loved Tully before his Coâ—version but not so much after quia nomen Jesu non erat ibi because the name of Christ was not there 8 Property price upon a crum of mercy Ah Lord sayes the humble soul if I may not have a loaf of mercy give me a piece of mercy if not a piece of mercy give me a crum of mercy If I may not have Sun-light let me have Moon-light if not Moon-light let me have star-light if not star-light let me have candle-light and for that I will blesse thee In the time of the Law the meanest things that were consecrated were very highly prized as leather or wood that was in the Tabernacle An humble soule looks upon all the things of God as Consecrated things Every truth of God is a consecrated truth 't is consecrated to a holy use and this causes the soule highly to prize it and so every smile of God and every discovery of God and every drop of mercy from God is very highly prised by a soule that walks humbly with God The name of Christ the voyce of Christ the foot-steps of Christ the least touch of the Garment of Christ the least regarded truth of Christ the meanest and least regarded among the flock of Christ is highly prized by humble soules that are interested in Christ An humble soule cannot an humble soul dares not call any thing litrle that ha's Christ in it neither can an humble soule call or count any thing great wherein he sees not Christ wherein he enjoyes not Christ An humble soule highly prizes the least nodd the least love-token the least courtesie from Christ but proud hearts count great mercies small mercies and small mercies no mercies yea pride do's so unman them that they often call mercy misery c. The eighth Property of an humble soule is this It can never be good enough it can never pray enough nor hear enough nor mourne enough nor believe enough nor love enough nor feare enough nor joy enough nor repent enough nor loath sin enough nor be humble enough c. Humble Paul looks upon his great all as nothing at all he Phil. 3. 11 12 13 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies â— straining of the whole body a stretching out head and hands as runners in a race do to lay hold on the mark or price proposed Psal 10. 17. Desires Iaavath from Avah that signifies so to desire and long after a thing as to haâ—e ones teeth water at it so in Mic. 7. 1. But proud hearts sit downe and pride themselves blesse themselves as if they had attained to much when hev have attain'd to nothing that can raise them above the lowest step of misery Rev. 3. 17. Isa 65. 5. Lu. 18. 11 12 forgets those things that are behind and reaches forth to those things which are before That if by any means he might attaine unto the resurrection of the dead that is that perfection of holinesse which the dead shall attaine unto in the morning of the resurrection by a Metonomie of the subject for the adjunct No holinesse below that matchlesse peerlesse spotlesse perfect holinesse that Saints shall have in the glorious day of Christs appearing will satisfie this humble soule An humble heart is an aspiring heart he can't be contented to get up some rounds in Jacobs Ladder but he must get to the very top of the Ladder to the very top of holinesse An humble heart can't be satisfied with so much Grace as will bring him to glory with so much of Heaven as will keep him from dropping into Hell he is still a crying out Give Lord give give me more of thy selfe more of thy Son more of thy Spirit give me more light more life more love c. Caesar in warlike matters minded more what was to conquer then what was conquered what was to gaine then what was gained So does an humble soule mind more what he should be then what he is what is to be done then what is done Verily Heaven is for that man and that man is for Heaven that sets up for his mark the perfection of holinesse Poor men are full of desires they are often a sighing it out O! that we had bread to strengthen us drink to refresh us cloths to cover us friends to visit us and houses to shelter us c. So souls that are spiritually poore they are often a sighing it out O! that we had more of Christ to strengthen us more of Christ to refresh us more of Christ to be a covering and shelter to us c. I had rather sayes the humble soule be a poor man and a rich Christian then a rich man and a poor Christian Lord sayes the humble soule I had rather doe any thing I had rather bear any thing I had rather be any thing then to be a Dwarse in Grace The light and glory of humble Christians rises by degrees Cant. 6. 1. 1. Looking forth as the morning with a little light 2 Faire as the Moon more light 3 Clear as the Sun i. e. Come up to a higher degree of spirituall light life and glory Lord sayes the humble soule give me much grace and then a little gold will serve my turne give me much of Heaven and a little of earth will content me give me much of the Springs above and a little of the Springs below will satisfie me c. The ninth Property of an humble soule is this It will smite 9 Property 1 Sam. 24. ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and strike for small sins as well as for great For those the world count no sins as well as for those that they count grosse sinnes When David had but cut off the lap of Sauls garment his A good mans heart when kindly awakened may smite him for those actions that at fiâ—sthe judged very prudent and politick How great a paine not to be born câ—ms from the prick of this small thorne Little sinnes have put severall to their wits ends when they have been set home upon their consciences heart smote him as if he had cut off his head The Hebrew word signifies to smite wound or chastize Ah! his heart struck him his heart chastised him his heart wounded him for cutting off Sauls skirt though he did it upon noble grounds viz. to convince Saul of his false jealousies and to evidence his owne innocency and integrity And so at another time his heart smote him for numbring the people as if he had murdered the people 2 Sam. 24. 10. And Davids heart smote him after that he had numbred the people and David said unto the Lord I have sinned greatly in that I have done And now I beseech thee O Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly An humble soule knowes that little sins if I may so call any cost Christ his blood and that they make way for greater and that little sins multiplied become great
fore-runner of a fall Pride goes before destruction and a haughty mind before a fall Herod fell from a Throne of Gold to a Bed of dust Prov. 16. 18. Chap. 18. 12. Nebuchadnezzar fell from the state of a mighty King to be a Beast Adam fell from Innocency to Mortality The Angels fell from Heaven to Hell from felicity to misery The tenth and last Proposition is this God will by an invisible power carry the day against proud soules You that it escape and ruffle it out and carry it with a high hand remember this God will by an invisible power carry the day against you when you think not of it he will Pope Innocent the fourth as he was walking securely in his Pallace heard that sorrowfull and dreadfull Summons Veni miser in judicium come thou wretch receive thy judgement and soon after he was found dead Eccl. 8. 11. eat you out like a Moth. Isa 47. 10 11. For thou hast trusted in thy wickednesse thou hast said None seeth me Thy wisedome and thy knowledge it hath perverted thee And thou hast said in thine heart I am and none else besides me Therefore shall evill come upon thee thou shalt not know from whence it riseth and mischiefe shall fall upon thee thou shalt not be able to put it off And desolation shall come upon thee suddainly which thou shalt not know Impunity oftentimes causeth impudency but Quod defertyr non aufertur Forbearance is no Acquittance The longer the hand is lifted up the heas vier will be the blow at last Of all Mettals Lead is the coldest but being melted it becomes the hottest Humble souleknow how to apply this and Proud soules shall sooner or later experience this I shall now proceed to a second Observation namely That all Saints are not of an equall cize and growth in Grace and Holinesse Some are higher and some are lower some are stronger and some are weaker in spirituall Graces and Heavenly Excellencies Vnto me who am lesse then the least c. Among true Believers some may be found to be but weak Believers This Point flowes as naturall from the words as the stream do's from the fountaine and no Point more clear in all the Scripture then this In Rom. 14. 1. you read of some that are weake in the faith Them that are weake in the faith receive saith the Apostle None are to be rejected in whom Aliquid Christi any thing of Christ is to be found And so Mat. 14. 31. there is mention made of little faith 1 Cor. 9. 22. To the weak became I as weake that I might gaine the weake You read of Babes in Grace 1 Pet. 2. 2 3. As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that you may grow thereby if so be that yee have tasted that the Lord is gratious 1 John 2. 12 13 14. there is mention made of little children of young men and of Fathers All are not Fathers in grace nor all are not young men in grace there are some Children in grace It is with Christians as t is with Planets The Moon goes her course in a month the Sun in a year the rest not in many years yet at length they finish A Christian in this life hath his degrees of growth he is first a Child in Grace and then a young Man in Grace and then a Father in Grace For the further opening of this Point I shall endeavour these foure things 1 I shall endeavour to decipher to you soules weak in Grace 2 I shall endeavour to lay downe those things that may Incourage Support and Comfort soules that are weak in Grace 3 I shall speake to the Duties that lye upon those that are weak in Grace 4 The Duties that lye upon those that are strong in grace towards those that are weak in grace Of these foure we shall speak as the Lord shall assist I shall begin with the first To decipher soules weak in Grace The first thing by which I shall decipher soules weak in Grace is this Weak Christians are usually carried much out after the poore low things of this world They are much in carking and caring for them and in pursuing and hunting greedily after them That 's a clear Text for this Mat. 6. 24. to the end Christ labours by severall weighty Arguments to fence and fortifie his Disciples against those dissident doubtfull carking cares that divide distract distemper torture and teare the heart in a thousand pieces And yet neither these Arguments nor yet the presence of him who was the great Land-lord of Heaven and Earth and whose love and bowels were still yearning towards them and whose speciall eye of providence was still over them could rid their heads and hearts of these worldly cares that doe but vex and perplex the soules of men And 't is very observable that after this smart Lecture that Christ had read them they did strive three severall times who should be greatest and highest in worldly Enjoyments Their hearts should have been onely in Heaven and yet they strive for Earth as if there were no Heaven or as if Earth were better then Heaven All which do's cleerly evidence that their Graces were very weak and their corruptions very strong Men that have little of the upper springs within are carried out much after the springs below Baruch was good but weak in Grace he had but some sips and tasts of the glory of that other world and Jerem. 45. 1 2 3 4 5. that made him when God was a pulling downe all worldly glory to seek for Earth as if there were no Heaven Certainly there is but little of Christ and Grace within where the heart is so strongly carried on t after these things without Where there is such strong love and workings of heart after these poor things it speaks out soules enjoyment of God to be but poor and low In the Old Testament the Jewes being Babes and Infants in grace and holinesse had a world of Temporall Promises and very few Spirituall Promises But now in the dayes of the Gospel the Lord is pleased to double and trebble his spirit upon his people and now you meet with very few temporall Promises in the Gospel but the Gospel is fill'd with spirituall Promises the Gospel drops nothing but marrow and fatnesse love and sweetnesse and therefore God looks in these dayes that men should grow up to a greater height of holinesse heavenlinesse and spiritualnesse then what they attained to in those dark dayes wherein the Sun shin'd but dimly Men rich and strong in Grace look upon the world with a holy scorne and disdaine as Themistocles when he saw in the dark a thing like a Pearle he scorn'd to stoop for it himselfe saying to another Stoop thee for thou art not Themistocles Abraham a man strong in Grace look't with a holy scorne and with an eye of disdaine upon these poor things When Melchisedech from God had made
hath ordained to convey all fullnesse of light to the Aire by the Sun and therefore hath put a greater fullnesse of light into the Sun God hath ordained all fullnesse of nourishment to the branches by the roots and therefore hath put a fullnesse of juice into the roots So the Lord hath ordained that all the riches of grace of peace of glory c. that Believers shall injoy here and in Heaven they shall have from this Son of righteousnesse from this blessed root the Lord Jesus Christ and therefore the father hath filled this Son with light this root with heavenly juice because he is by Divine ordination to convey all spirituall and glorious John 15. 21 22. Sirens are said to sing curiously while â—hey live but to râ—are horribly when they dye So will all those that have rerected so rich a Jesus as ha's been tendred â—o them when the Lord Jesus shall plead with them c. Riches into the hearts of his chosen and beloved ones A third Ground is To take away all excuse from ungodly and wicked men and that they may be found speechlesse in the day of vengeance when the Lord shall come to reckon with them Ah sinners How will you that have turn'd your backs upon Christ who is thus rich be able to answer it in the day when God shall reason the case with you When God shall say sinners Ha's it not been often told you that Christ is rich in mercy and rich in goodnesse and rich in grace rich in pardons rich in loves and rich in glory rich in spiritualls rich in temporalls and rich in eternalls and yet you have slighted this Christ you have turned your backs upon this Christ you have preferred your lusts and the world and the service of the Devil above this Christ Oh! How dumb how speechlesse will sinners be when the Lord shall thus plead with them Oh how will their countenances be changed their thoughts troubled their joynts loosed their consciences enraged and their soules terrified when they shall see what a rich Match they have refused and thereupon how justly they are for ever accursed c. Lastly It is upon this account That he may be a compleat Redeemer to us and that nothing may hinder our soules closing with the Lord Jesus Christ. We stand in need of one that 's rich rich in grace to pardon us rich in power to support us and rich in goodnesse to relieve us and rich in glory to Crowne us there 's none but such We may say of Christ as Writers say of the Jasper it 's easier to admire then declare it and far more easier to say what he is not then what he is a Christ can serve our turnes We stand in need of one that 's rich that 's generally rich one that 's rich in money to pay all our debts We have run much upon the score with God and none can pay this score but Christ our sins are debts that none can pay but Christ 'T is not our teares but his blood 't is not our sighes but his sufferings that can satisfie for our sins We are much in debt to God for the ground we tread on the aire we breath in the beds we lye on the bread we eat the cloaths we wear c. and none can pay this debt but Christ Angels and Saints may pitty us but they cannot discharge the least debt for us c. Christ must pay all or we are Prisoners for ever c. We stand in need of one that 's rich in goodnesse we are a needy people and are still in want Christ must be still a giving or we shall be still a languishing if he shut his hand we perish and returne to dust Our temporall wants are many our spirituall wants are more and if Christ don't supply them who will who can Nay our wants are so many and so great that Christ himselfe could not supply them were he not very very rich And thus I have given you a brief account of the Reasons of the Point Why the Lord Jesus is held forth by the Scripture to be so very rich We shall now come to the third thing propos'd and that is The Excellency of the Riches of Christ above all other riches in the World I shall briefly run over this third branch and so come to the Application which is most in my eye and upon my heart The Excellency of the Riches of Christ above all other Riches FIrst The riches of Christ are Incomparable riches In Prov. 3. 13 14 15. Happy is the man that findeth wisedome that is the Lord Jesus Christ and the man that getteth understanding for the merchandize of it is better then the merchandize of silver and the gaine thereof then fine gold She is more precious then Rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared unto her One grain of Grace is far beyond all the gold of Ophir and all the silver of the Indies which is but the guts and garbidge of the earth We may say of the riches of this world compared with the riches of Christ as Gideon sometime said of the Vintage of Abiezer The gleanings of Ephraim are better then the Vintage of Abiezer So the gleanings the smallest gatherings of the riches of Christ are far better more excellent more satisfying more contenting and more ravishing then all the riches of this world The whole Turkish Empire saith Luther is but a crust that God throwes to a Dogge The wise Merchant Mat. 13. Riches are called Thick clay Hab. 2. 6. which will sooner breake the back then lighten the heart c. 44 45. parts with all to gaine this Pearle of price the truth is other riches are but a burden Gen. 13. 2. Abraham was very rich in Cattell in silver and in gold The Hebrew word Cabbedh is He was very heavy in Cattell in silver and in gold To signifie that riches are but heavy burdens A little will serve nature lesse will serve grace but nothing will serve mens lusts Pheraulas a poor man on whom Cyrus bestowed so much that he knew not what to doe with his riches being wearied out with care in keeping of them he desired rather to live quietly though poor as he had done before then to possesse all those riches with discontent therefore he gave away all his wealth desiring onely to enjoy so much as might supply his necessities Let worldly Professors think seriously of this story and blush c. Secondly the riches of Christ are Inexhaustible riches as Earthly riches are true Gardens of Adonis where we can gâ—â—her nothing but triviall flowers surrounded with many bryars I have hinted before Christ can never be drawne dry The Spanish Ambassador coming to see the Treasury of St. Mark in Venice which is cryed up throughout the world fell a groping whether it had any bottome and being asked why answered In this among other things my
