and in our trouble hee is troubled Esay 19.5 Object Oh but I finde many potent and politicke enemies in my way Satan sinne and the worlds violence so I feare I may fall short in the end Answ. But Gods faithfulnesse will defend his owne he is a faithfull shepheard and as David will rescue and recover his sheep out of the mouth of the Lion and Beare Psal. 91 4. Hee will defend thee under his wing his faithfulnesse and truth shall be thy shield and buckler In the world yee shall have affliction Iohn 16.33 as sure as on the sea are tossings by huge waves and windes and stormes rising and raging against the passenger insomuch that billowes shall seeme to overwhelme them But be of good comfort I have overcome the world ye shall put safe into the harbour The second Argument confirming the perseverance of the Thessalonians is drawne from the grace bestowed on them already Who hath called you Where for the meaning are these things to be considered 1. What calling is here meant and 2. How the Apostle knew that they were called 3. Who it is that hath called them 1. Quest. What calling is here meant Answ. There is a twofold calling to grace 1. externall 2. internall The first is common to hypocrites reprobates the latter proper to the elect The former is a calling only according to meanes the other according to purpose The one being external brings men into the visible Church By the other being internall men are called into the invisible Church The one is effectuall to salvation we being by it united to Christ the head the other ineffectuall tying us onely to the members The one flowes from election 2 Pet. 1.10 Make your calling and election sure the other doth not Matth. 20.16 For many are called but few are chosen The one brings to illumination of knowledge onely the other to illumination of faith The one brings to be professours of Christ the other to be members of Christ. The one can onely restraine corruption for a time the other changeth the heart and life from evill to good for ever Now our Text meaneth of inward and effectuall calling First because it flowed from election chap. 1.4 Knowing that yee are elect of God Secondly because to them the Gospell was not in word onely but in the
of darknesse and translated us into the kingdome of his deare Sonne from kingdome to kingdome from an eternall state of death to an eternall state of life and glory 2. Gods eternall love is hidden with himselfe till effectuall calling discover it And hence it seemes to be called a calling according to purpose not onely as flowing from it but also declaring that whosoever are thus called God purposeth eternall good to them and they may know it shall be made good to them because this purpose is infallible and immutable 3. Effectuall calling is a giving of man by God to Christ to save Ioh. 6.37 Every one that the Father giveth unto me commeth unto me and him I cast not out If then thou knowest thou art once given to Christ thou knowest thy salvation For this calling of God is without repentance Rom. 11.29 this gift is never cast away 4. A man naturally ariseth from the effect to the cause from the fruite to the roote from the streame to the fountaine then in like sort may a man conclude of Gods eternall love by effectuall calling which is a fruite of that roote a streame of that fountaine of predestination to eternall life And whereas wise men may by likely meanes judge of the end much more may a Christian by the infallible meanes judge of the certaine end God leading him by this meanes to the principall end which nothing can frustrate seeing all things fall out to the best to them that are thus called according to purpose Rom. 8.28 5. As in the Law he that had first fruites might expect the harvest so he that is effectually called hath begun his salvation already hee hath begun the heavenlyâ—life upon earth Iohn 3.36 He that beleeveth hath eternall life and is translated from death to life And as the earnest penny confirmes the whole bargaine amongst men so the earnest of the Spirit gives us assurance of full holinesse and full happinesse because he that hath begun a worke of grace in us will performe and finish it to the day of Christ Phil. 1.6 And this reproves not Papists onely who deny that a man may be sure of his salvation without extraordinary revelation but even Protestants who resolve never to trouble themselves about it they will leave all to God and will not enter into his councell but rest in a good opinion and ungrounded hope in which if it happen well they have well But what a folly is this For first What man in any outward title or tenure will content himselfe with uncertainties if he may be certaine of a good estate we would hold him a man distracted that would offer to claime and hold house and land without evidences and conveyances Is any man richer because he dreames he is rich So to dreame of the wealth of grace enricheth none Secondly What is the use of the whole Gospell but to be Gods embassage certifying us of his free grace in electing and saving us what other use than to bring us peace of conscience through justification of faith and what peace without assurance 1 Iohn 5.13 These things have I written unto you that beleeve that yee may know you have eternall life So as the end of all Scripture is not onely to know that there is an eternall life but that beleevers have it Thirdly Why are wee commanded to give all diligence to make our election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 if it be either needelesse or impossible When Christ commands us to rejoyce that our names are written in the booke of life doth he not imply that a man may know it and convince us that the want of this joy is by our owne default Fourthly a man neglecting or despising this comfortable assurance perverts the whole Ministery Doest thou pray for remission of sinnes and not beleeve it thy prayer is a dead carcasse Doest thou professe in the Creed thou beleevest remission of thy sinnes and by not caring to beleeve it give the lie to thy profession Doth the word preached command thee to beleeve in the Lord Iesus Christ and that thy Redeemer liveth who loved thee and gave himselfe for thee and wilt thou sticke in an idle conceit as if it were needlesse to wade into this deepe Are the Sacraments but as seales set to blankes without this assurance and is it yet needlesse Doth the Apostle say that hee that knowes not that Iesus Christ is in him is a reprobate and is it an idle or a needlesse thing to prove it 2 Cor. 13.5 Quest. But where may I come to this assurance Answ. We send not men to poare upon the doctrine of predestination nor to soare up to heaven to pry into Gods councell But thus Looke downe into thy selfe examine if thou beest effectually called see what God hath done in thee and so maist thou judge what he will further doe in thee and for thee This is indeede an hard taske