promises are over-performed 1 Cor. 2. 9. c. Christ upon his word Doe you believe he will give you a Crowne and will you not trust him for a crust Doe you believe he will give you a Kingdome and doe you doubt whether he will give you a Cottage to rest in Ha's he given you his blood and doe you think that he will deny you any thing that is really for your good Surely he will not he cannot Againe Trust him for power against all the remainders of sin in you Hath Christ freed you from the damnatory power of sin Rom. 8. 1. Rom. 6. 14. Heb. 13. 5. and from the dominion of sin and will not you trust him for deliverance from the remainers of sin Psal 65. 3. Iniquities prevaile against me As for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away O excellent faith Againe Trust him to bring you into the Land of rest Doe you think that this Joshua is not able to carry you through all difficulties dangers and deaths Doe you think that he will leave you to dye in the wildernesse who have already had some glimpses of Heavens glory O trust to this Christ for the bringing of your soules into the Promised Land Christ would loose his glory should you fall short of glory c. Againe If Christ be so rich Then don't forsake him don't leave him don't turne your backs upon him Is there Riches of Justification and Riches of Sanctification and Riches of Consolation and Riches of Glorification in Christ Yes why then doe not depart from him doe not You read of no Armes for the back though you doe for the breast Phil. 6. shake hands with him That 's a sad complaint of God in Jer. 2. 12 13. Be astonished O ye heavens at this and be horribly afraid be ye very desolate saith the Lord For my people have committed two evills They have forsaken me the fountaine of living waters and hewed them out Cisternes broken Cisternes that can hold no water Is it madnesse and folly to flye from the fountaine to the streame from the light of the Sun to the light of a candle And is it not greater madnesse and folly to forsake the Creator to run after the creature O say as Peter Whither should we goe thou hast John 6. 68. the words of eternall life To run from Christ is to run from all life peace and joy 't is to run from our strength our shelter our security our safety our Crown our glory Lev. 11. 10. Crabbs that goe backward are reckoned among unclean creatures The application is easie Origen coming to Jerusalem after that he had shamefully turned his back upon Christ and his truth and being exceedingly pressed to preach at last he yields and as he opened the Book he happened to cast his eye upon that place of the Psalmist What hast thou to doe to declare my Statutes or that thou shouldest take my Covenant in thy mouth seeing thou hatest Psa 50. 16 17. instruction and castest my words behind thee Now the remembrance of his owne folly so reflected upon his conscience that it made him close the Book and sit downe and weep Such as forsake a rich a full Christ shall have weeping work enough That is a very dreadfull Scripture Jer. 17. 13. All you that forsake the Lord shall come to be ashamed and they that depart from him shall be written in the dust Can you read this Text backsliding soules and not tremble c. Againe If the Lord Jesus Christ be so rich Oh then all you that have an interest in him labour mightily to clear up your interest and to be more and more confident of your interest in so rich a Jesus My Brethren 't is one thing for a man to have an interest in Christ and another thing to have his interest cleer'd up to him I doe speak it with grief of heart That even among such Christians that I hope to meet in Heaven there 's scarce one of forty nay one of a hundred that is groundedly able to make out his interest in the Lord Jesus Most Christians live between feare and hope between doubting and believing One day they hope that all is well and that all shall be well for ever the next day they are ready to say That they shall one day perish by the hand of such a corruption or else by the hand of such or such a temptation And thus they are up and downe sav'd and lost many times in a day But you will say unto me What Meanes should we use to clear up our interest in Christ I 'le tell you there are six singular Means that you should labour after for the evidencing more and more your interest in Christ And take it from experience you will find that they will contribute very very much for the evidencing your interest in Christ And the Means for the evidencing our interest in Christ First is this Faithfully and constantly fall in with the interest of Christ Holinesse is the interest of Christ the Gospel is the interest of Christ the precious Ordinances are the interest of Christ c. Now the more sincerely and roundly you fall in with the interest of Christ the more abundantly you will be confirmed and perswaded of your interest in Christ Such soules The Primitive Christians did generally fall in with the interest of Christ and they generally had an assurance of their interest in Christ Lam. 1. 16. Phil. 4. 30. Isa 63. 10. Spiritus sanctâ— est res delicaâ—a Psal 77. 2. 1 Thess 5. 19. as fall in with strange interests or with base and carnall interests may justly question whether ever they had any reall interest in Christ Christians did you more sincerely and fully fall in with Christs interest you would lesse question your interest in Christ this would scatter many a cloud Secondly Be kind to the spirit of Christ Doe not grieve him doe not slight him If you should set this spirit a mourning that alone can evidence your interest that alone can seale up your interest in Christ by whom shall your interest in Christ be sealed up O doe not grieve the spirit by acting against light against conscience against ingagements doe not grieve him by casting his cordialls and comforts behind your backs doe not grieve him by slighting and despising his gracious actings in others doe not cast water upon the spirit but wisely attend the hints the Items and motions of the Spirit and he will clear up thy interest in Christ he will make thee say My Beloved is mine and I am his Câ—nt 2. 16 Thirdly Labour more and more after a full and universall conformity to Jesus Christ The more the soule is conformable to Christ the more confident it will be of its interest in Christ 1 John 4. 17. As all good Orators indeavour to be like Demosthenes so all good Christians should indeavour to be like to Jesus Christ for
the most highly prized and esteemed of God doe set so low a price upon themselves And then the Use Iob 1. 8. Job was a none-such in regard of those perfections and degrees of grace that he had attained to beyond aâ—ny other Saints on earth Job was high in worth and humble in heart Job 42. 5 6. Humilitas animi sublimitas Christiani 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A me me salva Domine Aug. Deliver me O Lord from that evill man my selfe 2 Cor. 12. 1. 7 vid. Bezim 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wordless words such as words are too weak to utter Isa 6. 1. 5 6. compared The clearest sight vision of God does alwayes give a man the fullest sight of his own emptinesse sinfulnesse and nothingnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a I am out off Luke 5. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man a sinner a very mixture compound of dirt and sin For the first That this is so I shall give you most clear proofs and open them to you See it in Job no man ever received a fairer or a more valuable Certificate under the hand of God or the broad Seale of Heaven for his being a soule famous in grace and holinesse then Job as you may see Job 1. 8. And the Lord said unto Satan hast thou considered my Servant Job that there is none like him in the Earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evill And yet no man could speak more undervaluingly of himselfe then Job did Job 42. 5 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare but now mine eye seeth thee I abhor my selfe in dust and ashes This expression is the deepest act of abhorrency Abhorrency strictly taken is hatred wound up to the height I abhor my selfe the word that 's rendred Abhor signifies to reject to disdaine to contemne and to cast off Ah sayes Job I abhor my selfe I reject my selfe I disdaine my selfe I cast off my selfe I have a vile esteem of my selfe So our blessed Apostle who had been caught up into the third Heavens and had such glorious Revelations as could not be uttered yet he accounted himselfe lesse then the least of all Saints Not that any thing can be lesse then the least the Apostles holy Rhetorick doth not crosse Aristotle's Philosophy but the Originall word being a double diminitive his meaning is that he was as little as could be therefore he put himselfe downe so little as could not be lesse then the least Another proof you have Isa 6. 1 5 6. As Paul among the Apostles was the greatest so Esay among the Prophets was the clearest and choycest Gospel-Preacher and holds out more of Christ and of his Kingdome and glory then all the other Prophets doe Isa 6. 1. he sees the glory of the Lord in a Vision and this makes him cry out vers 5. Wee is me for I am undone because I am a man of uncleane lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of uncleane lips for mine eyes have seene the King the Lord of Hosts I am undone the Hebrew is I am cut off I am a forlorne man why For I have seen the King the Lord of Hosts Here you have the highest and choycest among the Prophets as you had Paul before among the Apostles abasing and laying low himselfe So Peter Luke 5. 8. Depart from me for I am a sinfull man O Lord. When he saw that glorious Miracle wrought by the Lord Jesus he cryes out as one very sensible of his owne weaknesse and sinfullnesse Depart from me for I am a sinfull man Ah I am not worthy to be neer such Majesty and glory who am a meer bundle of vice and vanity of folly and iniquity Take another cleer instance Gen. 18. And Abraham answered Gen. 18. 27. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnaphar vae pher dust and ashes i. e. base vile worthles Solemnly think that thou art dust and ashes and be pâ—oud if thou canst Isa 6. 1 2. Gen. 32. 10 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am lesse then all meretes to wit in worth or weight c. and said Behold I have taken upon me to speake unto the Lord who am but dust and ashes Here you have the Father of the Faithfull the greatest Believer in the world accounting himselfe dust and ashes Dust notes the basenesse of his Originall and Ashes notes his deserving to be burnt to ashes if God should deale with him in justice rather then in mercy The nearer any soule drawes to God the more humble will that soule lye before God None so neere God as the Angels nor none so humble before God as the Angels So Jacob Gen. 32. 10. I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant c. Jacob a man eminent in his prevailing with God a Prince that had the honour and the happinesse to overcome the God of mercy yet judges himselfe unworthy of the least mercy Ah how low is that soule in his owne eyes that is most honourable in Gods eyes David you know was a man after Gods owne heart a man highly honoured much beloved and dearly prized by the 1 Kings 15. 5. Lord yet 1 Sam. 26. 20. He counts himselfe a Flea and what 1 Sam. 26. 20. Psal 22. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tolagnath An humble soule is a little little nothing in his owne eyes is more contemptible then a Flea In Psal 22. 6. I am a worme saith he and no man The word that 's there rendred Worme is a word that signifies a very little Worm which breedeth in Scarlet a Worme that 's so little that a man can hardly see or perceive it A Worme is the most despicable Creature in the world trampled under foot by every one Sayes he I am a despicable worme in my owne eyes and in my enemies eyes And thus you see the point proved that the most holy men have been alwayes the most humble men The second thing that I am to doe is To shew you the Properties of humble soules I confesse when I look abroad in the world and observe the carriage of all sorts of men my heart is stirr'd to speak as fully and as home to this point as Christ shall help me 'T is very very sad to consider how few humble soules there be in these dayes Ah the damnable pride that reignes and rules in the hearts lives of most men God loves to heare this as a parcell of his praise Paâ—cere subjectis debellare superbos to spare the lowly and strike downe the proud Isa 23. 9. I think 't is far greater then hath been knowne in the Generations before us Ah England England what folly what damnable wickednesse is this that thou shouldest be a lifting thy selfe up in pride when God is a staining the pride of all glory and bringing into contempt the honourable of the Earth and a
here rendred Peace signifies the quietnesse and silence of his mind he did not hold his tongue onely for many a man may hold his tongue and yet his mind and heart may kick and swell against God but his very mind was quiet and still there was a heavenly calme in his Spirit he was dumb and silent because the Lord had done it So in Acts 10. 33. We are all here present before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God We are not here to heare what may tickle our eares or please our fansies or satisfie our lusts no but we are here to hear what God will say our hearts stand ready pressed to subject themselves to whatever God shall declare to be his will we are willing to heare that we may doe that we may obey sincerely and universally the good pleasure of our God knowing that 't is as well our dignity as our duty so to doe There are three things in an humble soule that doe strongly incline it to duty The first is Divine Love The second is Divine Presence The third is Divine Glory The Dove made use of her wings to fly to the Ark so does an humble soule of his duties to fly to Christ Though the Dove did use her wings yet she did not trust in her wings but in the Ark So though an humble soule does use duties yet he does not trust in his duties but in his Jesus But now proud hearts they hate the truth they cry out Who is the Lord that we should obey him And what are his Commandements that we should submit to them I but an humble soule falls under the power of truth and counts it his greatest glory to be obedient to all truth A fifth property of an humble soule is this An humble soule lives not upon himselfe nor upon his owne actings but upon the Lord Jesus and his actings Poore men you know they doe not live upon themselves they live upon others they live upon the care of others the love of others the provision of others why thus an humble soule lives upon the care of Christ the love of Christ the promise of Christ the faithfulnesse of Christ the discoveries of Christ he lives upon Christ for his Justification Phil. 3. from ver 7. to 10 He lives upon Christ for his Sanctification Cant. 4. 16. Awake O North winde and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the spices thereof may flow out And he lives upon Christ for his Consolation Cant 2. 3. As the Apple-tree among the trees of the wood so is my beloved among the Sons I sate downe under his shaddow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my tast And he lives upon Christ for the performance of all holy actions Phil. 4. 13. I can doe all things through Christ which strengtheneth me Gal. 2. 20. I live yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himselfe for me An humble soule sees in Christ * Plenitudo abundantiae and plenitudo redandantiae Omne bonum in summo bono All good is in the chiefest good Christ is quicquid appetibile as Origen speaks whatever we can desire Isa 58. 2. 7. Luke 7. 4 5 6 7. 6 Property A proud heart resists and is resisted this is duro durum flint to flint fire to fire Job 13. 25. An humble soule blesses God as well for crosses as mercies as well for adversity as for prosperity as well for frowns as for smiles c. because he judges himself unworthy of the least rebukes from God a fullnesse of Abundance and a fullnesse of redundancy and here his soul lives and feeds An humble soul sees that all his stock is in the hands of Christ his stock of Graces his stock of Comforts his stock of experiences are in the hands of Jesus Christ who is the Great Lord Keeper of all a Believers Graces and of all his Comforts and therefore as Children live upon them in whose hand their stock is be it a Brother or a Friend Why so an humble soule sees its stock is in the hand of the Lord Jesus and therefore he lives upon Christ upon his love and his provision and his undertakings c. But now proud hearts live not upon the Lord Jesus Christ they live upon themselves and upon their owne duties their owne righteousnesse their owne actings as the Scripture evidences Christ dwells in that heart most eminently that hath emptied it selfe of it selfe Christ is the humble mans Manna upon which he lives and by which he thrives A sixth Property of an humble soule is this He judges himselfe to be below the wrath and judgements of God An humble soule looks upon himselfe as one not worthy that God should spend a rodd upon him in order to his reformation edification or salvation As I am unworthy saith an humble soule that God should smile upon me so I am unworthy that he should spend a frowne upon me Job 13. 25. Wilt thou break a leafe driven too and fro and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble Why I am but a leaf I am but a little dry stubble I am below thy wrath I am so very very bad that I wonder that thou shouldst so much as spend a rod upon me What more weak worthlesse slight and contemptible then a leafe then dry stubble why Lord sayes Job I am a poor weak and worthlesse Creature I wonder that thou shouldst take any paines to doe me good I can't but count and call every thing a mercy that is lesse then hell So David in 1 Sam. 24. 14. After whom is the King of Israel come out after whom dost thou pursue after a dead Dogg after a Flea The language of a humble soule when God begins to be angry is this Lord I can blesse thee that thou wilt take any paines with me but I humbly acknowledge that I am below the least rodd I am not worthy that thou shouldst frowne upon me threaten me strike me or whip me for my internall and eternall good But proud hearts think themselves wronged when they are afflicted they cry out with Cain Our punishment is greater then we can beare Gen. 4. 13. 7 Property Another Property of an humble soule is this An humble soule doth highly prize the least of Christ The least smile the least good word the least good look the least truth the least mercy is highly valued by an humble soule The Cananitish woman in the 15 of Matthew sets a high Vers 27. Faith will pick an Argument out of a repulse and turn discouragements into incouragements Luther would not take all the world for one leaf of the Bible such a price he set upon it from the sweet that he found in it Song 1. 3. John 10. 4 5. Psal 27. 4. Mat. 9. 20. 21. Acts 24. 14. 1 Cor. â—9 22. Austin
ditch So he knowes that godly soules though never so poor low and contemptible as to the things of this world Ephes 2. 6. are fixt in Heaven in the Region above and therefore their poverty and meannesse is no bar to hinder him from learning of them Though John was poor in the world yet many humble souls did not disdaine but rejoyce in his Ministry Christ lived poor and dyed poor Mat. 8. 20. As he was borne in another mans house so he was buried in another mans Tomb. Austin observes when Christ dyed he made no will he had no Crown-lands onely his Coat was left and that the Souldiers parted among them and yet those that were meek and lowly in heart counted it their Heaven their happinesse to be taught and instructed by him The seventeenth Property of an humble soule is this 17 Property Tully calls graâ—tude Maximam imo maâ—em omnium virtutum reliquarum The greatest yea the mother of all virtues An humble soule will blesse God and be thankefull to God as well under misery as under mercy As well when God frownes as when he smiles as well when God takes as when he gives as well under crosses and losses as under blessings and mercies Job 1. 21. The Lord gives and the Lord takes blessed be the name of the Lord. He doth not cry out upon the Sabeans and the Chaldeans but he looks through all secondary Causes and sees the hand of The Jewes have a Prov That we must leap up to Mount Gerizim which was a Mount of Blessings But creep into Mount Ebal which was a Mount of Curses To shew that we must be ready to blesse but backward to curse An humble soule can extract one contrary out of another honey out of the rock gold out of iron c. Afflictions to humble souls are the Lords Plow the Lords Harrow the Lords Flaile the Lords drawing Plaisters the Lords pâ—uâ—ing knise the Lords Potion the Lords Soap and therefore they can sit dowae and blesse the Lord and kisse the rod. God and then he layes his hand upon his owne heart and sweetly sings it out The Lord gives and the Lord takes blessed be the name of the Lord. An humble soule in every condition blesses God as the Apostle commands in the 1 Thess 5. 18. In every thing give thanks to God So 1 Cor. 4. Being reviled we blesse being persecuted we suffer The language of an humble soule is If it be thy will saith an humble soule I should be in darknesse I will blesse thee and if it be thy will I should be againe in light I will blesse thee If thou wilt comfort me I will blesse thee and if thou wilt afflict me I will blesse thee if thou wilt make me poor I will blesse thee if thou wilt make me rich I will blesse thee if thou wilt give me the least mercy I will blesse thee if thou wilt give me no mercy I will blesse thee An humble soul is quick-sighted he sees the rod in a fathers hand he sees honey upon the top of every twigg and so can blesse God he sees Sugar at the bottome of the bitterest cup that God doth put into his hand he knowes that Gods House of Correction is a School of Instruction and so he can sit downe and blesse when the rodd is upon his back An humble soule knowes that the designe of God in all is his Instruction his Reformation and his Salvation It was a sweet saying of holy Bradford If the Queen will give me my life I will thank her if she will Banish me I will thank her if she will burne me I will thank her if she will condemne me to perpetuall imprisonment I will thank her I this is the temper of an humble heart An humble soule knowes that to blesse God in prosperity is the way to increase it and to blesse God in adversity is the way to remove it An humble soule knowes that if he blesses God under mercies he hath paid his debt but if he blesses God under crosses he hath made God a debtor But oh the pride of mens hearts when the rod is upon their backs You have many Professors that are seemingly humble while the Sun shines while God gives and smiles and stroakes but when his smiles are turned into frownes when he strikes and layes on oh the murmurings the disputings the frettings and wranglings of proud soules they alwayes kick when God strikes The last Property of an humble soule is this An humble 18 Property soule will wisely and patiently bear reproof Prov. 25. 12. As an ear-ring of gold and an Ornament of fine gold so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear A seasonable reproof falling upon an humble soule hath a redoubled Grace with it It is as an ear-ring of gold and as an Ornament of fine gold or as a Diamond in a Diadem An humble David can say Let the righteous smite me it shall be a kindnesse and let him reprove me it shall be an excellent Psal 14. 5. Oyle is here Metaphorically taken for woâ—ds of repâ—oâ—f wthâ—ay be said figuraâ—ively to breake the head vide Job 19 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oyle which shall not break my head David compares the faithfull reproof of the righteous to the excellent Oyle that they used about their heads Some Translate it Let it never cease from my head That is let me never want it and so the Originall will bear too I would never want reproofs whatsoever I want But yet my prayer shall be in their calamities I will requite their reproofs with my best prayers in the day of their Calamity saith David Whereas a proud heart will neither pray for such nor with such as reprove them but in their calamities will most insult over them Some Translate it more emphatically The more they doe the more I shall think my selfe bound unto them And this was In vit Jo. Gers So Alipius loved Austin for reproving him So did David Nathan 1 Kings 1. 2 Sam. 12. 12 13. 24. 13 14 That 's a choyce and â—ender spirit that can meekly humbly imbrace reâ—roofs and blesse God sor reproofs Gersomes disposition of whom it is recorded That he rejoyced in nothing more then if he were freely and friendly reproved by any Prov. 9. 8 9. Rebuke a wise man and he will love thee give instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser Prov. 19. 25. Reprove one that hath understanding and he will understand knowledge You know how sweetly David carries it towards Abigall 1 Sam. 25. 32 33. shee wisely meets him and puts him in mind of what he was going about and he falls a blessing of her presently Blessed be the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me and blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood I was resolved in my passion and in the heat of
this is the best to keep them from falling Job feares and conquers on the dunghill Adam presumes and falls in Paradise Nehemiah fears and stands Nehem. 5. 15. Peter presumes and falls Mat. 26. Mr. Sanders the Martyr in Queene Mary's dayes feares and stands Dr. Pendleton presumes and falls from a Professor to be a Papist When Agamemnon said What should the Conquerour feare Casander presently answered Quod nihil timet He should feare this most of all that he fears not at all And so I have done with the Reasons of the point I shall now come to the Uses of it And the first is this Is it so that the most holy soules are the most humble soules Then this shewes you That the number of holy soules is very few Oh how few be there that are low in their owne eyes The number of soules that are high in the esteeme of God and low in their owne esteem are very few Oh the pride of England Oh the pride of London Pride in these A proud heart resists and is resâ—sted this is duâ—o duâ—um flint to flint fire to fire yet downe he must dayes ha's got a whores fore-head yet pride cannot climb so high but Justice will sit above her Bernard saith that Pride is the rich mans Cousen I may add And the poore mans Cousen and the prophane mans Cousen and the Civil mans Cousen and the formall mans Cousen and the Hypocrites Cousen yea all mens Cousen and it will first or last cast down and cast out all the Lucifers and Adams in the world Secondly As you would approve your selves to be high in the account of God as you would approve your selves to be not onely good but eminently good Keep humble Since England was England since the Gospel shined amongst us there was never such reason to presse this duty of humility as in these dayes of pride wherein we live and therefore I shall endeavour these two things First to lay downe some Motives that may work you to be humble Secondly to propound some Directions that may further you in this work First for the Motives Consider First how God singles out humble soules from all others ot 1 Motive poure out most of the Oyle of Grace into their hearts No Vessels that God delights to fill like broken vessels like contrite spirits Jam. 4. 6. He resists the proud and gives grace to the humble The Greek word signifies To set himselfe Anâ—itassetai in battell array God takes the winde and hill of a proud soule but he gives grace to the humble The silver dewes flow downe from the Mountaines to the lowest valleyes Abraham was but dust and ashes in his owne eyes I but saith Gen. 18. 17. God Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I will doe No I will not An humble soule shall be both of Gods Court and his Counsel too Humble Jacob that was in his Gen. 32. 10. owne eyes lesse then the least of all mercies what a glorious Vision had he of God when the Ground was his Bed and Gen. 28. the Stone his Pillow and the Hedges his Curtaines and the Heavens his Canopie Then he saw Angels ascend and descend An humble soule that iies low O what sights of God He that is in the low pits and caves os the earth sees the starres in the fiâ—mament when they who are upon the tops of the mountains discerne them not hath he what glory doth he behold when the proud soule sees nothing God poures in grace to the humble as men poure in liquor into an empty vessel he does not drop in grace into an humble heart but he poures it in The Altar under the Law was hollow to receive the fire the wood and the Sacrifice So the hearts of men under the Gospel must be humble empty of all sprituall pride and self-conceitednesse that so they may receive the fire of the Spirit and Jesus Christ who offered himselfe for a Sacrifice for our sins Humility is both a Grace and a vessel to receive Grace There 's none that sees so much need of grace as humble souls there 's none prises grace like humble soules there 's none improves grace like humble soules Therefore God singles out the humble soule to fill him to the brim with grace when the proud is sent empty away Secondly Of all Garments humility doth best become Christians 2 Motive and most adorne their profession Faith is the Champion of grace and Love the Nurse but Humility the beauty of grace 1 Pet. 5. 5. Be clothed with humility The Greek word imports That Humility is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ribbon or string that tyes together all those pretious Pearles the rest of the graces If this string break they are all scattered The Greek word that is rendred Cloathed comes of another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek word that signifies to knit and tye knots as delicate and curious women use to doe of Ribbons to adorne their heads and bodies as if humility were the knot of every vertue the grace of every grace Chrysostome calls Humility 'T is reported of the Christall that it hath such a virtue in it that the very touching of it quickens other stones and puts a lustre and beauty upon them so does humility put a lustre upon every grace The Root Mother Nurse Foundation and Band of all Virtue Bazill calls it The Store-house and Treasury of all good For what 's the scandall and reproach of Religion at this day nothing more then the pride of Professors Is not this the language of most They are great Professors O but very proud they are great hearers they will run from Sermon to Sermon and cry up this man and cry up that man O but proud They are great talkers O but as proud as the Devil c. Oh that you would take the Counsel of the Apostle Be cloathed with humility And that Col. 3. 12. Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and Beloved Bowels of mercy kindnesse humblenesse of mind meeknesse long-suffering No Robes to these The Third Motive is this Humility is a Load-stone that 3 Motive drawes both the heart of God and man to it In Isa 57. Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth Eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit The Lord singles out the humble soule of all others to make him an Habitation for himselfe Here is a wonder God is on high and yet the higher a man lifts up himselfe the farther he is from God And the lower a man humbles himselfe the neerer he is to God of all soules God delights most to dwell with the humble for they doe most prize and best improve his pretious presence In Prov. 29. 23. A mans pride shall bring him low but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit Prov. 22. 4. By humility
example of Christs Humility till your hearts be made humble like the heart of Christ Oh that that sweet word of Christ Mat. 11. 29. might stick upon all your hearts Take my yoke upon you and learne of me for I am meek and lowly and you shall find rest to your soules Bonaventure Engraved this sweet saying of our Lord Learne of mee for I am meek and lowly in heart in his Study It was a good Law that the Ephesians made that men should propound to themselves â—he bâ—st parterns and ever bear in mind some eminent man And oh that this saying was Engraven upon all your foreheads upon all your hearts Oh that it was Engraven upon the dishes you eat in the cups you drink in the seats you sit on the Beds you lye on c. Jerome having read the Religious life and death of Hilaron folding up the Book said Well Hilaron shall be the Champion whom I will imitate Oh when you look upon this glorious example of Christ say The Lord Jesus his example shall be that that my soule shall imitate Sixthly Consider Humility will free a man from perturbations and distempers 6 Motive When there are never such great stormes without humility will cause a calme within There are a great many stormes abroad and there 's nothing will put the soule into a quiet condition but Humility An humble soule saith who am I that I may not be despised Who am I that I may not be reproached abused slighted neglected That which will break a proud mans heart will not so much as break an humble mans sleep In the midst of a storme an humble soule is still in a calme When proud hearts are at their wits ends stamping swearing and swaggering at God and man and providence an humble soule is quiet and still like a ship in a Harbour 2 Sam. 16. 6. to 13. Shimei comes rayling and cursing of David and calls him a bloudy man and a man of Belial that is a Runnagado one who being desperately wicked had shaken off the yoke of Government and would be under no Law So the Hebrew word Jagnal signifies men without yoke or lawlesse Therefore the Septuagint commonly Translate it Paranomos altogether irregular It signifies most flagitious men and notorious and desperately wicked stigmatized Villaines even incarnate Devis and yet David holds his peace though provoked by his mighty men to revenge himselfe Oh! how would this cursing and railing have madded and broken many a proud mans heart and yet it stirres not David Fulgentius after he was extreamly persecuted he had â—n Plura pro 〈…〉 â—ole advantage to seek revenge but he would not for saith 〈◊〉 We must suffer more for Christ then so What though I am thus and thus wronged What though I have an opportunity for revenge yet I must suffer more then so for Christ sayes the humble soule An humble soule when wrongs are offered him is like a man with a sword in one hand and salve in another he could kill but will cure One wondring at the patience and humble carriage of Socrates towards one that reviled him Socrates said If we should meet one whose body were more unsound then ours should we be angry with him and not rather pitty him Why then should we not doe the like to him whose soule is more diseased then ours An humble soule when he meets with this and that wrong from men he knowes that their soules are diseased and that rather moves him to pity then to revenge wrongs offered A proud heart swells and growes bigge when in the least wronged and is ready to call for fire from Heaven and to take any opportunity for revenge of wrongs offered No man so abused as I no man thus stiled as I sayes the proud soule O but an humble soule in patience possesses himselfe in all trialls and stormes Gallesius observes upon Exod. 22. 28. the patience and Willet on Ex. 28. Qu. 51. humble carriage of those three Emperours Theodosius Honorius and Arcadius towards those that spake evill of them they would have them subject to no punishment for they said If it come from lightnesse of spirit it is to be contemned if from madnesse 't is worthy of pity if from injury it is to be forgiven for injuries and wrongs are to be pardoned And this is the true temper of an humble foule and by this he enjoyes peace and quiet in the midst of all earth-quakes and heart-quakes The seventh Consideration is this Consider Humility 7 Motive exalteth He that is most humble is and shall be most exalted and most honoured No way to be high like this of being low Moses was the meekest man on Earth and God made him the honourablest calling of him up unto himselfe into the Mount making knowne his glory to him and making of him the Leader of his people Israel Gideon was very little in his owne eyes he was the least of his Fathers house in his owne apprehension and God exalts him making him the Deliverer of his Israel It was a good saying of one Wilt thou be great begin from below As the Roots of the Tree descend so the Branches ascend The lower any man is in this sence the higher shall that man be raised Mat. 23. 12. And whosoever shall exalt himselfe shall be abased and he that shall humble himselfe shall be exalted God that 's wisedome it selfe hath said it and he will make it good though thou seest no wayes how it should be made good The lowest valleyes have the blessing of fruitfulnesse while the high Mountaines are barren Prov. 18. 12. Before destruction the heart of man is lofty and before honour is humility David came not to the Kingdome till he could truly say Lord my heart is not haughty nor mine eyes lifted up Psal 131. 1 2. Abigall was not made Davids wife till she thought it honour enough to wash the feet of the meanest of Davids servants 1 Sam. 25. Moses must be forty years a stranger in Midian before he become King in Jeshurun He must be struck sick to death in the Inn before he goes to Pharoah on that Noble Ambassage It was a sweet Observation of Luther That for the most part when God set him upon any speciall service for the good of the Church he was brought low by some fit of sicknesse or other Surely as the lower the ebb the higher the tide So the lower any descend in Humility the higher they shall ascend in honour and glory The lower this foundation of Humility is laid the higher shall the roofe of honour be over-laid If you would turne spirituall purchasers of honour or of whatsoever else is good no way like this of Humility We live in times wherein men labour to purchase honour some by their money others by their friends others by making themselves slaves to the lâ—sts of men others by being prodigall of their blood and many by giving themselves up to all manner of
basenesse and wickednesse whereby their carnall ends may be attain'd and themselves exalted but these men and their honour will quickly be laid in the dust Oh! but the readiest the surest the safest the sweetest way to attaine to true honour Qui parvus est in reputatione propria magnus est in reputatione divina Gregory 8 Motive is to be humble to lye low Humility makes a man precious in the eye of God He that is little in his owne account is great in Gods esteem The eighth and last Consideration that I shall propound is this Consider humility keeps the soule free from many darts of Satans casting and snares of his spreading As you may see in the three Children in Daniel and in those Worthies in the 11 of the Hebrewes of whom this world was not worthy As the lowest shrubs are freed from many violent gusts and blasts of wind which shake and rend the tallest Cedars So the humble soule is free from a world of temptations that proud and lofty soules are shaken and torne in pieces with The Devil hath least power to fasten a temptation upon an humble soule He that hath a gratious measure of Humility is neither affected with Satans proffers nor terrified with Satans threatniugs The golden Chaine does not allure him nor the iron Chaine does not daunt him I have read of one who seeing in a Vision many snares of Satan spread upon the earth he sate downe and mourned Quis pertran siet ista The answer was Humilitas pertransiet and said with himselfe Who shall passe through these whereunto he heard a voyce answering Humility shall passe through them A proud heart is as easily conquered as tempted vanquished as assaulted But the Humble soule when tempted sayes with that worthy Convert I am not the man that I was Ego non sum ego There was a time when my heart was proud and lifted up and then thou couldst no sooner knock but I opened no sooner call but I answered no sooner tempt but I did assent Oh! but now the Lord taught me to be humble I can resist though I can't dispute I can fight but not yeeld Mistriss Catherine Bretterge an humble precious soule being once in a great Conflict with Satan said thus to him Satan Reason not with me I am but a weake woman if thou hast any thing to say say it to my Christ he is my Advocate my strength and my Redeemer and he shall plead for me An humble soule is good at turning Satan over to the Lord Jesus and this increases Satans Hell It is reported of Satan that he should say thus of a Learned man Thou doest alwayes overcome me when I would throw thee downe thou liftest up Tu me semper vincis thy selfe in assurance of Faith and when I would exalt and promote thee thou keepest thy selfe in humility and so thou art too hard for me The onely way to avoid Cannon-shot as they say is to fall downe flat No such way to be freed from temptations as to keep low And so I have done with the first Head namely The Motives that should move and provoke us to keep humble to be base to be nothing in our owne eyes I shall now come to some Helps and Directions that may be usefull to keep us humble and low in our owne eyes And the first is this Dwell much upon the greatnesse of Gods mercy and goodnesse 1 Direction to you Nothing humbles and breaks the heart of a sinner like mercy and love Soules that converse much with sinne and wrath may be much terrified but souls that converse much 'T is said of Adam that he turned his â—â—ce to the Garden of Eden and wept sore with grace and mercy will be much humbled Luke 7. the Lord Jesus shewes mercy to that notorious sinner and then she falls downe at his feet and loves much and weeps much c. In the 1 Chron. 17. it was in the heart of David to build God a house God would not have him doe it yet the Messenger must tell David that God would build him a house and establish his Son upon the Throne for ever Look Vers 10 11. into the 15 16 17 verses and there you shall find that David le ts fall such an humble speech which he never did before that God had sent him that message of advancement And 2. Sam. 9. 7 8. David the King came and sat before the Lord and said Who am I O Lord God and what is mine house that thou hast As Honey flowes naturalâ—y from the Bee so does mercy flow naturally from God brought me hitherto And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes O God for thou hast also spoken of thy servants house for a great while to come c. And this sweetly and kindly melts him and humbles him before the Lord. Oh if ever you would have your soules kept low dwell upon the free grace and love of God to you in Christ Dwell upon the firstnesse of his love dwell upon the freenesse of his love the greatnesse of his love the fullnesse of his love the unchangeablenesse of his love the everlastingnesse of his love and the activity of his love if this doe not humble thee there is nothing on earth will doe it Dwell upon what God hath undertaken for you Dwell upon the choyce and worthy gifts that he ha's bestowed on you And dwell upon that glory and happinesse that he ha's prepared for you and then be proud if you can Secondly Keep faith in continuall exercise upon Christ as 2 Direction crucified and upon Christ as glorified There are two speciall sights of Christ that tend much to humble and abase a soule The one is A sight of Christ in his misery in the 12 of As one scale goes up the other goes downe So as faith goes up the heart goes downe Zech. ver 10. And the other is A sight of Christ in his glory Rev. 1. 7. Isa 6. 1 3 5. compared 'T is dangerous to be more notion then motion to have faith in the head and none in the heart to have an idle and not an active faith 'T is not enough for you to have faith but you must look to the acting of your faith upon Christ as crucified and upon Christ as glorified Soules much in this will be very little and low in their owne eyes The great reason why the soule is no more humble is because faith is no more active Thirdly Study your owne natures more and what ever evill 3 Direction you behold in other mens practises labour to see the same in your owne nature There is the seed of all sins of the vilest and worst of sins in the best men When thou seest another drunk thou mayest Imibria sued Scenola for that he received not his weapon deep enough into his body Aug. see the seed of that sin in thy owne nature When