and requires all diligence which the Apostle Peter calls for unto it For 1. Satan seeks to plucke from us this comfort of our lives both before our calling causing us either to shut our eare from the voice or by picking and pulling the seede out of the heart by carnall distractions and objections And after our calling perswading men all is deceitfull or vaine God is not at peace with them nor they with him 2. Most men rest in generall outward calling which is ineffectuall 3. But chiefly the likenesse of outward ineffectuall calling unto it makes it harder to be discerned Quest. Wherein is the likenesse betweene effectuall and ineffectuall calling Answ. First by ineffectuall calling a man may come to the feast and sit downe at Gods table as the unworthy guest did may seeme one of the friends of Christ may make shew of answer to the call in respect of outward profession and conformity to the doctrine when the heart answers not nor resolves to answer Deut. 5. The people came to Moses and said Whatsoever the Lord commandeth that will wee doe But the Lord said Oh that there were such an heart in them If the call were denied or fairely excused and put off as some of the guests did this were more discernable But many come in among true worshippers and bring in lampes and some oyle and are the more hardly discerned Because as the same Sunne earth raine roote moisture brings up the chaffe as doth the wheat so the same meanes of word and Sacraments nourish the hypocrite which doth the sound hearted Christian. Secondly by ineffectuall calling a man may come to a great measure of knowledge of the word to consent to the truth of it may preach it yea soundly handle it for the conversion and saving of others may preach it in the name of Christ that is for his glory and by his grace Many of those that preached in the name of Christ shall come in the last day and challenge acquaintance of him to whom he shall say I never knew you
Nay perhaps those that have built an Arke to save others as Noahs Carpenters shall be drowned themselves Yea more a man may defend the word as Iulian and receive within him the seede of the word and bring forth some fruites as the bad ground did and all this is like effectuall calling Thirdly by ineffectuall calling a man may come to see his sinne to sorrow and grieve for it to confesse his sinne be humbled for it ashamed of it to acknowledge his estate to be nought and preferre the state of the godly before his owne yea wish and desire to change estates with them as Balaam He may crave pardon of his sinne desire the prayers of Saints as Pharaoh and Simon Magus He may refraine himselfe in many sinnes as Haman He may fast and rent his clothes and lie in sackcloth as Ahab He may doe many things at the direction of the word as Herod for Iohn and yet be in the gall of bitternesse And is not this like effectuall calling Fourthly by ineffectuall calling a man may attaine to some kinde of faith can beleeve Christ a Saviour can get a perswasion that Christ redeemed him can taste some sweetnesse as if hee drew vertue from Christ can rejoyce as in a good estate as the stony ground received the seede with joy Luke 8.13 And some that being not onely enlightened but taste of the good word and power of the life to come shall quite fâ—ll away Hebr. 6.6 And some we reade of denying the Lord that bought them that is both in their owne profession and perswasion and in the charitable judgement of others This is so like effectuall calling as no man but would thinke them sheepe of Christ as themselves doe but are not Fifthly by ineffectuall calling a man may partake of the Spirit of God and be in some sort sanctified by the blood of the Covenant Heb. 10.29 Hee may attaine unto many excellent graces as joy in hearing sweete gifts in praying power in preaching a kinde of love of God humility under the hand of God as Ahab a reverencing of good men as Herod reverenced Iohn a seemely externall worship of God bounty and freenesse to uphold the worship of God and not sticke at thousands of rammes and rivers of oyle Vnto a fiery zeale for the Lord of hoasts and upholding his worship as Iehu who seemed a servant that could not abide his Masters dishonour but departed not from the sinnes of his fathers All which a man would thinke belongs to sound and effectuall calling This likenesse therefore of the one with the other makes effectuall calling the more hardly discerned Now therefore seeing this outward and ineffectuall calling brings us not into grace with God without the inward 2. Seeing it is common to good and bad Matth. 22.9 Call in all you finde 3. Seeing it is unprofitable as what profit had Ismael of his Circumcision Esau in Isaacks family or Iudas in Christs family being profane 4. Seeing to be in the Church and not of it is to deprive himselfe of the chiefe priviledges of the Church which is remission of sinnes and life everlasting We must therefore labour to finde in our selves such sure markes of effectuall calling as yet were never found in hypocrites that wee may be sure our calling is sound and saving proper to the elect a note and forerunner of eternall glory Quest. What are these markes Answ. 1. A discerning of the voice of him that calleth this implies hearing For hee that heareth not Gods word is not of God Ioh. 8.47 But besides hearing First here is a spirit of discretion putting difference betweene truth and errour good and evill Cant. 2.8 It is the voice of my welbeloved and Ioh. 10.8 My sheepe heare my voice and a stranger they will not heare Secondly there is a perswasion of him that calleth Gal. 5.8 which is beyond hearing called the hearing eare which hypocrites want Thirdly there is a yeelding unto the perswasion that it passe not without some such effect as is not to be found in any hypocrite The faithfull have an oyntment given them and see Christ in his voice comming every day nearer them than other It is the voice of my welbeloved Beholde hee comes leaping over the mountaines skipping over the hills See this in some instances The Lord pleaseth to speake and utter his voice sundry wayes outwardly and inwardly 1. Outwardly 1. In the ministery of the word and Sacraments 2. He calleth by the voice of his mercies and corrections 2. Inwardly by the still voice of his Spirit to the conscience Now wee shall see effectuall calling answers all these I. If God speake in the ordinary meanes and Ministery an heart effectually called heareth the word not onely to know it but to be directed by it not onely to consent to the truth of it as hypocrites and Divels may but to approve and like it to receive it not into the eare onely but into the affection and not into the affection of joy onely as the hypocrite but of love feare trembling and the rest and not into the affections onely but into the conscience whereby they let it in further and allow it a deeper rooting than any