thou seest another unclean the seeds of uncleannesse thou mayest see in thy owne nature And in that thou doest not act uncleannesse as others it arises not from the goodnesse of thy nature but from the riches of Gods grace Remember this there is not a worse nature in Hell then that that is in thee and it would discover it selfe accordingly if the Lord did not restraine it it would carry thee to those horrid acts that are against the very light of nature I have read of an Italian Monster who taking his Enemy upon an advantage set his dagger to his heart made him to abjuâ—e and blaspheme the Lord â—hat so he might save his life which being done he thrust him through and with a bloody triumph insulting over him said Oh this is right noble and heroicall revenge which doth not only deprive the body of temporal life but bringeth also the immortall soule to endlesse flames everlastingly See what natures you carry with you It was a good saying of one of the fathers Other Viâ—es are in sins saith he but pride and high confidence is most apt to creep in upon duties wel done There was one that was a long time tempted to three horrid sins to be drunk to lye with his mother and to murder his father Being a long time followed with these horrid temptations at last he thought to get rid of them by yielding to that he judged the least and that was to be drunk But when he was drunk he did both lye with his mother and murder his father Why such a Hellish nature is in every soul that breaths and did God leave men to act according to their natures men would be all incarnate Devils and this world a perfect Hell Such is the corruption of our nature that propound any Divine good to it it is entertain'd as fire by water But propound any evill and it 's like fire to straw 't is like the foolish Satyr that made hast to kisse the fire 't is like that unctious matter which the Naturalists say that it sucks and snatches the fire to it with which it is consumed There was a holy man that rarely heard of other mens crimson sins but he usually bedew'd the place with his tears considering that the seeds of those very sins was in his owne nature In thy nature thou hast that that would lead thee with the Pharisees to oppose Christ and with Judas to betray Christ and with Pilate to condemne Christ and with the Souldiers to crucifie Christ c. Oh what a monster what a Devil wouldest thou prove should God but leave thee to act sutable to that finfull and wofull nature of thine Fourthly Dwell much upon the imperfection that followes and cleaves to thy best actions Oh the wandrings Oh the deadnesse the dullnesse the fruitlesnesse of thy spirit in Religious duties Man is a creature apt to hugge himselfe in Religious services and to pride himselfe in holy duties and to stroak himselfe after duties and to warme himselfe by the sparkes of his owne fire his owne performances though he does lye downe in sorrow for it Isa 50. ult When ever thou comest off from holy services sit downe and look over the spots blots and blemishes that cleave to your choycest services The fairest day ha's it clouds the richest Jewels their flawes the finest faces their spots the fairest Copies their blots and so have our finest and fairest duties Plutarch tells of a private Souldier of Julius Caesars who fought so valâ—antly in Brittaine that by his meanes he sav'd the Captaines which otherwise were in great danger to be cast away being driven into a Bogge then marching with great Plutarch in the Life of Caesar paine through the mire and dirt in the end he got to the other side but left his shield behind him Caesar wondring at his noble courage ran to him with joy to imbrace him But the poore Souldier hanging downe his head the water standing in his eyes fell downe at Caesars feet and besought him to pardon him for that he had left his Shield behind him You know how to apply it He had done gallantly yet he falls downe at Caesars feet after his brave service with teares in his eyes upon the sense of his leaving his shield behind him When we have done our best we have cause to fall downe at Jesus feet and with teares in our eyes sue out our pardon Fifthly In the day of thy prosperity forget not thy former 5 Direction poverty In the day of thy present greatnesse forget not thy former meannesse Humble Jacob in the day of his prosperity remembers his former poverty With my staffe I passed over Gen. 32. 10. Jordan and now I am become two bands And so David in his prosperity remembred that his sheep-hook was changed Psal 78. 71. 1 Chron. 17. into a Scepter and his seat of Turse into a Royall Throne And when Joseph was a Royall favourite he remembred that he had been an Imprisoned slave And when Gideon was raised to be a Saviour to Israel he remembred how God took him from the Threshing-floore Judges 6. 11. and how God changed his Threshing instrument of wood into one of iron to Thresh the Mountaines as God himselfe phraseth it Isa 41. 15. Primistaus the first King of Bohemia kept his Countrey shooes alwayes by him to remember from whence he was raised Agathocles by the furniture of his Table confest that from a Potter he was raised to be King of Sicily We live in times wherein many a man hath been raised from the dunghill to sit with Princes And O that such were wise to remember their former low and contemptible beings and to walk humbly before the Lord Otherwise who can tell but that greater contempt shall be poured forth upon them then that which they have poured upon Princes Sixthly Looke upon all that you have received and all that 6 Direicton you shall hereafter receive as the fruit of free Grace Look upon thy Adoption and write this Motto This is the fruit of free Grace Look upon thy Justification and write this Motto This is the fruit of free Grace Look upon all thy Graces and write These are the fruits of free Grace Look upon thy Experiences and write These are the fruits of free Grace Look upon thy strength to withstand Temptations and write This is the fruit of free Grace Look upon Divine power to conquer Corruptions and write This is the fruit of free Grace Look upon the Bread thou eatest the Beer thou drinkest the Cloaths thou wearest c. and write These are all the fruits of free Grace 1 Cor. 4. 7. Who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou hast not received And if thou hast received it why doest thou glory as though thou hadst not received it Who maketh thee to differ Episcopius a great Insolent Arminian answered Ego me ipsum disceâ—ne I make
blinder of hearts the turner of Medicines into Malladies and A world of instances out of Histories might be given if it were needful further to evidence this truth Remedies into diseases 'T is the Originall and root of most of those notorious Vices that be to be found among the Children of men It was pride that put Herod upon seeking the blood of Christ 'T was Pride that put the Pharisees upon the persecuting of Christ 'T was Pride that made Athaliah destroy all the seed Royall of the house of Judah that he might reigne 2 Chron. 21. 10. 'T was Pride that put Joab upon murdering perfidiously under colour of friendship Abner 2 Sam. 3. 27. and Amasa 2 Sam. 10. 9 10. Zimri out of Ambition to Reigne murdered Elah his Lord 1 Kings 16. 8 9 10. Omri out of Pride and Ambition to Reigne rose up against Zimri and enforced him to burne himselfe in the Kings Palace 1 Kings 16. 18. 'T is Pride that hath ushered in all the contentions that be in Townes Cities Countries Families and Pulpits throughout the world It was Pride and Ambition to Reigne that put Absalom upon pursuing his Fathers life from whom he had received life It is very remarkeable that the Pride and Ambition of Nebuchadnezzar did usher in the destruction of the Assyrian Monarchy And the ambition and pride of Cyrus that did usher in the overthrow of the Babylonian Monarchy And the ambition and pride of Allexander was the cause of the annihillation of the Persian Monarchy And it was the pride and ambition of the Roman Commanders was the cause of the utter subversion of the Grecian Monarchy There is no tongue that can expresse nor heart that can conceive the horrid sins and miseries that pride hath ushered in among the Children of men All sin will downe with a proud heart that is resolved to rise Great sins are no sins with such a soule he makes nothing of those very sins that would make the very Heathen to blush The second Proposition that I shall lay downe concerning Pride is this Where Pride hath possest it selfe throughly of the soule it turnes the heart into steele yea into a rock As you may see in Pharoah pride turned his heart into Proud soules are of his mind that said Non persuadebts etiam si persuaseris Though you do convince me yet will I not be convinced steele yea into a very rock God strikes againe and againe he sends plague upon plague and yet the more he is plagued the more he is hardened His pride turn'd his soule into a Rock he is no more sensible of the frownes of God the threatnings of God the plagues the strokes of God then a Rock Pride had heardened his heart he stirs not he yeilds not It was the pride of Saul that turned his heart into steele I have sinned saith he yet honour me before the people God gave him many a blow many a knock and many a check and yet after all Honour me before the people Oh how desperately 1 Sam. 15. 30. was his heart hardened in Pride In Dan. 5. 10. Nebuchadnezzers mind saith the Text was hardened in pride He saw the vengeance of the Almighty upon his Predecessors and God took him up and lasht him till the blood came and yet he made nothing of it because his heart was hardened in Pride Pride sets a man in opposition against God Other sins are aversions from God but this sin is a coming against God In other sins a man flies from God but in this sin a man flies upon God James 4. 6. God resisteth the proud A man doth not resist another till he is set upon the Traveller doth not resist untill such time as the Thief sets upon him Saith the Text God resisteth the proud It intimates thus much to us That the proud heart sets upon God himselfe and therefore God resists him The Greek word is Antitasetai he places himselfe in Battell array against the proud God brings forth his Battalia against the proud and they bring forth their Battalia against God A proud heart resists and is resisted this is duro durum flint to flint fire to fire yet in the day of Gods wrath the proud shall be burnt up as stubble both branch and root Mal. 4. 1. The third Proposition concerning Pride is this Pride is a sin that shales forth and shewes it selfe not one way but many wayes For instance First Sometimes it shewes it selfe in the lookes Prov. 6. 17. he tells you of seven things that the Lord hates and one Profuto oculis animus inhabitat Plin. is A proud look The Hebrew word there is The haughty eye The haughty eye God hates Mens hearts usually shew themselves in their eyes Psal 131. 1. Mine heart is not haughty nor mine eye lofty There be such who shew pride in their very looks but the Lord looks aloof at them Psalme 138. 6. Secondly Sometimes Pride shewes it selfe in words Dan. 4. 30. Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the Kingdome by the might of my power and for the honour of my Majesty And in Chap. 3. 15. Who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands It was a very proud saying of one Coelum gratis non accipiam I will not have Heaven but at a rate And of another Wee have not so liv'd and deserved of God that the Enemy should vanquish us These were the proud ones that spake loftily and that set their mouths against the Heavens as the Psalmist speaks Psal 73. 6 8 9. comp And such a one was Henry the Second hearing that his City Mentz was taken he used this proud blasphemous speech I shall never love God any more that suffered a City so deare to me to be taken away from me Such a proud wretch both in words and actions was Senacherib as you may see in Isa 27. from the 8 verse to the 18. Thirdly Sometimes Pride shewes it selfe in the habit of the body So Herod's pride appeared Acts 12. 21. Herod was arrayed in Royall Apparrell In cloath of silver saith Josephus which being beaten upon by the Sun-beams dazzled the peoples eyes and drew from them that blasphemous Acclamation It is the voyce of God and not of man The people being most commonly like the Bohemian Curres that used to fawne upon a good Sute So the Rich man Luke 16. 19. was cloathed in Purple 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in Silke He was commonly so cloathed it was his every-dayes weare as the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greek word implyeth But here a Question may be askt May not persons habite themselves according to their dignities ranks and places that God hath put them in in the world I answer They may and ought so to doe if God hath lifted them up in the world above others they may wear better Apparrell then others Gen. 41. 42. Esth 6. 8. Psal 45. 13 14. 2 Sam. 13. 18. Lam.
proud of their parts and gifts and Justice hath so smitten them that they have lost that life that sweetnesse that spiritualnesse that quicknesse that once they had and are dryed and shrivel'd up by a hand of Justice They are like the Apples of Sodom glorious without but rotten and worthlesse within Some there are that have been very shining yet by reason of Pride have fallen from a seeming excellency to be naught and from naught to be very naught and from very naught to be stark naught Isa 23. 9. The Lord of Hosts hath purposed it to staine the pride of all glory and to bring into contempt or to make light all the honourable of the earth The Hebrew word that is here rendred Purposed signifies to consult or take councel It is consulted and agreed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deliberately to consult agree upon a thing upon in Councel that he will staine the pride of all glory and bring into contempt the Honourable of the Earth And the councell of the Lord shall stand Psal 33. 11. In Isa 2. 11 12. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled and the haughtinesse of men shall be bowed downe and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day For the day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty and upon every one that is lifted up and he shall be brought low Divine Justice will take the right hand of all proud ones on the Earth God bears as I may say a speciall spleen against Pride His heart hates it Prov. 6. 16 17. His mouth curses it Psal 119. 21. And his hand plagueth it as you have seen in the former instances and as you may see further in these following Instances The King of Egypt that Jeremiah Prophesied against in his 44th Chapter was so pufft up with Pride that he boasted his Kingdome was so surely settled that it could not be taken from him either by God or man not long after he was taken in Battel by Amasis one of his owne Subjects and hanged up Dyonisius the Tyrant said in the Pride of his heart That his Kingdome was bound to him with Chaines of Adamant but time soon confuted him for he was driven out and forced to teach a School at Corinth for a poor living Cares a Souldier being proud of his valour because he had given Cyrus a great wound shortly after he ran mad In all Ages there are notable instances to prove that pride ha's not got so high but Justice ha's set above her The sixth Proposition is this Of all sins spirituall Pride is most dangerous and must be most resisted Spirituall Pride is the lifting up of the mind against God it is a tumor and swelling in the mind and lyes in contemning and slighting of God his Word Promises and Ordinances and in the lifting up of a mans selfe by reason of birth breeding wealth honour place relation gifts or graces and in despising of others Of this spirituall Pride Habakkuk speaks Chap. 2. 4. His heart that is lifted up in him is not upright Prov. 16. 5. Every one that is proud in heart is an Abomination to the Lord or that lifts up his heart against God or his Decrees as Lewis the Eleventh did in that proud speech of his If I shall be saved I shall be saved and if I Si salvabâ—r Si vero damnabor damnabor shall be damned I shall be damned and there 's all the care that I shall take Like to this was that proud and wretched speech of one Ruffus who painted God on the one side of his Shield and the Devil on the other with this mad Motto If thou wilt not have me here 's one will Spirituall Pride is a white Devil as one calls it a gilded Poyson by which God is robbed of his honour a mans owne soule of his comfort and peace and others of that benefit and fruit which otherwise they might receive from us Satan is suttle he will make a man proud of his very graces He will make him Proud that he is not Proud Pride growes with the decrease of other sins aed thrives by their decay Other sins are nourished by poysonous roots as Adultery is nourished by Idlenesse and Gluttony and Murder by malice and envy But this white Devil Spirituall Pride springs from good duties and good actions towards God and man Spirituall Pride is a very great Enemy to the good and salvation of men Pride is like a very great swelling which unfits men for any service Againe Spirituall Pride is a very great Enemy to the good and salvation of men The Greek word signifies Swelleth for Pride is like a great swelling in the body which unfits it for any good service John 5. 40. You will not come to me that you may have life And vers 44. How can ye beleeve in me which seeke honour one of another Christ blesses his father Mat. 11. that he had hid those things from the wise and prudent and had revealed them unto Babes and Sucklings 'T is the Pride of mens hearts that makes them throw off Ordinances as poor and low things when alas in their practices they live below the power beauty glory and holinesse of the least and lowest Ordinance There 's more holinesse purity and glory manifested in the lowest Administrations of Christ then is held forth by them in their highest practises The seventh Proposition is this Pride un-mans a man it makes him doe acts that are below a man As you may see in Pharoah Haman Herod Nebuchadnezzar c. It makes men Bedlams to say they know not what and to doe they care not what It was Pride that made Hildebrand to cause Henry the Fourth to stand 3 dayes at his Gate with his Wife his Child barefooted It was Pride that made Adoni-bezek cause three-score and ten Kings with Judges 1. 5. 6 7. their Thumbs and great Toes cut off to gather their meat under his Table Oh what wretched un-manly acts hath the Pride of many persons put them upon The eighth Proposition is this The Poorest are often-times the Proudest Pretty is the Parable of Jotham The best Trees refused to be King but the Bramble affected it and did sperare aspirare hope and aspire it Judges 9. 15. So in 2 Kings 14. 9. The Thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the Cedar that was in Lebanon saying Give thy Daughter to my Son to Wife Hagar the Kitchin-maid will be proud and insult Gen. 21. Mat. 20. 20 21. Job 30. 1. over her Mistress Sarah The poor Sons of Zebedee would sit at Christs right hand and left And those that Job disdaines to sit with the Doggs of his flocke yet contemne him in the day of his sorrow The foot strives to be equall with the head the Servant as the Master the Cobler as the Councellor and the Peasant as the Prince c. The ninth Proposition is this Pride is a sure