hypocrite can doe And therefore in the one it is an illumination like a blaze soone extinct againe in the other it is a cleare light and lampe that carries them along into the bride-chamber In the one it is like a sodaine flash of lightening as soone gone as come in the other it is like the Sun-shine that shines all the day long for direction and comfort For the parts of the word the Law and the Gospell If God speake in the Law an heart effectually called heares that voice not onely to see his sinne and sorrow for it which an hypocrite may but to hate his sinne to loathe it and leave it yea not to leave many or all but one all but our Herodias but to forsake even the most beloved and bosome sinnes Hee heares the voice of God in the Law as a rule of life not onely to restraine corruption but to drive him out to sound renovation and reformation Hee heares the voice of the Law to get out of his estate of nature and to get into the state of the godly not at death onely as Balaam but in his life and to apprehend so the end of godlinesse as he useth the meanes to compasse it whereas an hypocrite aimes at the end but either passeth over or slubbers the meanes If God speake in the Gospell an heart effectually called heareth that voice offering grace and pardon to it which because it is weary and laden this voice is as flagons of wine to revive his soule ready to faint in him but an hypocrite being not seriously humbled heares carelesly The former heares this voice as an instrument of saving faith by which he beleeves Christ not onely a common Saviour but his in speciall not to wish onely
and make some offers but to purchase the pearle what ever it cost he heares this voice not to taste onely some sweetnesse of Christ and the heavenly gift which an ineffectuall calling may doe but to digest it and live by it Ineffectuall calling may enlighten many may affect many but this perswades the heart and justifieth many Esay 53.11 By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many That may consent to the word and and receive it with joy but not with faith not with love That may taste it but digest it not as beleeving Christ rather the Saviour of others than their owne or if they say their owne they cannot prove it but this mingles all with faith assenteth and truly applieth and constantly retaines it when all the other blaze is quite put If God speake in the Sacraments hee heares his voice there First in Baptisme to obey his first call to be gathered into the Church as the creatures into the Arke But with this difference Hee heares this voice to be admitted not onely into the externall society of the Church among true beleevers as Simon Magus may Demas and Iudas and every uncleane beast but to put on Christ and to be justified by faith to be set into the head and so are both in the Church and of it He heares the voice effectually not onely to the washing of his body with water but to the washing of his soule with the water of regeneration and first fruites of sanctification He heares this voice not onely to make a profession but an actuall renunciation of Satan of lusts of the fashion of the world and to binde himselfe an houshold servant of Christ all his dayes Secondly in the Sacrament of the Supper hee heares the voice and discernes it to feede not his body onely with the Lords bread but his soule with the bread which is the Lord. He heares the voice to renew his Covenant and set his seale unto it to eate and drinke worthily the flesh of Christ which is meate indeede and the blood of Christ which is drinke indeede and so growes up in the Covenant as a true member of Iesus Christ. He feedes his faith by this Sacrament the hypocrite feedes his hypocrisie The second way of Gods externall calling is by the voice of his mercies and crosses The heart effectually called heares the voice of his mercy 1. To inflame it selfe with the love of God but not as hirelings for wages but as children for himselfe and his goodnesse Psal. 116.1 2. To make him cleave to his worship not outwardly onely as Cain and the Pharise but inwardly and sincerely 3. To frame him to cheerefull obedience whereas ineffectuall calling can make men say Lord Lord but they doe not things commanded 4. To make him zealous for religion and hate corruptions not in others as Iehu but in himselfe and that not by a fit as a burning ague but with a constant temperate heate against all evill because of love of good 5. To make him thankfull to God and mercifull to men as God hath beene to him Secondly when the Lord calls by afflictions and crosses this heart heareth the voice of the rod to open keep open the door that is the eare which was sealed It is the Lord as saith Eli and not as Pharaoh Who is the Lord Hee heares this voice to make him stoope and inquire and hearken further as Manasseh and as Paul stricken downe Lord what wilt thou have me to doe Hee heares it to make him feare the more but not servilly and slavishly by the spirit of bondage as the Israelites at the giving of the Law lest they should be stricken through with darts but with a childlike feare lest they further offend him He heares the voice of the Spirit purging and cleansing him by afflictions as by the Lords fanne and whitening him by this sope of afflictions Dan. 12.10 II. The Lord speakes inwardly by a still voice in the heart sometimes by the motions of his Spirit when the elect heare the voice behinde them saying this is the way they heare the voice cherish and foster the motion and walke in the way Many are the motions of ineffectuall calling but they are not followed but either resisted or neglected and at last utterly quenched Sometimes the Lord speakes by the secret checkes of their owne conscience which the hypocrite by all meanes would choake and stifle but effectuall calling listens to this voice to the humbling of the heart making the sense of one or more grosse sinnes to be as a weight of lead on their hearts to keepe them under to the shunning of them and terrifying of them from the like for time to come so as by sinne a way is made out of sinne and a passage made to reconciliation and grace which is given to the humble Thus have we described the first and most assured and infallible note of effectuall calling namely the true discerning of every voice and call of God with a gracious fruite and effect following the same A second infallible note of effectuall calling is a manifest and continuall change by this voice great and wonderfull is the change in a man truly called He is not the same man he was before Gods voice and calling makes things that are not as if they were Rom. 4.17 Was there not a great change in Lazarus when he was called out of the grave yet the difference betweene Lazarus dead and alive is not more than betweene a man effectually called and uncalled God hath quickened a dead man This change will bewray it selfe sundry wayes I. In respect of sinne Before effectuall calling oh how did he delight and joy in his sinne who was a more busie actour in sinne than he he could runne to excesse of riot as fast as any hee was a loving partner and companion of evill men hee hated none so much as those who would have reclaimed him from his sin or if sometime he were stung and pricked in conscience he could confesse and sorrow for sinne but not hate it not leave it Perhaps some sinister respects might cause him to restraine himselfe as Haman but to a thorow reformation he could never attaine But now he is called not onely out of the curse and guiltinesse of sinne but out of the bondage and service of sinne that now hee serves not in the oldnesse of the letter but in newnesse of spirit the more dearely hee loved his lusts the more deadly hee hates them as Ammon did Thamar Now he hates that which he doth Hee dearely accompts of him now whom God useth as an instrument to helpe him out of his sinne so the Iaylour Act. 16. He gives his sinnes a passe and saith as Ephraim to his Idols Get yee hence hee loathes his beloved sinnes past hates the present and avoides sinne to come with all the occasions be they never so secret gainefull and pleasant II. In respect
which flowes from the union with Christ hee lyes under the guilt of all his sins Christ carries none of them away if he be put in the scale as Baltazer hee shall be found too light and wanting of his weight 3. The Spirit of Christ is given onely to sonnes he dwells not in that house where is onely a base sound of sanctification in some common gift onely suppressing open sins but not inward lusts whereas effectuall grace not onely checkes secret corruptions but daily renewes the heart and perfects the image of God Hence it is that many that seemed to answer the call fall off to nothing because they were never good whereas true holinesse is like the light clearer and clearer till perfect day And a man truly called is like a faire woven stuffe that weares most shining at the wale and ground and cannot but be best at last I. These are the markes of effectuall calling labour in them and take good paines to get them on thee rest not in a common ungrounded hope nor grutch the time to minde those things seriously For 1. What a comfort of heart and refreshment of soule will this be in the day of trouble to see Gods covenant sealed upon thee 2. What a resolution will it breede to contemne the world the pleasures and profits what a Christian courage against afflictions yea death it selfe against all motions and commotions in States in evill dayes and perillous times 3. What stability in holding our grounds of religion against all disputes in the world against all stratagems of Papists at home or abroad neither their masked distinctions nor coloured devotions shall unsettle this soule but it shall be as mount Zion stable upon sure foundations 4. How sweetely would all Gods ordinances relish and taste ordained for this end how firmely should wee holde our end and aime in our eye in all the meanes beginnings and way of eternall life when we discover daily in our selves assured and infallible markes that wee are in the right way unto it II. If we finde our selves by these notes truly and effectually called be thankfull unto God for this great worke whereby hee hath laid in thy soule such an infallible assurance of eternall life Thou lookest on such as are uncalled see thy nature in them they and thou being digged out of the same pit in their misery see thine owne thou shouldest sweare and drinke and curse and revile goodnesse as fast as they resist the meanes of grace as resolutely as they wert thou left to the power of nature as they be But now thou seest a difference made and who hath made this difference who separated thee Oh praise the Lord for his free and rich mercy who hath poured out the riches of his grace in thy effectuall calling to grace Rom. 9.23 III. Pray earnestly that he which hath called thee would also confirme his owne worke so Peter 1.5.10 The God of all grace who hath called us to his glory in Christ Iesus make you perfect stablish and confirme you to the end And adde watchfulnesse against all such as would againe carry thee away from Christ and the holy calling It is the sinne of many of whom we may marvell so with the Apostle Gal. 1.6 How soone they are carried to another Gospell having lost him that called them into the grace of the Gospell But what was their sinne to the sinne of these in our dayes For they were 1. new converts we have had the Gospell as many yeares as they weekes or dayes 2. They fell of weaknesse wee of wantonnesse wilfulnesse even against the power of the Gospell so long working upon us 3. They by joyning Circumcision and Christ together which was formerly Gods sacred Ordinance we by joyning Christ and Antichrist together reconciling Christ and Antichrist together reconciling light and darknesse together patching our new garment with olde patches and rags of Romish devotions and superstitions and as moles undermining the grounds of holy truthes for which the Lord might justly remove his Candlesticke Who will also doe it The third Argument of the perseverance of the Saints in grace removes all scruple taking the whole worke out of our hands that he who hath the glory of the beginning may also have the glory of the end For 1. As we could not begin our salvation so neither could we end it he that was onely able to lay the first stone in this building is onely able to lay the last Philip. 1.6 Hee that hath begun the good worke in you will performe it untill the day of Christ. 2. It is safe for us that it is in Gods hand to finish our salvation who hath begun it for were it put into our hands againe it would be quite lost every day and therefore the Apostle Peter saith 1 Pet. 1.5 We are kept by the power of God to salvation Gods faithfulnesse preserves to salvation who are once effectually called Rom. 8.30 Whom hee calleth hee justifieth and glorifieth Philip. 1.6 I am perswaded that he that hath begun this good worke will finish it to the day of Christ Heb. 6.9 10. We are perswaded of you such things as accompany salvation for God is not unfaithfull And the reason is drawne from the unchangeable perfection of Gods nature decree will and affection to the Saints I. In his nature is no shadow of change especially in giving his good and perfect gifts Iames 1.13 and this unchangeable nature suffers him never to forsake this worke of his hands Psal. 138.8 Object God is unchangeable but I finde many changes in my selfe such dulnesse deadnesse frowardnesse as if hee should not forsake mee I feare I shall wholly forsake him Answ. All the Saints of God have found the like changes in themselves and yet all their changes nor all thy changes can never change God 2. None can wholly forsake God but such as are wholly forsaken of God but he never wholly forsakes the Saints for he hath said I will not leave thee nor forsake thee Hebr. 13.5 his desertion and their falls are but for a time for God in due time puts under his hand II. In his decree of the finall salvation of the Saints hee is faithfull and unmoveable 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation that is decree of Gods election abides sure it stands on a sure foundation and hath this seale The Lord knowes who are his Object Yea God knowes but what is that to us no man knowes but by extraordinary revelation Answ. The Apostle addes a twofold impression of this seale in the heart of man by which he sets his seale to Gods faithfulnesse 1. Invocation of Gods name 2. A departing from iniquity which being fruites of effectuall calling he knowes himselfe sealed up thereby to salvation Object Stapleton saith God is faithfull in his decree so long as we be faithfull and deserve not that he should forsake us Answ. This were to make our perseverance depend