what thou wouldest have as you may see in Ephes 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your salvation In whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit rf Promise The Originall runs thus In whom believing you were sealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 While faith is busied and exercised about Christ and those varieties of glories and excellencies that are in him the Lord comes and by his spirit seales the life and love and glory of them Thus by Divine assistance I have dispatched the first thing viz. The deciphering of weake Christians The second thing that I propounded for the further opening and clearing of this Point was To hold forth to you those things that tend to support comfort and uphold weak Christians And truly I must needs say that if ever there were a time wherein weak Christians had need of support I verily believe this is the time wherein we live for by the horrid prophanenesse of men on the one hand and the abominable loose and rotten Principles of others on the other hand the hearts of many weak Christans especially are sadded that God would not have sadded and their spirits wounded and grieved that God would have comforted and healed and therefore I shall dwell the longer upon this second thing And the first thing that I shall lay downe by way of Support is this 1 Support He that loâ—kt upon the brazen Serpent though with a weak sight was healed a throughly as he that lookt upon it with a stronger sight A weak faith is a joynt possessor though no faith can be â— joynt purâ—haser of Christ That the weakest Christians have as much interest and propriety in Christ and all the fundamentall good that comes by Christ as the strongest Saints in the world have Weak Saints are as much united to Christ as much justified by Christ as much reconciled by Christ and as much pardoned by Christ as the strongest Saints 'T is true weak Christians cannot make so much improvement and advantage of their interest in Christ as strong Saints can they have not that power that wisedome that spirituall skill to make that advantage of their interest and propriety in Christ as strong Saints have Yet have they as much interest and propriety in the Lord Jesus and all the fundamentall good that comes by him as the strongest Saint that breaths The sucking Child hath as much interest and propriety in the father and in what is the fathers as the Child that 's growne up to age Though the young Child ha's not that skill nor that power nor wisedome to improve that interest to his advantage as he that 's growne up in years hath It 's just so here A soule weak in grace hath as much interest in the Lord as the strongest Saint hath though he hath not that skill to improve that interest And is not this a singular comfort and support Verily were there no more to bear up a poor weak Saint from fainting under all his sins and sorrowes and sufferings yet this alone might doe it c. The Second Support and Comfort to weake Saints is this That God doth with an eye of love reflect upon the least good 2 Support that is in them or done by them And is not this a glorious Comfort and Support that the Lord looks with an eye of love upon the least good that 's in you or done by you You cannot have a good thought but The least Star gives light the least drop moystens God looks upon that thought with an eye of love Psal 32. 5. I said I would confesse my sin and thou forgavest mine iniquity I said it in my thoughts that I would confesse my sin and thou presently meeting me with pardoning mercy forgavest mine iniquity So in Mal. 3. 16. And there was a Book of Remembrance written for them that feare the Lord and that thought upon his name They had but some thoughts of God and God reflects upon those thoughts with an eye of love Isa 38. 5. I have heard thy prayers I have seene thy teares Tears we look upon but as poor things and yet God looks upon them as Pearles and therefore he puts them into So in Ps 6. 8. One observes that there are 2 strong things in Tears 1 Deorsum fluunt coelum terunt They drop downward and fall to the earth yet they teach upwards and pierce the Pereâ— 2 Muliae sunt loquuntur They hold their peace yet cry very loud his Bottle as the Psalmist speaks There is not a bit of bread nor a drop of drink thou givest but God casts an eye of love upon it Mat. 25. 35 36. There is not a desire that arises in thy soule but the Lord takes notice of it Prov. 10. 17. Thou hast heard the desire of the humble Weak Saints are full of desires their whole life is a life of desires they are stil a breathing out holy desires Lord Pardon such a sin and give me power against such a sin and strength Lord to withstand such a Temptation and grace Lord to uphold me under such an Affliction c. and the Lord hears and answers such gracious breathings and longings It was holy Jewell's desire That he might dye Preaching and God lookt with an eye of love upon his desire and he had it It was Latimer's desire That he might shed his heart blood for Christ and God lookt with an eye of love upon the breathings of his heart and he had it The Israelites did but groan and God lookt upon their groans with an eye of love he comes downe he makes his Arme bare he tramples upon their proud Enemies and by Miracles he saves them O weak Christian Is not this a singular comfort that the Lord reflects with an eye of love upon your thoughts upon your desires upon your tears and upon your groanings c. What though others slight you what though others take no notice of you yet the Lord casts an eye of love upon you Some think its very strange that God should set downe in Scripture the story of Jacob a poor Countrey-man Gen. 31. that he had a few Ewes and Lambs streaked and spotted and yet take no notice of the great Emperours and Kings of the Earth nor of their great actions and Warlike designes in the world But this is to shew that tender love and respect that God bears to his Children above what he does to the great ones of this World God is more taken with Lazarus patcht Coat then with Dives silken Robe c. A third thing that I shall propound for the Support and Comfort of weak Saints is this Consider the Lord looks more upon your Graces then he 3 Support doth upon your weaknesses Or thus The Lord will not cast away weake Saints by reason of the weaknesses that cleaves to their persons or services In 2 Chron. 30. 18
there is little or no good in them and therefore thou mightest justly cut them downe But oh my father I see here a bunch and there a bunch here a little 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bring forth It is the custome of all Writers and very frequent in the sacred Dialect to use phrases whereby they understand much more then they do expresse an example whereof you have in this verse where Christs not breaking the bruised reed signifies his great mercy and kindness in repairing and restoring and curing the bruised weakling And so his not quenching the smoking flax is his enlivening quickening and enflaming that fire or spark of grace or goodnesse which was almost quencht c. Others understand the words of Christ seting up the profession of the Gospel in the world among the Heathens if the Jewes will not receive it grace and there a little grace surely there is a blessing in it O spare it let it not be stubb'd up let it not be destroyed So Mat. 12. 20. A bruised Reed shall he not breake nor smoking flax shall he not quench till he send forth judgement unto victory A bruised Reed shall he not breake The Jewish Commentators carry it thus He shall not Tyrannize over but nourish and cherrish the poore weake feeble ones that are wont to be oppressed by great ones But men more spirituall carry it thus Christ will not carry it roughly and rigorously towards poore weake tender soules whose Graces are as a bruised reed and as smoaking flax A Reed is a contemptible thing a tender thing it will break sometimes before a man is aware a bruised Reed is more tender it will be broken with a touch yet Christ will not breat such a bruised Reed i. e. a soule weak in grace Nor quench the smoaking flax The wick of a Candle is little worth and yet lesse when it smoakes as yielding neither light nor heat but rather smoakes and offends with an ill smel which men cannot bear but will tread it out But the Lord Jesus Christ will not doe so Soules whose knowledge love faith and zeale do's but smoak out the Lord Jesus will not trample under-foot nay he will cherish nourish and strengthen such to life Eternall Look what Tallow is to the wick or Oyle is to the Lamp that will the Lord Jesus be to the Graces of weak Christians Till he shall bring forth judgement unto Victory That is untill the sanctified frame of grace begun in their hearts be brought to that perfection that it prevaileth over all opposite corruption Thus you see how sweetly the Lord Jesus carries it to soules weak in grace Therefore let not those that bring forth a hundred fold despise those that bring forth but thirty nor those that have five Talents despise those that have but two The fifth Support is this That weake Saints may be very usefull to the strong and sometimes may doe more then strong Saints can As you may see in 1 Cor. 12. 14. to 28. The Apostle in this Scripture discovers the singular use of the weakest Saint in the body of Christ by the usefulnesse of the weakest and meanest Member in the naturall body to the strongest Ver. 21. The eye cannot say to the hand I have no need of thee nor again the head to the foot I have no need of thee By the head and by the eye he means such Saints as were eminent in gifts graces that were adorned more richly and that shin'd more gloriously in grace and gracious abilities then others Oh these should not despise those that were not so eminent and excellent as themselves for God hath so tempered the inequality of the members in the naturall body that the more excellent and beautifull members can in no wise lack the more abject and weak members therefore slight not the weakest Saints for certainly at first or last the weakest will be serviceable to the It was a sayink of Generall Vere to the King of Denmarke That Kings cared not for Souldiers untill such time that their Crownes hung on the one side of their heads strongest A Dwarfe may be usefull to a Gyant a Child to a man Sometimes a little finger shall doe that that a limb in the body can't doe 'T is so often in Christs spirituall body I will give you a very famous instance for this At the Councel of Nice there was 318 Bishops and by the subtilty of a Philosopher disputing against the Marriage of Ministers they generally voted against it that those that were single should not marry At length up stars Paphnutius a plain Christian and in the name of Christ with the naked word of God he pleaded against them all in that case and God so wrought by his Arguments that he convinc't the 318 Bishops and carried the cause against them yea and so Socrates Eccles Histo convinc't the Philosopher of his error that before all he freely confest it As long saith he as mens words were onely pressed I could repell words with words but what is weake man A little Sta◠hath light influence tho nor the glory which is proper to the Sun to withstand the word of God I yield I am conquer'd Weak Christians may be of singular use to the strongest those that know most may learne more even from the weakest Saints Junius was converted by discoursing with a Plow-man And Acts 18. 24. to 27. Apollo though he was an Eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures as the Text speaks yet was he furthered and bettered in the knowledge of Christs Kingdome by Aquilla and Priscilla a poor Tent-maker and his wife were instrumentall to acquaint him with those things that he knew but weakly He had not ascended above John's Baptisme but they had and so communicated their light and knowledge to him The sixth Support is this Where there is but a little Grace there God expects lesse 6 Support and will accept of lesse though it be accompanied with many failings Thou sayest Oh! I have but a little grace a little faith a little love a little zeale Oh know where there is but a little grace there God expects lesse obedience and will accept of lesse service 2 Cor. 8. 12. For if there be first a willing mind It is very observable that the Eagle the Lyon those brave Creatures were not offered in Sacrifice unto God but the poor Lamb and Dove To note that your brave high lofty spirits God regards not but your poore meek contemptible spirits God accepts it is accepted according to that which a man hath and not according to that which he hath not The two Mites cast into the Treasury Luke 21. 3. by the poor widow her heart being in the action were more acceptable then two Talents cast in by others Noah's Sacrifice could not be great and yet it was greatly accepted by God In the time of the Law God accepted a handfull of Meale for a Sacrifice
the poor man had and will not our God whose very nature is goodnesse kindnesse and sweetnesse c. doe much more surely he will reward the least good done by the weakest Saint Therefore be not discouraged weak Christians though you should meet with hard measure from the world though they should reward your weak services with reproaches c. for the Lord will reward you he will not despise the day of small things What though O pretious soule thy language be clipt and broken what though thou canst but chatter like a Crane what though thou canst not talk so fluently and eloquently for Christ as others what though thy hand be weak that thou can'st not doe so much for Christ as others nor doe so well for Christ as others yet the Lord seeing thy heart sincere will reward thee Thou shalt have an everlasting rest for a little labour and a great reward for a little work The ninth Support is this 9 Support When Latimer was at the stake ready to be burned he breathed out those sweet wordâ— Fidelis est Deus c. God is faithfull c. Acts Mon. â—ol 1579. That as your Graces are weaker then others so your Temptations shall be fewer and your Afflictions lighter then others God in much wisedome and love will sute your burdens to yoar backs he will sute all your temptations and afflictions to your strength your burdens shall not be great if your strength be bur little as you may see 1 Cor. 10. 13. There hath no Temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithfull who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will will the Temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it The Lord Oh weak Christian will sute thy burden to thy back and his strokes to thy strength This is most evident in Scripture That the strongest in Grace have alwayes been most tempted afflicted and distressed If Abraham excell others in Faith God will try the Gen. 22. strength of Abrahams faith to the uttermost and put him to that that he never put man to before If Moses excell all Num. 12. 3. Exod. 16. 7 8. Numb â—4 27. 36. Chap. 16. 11. Ex. 15. 24. â—ames 5. 11. Read the 1 〈◊〉 7 Chapters of Iob. 〈◊〉 Cor. 12. 1. to 11. others in meeknesse the Lord will try the strength of that grace and Moses shall have to doe with as proud and as murmuring a Generation as ever man had to doe with If Job carry the day from all others in point of Patience he shall be exercised with such strange and unheard of afflictions as shall try not onely the truth but also the strength of his patience to the uttermost If Paul have more glorious Revelations then the rest of the Apostles Paul shall be more buffetted and exercised with Temptations then the rest of the Apostles And thus you see it clear by all these Instances That the best and choycest Saints have alwayes met with the worst and greatest Temptations and afflictions So when the Disciples were in the lowest forme when they were weak in grace the Lord Jesus exercises them but with light afflictions but when they had a greater measure of the Spirit poured upon them then their troubles were encreased and multiplied and their former troubles in comparison of the later were but Acts 2. 1. to 21. as scratches of pins to stabs at the heart When the Spirit of the Lord was poured out upon them then they were afflicted opposed and persecuted with a witnesse When they had a greater measure of the Spirit to inable them to bear the hatred frownes stroaks and blowes of the enraged world then all of them had the honour to suffer a violent death for Christ as Histories doe evidence That 's a very remarkable Scripture Luke 24. 49. And behold I send the promise of my Father upon you but tarry ye in the City of Jerusalem untill ye be indued with power from on high The Lord Jesus would not have them goe from Jerusalem till they were indued with power from on high By the promise of the father is meant the gifts and graces of the Spirit that 's promised in Isa 44. 3. Joel 2. 28. John 14. 16. 15. 26. Tarry ye here sayes Christ at Jerusalem till ye be compleatly armed and fitted for all incounters till ye be indued with power Or as the Greek carries it Till ye be cloathed They were as naked persons they had but a little 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Spirit so that they were not compleat they were not cloathed with the Spirit till after the Ascension of Christ Now saith Christ Tarry untill such time as ye are cloathed with the Spirit The Lord Jesus knew well enough that they should meet with bitter opposition terrible Afflictions and dreadfull persecutions for his and the Gospel sake therefore tarry saith he untill ye be cloathed with the holy Ghost That so nothing may daunt ye nor sink ye The tenth Support is this That your persons stand not before God in your 〈◊〉 righteousnesse 10 Support but in the perfect spotlesse and matchlesse righteousnesse of the Lord Jesus Weak hearts are apt to sit downe troubled and discouraged when they look upon that body of sin that is in them and those imperfections that attend their chiefest services they are ready to say we shall one day perish by the strength of our lusts or by the defects of our services Oh but weak soules should remember this to strengthen them against all discouragements that their persons stand before God cloathed The costly Cloak of 〈◊〉 which Dâ—oninisius sould to the Carthaginians for an hundred Talents was a meane and beggerly ragge to that embroydered mantle that Christ does put upon the weakest Saints with the righteousnesse of their Saviour and so God ownes them and looks upon them as persons wrapt up in his Royall Robe Hence 't is that he is called Jer. 23. 6. Jehovah Tsidkenu The Lord our Righteousnesse And so in 1 Cor. 1. 30. he is of God made unto us Wisedome Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption Though weak Saints have nothing of their owne yet in Christ they have all for in him is all fullnesse Col. 1. 19. both repletive and diffusive both of abundance and of redundance both of plenty and of bounty He is made to weak Saints Wisedome by his Propheticall Office and he is made to weak Saints Righteousnesse and Sanctification by his Priestly Office and he is made to weak Saints Redemption by his Kingly Office So in Col. 2. 10. And ye are compleat in him which is the head of all Principallity and Power Varro reports of 288 severall Opinions that was among the Philosophers about the compleat happinesse of man but they were out in them all One judging his happinesse lay in this and another in that they caught at the shadow
of happinesse but could not come at the Tree of Life the Lord Jesus Christ who is weak Saints compleat happinesse Rev. 14. 5. And in their mouths was found no guile for they were without fault before the Throne of God Though men may accuse you judge and condemne you yet know for your support that you are acquitted before the Throne of God However you may stand in the eyes of men as full of nothing but faults as persons made up of nothing but sin yet are you clear in the eyes of God So in Cant. 4. 7. Thou art all faire my Love and there is no spot in thee There 's none such as are the spots of wicked men nor no spot in mine account God looks upon weak Saints in the Son of his love and sees them all lovely they are as the Tree of Paradise Gen. 3. faire to his eye and pleasant to his tast Or as Absolom in whom there was no blemish from head to foot Ah poor soules you are apt to look upon your spots and blots and to cry out with the Leaper not onely unclean unclean but undone undone Well for ever remember this That your persons stand before God in the righteousnesse of Christ upon which account you alwayes appear before the Throne of God without fault you are all faire and there is no spot in you The eleventh Support is this Your sins shall never provoke Christ nor prevaile with Christ 11 Support so far as to give you a Bill of Divorce O there is much in it if the Lord would set it home upon your hearts your sins shall never prevaile so far with Christ nor never so far provoke him as to work him to give you a Read the 3d Chapter of Jeremiah Out of the most poysonfull druggs God distills his glory and our salvation Gallen speaks of a Maid called Nupella that was nourished by poyson God can and will turn the very sins of his people which are the worst poyson in all the world into his childrens advantage Bill of Divorce Your sins may provoke Christ to frowne upon you they may provoke Christ to chide with you they may provoke him gently to correct you but they shall never provoke Christ to give you a Bill of Divorce Psal 89. 30 31 32 33 34. If his Children forsake my Law and walke not in my Judgements If they breake my Statutes and keepe not my Commandements Then will I visite their transgressions with the rod and their iniquity with stripes Neverthelesse my loving kindnesse will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my faithfullnesse to faile That 's a great Support to a weak Saint That his sin shall never separate him from God nor Christ Thou art many times afraid that this deadnesse this dullnesse this earthlinesse and these wandring thoughts c. that doe attend thee will provoke the Lord Jesus to sue out a Bill of Divorce against thee But remember this Thy sins shall never so far prevaile with Christ as to worke him to give thee a Bill of Divorce Mark There 's nothing can provoke Christ to give thee a Bill of Divorce but sin Now sin is slaine Ergo. I shall open this to you in three things First Sin is slaine Judicially for 't is condemned both by Christ and his people and so 't is dead according to Law A three-fold death of sin which is and may be a singular Comfort and Support to weak Saints that their greatest and worst Enemy Sin is condemned to dye and shall not for ever vex and torment their precious soules 'T is dead Judicially 't is under the sentence of condemnation 1 Cor. 15. 55 56. O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy Victory The sting of death is sin c. Vide Grotium and Voâ—stius on the words c. The Apostle here triumphs over it as a Thief condemned to death Sin is sentenc'd now though not fully put to death it 's dead judicially As when the sentence of death is past upon a Malefactor you say he is a dead man why he is judicially dead so is sin sin is judicially dead When a man that hath robbed and wounded another is taken and sentenc'd judicially we say he is a dead man and it 's often a great refreshing and satisfaction to a man that he is so Sin O weak soule is sentenc'd and judicially slaine and therefore that can never work the Lord Jesus to give thee a Bill of Divorce The thoughts of which should much refresh thee and support thee Secondly Sin is dead or slaine civilly as well as judicially 'T is civilly dead because the power of it is much abated and Rom. 6. 14. its Dominion and Tyranny over-powred as when a King or a Tyrant is whipt and stript of all power to domineere reigne 'T is with sin in the Saints as 't was with those Beasts Dan. 7. 12. who had their Dominions taken away though their lives were prolonged for a season and a time and play the Tyrant is civilly dead even whiles he lives So is sin in this sense dead even while it lives That Text is sutable to our purpose Hos 13. 1. When Ephraim spake trembling he exalted himselfe in Israel but when he offended in Baal he dyed What 's the meaning of these words The meaning is this When the King of Ephraim spake the people even trembled at his voyce such power once he had But when he offended in Baal by serving Baal by giving himselfe up to Idolatry he dyed in respect of obedience not yielded to him as formerly Time was that he was terrible but when he fell to Idolatry his strength and glory came downe so that now he became even like a dead Carcasse Adam dyed civilly the same day that he sinned The Creatures that before lovingly obeyed him as soon as he renounc't obedience to his God they renounc't all obedience to him or his Soveraignty so that he civilly dyed the very same day that he sinned That 's a sweet word that you have Rom. 6. 11. Likewise reckon ye also your selves to be dead indeed unto sin Therefore Christ will never Divorce you for sin O what a support may this be to a weak Saint That sin that he fears above all other Where sinne sits in the soule as a King sins upon his throne and commands the heart as a King commands his subjects there is reigne of sin but grace frees the soule from this things in the world is slaine judicially and civilly the Lord hath whipt and stript it of all its ruling reigning domineering tyrannizing power O therefore Christians look upon sin as dead that is as not to be obeyed as not to be acknowledged no more then a Tyrant that 's stript of all his tyrannizing power People that are wise and understand their liberty look not upon such a one as fit to be obeyed and served but as one fit to be renounced and destroyed Doe