glory where then is our free-will to attain salvation before our calling can we not holde our salvation after our calling unlesse God holde it for us and can wee lay holde on it before our effectuall calling Away with such Pharisaicall and proud conceits of Popery that all the glory and praise may be ascribed unto him whose faithfulnesse can and will present us spotlesse before the presence of his glory at the appearing of Iesus Christ. Let us cast downe our crownes at the feete of the Lambe and put off all praise of doing any thing from our selves and confesse that unlesse the Lord should adde his last worke to the first all were lost In naturall life our selves conferre nothing to our lives or being at first and after we are it is Gods care that preserves us for man lives not by bread onely but by every word of God Neither doth mans life stand in abundance Luke 12.15 Much more in supernaturall life his worke it is to preserve us whose will is to save us Secondly it serves for a ground of consolation in that the authour of all our grace is faithfull and unchangeable hee beginneth and accomplisheth and worketh all our workes for us He not onely bestoweth a free grace upon his people but undertakes to preserve and perfect it And therefore we may 1. Rely confidently upon this faithfulnesse for all supplies roule all thy burden upon him and he will doe it Psal. 37.5 2. By prayer of faith importune his faithfulnesse not to forsake the worke of his owne hands till hee have finished it Hereby commit thy whole way unto him commend thy selfe thy soule unto him in well-doing and hee will keepe it 2 Tim. 1.18 3. Rest thy selfe undaunted in afflictions in dangers and losses seeing Gods faithfulnesse will keepe thee safe he will keepe thy salvation for thee Heaven is reserved for thy childes part no great matter what other things be lost or endangered 4. Findest thou want of strength in temptation feelest not thou the joy of thy salvation groanest thou under the burden of corruption weaknesse of faith dulnesse in duties goe to this faithfulnesse of God importune him for needfull grace say to him Oh thou that art a faithfull God thou hast called me and therefore doe thou doe it finish and perfect thine owne worke in me Thirdly for a ground of watchfulnesse and care over our selves that we may not grow either secure or idle and say If God will keepe us all is well for hee keepes his owne by meanes and keepes none who have not a care to keepe themselves Quest. What are the meanes whereby God will keepe me Answ. 1. Hee finisheth the worke begun by the word the arme of God which began it Observe the worke of the word in thee Keepe the word and it shall keepe thee attend the word for the powerfull preaching of Christ keeps the soule till the day of Christ. 2. By his holy Spirit who renewes our strength and graces therefore stirre up the Spirit that is in thee and cheare him in thy heart by listening to his motions and taking his part against thy daily corruptions 3. By the grace of faith 1 Pet. 1.5 Yee are kept through faith to salvation Therefore nourish faith quicken it encrease it walke by faith live by faith observe the growth of faith in the power of prayer and strength in good duties this is the victory that overcomes the world 4. By his daily providence guiding us to such courses and companies as by which we may not be losers in grace but gainers keepe thee in thy wayes and hee will keepe thee in them Psal. 91.11 Beware of consenting much more of delighting in sinne and sinners Fourthly a ground of thankfulnesse for graces received all which have flowed from Gods faithfulnesse Hast thou faith hope strength peace of conscience or comfortable assurance ascribe all the glory to God who hath declared his faithfulnesse in giving and encreasing and upholding the same whereas every day our weaknesse and carelesnesse would lose it every sinne might forfeit it and every assault of Satan and seducers would easily robbe us of it Prize this estate in grace make it sure a man will be sure of a good title of any thing hee holdes Rejoyce in it and in the evidences of it as well as in it selfe VERSE 25. Brethren pray for us IN these words the Apostle commendeth a duty of love toward their Ministers which must expresse it selfe in earnest prayers for them In which words 1. wee have a loving compellation Brethren to these onely the duty is directed for they onely can pray or can be heard the wicked mans prayer because he wants the Spirit wants faith is no sonne none of the brethren his prayer is abominable 2. The persons commended to their prayers For us that is Paul Silvanus Timotheus chap. 1.1 men of highest place of most excellent gifts and of rarest graces the Ministers of their faith These chosen vessels and worthy instruments request the prayers of inferiour and ordinary beleevers 3. What the things be which they must pray for in their behalfe and these are elsewhere expressed First for gifts and skill in dispensing the mysteries of the Gospell that they may speake the word as it ought to be spoken Ephes. 6.19 20. And for mee that utterance might be given that I may speake boldly as I ought to speake Did Paul need their prayers for that purpose and doe not ordinary Ministers much more Secondly for liberty and free passage of the Gospel in the mouthes of the Ministers that without let and impediment the Gospel might be preached without interruption or contradiction 2 Thess. 3.1 Brethren pray for us that the word of God may have free passage This is called sometime the opening of a doore which was shut Col. 4 3. Praying for us that God may open to us a doore of utterance Thirdly for happy successe and prosperity of their labours in the hearts of the Saints for their gathering 2 Thess. 3.1 Pray for us that the word of God may be glorified even as it is with you Now the Thessalonians had received it in power and with much assurance People must pray that by the labour of their Ministers the conversion and salvation of men may be furthered for Paul may plant and Apollos may water but unlesse God give the increase all is lost 1 Cor. 3.7 Fourthly for the daily sanctification of their persons that they may by unblameable conversation remove the lets and scandalls which might hinder their doctrine and become examples to their flocke in good life and in expression of all good workes So the Apostle Hebr. 13.18 Pray for us for we are assured that we have a good conscience in all things desiring to live honestly As this is an argument that you should pray for us being innocent and honest men so pray that wee may so continue Fifthly for the protection and safetie of their
and ill successe of their Ministers that faile them in this duty of prayer Thy prayers might have upheld him or helped them out of trouble out of frailty 5. Such as pray not for their Ministers deprive themselves of the blessing and happy fruite of that Ministery the more earnestly people pray for their Pastours the more assurance of good and happy fruite may they expect from their Ministery and often of their Ministers themselves who are worthily removed from an unworthy people that never prized them for their workes sake First This serves to reprove inconsiderate men who by neglect of this duty signe themselves to be out of the communion of Gods people they care not whether their Minister stand or fall sink or swimme leave him to himselfe take no notice of his labours trialls sufferings his person his worke his wages is no part of their care they have no hand lift up for him to God or men but perhaps both against him These are at least inconsiderate 1. That the blessing and benefit of a good Minister is invaluable and must be begged of all those that must share in the benefit One of the speciall clauses of the new Covenant is that God will give Pastors according to his owne heart and wil he give such a speciall gift to such as prize it not nor praise him for it 2. They consider not the weight of the calling the charge of soules for which who is sufficient The rage of Satan and all wicked men against this great worke never sleeping but alwayes hindering the free passage of the Gospell both with open fury and secret devises The many sharpe assaults that these leaders of Gods armies against the Prince of darknesse and his forces are exposed unto often in the forlorne hopes not onely bestowing their lives and strength in preaching the Gospell but often being bestowed for it and die to seale it with their blood Did they consider this they would pray in Peters words Acts 4.29 Lord grant thy servants that they may speake boldly thy word 3. They consider not how deepely themselves are interessed in the welfare and happy estate of their Ministers Is not the fall of the Minister commonly the ruine of the people Can the shepheards be smitten and the sheepe not be scattered Can vision faile and people not perish Can a watch-man of a Citty or Castle be corrupted or surprized by the enemy and the Citty be safe Or can a man be an agent or accessary in the corrupting and surprizing a Captaine set to keepe a Fort without treason to his Prince Even so hee that prayes not for the prosperity of every good Minister shewes himselfe in enemy to the Church and no friend to his owne salvation Secondly To reprove that cursed generation of men who in stead of praying for the prosperity of the Ministery and Ministers who being sent of God in mercie are a principall blessing 1. They repine and grieve as if some heavie scourge or plague were come upon them as the Divells did at Christs coming because they were tormented before their time It was never merry with them since there was such running and thronging after preaching now they cannot sit at ease nor have roome to bring their beds with them nothing is such a corrasive unto their hearts as to see Gods blessing and successe of a godly Ministery and the people of God flocking after his owne Ordinance This was the dust and daggers in the Pharises and hypocrites in Christ his time that they could profit nothing but that the world runne after him Iohn 12.19 Oh that such men would seriously consider that 1. Whosoever esteeme this excellent blessing a burden a plague it shall be so to them It offers it selfe now as a blessing but shall turne to the most intolerable plague that can befall them even a witnesse a bill of inditement aggravating their damnation burdening them with plagues and curses easelesse and remedilesse 2. There is not a more proper note of a Divell incarnate and a man in state of damnation than to envie and grieve at the grace of God at the prosperity successe and growth of the Gospell The Divells proper sinne Ye are of your Father the Divell his workes ye doe 3. The time hastens on thee when in terrours of soule and agonies of heart thou shalt wish one Sermon one word of comfort and know by the want of the blessing the benefit of it but perhaps shalt never finde opportunity Thirdly others in stead of praying for their Ministers curse them revile them slander them runne to the Rulers every week to disturbe them as if they were loath to be too farre behinde the Divell or not to be chiefe instruments in the ruinating of the Kingdome of Iesus Christ. Thus those that are bound to pray for their Ministers that they may be delivered from absurd and unreasonable men are most ready to make a prey and spoile of them But doubtlesse they are wicked and gracelesse men neare to a curse a wonder their steely hearts feare not some extraordinary judgement and messenger of Gods wrath every moment 2 King 2.24 When little children in their play cursed and reviled the Prophet Elisha beares came out of the wood and destroyed them how much lesse can the aged escape who teach their children by example to revile and scorne the Prophets and servants of God Fourthly others will not revile them but can spy wants and imperfections in them as indeede there is in the best can sit as Iudges on his person cast him off for one weake in gifts colde in his doctrine carelesse in his life and so turne him off But when did they pray for him that God would enable him to the worke of his Ministery that God would bestow the Spirit to deliver the word so as he might save his owne soule and them that heare him And if they faile herein are they not guilty of all his defects which they complaine of Surely would they spend as many earnest prayers for him as they doe words to taxe and disgrace him who knoweth whether the Lord might not open his heart and mouth for their comfort and profit And what reason hath the Lord to minister comfort and benefit by a man when it is never desired Thou findest no sweetnesse nor comfort in a Minister thou prayest for none How canst thou finde without seeking Secondly for instruction Seeing our want and sinne heretofore let us reforme our selves and provoke our selves to so needfull a duty daily to commend our Ministers to the grace of God as Paul and Silas were by the Church Acts 15.40 The first ground and to doe it aright 1. Wee must love them heartily our prayer must flow from love where prayer must be earnest love must be earnest first even as the love of fathers begetting us and breeding us up to Christ 1 Cor. 4. true love and prayer are ever inseparable it is impossible for a man to