is anointed with the Oyle of gladnesse above his fellowes They have the Anointings of the Spirit as well as he though not so richly as he They have their measure though not that measure and proportion of the Spirit as Omne bonum in summo bono All good is in the chiefest good the Lord Jesus hath So in 1 John 16. Of his fulnesse have all we received Grace for Grace There is in Christ not onely a fullnesse of Abundance but also a fullnesse of Redundance There is an overflowing fullnesse in Christ as a fountaine overflowes and yet still remaines full Grace for Grace or Grace upon Grace Abundance of grace and the increases of graces one by another Grace for Grace That is as a Child in generation receives member for member Or as the Paper from the Presse receives letter for letter Or as the Wax from the Seale receives Print for Print Or as the glasse from the Image receives face for face So does the weakest Saint receive from Jesus Christ Grace for Grace That is for every grace that is in Christ there is the same grace in us in some measure There is not the weakest Saint that breaths but ha's in him some wisedome that answers to the wisedome of Christ and some love that answers to the love of Christ and some humility meeknesse and faith that answers to the humility meeknesse and faith of the Lord Jesus in truth and reallity though not in degree or quantity c. 3 Weake Saints share with Christ in the manifestations and discoveries of his father The Lord Jesus that lies in the bosome of the father hath Plutarch's reasoning is good Taton philon panta kâ—ina Friends have all things in common But God is our friend Ergo This was a â—are speech from a Heâ—â—hen the clearest and the fullest manifestations of the father that can be and he comes and opens the love and heart of the father he un-bosomes and un-bowels God to the weakest Saints as in John 15. 15. Henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my father I have made knowne unto you So in John 17. 6 7 8. 4 Weake Saints share with Christ in his Honourable Titles In the title of Sons 1 John 3. 12. Behold what manner of love the father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called The wife shares with her husband in all his Titles of honour So does a Christian with his Christ See 1 Sam. 13. 17. to the 29. Col. 2. 14 15. Ephes 2. 13 14 15 16. Heb. 2. 14 15. Rom. 8. 37. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We doe over overcome the Sons of God! And in that of Heires Rom. 8. 17. Yea they are Priests and Prophets and Kings as well as he as you may see by comparing Revelations 1. 5 6. with 1 Pet. 2. 9. c. 5 Weake Saints share with Christ in his Conquests In 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. Rom. 8. 37. Christ hath triumphed over sword famine death and Devils c. and so have they thorow him also over all these we are more then Conquerours we are over and above Conquerours Oh what a blessed thing is this that weak Saints should share with Christ in his Conquests The poor weak Souldier shares with his Generall in all his noble and honourable Conquests So does a poor weak Christian share with his Christ in all his noble and honourable Conquests 6 Lastly They share with Christ in his honour and glory And what would they have more John 12. 26. If any man serve me let him follow me and where I am there shall also my servant be If any man serve me him will my father honour 1 Pet. 5. 1. Ephes 2. 6. And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Believers are already risen in Christ their head and they doe at this instant sit in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Christ as a publick person doth represent all believing soules and they are set downe in heavenly places in Christ Jesus In Rom. 8. 17. If we suffer with him we shall also reigne with him And in John 14. 1 2 3. I goe to prepare a place for you Christ is the Believers harbinger to prepare for them the best Mansions c. and if I goe and prepare a place for you I will come againe and receive you unto my selfe that where I am there ye may be also So in Rev. 3. 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I overcame and am set downe with my Father in his Throne Now what would you have more weak soules Christ shares with you and you share with Christ You are apt to be discouraged because you doe not share with Christ in such measures of grace comfort and holinesse as such and such strong Saints doe Oh but remember in how many weighty things Christ and you are sharers and be dejected if you can Ah Christians what though you doe not share in the honours profits pleasures and advantages of the world yet this should be your joy and Crowne that Christ and your soules are sharers in those things that are most eminent and excellent most precious and glorious and the serious remembrance hereof should bear up your heads hopes and hearts above all the troubles temptations and afflictions that come upon you in this world c. The third thing propounded was To shew you the duty of weake Saints Who these weak Saints are you have heard Weak Saints Duties And what their Supports and Comforts are you have heard And now I shall shew you their duty in the following particulars And the first duty that I shall presse upon weak Saints is this To be thankefull for that little Grace they have 1 Duty Wilt thou be thankfull Oh Christian for the least courtesie shewed thee by men And wilt thou not be thankfull for that little measure of grace that is bestowed upon thee by God Doest thou remember Oh weak Christian that the The Lawes of Persia Macedonia and Athens condemned the ungratefull to death and certainly unthankfulnesse may well be stiled The Epitome of all Vices least measure of grace is more worth then a thousand worlds that 't is more worth then heaven it selfe Doest thou remember O weak Christian that the greatest number of men have not the least measure or dram of saving grace Doth free grace knock at thy doore when it passes by the doores of thousands And doth it cast a Pearl of price into thy bosome when others are left to wallow in their blood for ever And wilt thou not be thankfull Oh doe but consider weak souls how notoriously wicked you would have been if the Lord had not bestowed a little grace upon you Thou lookest oh soule one way and there thou hearest some a
this no way to the Crowne like this he will not be long a Babe in grace who lives out that little grace he ha's Fourthly Living up to your light is the readiest and the onely way to fetch up and to recover all that hath been lost by your living below your light By your living below your light God your owne soules and the Gospel have lost much yea and others also have lost much light comfort strength and quicknesse c. that they might have had had you but liv'd up to that little grace you Bernard paraphrasing on that of Solomon A Lâ—lly amongst thorns saith the manners or lines of men as Lillies have their colours and odouâ—â— that which comes from a pure heart and a good Conscience hath he colour of a Lilly if a good name fallow it is more truly a Lil'y when neither cander nor odour of the Lilly is wanting Non enim passibus ad deum sed affectibus currimus had Now there is no way on earth to recover and to fetch up these losses but by living up to that grace you have Ah Christians 't is not your running from Sermon to Sermon not that I speak against frequent hearing of the word nor your crying up this man and that man or this notion or that or this way or that that will recover and fetch up the honour that God hath lost by your living below your graces 't is onely your living up to your graces that will make up all the breaches that have been made upon his honour and the Gospel and upon the comfort and peace of your owne soules and others Well remember this all the honour that God hath from you in this life is from your living up to that light knowledge love feare and faith that he ha's given you There 's nothing that will make up all losses but this therefore I begg of you upon the knees of my soule that you would take this one thing home with you and goe into your Closets and lay your hands upon your hearts and say Well the Lord hath lost much and my owne soule hath lost much and others have lost much by my living below that little Grace I have and therefore I will now make it my businesse by assisting Grace to live up to those measures of Grace that I have received more then yet I have done all my dayes I will by the strength of Christ make it more my duty and my worke to live out what God ha's given in then ever yet I have done that so the Lord and the Gospel may be no further loosers but gainers by me The fifth and last Motive is this The readiest and the surest Job 17. 9. Cant. 6. 10. Prov. 4. 18. Hâ—story reports of a Countrey in Asrica where the peoples industry hath an abundant reward for every bushelâ— of seed they sow they receive 150 mcrease afâ—er Blazaâ—ium Plin l. 18. c. 10. The appâ—ication is easie Prov. 10. 4. Dyonisius gave him his money agaâ—ne fâ—om whom he had taken much after that he heaâ—d he emplâ—yed a little well And will God beworse then a Heâ—then way to get more Grace is to live up to that little Grace you have He that lives up to a little light shall have more light he that lives up to a little knowledge shall have more knowledge he that lives up to a little faith shall have more faith and he that lives up to a little love shall have more love c. There is no such way to attaine to greater measures of grace as for a man to live up to that little grace he hath Verily the maine reason why many are such Babes and shrubs in grace is because they don't live up to their attainments He that won't improve two Talents shall never have the honour to be trusted with five But he that improves a little shall be trusted with much The diligent hand maketh rich He that is active and agile that works as well as wishes that adds endeavours to his desires will quickly be a Cedar in grace Ah Christians you have a God that 's great a God that 's good a God that 's gracious and a God that is rich that loves not to see his Children to be alwayes weaklings and striplings in grace The very Babe by drawing the Breasts gets strength and nourishment O you Babes in grace put out that little strength you have be you still a drawing at the breasts of Christ at the breasts of the Promises and strength will come nourishment will follow c. The third Duty that I would presse upon weake Saints is this Be sure that you alwayes reflect upon your Graces and whatsocver good is in you with Cautions This is a weighty Point and doth bespeak your most serious attention There are six Rules or Cautions that weak Saints should alwayes observe in their looking upon their graces And the first is this Looke upon all your Graces as gifts Of thine owne aith David have we given thee 1 Chr. 29. 14. of Grace as favours given you from above as gifts dropt out of heaven into your hearts as flowers that are given you out of the Garden of Paradise A man should never look upon his grace but he should look upon it as a flower of Paradise as a gift that God hath cast into his bosome from heaven 1. Cor. 4. 7. Who maketh thee to differ from another And what hast thou that thou hast not received c. Thou talkest of light of love of fear of faith c. but what are all these but Pearles of glory that are freely given thee by the hand of grace Every good As all light flowes from the Sun and all water from the sea so all good flowes from Heaven and perfect gift comes downe from above The greatest excellencies in us doe as much depend upon God as the light doth upon the Sun When thou lookest upon thy wisedome thou must say Here 's wisedome I but 't is from above Here is some weak love working towards Christ but 't is from above Here 's joy and comfort and peace but these are all the flowers of Paradise they never grew in natures Garden When a soule looks thus upon all those costly Diamonds with which his heart is deckt he keeps low though his graces are high Where this rule is neglected the soule will be endangered of being swell'd and pufft Mr. Fox was used to say That as he got much good by his sins so he got much hurt by his graces When you look upon the stream remember the fountaine when you look upon the flower remember the root when you look upon the stars remember the Sun and when you look upon your graces remember the fountaine of grace else Satan will be too hard for you Satan is so artificiall so subtill and critical that he can make your very graces to serve him against your graces conquering joy by joy sorrow by sorrow
humility by humility fear by fear and love by love if you doe not look upon all your graces as streames flowing from the fountaine above and as fruits growing upon the Tree of life that is in the midst of the Paradice of God Therefore when one eye is fixt upon your graces let the other be alwayes fixt upon the God of grace Secondly At the time when your eye is upon inherent grace Aut totum mecum tene aut totam omitte Greg. Naz. Let us say of Christ as the heathen once said of his petty Gods Contemno minutus istos Deos modi â—ovem propiti am habeam So long as he had his Jupiter to friend he regarded theâ— not So so â—ong as we have our Jesus to friend we shouâ—d not regâ—rd others no not our very graces in comparison of Christ and righteousnesse let your heart be fixt upon Christ and his imputed righteousnesse Pauls eye was upon his grace Rom. 7. 22. 25. I delight in the Law of God after the inward man And with my mind I serve the Law of God And yet at that very same time his heart was set upon Christ and taken up with Christ vers 25. I thanke God through our Lord Jesus Christ So in Col. 2. 2 3. you have one eye fixt upon grace and at the same time the heart fixt upon Christ That their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God and of the father and of Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge His eye is upon grace his heart is upon Christ So in Phil. 3. 8. the Apostle hath his eye upon the excellent knowledge of Christ but vers 9. his heart is set upon the righteoushesse of Christ That I might be found in him not having mine owne righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Here you have his eye upon grace and his heart upon Christ in the very presence of his grace This is your glory Christians in the presence and sight of all your graces to see the free grace of Christ and his infinite spotlesse matchlesse and glorious righteousnesse to be your surest sweetest highest and choycest comfort and refuge Peter was not well skill'd in this lesson and that was the very reason that he fell fowlest when his confidence was highest Grace is a ring of gold and Christ is the Pearle in that ring and he that looks more upon the ring then the Pearle that is in it in the houre of temptation will certainly fall When the wives eye is upon her Rings or Jewels then her heart must be set upon her husband When grace is in my eye Christ must at that time be in my armes yea he must lye between my breasts Cant. 1. 13. My Beloved is as a bundle of myrrhe he shall lye all night between my breasts Christ and not grace must lye neerest to a Christians heart A third thing is this When you looke upon your grace you must looke upon it as a beautifull Creature that is begotten in Gal. 2. 20. Phil. 5. 6 Deus nihil coronat nâ—si dona sua Aug. When God crowneth us he doth but crowne his owne gifts in us the soule by Christ and that is strengthend maintained cherished and upheld in your soules by nothing below the spirituall internall and glorious apperations of Christ Though Grace be a beautifull Creature yet Grace is but a Creature and so your soules must look upon it Grace is a heavenly off-spring 't is the first-borne of God as I may say and does most represent him to the life Grace is a bud of glory 't is of the blood Royall 't is nobly discended Jam. 1. 17. So in Heb. 12. 2. Looking unto Jesus the Author and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Leader and Crowner Finisher of our faith Christ is the Alpha and Omega the Beginner and Ender In all other things and Arts the same man cannot begin and finish but Christ doth both Phil. 1. 5. Our graces thrive and are upheld in life and power in beaury and glory by the internall apperation of Christ in our soules So in Col. 1. 27. Christ in you the hope of glory So vers 29. Whereunto I also labour striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily So Phil. 4. 13. I can doe all things through Christ that strengtheneth me I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is wrong â—â— in me in power The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All things tho it be an universall is not to be taken in the u most exâ—ent but according to the use of the like phrases in all languages wherein the universall signe affixâ— either to persons oâ— times or places or things signifies a greater number but not all without exception as you may see by comparing these Scriptures together Psal 14. 4 8 9. John 14. 26. 1 Cor. 10. 23 So those words are to be understood in Phil. 4. 13. can be high and low poore and rich honourable and base something or nothing c. through Christ that strengthens me So in Cant. 4. ult Blow upon my Garden that the spices thereof may send forth a fragrant smell We may puffe and blow our hearts out and yet no savoury smell will flow forth if Christ does not blow So in Psal 138. 3. In the day when I cryed thou answeredst me and strengthenest me with strength in my soule Your graces Christians are heavenly Plants of Gods owne setting and watering and certainly this heavenly Husbandman will never suffer such Plants of renowne to wither for want of heavenly sapp he will look to the strengthening supporting and nourishing of the work of his own hand he will cause the desires of his people to bud and their graces to blossome and their soules to be like a watered Garden green and flourishing Isa 58. 11. compared with Isa 35. 6 7. Fourthly When you looke upon your Graces you must looke upon them as an earnest of more glorious and unspeakeable measures of Grace and glory that your soules shall be filled with at last In Ephes 1. 13 14. After that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy spirit of Promise which is the earnest of our inheritance untill the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory That little light and knowledge thou hast is an earnest to thy soule that thou shalt at last know even as thou art knowne 1 Cor. 13. 12. For now wee see through a glasse darkely but then face to face Now I know in part but then shall I know even as I am knowne Christians know but little of that they should know they know but little of that they might know they know but little of that others know they know but little of that they desire to know they