indeede Did ever any or can ever any attaine to this perfection Answ. This question brings us to the explication of the fourth thing in the Text How a man may be said to be blamelesse in spirit soule and body in this life Whereto we say No man ever attained to this unblameable perfection of degrees in this life except the first Adam in his innocency and the second Adam who had sanctification in all parts and degrees for Paul a most holy man after regeneration confesseth how farre hee was from perfection Rom. 7. and Phil. 3. But a man regenerate may be said to be blamelesse and throughly renewed 1. In respect of his relation with Christ his head who is made to him sanctification 1 Cor. 1.30 and in whom hee is perfectly holy and unblameable Ezek. 16.14 Thy Beauty was made perfect by my Beauty 2. In respect of open and grosse crimes which might impeach the honour of his profession so Zachary and Elizabeth walked in Gods ordinances without reproofe Luk. 1.6 so did Samuel and Iob and other holy men For though no man can be without sinne yet a man may be without crime when after his conversion hee carries himselfe so uprightly as he cannot be noted for any reigning sinne before men 3. In respect of Christian indeavour and inchoation when the beleever labours and aymes at full sanctification in all his faculties and parts for sanctification produceth holy motions in the soule and holy actions in the body See it 1. In the spirit 1. In the soule First the spirit i. the minde and understanding of a sanctified man is indued with a sound and distinct knowledge of heavenly things and he still indeavours to a further measure Psal. 119.33 34. Teach mee give mee understanding c. Matth. 13.11 To you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdome not to others And it is joyned with a speciall faith applying the promises which maketh his person and worke acceptable Ioh. 20.28 My Lord and my God Heb. 11.6 Without faith it is impossible to please God Vnder the spirit include the conscience in the purging of which the beleever striveth and loseth not his labour For 1. it is a tender conscience and remorsefull for sinne 2 Chron. 34.27 Iosiahs heart melted at the reading of the Law 2. It is calme and peaceable it blameth not nor accuseth seth it selfe but giveth good witnesse first that the person may be assured of his reconciliation with God Rom. 5.12 and 8.36 And secondly that he walketh with God sincerely 2 Cor. 1.12 This is our rejoycing even the testimony of a good conscience that in simplicity and good sincerity wee have had our conversation in the world 1 Ioh. 3.21 If our heart condemne us not we have boldnesse with God The second faculty called the soule here includeth the will and affections in both which this worke of sanctification is begunne and increased 1. In the will when being renewed it is now subject and pliable to God in all things Rom. 7.18 To will now is present with mee not onely in doing but in suffering as 1 Pet. 4.9 in suffering it can commit the soule to God in well-doing as unto a faithfull Creatour 2. In the affections herein is a change being guided and carried by the minde and will renewed His love is not the olde carnall love of himselfe and the world but a new affection Love out of a pure heart a good conscience and faith unfained 1 Tim. 1.5 His hatred which was against God and his Saints is now against the haters of God and things which God hates Psal. 139.21 His joy which was sensuall and earthly is now delightfull in doing the will of God yea in suffering it Rom. 5.3 We rejoyce in tribulation His sorrow which was for worldly losses crosses c. is now for sinne and for the afflictions of Gods people His delights which were in carnall profits pleasures corne wine or prosecuting his lusts are now in Gods countenance in Gods Law in Gods house in Gods Ordinances the Word and Sacraments and in Gods children above all persons as those that are excellent on earth His desires are answerable what ever his former desires were now he desires the presence of God the pleasing of God pardon of sinne softnesse of heart the constant fruition of the meanes of salvation with a blessed successe of them Hee desires the prosperity of Zion the salvation of the Israel of God and the comming of Iesus Christ to his full redemption Thus we see how a sanctified man profiteth and prospereth in the whole inner man But fire within will breake out and so will grace which is like fire and the body shall be a weapon of righteousnesse his outward actions shall be done in an holy manner his whole life is changed 1. For the matter of his actions Gods word is the rule of them all Psal. 119.35 Direct me in the path of thy commandements for therein is my delight 2. For the manner they are done first in humility Mich. 6.8 Walke humbly with thy God Luke 17.10 Say thou art an unprofitable servant Secondly in sincerity without guile of spirit Psal. 32.2 Thirdly with cheerefulnesse delighting greatly in his commandements Psal. 112.1 2 Cor. 9.7 as every man wisheth in his heart The Lord loves a cheerefull giver Fourthly with courage and stoutnesse Dan. 3.17 We are not carefull â—f this matter our God whom we serve will deliver us Acts 4.19 Peter and Iohn said to the Rulers Whether it be meet to obey God or men judge yee Gal. 2.11 I withstood him to his face 3. For the end first hee will approove his heart to God and lookes not so much to men for his praise is not of man but of God Secondly hee desires to please God in that hee doth Acts 11.23 wâ—th fall purpose of heart cleave unto God Thirdly he doth not good things for his private ends as ease profit credit but even against all these if he be called thereunto The 4. respect in which a beleever may be called unblameable even in this life is in Gods account and gracious acceptation Where himselfe workes and sees such beginnings proceedings and indeavours it is accepted as perfection by meanes of Christs merit promise and intercession Thus Paul saith Rom. 7.17 It is not I that doe evill Whence our Lord pronounceth of his Church that she is all faire and that no spot is in her 5. In respect of that perfect sanctification in all degrees which is growing unto and shall attaine in the day of Christs second comming when every beleever shall be free from all blame and staine and set into the glorious liberty of the sonnes of God which now they have onely in desire in in faith in promise in an earnest and inchoation the Lord mercifully accepting them for that they are growing unto And thus we have expounded this worthy petition of the Apostle The summe and substance whereof is this