So in Psal 63. 8. My soule followeth hard after thee I but how comes this to passe Thy right hand upholds me I feele thy hand under me drawing of my soule off after thee Oh! were not thy gracious hand under me I should never follow hard after thee The Lord will put under his everlasting armes O weak Christian and therefore though thy feet be apt to slide yet his everlasting armes shall bear thee up therefore be not discouraged doe not turne aside from those paths that drop marrow and fatnesse though there be a Lyon in the way Secondly Consider this O weak Saint That there is lesse danger and hardship in the wayes of Christ then there is in the wayes of sin Satan or the world Prov. 11. 18 19. 21. 21. That soule doth but leap out of the Frying-pan into the fire that thinks to mend himselfe by turning out of the way that is called holy Oh! the horrid drudgery that is in the wayes of sin Satan or the world Thy worst day in Christs service is better then thy best dayes if I may so speak in sin or Satans service Satan will pay the sinner home at last with the losse of God Christ Heaven and his soule for ever But in the way of righteousnesse is life joy peace honour and in the path-way thereof there is no death Prov. 12. 28. His wayes are wayes of pleasantnesse and all his paths are peace Prov. 3. 17. Thirdly Remember O weak Saint That all those hardships that thou meetest with doe onely reach the outward man They onely reach the ignoble the baser part of man they meddle not they touch not the noble part With my mind I serve the Law of God though with my flesh the Law of sin Rom. 7. 22. And vers 25. I delight in the Law of God after the inward man And indeed many of the Heathen have incouraged themselves for this very consideration against the troubles and dangers of this life All the Arrowes that are Anaxagoras Pla to and others shot at a Christian stick in his Buckler they never reach his conscience his soule The raging waves beat sorely against Noah's Ark but they toucht not him The soule is of too noble a nature to be toucht by troubles Jacob's hard service under Laban and his being nipt by the frost in winter and Gen. 31. 40. scorcht by the Sun in summer did onely reach his outward man his soule had high communion and sweet fellowship with God under all his hardships Ah Christian bear up bravely for whatever hardships thou meetest with in the wayes of God shall onely reach thy outward man and under all these hardships thou mayest have as high and sweet Hos 2. 14. communion with God as if thou hadst never knowne what hardships meant Fourthly Tell me O weake Saints have not you formerly injoyed such sweet refreshings while you have been in the very service of God as hath out-wayed all the troubles and hardships that your soules have met with I know you have and you know that you have often found that Scripture made good upon your hearts Psal 19. 11. Moreover by them is thy servant warned and in keeping of them there is great reward Mark he doth not say For keeping of them there is great reward though that 's a truth But in keeping Austin saith If a man should â—erve the Lord â— thousand â—ears in would â—â—t dâ—serve an boure of the reward in Heaven much lesse an Eternity c. of them there is great reward While the soule is at work God throwes in the reward Don't you remember O weak Christians when you have been in the service and way of God how he hath cast in joy at one time and peace at another c Oh! the smiles the kisses the sweet discoveries that your soules have met with whilst you have been in his wayes Ah poore soules don 't you know that one houres being in the bosome of Christ will make you forget all your hardships heaven at last will make amends for all and the more hardships you find in the wayes of God the more sweet will heaven be to you when you come there O how sweet is a Harbour after a long storme and a Sun-shine day after a dark and tempestuous night and a warme Spring after a sharp winter The miseries and difficulties that a man meets with in this world will exceedingly sweeten the glory of that other world Lastly Consider What hardships and difficulties the men of this world run through to get the world and undoe their owne soules They rise early goe to bed late they goe from one end of the world to another and venture through all manner of dangers Psal 127. 2. Mat. 16. 16â— deaths and miseries to gaine those things that are vaine uncertaine vexing and dangerous to their soules And wilt not thou as a good Souldier of Christ endure a little hardship 2 Tim. 2. 3 4. for the honour of thy Captaine and thine owne internall and eternall good Thou art listed under Christs Colours and therefore thou must arme thy selfe against all difficulties and discouragements The number of difficulties makes the Christians Conquest the more illustrious A gracious man should be made up all of fire overcoming and consuming all oppositions As Chrysostome said of Peter as fire does the stubble All difficulties should be but whet-stones to his fortitude The fifth Duty is this You that are weake Saints should observe how Christ keepes your wills and affections That man is kept indeed whose will and affection is kept close to Christ And that man is lost with a witnesse whose will and affections are won from Christ Weak Saints are more apt to observe their owne actions then their wills and affections and this proves a snare unto them therefore observe your affections how they are kept for if they are kept close to Christ if they are kept faithfull to Christ though thy foot may slide from Christ all is well The Apostle Rom. 7. observ'd that his will and affections were kept close to Christ even then when he was Tyrannically Captivated and carried by the prevalency of sin from Christ With my mind I serve the Law of God sayes he and what I doe I allow not therefore it is no more I that doth it but sin that dwelleth in me My will stands close to Christ and my affections are faithfull to Christ though by the prevalency of corruption I am now and then carried Captive from Christ 'T is one thing to be taken up by an Enemy and another thing for a man to lay downe his Weapons at his Enemies feet I am saith the Apostle a forc't man I doe what I hate I doe what I never intended The heart may be sound when more externall and inferiour parts are not The heart of a man may be sound God-ward and Christ-ward and holinesse-ward when yet there may be many defects and weaknesses in
Apostle ought to bear with the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves The word that 's rendred to bear Bastazein signifies to bear as Pillars doe bear the weight and burden of the house To bear as Porters doe bear their burdens or as the bones doe bear the flesh or rather as Parents bear their Babes in their armes Bear the infirmities Mark he doth not say the Inormities but the infirmities he doth not say the wickednesse but the weaknesse The strong ought to bear with the infirmities of the weake The Lord bears with the weaknesse of his Children Peter is weak and sinfull through weaknesse he will not let the Lord Jesus wash his feet John 13. but the Lord Jesus knowing that this was from weaknesse and not from wickednesse he passes it over and notwithstanding his unkind refusall he washes his feet Thomas is very weak I John 20. 25. will not believe sayes he except I shall see in his hands the print of the nailes and thrust my hand into his side Now this Christ bears with much tendernesse and sweetnesse as you may see in vers 27. Then said he to Thomas reach hither thy fingers and behold my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be not faithlesse but believing The Lord Jesus doth as it were open his wounds afresh he overlooks his weaknesse Well saith he seeing it is so that thou wilt not believe I will rather bleed afresh then thou shalt dye in thy unbeliefe So the three Disciples that Christ had singled out to watch with him one houre Mat. 26. they shewed a great deale of weaknesse to be sleeping when their Lord was a sorrowing to be snorting when their Saviour was sighing c. Yet Christ bears this and carries it sweetly towards them and excuses their weaknesse vers 41. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weake Oh how sweetly doth the Lord carry it Every new man is two men he hath a contrary principle in him the flesh and the spirit The spirit the Noble part is willing but the flesh the ignoble part is weak and way-ward Now shall the Lord thus bear with his weak ones and shall not strong Saints bear also Remember strong Christians there was a day when you were as weak as others as apt to fall as others as easily conquered as others and if then the Lord carried it sweetly towards you let the same spirit be in you towards those that are weak it will be no grief of heart to you if in this you act like your Lord and Saviour If you doe not bear with the infirmities of the weak who shall who will this wicked world cannot nor will not Isa 29. 21. Jer. 20. 10. The world will make them transgressors for a word and watch for their halting And therefore you had need to bear with them so much the more the worlds cruelty should stir up your compassions Secondly As it is your duty to bear with them so it is your duty to receive them into communion with you Rom. 14. 1. Him that is weake in the faith receive you but not to doubtfull disputations Him that is weake in the faith receive That is him that is not throughly perswaded of all things pertaining to Christian liberty about things indifferent Them that are weake in the faith receive He doth not say Them that have no faith receive For there is no rule for the Saints or Churches to receive them into Communion that have no faith that have no fellowship with the father and the Son But him that is weake in the faith saith he receive The word that is here rendred Receive signifies to receive Prostambanesthe into our bosome with charitable affection The Greek word signifies three things 1 It signifies to receive weak Saints as our owne bowels to receive them with the greatest tendernesse affections pity and compassion that possibly can be So the same Greek word is used in the Epistle of Philemon vers 12. where Paul intreats Philemon to receive Onesimus as his owne bowels The word there is the same word with this in the Text So must the strong receive the weak even as their owne bowels receive them with the greatest affection with the greatest compassion that possibly can be 2 The word signifies patiently to bear with the weake when they are received And not to take them into your bosomes into your communion one day and cast them out the next but patiently to bear with them as well as affectionately to receive them It was a Heathen Prince that Crowned his Steer-man in the morning and beheaded him in the evening of the same day c. 3 The word signifies by fatherly instruction to seeke to restore him 'T is not the will of Christ that weak Saints should be rejected or that the doore of entrance should be shut against them till they are stronger or till they have attain'd to such heights and such perfections of grace and Divine injoyments of God as others have attain'd Remember this as the weakest faith if true gives the soule a right to all that internall and eternall worth that is in Christ So the weakest faith if true gives a man a reall right unto all the externall priviledges and favours that come by Christ In Rom. 15. 7. Wherefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us to the glory of God This is the standing rule for all the Saints and Churches in the world to goe by 'T is not their wills but these two Scriptures last cited that are the standing rules by which all the Churches on earth are to goe by in the admission of Members Them that are weake in the faith are to be received by you because the Lord Jesus ha's received them Christ does not receive the strong to the glory of God and cast off the weak No the Lord Jesus gathers the weak into his bosome and tenderly dandles them upon his knee He receives the weak to glory as well as the strong therefore saith the Apostle As the Lord hath received them so doe you Bucer ejected none in whom he saw Aliquid Christi Any thing of Christ But gave them the right hand of fellowship Such persons and Churches can never answer it to Christ that keep the door of admission shut against soules truly gracious though they are but weak in grace though they have not attain'd to such a measure of light or degrees of love or to such peâ—â—ections in holinesse as such and such have done No the standing Rule is Him whom the Lord hath received receive If weak Saints shall desire communion and be willing to walk in the wayes that Jesus Christ hath appointed his Saints to walk in the Churches ought to give them the right hand of fellowship And that 's the second Duty that lyes upon the strong viz. That they are to receive the weake into communion and fellowship with them and that with the
gives the soule is Soule-filling glory glory that fills the understanding with the cleerest and the Psal 16. ult Psal 17. ult 2 Coâ— 12. 1 to 6. Pericula non respicit Martyr coronas respicit saith Basil brightest light glory that fills the will with the greatest freedome glory that fills the affections with the choycest joy and delight Againe the glory he gives is Incomparable glory Rom. 8. 18. I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us The Greek word Logizomai that is here rendred I reckon is not a word of doubting but a word of concluding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ready to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on us I conclude by Arguments that our present sufferings are not worthy to be compared to that illustrious and glorious glory that is ready to be revealed on us as 't is in the Greek I have cast up the account saith the Apostle as wise Merchants use to cast up theirs and I find in the ballancing of the account that there 's nothing to be compared with this glory that shall be revealed Againe the glory he gives is Vnmoveable glory all worldly glory is tottering and shaking Princes Crownes hang now but upon one side of their heads The Lord of Hosts hath Isa 23. 9. purposed it to staine or pollute the pride of all glory and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth The Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jegnâ—sah hath purposed it or as 't is in the Hebrew The Lord hath consulted it And the councell of the Lord shall stand It is agreed upon in heaven that the pride of all glory shall be stained and polluted or throwne downe as some polluted filthy thing that is trampled upon and trodden under foot Oh! but this glory that Christ gives is unmoveable glory Heb. 12. 28 't is permanent glory 't is glory that cannot be changed stain'd nor polluted Againe the glory he gives is suited glory 't is glory that Jo 14. 1 2 3. is suited to the backs hearts hopes desires and capacities of his servants Againe the glory he gives is never fading glory 't is glory that fadeth not away When a man hath been in heaven 1 Pet. 1. 3 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the proper name of a Flower which is still â—â—esh and green Isa 40. 6 7 8. as many millions of years as there be Starres in heaven his glory shall be as fresh and as greene as it was at his first entrance into heaven All worldly glory is like the Flowers of the field but the glory that Christ gives is lasting and durable like himselfe c. Tenthly and lastly He gives Himselfe and verily this is a gift of gifts indeed John 6. 51. 63. So in Ephes 5. 20. A Saint may say me thinks I hear Christ saying to me as Austin prayes Lord saith he what ever thou hast given take all away onely give me thy selfe Eschines said to Socrates Others said he give thee silver and gold and precious Jewels but I give thee my selfe So the soule may say One friend gives me bread and another gives me cloaths and another gives me house-roome c. Oh! but thou givest me thy selfe Christ put into the ballance will out-weigh all other gifts that he bestowes upon the sons of men Christ is the richest gift Oh! there are Unsearchable Riches in Christ as hereafter I shall shew you He is the choycest and the rarest gift he is a gift given but to a few rich and rare Jewels are not commonly but more rarely given so is Christ Though Israel be as the sand of the sea yet a Rom. 9. 27. remnant onely shall be saved A garden inclosed a spring Caâ—t 4. 12. Luke 12. 32. shut up a fountaine sealed is my well-beloved Feare not little little flâ—cke it is your fathers pleasure to give you a Kingdome Christ is a drawing gift a gift that drawes all other gifts along with him If he have given us his Son how shall Rom. 8. 32. he not with him freely give us all things Christ is a drawing gift When God the father hath cast this incomparable Jewel into a mans bosome he can't deny him any thing Such a soule may well say Hath he given me a Christ and will he not give me a crum Hath he given me his Sonne which is the greatest mercy and will he stand with me for lesser mercies surely no. In a word Christ is of all gifts the sweetest gift As the Tree Exod. 15. 25. sweetned the bitter waters so this gift the Lord Jesus of whom that Tree was a Type sweetens all other gifts that are bestowed upon the sons of men he turnes every bitter into sweet and makes every sweet more sweet And so I come to the second thing propounded and that was The Difference between Christs giving The Difference between Christs the worldâ— giving and the Worlds giving And this I shall shew you in the following Particulars FIrst The world gives but they give grudgingly But 2 Cor. 9. 7. when Christ gives he gives freely Isa 55. 1. Ho every â— Peâ— 4. 9. No Offrings to free will Offrings one that thirsteth let him come and buy wine and milke without money and without price So in Rev. 21. 6. I will give to every one that is athirst of the water of life freely To doe good and not to doe it freely handsomely is nothing A benefit given with grudging is a stony loaf onely taken for necessity Secondly The world they give but they give poorly Saul had buâ— five pence to give the Seer the Seer after much good cheer gives him no lesse then the Kingdome 1 Sam. 9 8. 10. So God deales with his nigardly but Christ gives plenteously richly 1 Tim. 6. 17. Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded nor trust in uncertaine riches but in the living God who giveth us richly all things to enjoy When Caesar gave one a great Reward This saith he is too great a gift for me to receive but saith Caesar 'T is not too great a gift for me to give So though the least gift that Christ gives in some sence is too much for us to receive yet the greatest gifts are not too great for Christ to give 'T is said of Araunahs that Noble Jebusite renowned for his bounty That he had but a subjects purse but a Kings heart But the Lord Jesus hath not onely a Kings heart but he hath also a Kings purse and gives accordingly Thirdly The world give but they give tauntingly they give upbraidingly they hit men in the teeth with the gifts they give I but the Lord Jesus Christ gives and he gives willingly he upbraids none with the gifts he gives Jam. 1. 5. If any man lack wisedome let him aske it of God that gives liberally and
bâ—st Gifts to his Dearest ones I shall onely give you these six FIrst Because he loves them with the dearest with the choycest and with the strongest love therefore he gives them the best Gifts Christ doth not love Believers with a low flat dull common love with such a love as most men love one another with but with a love that is like himselfe Now men will give as they love 1 Sam. 1. 4 5. And Elkanah gave to Penninah his wife and to all her sonnes and daughters Portions but unto Hannah he gave a worthy Portion for he loved her Jiâ—â—en manah ahhath appaiim In the Hebrew it is He gave her a Gift of the face That is a great an honourable Gift Men look upon great and honourable Gifts with a sweet and cheerfull countenance So the Gifts that Jesus Christ gives to Believers are Gifts of the face that is they are the greatest Gifts the honourablest Gifts the choycest Gifts Gifts fit for none but a King to Mundus cadaver est petentis cum sunt Canis The world is a Carcasse and those that hunt after it are Doggs is an Arabick Proverb give Augustus in his solemne Feasts gave trifles to some but gold to others The Lord Jesus scatters the trifles of this world up and downe as Luther well speaks The whole Turkish Empire is but a crust that God throwes to a Dogge God scatters giftlesse Gifts viz. the honours riches and favours of this world up and downe among the worst of men but as for his gold his spirit his grace his Son his favour these are Jewels that he onely casts into the bosome of Saints and that because he dearly loves them Secondly Christ gives the best Gifts to his people Beeause Wicked men are onely principled to abuse mercy which occasions God so often to raine hell out of heaven upon them as he did once up on Sodome Gomorrah for abusing of mercy Gen. 25. 5. they are best principled and fitted to make a Divine improvement of them There 's no men on earth that are principled and fitted for the improvement of the speciall Gifts that Christ gives but his owne people None have such principles of wisdome love holinesse and faithfullnesse to make an improvement of the joy the peace the comfort that the Lord gives as his people Ergo. Abraham gave unto the Sons of the Concubines Gifts and sent them away but unto Isaac he gave all that he had As Isaac was better beloved then the Concubines Sons so Isaac was better principled to improve love then they were The application is easie Thirdly He doth it upon this account That he may the more indeere the hearts of his people to him The greatest designe of Christ in this world is mightily to indeere the hearts of his people and indeed it was that which was in his eye and upon his heart from all eternity It was this designe that caused him to lay downe his Crowne and to take up our Crosse to put off his Robes and to put on our Raggs to be condemned that we might be justified to undergo the wrath of the Almighty that we might for ever be in the armes of his mercy He gives his Spirit his Grace yea and his very selfe and all to indeere the hearts of his people to himselfe When Isaac would indeere the heart of Rebeckah then the Bracelets the Jewels and the Ear-rings are cast into her bosome So the Lord Jesus casts his Gen. 24. 53. heavenly Bracelets Jewels and Ear-rings into the bosomes into the laps of his people out of a designe to indeere himselfe unto them Prov. 17. 8. A Gift is a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it whither soever it turneth it prospereth In the Hebrew 'tis thus A Gift is as a stone of grace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is it makes a man very acceptable and gracious in the eyes of others A Gift is like that precious stone Pantarbe that hath a marvellous consiliating property in it Or like the wonder-working Load-stone that as some Writers observe hath among other Properties this That it makes those that have it well-spoken men and well accepted of Princes Certainly the Gifts that Jesus Christ gives to his doe render him very acceptable and precious in their eyes Christ to them is the Crowne of Crownes the Heaven of Heaven the Glory of Glories he is the most sparkling Diamond in the Ring of Glory Prov. 18. 16. A mans Gift maketh roome for him and bringeth him before great men The Gifts that Jesus Christ gives widen the heart and inlarge the soule of a Believer to take in more of himselfe Naturally we are narrow-mouthed Heaven-ward and wide-mouthed earth-ward But the Lord Jesus by casting in his Jewels his Pearles his precious Gifts into the soule doth widen the soule and inlarge the soule and make it more capacious to entertaine Psal 24. 7 8 9 10. himselfe Christ by his Gifts causes all doores to stand open that the King of glory may enter in Now the fourth Reason of the Point is Because Christ expects more from his people then he doth from all the world besides therefore he gives them the best Gifts Where the Lord expects and looks for most there he gives 'T was a good saying of Just Maâ—tyr Non in verbis sed infactis res nostrae religionis consislunt God loves saith Luther curristas not quaristas the â—unner not the question or c. most Though Believers are but A little little flock though they are but A remnant though they are A fountaine sealed A spring shut up A Garden inclosed yet Christ looks for more from them then from all the world besides He looks for more love from them then from all the world besides and he expects more service from them then from all the world besides and he looks for more honour from them then from all the world besides Mal. 1. 6. A Son honoureth his father and a servant his Master if I am your father where is my honour And if I am your master where is my feare He looks for more fear from them then from all the world besides and for more honour from them then from all the world besides and for more prayers and praises Some say that the Panther wil leap three times after his prey but if he misse it the 3d time he will leap no more 'T were well for Saints if Satan would doe so c. 1 Chr. 21. 1. Job 2. 9. Mat. 26. 2 Cor. 12. 7. Mat. 4. 1 12. from them then from all the world besides Fifthly The Lord Jesus gives the best gifts to his owne people That he may fence and strengthen them against the worst Temptations There are no men on earth that lye open to temptations as Saints the best men have been alwayes the most tempted The more excellent any man is in grace and holinesse the more shall that man be