that God by his Spirit who onely can raise the dead in sinne would bestow this grace not belonging to the wicked upon these Thessalonians by which they putting off all the corrupt qualities of nature might by a new created quality in their hearts grow up in the image of God standing in knowledge true righteousnesse and holinesse And because they were already sanctified in part hee prayeth that they may goe on to through sanctification both here and hereafter for the present that they may attaine full holinesse in respect of all sinne which they must forsake and of the whole law and word which they must set before them in respect of all gifts principall and lesse principall and of all parts and faculties here expressed to be the spirit the soule and body that thus they may be blamelesse in respect of relation with Christ their head in respect of grosse crimes and reigning sinnes in respect of Christian inchoation of the Lords acceptation and of perfect consummation of whole sanctification at the comming of Iesus Christ. In that the Apostle prayeth for through sanctification and enumerateth the parts in which it is and desireth they may be kept blamelesse in every of them we learne that No Christian must content himselfe with the beginnings of holinesse but must proceede to full sanctification as vessells of honour to be full of goodnesse and knowledge Rom. 15.14 2 Cor. 7.1 Let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit and grow up unto full holinesse in the feare of God 2 Pet. 3.18 Grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus Christ Eph. 4.13 In all things grow up into him which is the head All which places shew that the whole life of a Christian must be a continuall progresse in sanctification 1. Our Text sets downe the orderly proceeding in this worke It must begin in the spirit and minde and then change the heart and will and so come forth into the body and actions that the whole man consisting of these parts may be blamelesse And further this care must be nourished untill the comming of Iesus Christ either to the generall or particular judgement All which shewes that the highest and most noble parts in man are corrupt and unholy and as the Apostle saith even the minde and conscience is polluted till this new quality be created for whatsoever is borne of flesh is flesh Ioh. 3.6 Who can bring a cleane thing out of filthinesse And therefore our whole life is little enough for the renewing of all these parts so corrupted 2. Sanctification is but in part in this life for God would have sinne left in the best our best duties spotted and a pricke left in our flesh to bufâ—et and humble us who else through the abundance of grace would be proud and lifted up out of measure and that wee might goe out of our selves to the Lord and begge the increase of grace and sanctification from him Adde hereunto that the weake measure of grace present is often interrupted our daily lapses disturbe it sinne makes daily bâ—eaches in it Satan incessantly plants his great Ordnance against it experience shewes how easily we lose both many degrees of it and all sense of it and therefore we had neede still to be repairing our selves A beggars coate needes continuall patching We cannot be rid of our ragges wholly and therefore we must ever be mending Souldiers that keepe a fort or hold looke what batteries and breaches are made by skirmishes and assaulâ—s on the day they will repaire them in the night else could they not hold out no more could we against Satan and our owne corruptions without daily repaire And as our houses so our hearts they will grow dusty and nasty if they be not daily swept and cleansed 3. Sanctification is a continuall act and proceeding in grace so long as we live because it is nothing else but a returne to our first estate and image to which wee cannot possibly attaine till death And therefore if wee would proceede to the glory of the Saints we must proceed in sanctification to the full measure of it for glorification is nothing but the end and perfection of sanctification 4. God hath set apart many excellent and glorious meanes for the perfecting of this his owne worke by all which if we rise not to full holinesse we shall frustrate him of his end The holy Scripture is able to make the man of God perfect to every good worke 2 Tim. 3.15 the holy Ministery of the Word and Sacraments are able both to beget and strengthen faith which purifieth the heart holy meditations conference prayers with promises of blessing and successe if wee rightly use them all these witnesse to us that the Lord would have us to be still adding what is lacking to our graces and rise up to full assurance and holinesse and as those that are planted in the house of God to be more fruitfull and flourishing in our age 5. The necessity and utility of this practise imposeth it on all the godly 1. In respect of the wickednesse of their hearts and a number of beloved and darling sinnes against which all care watchfulnesse and strength is too little 2. In respect of the steine and soyle of sinne which is like a crimson dye hardly fetched out of those that are the Lords for when the sting of sinne is gone and the guilt of sinne is taken away and washed in the Kings bath even the fountaine of the blood of the Sonne of God opened to the house of Iudah and Ierusalem for sinne and uncleannesse yet is there a staine of sinne left which remaineth to be washed with the fountaine of water for Christ came by water and blood this fountaine of pure water is the grace of sanctification which is as the flood Iordan to wash the soules leprosie which stickes faster than Naamans so as we had neede wash seven times that is often yea continually and yet for all that it shall be with the faces of our soules as with the faces of our children the dyrt shall sticke till it be washed off and being washed soone growes foule and dyrtie againe 3. In respect of good duties wherunto we shal ever be unapt unready further than by profiting in sanctification wee are kept in a readinesse For as a man in fetters and irons cannot doe any service to his Prince till his fetters be knockt off so here our corruptions and lusts are heavier and presse us downe harder than a thousand chaines onely the grace of sanctification unties us and gives us liberty in good duties 4. In respect of finall perfection which is not attained in justification but by sanctification It is true that justification heales the wound but sanctification shuts the skarre justification brings pardon but sanctification brings peace neither was there ever any justified person who had received the first fruites but hee longed for