followed with temptations as you may see in David who was tempted by Satan to number the people and Joh to curse God and dye and Peter to deny Christ and so Paul was buffeted yea and Christ himselfe most grievously assaulted The Lord knowes well enough that Satan hath a cruell eye an envious eye a malicious eye upon his beloved ones and therefore he is pleased by his precious Gifts to strengthen them against his assaults What Paul once said concerning bonds and afflictions that Acts 20. 23. they attended him in every place that may Believers say concerning temptations that they attend them in every place in every calling in every condition in every company in every service c. As now that the hearts of his people and temptations Vigilat diabolus tu dormis The Devil watcheth and doest thou sleep may not meet the Lord is pleased to give them the best and choycest Gifts Austin thankt God for this That his heart and the temptations did not meet The Lord hath on purpose given these glorious Gifts into the hearts of his Saints that their soules and temptations may be kept asunder that though they be tempted yet they may not be conquered though they be assaulted yet they may not be vanquished Basil Luther Ego non sum ego said that noble Convert when he met with a temptation Vincentius and that famous Marquess Galiasius c. met with very strange and strong temptations but the precious Gifts that the Lord had cast into their bosomes made them triumph over all Oh that grace that peace that life that love that communion with which the Lord had crowned them made them too great too noble and too glorious to yield to any temptations with which they were beset 'T was their pleasure to overcome offered pleasure their honour to overcome offered honour their greatnesse to overcome offered greatnesse Pecuniam daquae permaneat ac conâ—iâ—â—o duret glorâ—aâ— que semper floreat Basil When one of them was tempted with money and preferment he scorned the offers saying Give me money that may last for ever and glory that may eternally flourish Jerom tells a story Of a Christian Souldier whom when the Pretor could not by any torments remove from Christianity he commanded to be laid on a bed in a pleasant Garden among Hâ—eronimus in vita Pauli the flourishing and fragrant flowers which done all others withdrawing a most beautifull Harlot came to him and used all Art to destroy his soule but the Christian Souldier being filled with the royall Gifts of the spirit bit off his tongue with his teeth and spat it in her face as she was tempting him and so got victory over all her temptations The precious favours God confers upon his make them temptation-proof they make believers trample upon the most amiable baits How can I doe this great wickednesse and Gen. 39. sin against God sayes Joseph Josephs sense of Potiphars favours heaped upon him strengthned him against the impudent sollicitations of his wanton Mistress and shall not the singular favours that God confers upon his dearest ones strengthen them against Satans assaults Surely gracious hearts are wrought more upon and bettered and strengthned more by spiritualls then by temporalls by eternalls then by externalls and if Satan don't find it so I am much mistaken Well remember this Satans overcoming the Saints gives him the greatest advantage to boast and triumph over Christ Ambrose brings in the Devil boasting against Christ and The Devill maâ—chethwell armed and in good array saith Luther challenging Judas as his owne He is not thine Lord Jesus saith he he is mine his thoughts beat for me he eats with thee but is fed by me he takes bread from thee but money from me he drinks with thee but sells thy blood to me So when Satan prevailes over the Saints Looke Oh Christ sayes he Are these the price of thy blood are these the objects of thy love are these the delight of thy soule what are these thy Jewels are these the apple of thy eye are these thy pleasant portion Why Lo how I lead them Lo how I triumph over them they seem rather to be mine then thine Ah Christians resist as for life that Satan may never have occasion thus to insult and triumph over Christ c. Sixthly and lastly Christ gives the best gifts to his deerest ones That they may be an honour and a praise unto him in the glorious day of his owning of them and marriage to them before all the world Believers in this life are but betrothed to Christ I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto Hos 2. 19 â—0 me in righteousnesse and in judgement and in loving-kindnesse Their Marriage-day is put off till the glorious day of Christs appearing the great day of his glory will be the day of solemnity Rev. 21. 2. 9 10 compared It would not be for The good things of eternall life are so many that they exceed number so great that they exceed measure so precious that they are above all estimation Aug. de Triplici habitu c. 4. the honour and glory of Christ that his Spouse in that day should be cloathed with raggs therefore he hath given them the Bracelets the Ear-rings and the Jewels before hand that they may be a praise and an honour to him in the Marriage-day Oh! when the Saints shall appear with all those glorious Jewels about them that Christ hath bequeathed to them how will their splendant glory darken all other glory and make the very Sun to hide its face This is our betrothing day that will be our Marriage-day Bishop Ridley the night before he suffered invited his Hostess and the rest at Table to his Marriage For said he to morrow I must be married So severall other Martyrs went as merrily to dye as to dine knowing that their dying day did but make way for their Marriage-day The Lord doth by his rich and royall favours trick and trim up his Bride before hand that she may be an honour and a praise to him in the day of Coronation in the day of Marriage in the day of solemnity when he will owne her before Devils Angels and all Reprobates when he will say Loe here am I and the Bride Oh father that thou hast given me And thus you have a brief account of the Reasons of the Point Why the Lord gives the best Gifts to his owne people We shall make some short but sweet Uses of this Point And first Doth the Lord give the best and greatest Gifts to his people Then you that are his people sit downe and wonder at this condiscending love of God Oh! what 's in thy soule or in my soule that should cause Ezek. 16. the Lord to give such Gifts to us as he hath given We were all equall in sin and misery nay doubtlesse we have actually out-sinned thousands to whom
the best I the best of the best and will you deale worse with me saith God then with your Governours Will you thus requite me for all my savours O foolish people and unwise is this your kindnesse to your friend Vers 13 14. Ye said also behold what a wearinesse is it and ye have snuffed at it saith the Lord of hosts and ye have brought that which was torne and the lame and the sicke thus ye brought an Offering should I accept this of your hands saith the Lord. Oh! that God had not cause to complaine thus of many of your soules to whom he hath showne much love But mark what followes vers 14. But cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing for I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts and my name is dreadfull among the Heathen If you have better in your hands and yet shall goe to put off God with the worst the curse will follow Think of it and tremble all you that deale fraudulently and false-heartedly with God Ah Christians you must say world stand behind sin and Satan get you behind us for the best Gifts the choycest favours that ever were given we have received from the father of light and therefore by his Gifts he hath obliged our soules to give him the best of our time strength and services and therefore we will not be at your call or beck any longer Oh say the Lord hath given us the best Gifts and cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing Fourthly This should bespeake the people of God to trust and leane 2 Tim. 4. 8. upon God for lesser Gifts Hath God given thee a Crowne and wilt thou not trust Heb. 11. 10. Chap. 12. 28. him for a crum Hath he given thee a house that hath foundations whose builder and maker is God Hath he given thee a Kingdome that shakes not and wilt thou not trust him for a Cottage for a little house-roome in this world Hath he Rom. 8. 32. given thee Himselfe his Son his Spirit his Grace and wilt thou not trust him to give thee bread and friends and Mat. 6. 32. cloaths and other necessary mercies that he knowes thou needest Ha's he given thee the greater and will he stand with thee for the lesser Surely no. Wilt thou trust that man for much that ha's given thee but a little And wilt thou not trust that God for a little that ha's given thee much Wilt thou not trust him for pence that ha's given thee pounds Oh Sirs hath the Lord given you himselfe the best of favours and will not you trust him for the least favours Hath he given you Pearls and will not you trust him for pins c. Does not the Apostle argue sweetly Rom. 8. 32. He that spared not his owne Son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us Prov. 8. 23. to â—2 Vide Mâ—t. 3. uâ—â— all things What sayes the Apostle hath he given us his Son his onely Son his bosome Son his beloved Son the Son of his joy the Son of his delight Oh how can he then Taâ—â—um possâ—mus quâ—â—tum credimus Cyp. but cast in all other things as paper and pack-threed into the bargaine Oh that Christians would learne to reason themselves out of their feares and out of their distrusts as the Apostle doth Oh! that Christians would no longer rend and wrack their precious soules with feares and cares but rest satisfied in this That he that ha's been so kind to them in spiritualls will not be wanting to them in temporalls Fifthly If the Lord hath given the best Gifts to his people this should then bespeake his people not to envy the men of the world for those lesser favours that God ha's confer'd upon them David three severall times gâ—ves himselfe this counsell Not to envy at others Psal 37. 1 7 8. comp So Psal 73. 21. It was horrid wickednesse in Ahab to envy poor Naboth because of his Vineyard And is it a virtue in you that are Christians to envy others because their outward mercies are greater or sweeter then yours Should the Prince upon whose head the Royall Crowne is set and about whose neck the golden Chaine is put envy those whose hands are full of Sugar-plums whose laps are full of Rosemary c. Hath not God Oh Christians put a Royall Crowne of glory upon your heads and a golden Chaine of grace about your necks and his Sons glorious Robe upon your backs and why then should your hearts rise against others mercies Oh! reason your selves out of this sinfull temper I would have every Christian thus to argue Hath not the Lord given me himselfe is not one dram of that grace that God hath given me more worth then ten thousand worlds and why then should I envy at others mercies There was a Souldier which for breaking his rank in reaching after a bunch of Grapes was condemned to dye by Martiall Law and as he went to execution he went eating of his Grapes Upon which some of his fellow Souldiers were somewhat troubled saying He ought then to minde somewhat else To whom he said I beseech you Sirs doe not envy me my Grapes they will cost me deer you would be loath to have them at the rate that I must pay for them So say I Oh Saints doe not envy the men of this world because of their honours riches c. for you would be loath to have them at the rate that they must pay for them Oh! there is a day of reckoning a coming a day wherein all the Nobles and brave Gallants in the world must be brought to the Bar and give an account how they have improved and imployed all the favours that God ha's confer'd upon them therefore envy them not Is it madnesse and folly in a great favourite at Court to envy those that feast themselves with the scrapps that come from the Princes Table O then what madnesse and folly is it that the favourites of heaven should envy the men of the world who at best doe but feed upon the scraps that come from Gods Tables Spiritualls are the choyce meat temporalls are but the scraps Temporalls are the bones spiritualls are the marrow Is it below a man to envy the dogs because of the bones And is it not much more below a Christian to envy others for temporalls when himselfe injoyes spiritualls Sixthly Be not troubled for the want of lesser Gifts John 14. 1 2 3. It is to me a sad thing to see gracious soules that have some comfortable satisfaction in their owne hearts that the Lord hath given Christ and grace to them c. goe up and downe whining and weeping because they have not health or wealth or Child or Trade c. when the Lord
holynesse-ward they received new life from the Spirit of Christ as at first conversion they did and I am confident for want of the knowledge and due consideration of this truth many professors take such libertie to themselves as to live in the neglect of many precious duties of Godlinesse for which first or last they will pay deare But remembring that 't is not a flood of words but weighty arguments that convinces and perswades the soules and consciences of men I shall give you foure reasons to demonstrate That Beleevers have a power to doe good and the first is this First Because they have life and all life is a power to act Omnis vita est propter delectationem by naturall life is a power to act by spirituall life is a power to act by eternall life is a power to act by The Philosopher sayth That a fly is more excellent then the heavens because the fly hath life which the heavens have not c. Secondly Else there is no just Ground for Christ to charge Omission of diet breeds diseases so doth omission of dutie and makes worke either for repentance hel or the physitian of souls the guilt of sins upon them as neglect of Prayer Repentance Mortification nor the guilt of Carelesnesse and Sloathfullnesse c. which he doth if they can act no further nor no longer then the Holy-Ghost acts them as at their first conversion notwithstanding their union with Christ and that spirituall principle of life that at first they received from Christ Certainly if it be so it will not stand with the unspotted Justice of God to charge the guilt of sins of omission upon Beleeving soules if they have no power to act but are as stocks and stones c. as some dreame A third Ground is this If there be not some power in Beleevers to doe good then we should not have as much benefit by the Ipse unus erit tibi omnia quia in ipsâ— uno bono bona sunt omnia August second Adam as we had by the first Adam The first Adam if he had stood would have Communicated a power to all his sons and daughters to have done good and being corrupted he doth communicate power to sin as all his children finde by sad and wofull experience and shall not Christ much more communicate a power to us to doe good in our measure surely he doth though few minde it and fewer improve it as they should If there be not such a power in beleevers how have they gain'd more by the second Adam then they lost by the first and wherein lyes the excellency of the second above the first c. Fourthly and lastly All those exhortations are voyd and of none effect if there be not some power in soules truly gratious to doe good as all those exhortations to watchfullnesse To stirre up the Grace of God that is in us and to worke out our owne salvation with feare and trembling and that also Give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure To what purpose are all these precious exhortations if the regenerate man have no power at all to act any thing that 's good Nay then beleevers under the Covenant of Grace should be in no better a Condition then unregenerate men that are under a Covenant of workes who see their duties discovered but have no power to performe which is contrary as to other Scriptures so to that Psal 40. 7 8 9. Then said I loe I come in the volume of thy booke it is written of me I delight to doe thy will O my God yea thy law is within my heart or thy law is in the midst of my Bowells as the Hebrew reads it And to that of Ezek. 36. 25 26 27. c. A soule truly gratious can sincerely say Thy law O Lord is in the midst of my bowells and I delight to doe thy will O Lord I confesse I cannot doe it as I should nor I shall never doe it as I would till I come to heaven but this I can say in muâ—h uprightnesse that Thy law is in my heart and I delight to doe thy will O father And so Paul With my minde I serve the Law of God though with my Rom. 7. ult flesh the Law of sinne And we have many promises concerning divine Assistance and if wee did but stirre up the Grace of God that is in us Isa 41. 10. Heb. 13. 5 6 c. we should finde the Assistance of God and the Glorious breakings forth of his power and love according to his promise and the worke that he requires of us Isa 26. 12. Chap. 64. 5. c. Though no beleever doth what he should doe yet doubtlesse every beleever might doe more then he doth doe in order to Gods glory and his owne and others internall and eternall good Affection without endeavour is like Rachel beautifull but barren They are blessed that doe what Beaâ—i sunt qui praecepta faciunt etiam si non perficiunt Aug. they can though they cannot but under-doe When Demosthenes was asked What was the first part of an Orator what the second what the third answered action the same may I say if any should aske me what is the first the second the third part of a Christian I must answer action Luther saith He had rather obey then worke Miracles obedience is better then sacrifice But Sir you will say What is the meaning of that Text that is so often in the mouths of Professors Without me you can doe nothing John 15. 5. I answer All that that Text holds forth is this That if a man ha's not union with Christ if he be not implanted into Christ he can doe nothing Without me that is separate from me or apart from me as the words may be read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is Secrsim a me Vide Beza Câ—meron and Pisâ—at you can doe nothing If you are not implanted into me if by the spirit and faith you art not united unto me you can doe nothing The arme may doe much it may offend an enemy and it may defend a mans life by virtue of its union with the head but if you separate the arme from the head from the body what can it doe Certainly the soule by virtue of its union with Christ may doe much though such as are separated from Christ can doe nothing at least as they should Union with Christ is that wherein the strength comfort and happinesse of the soule does consist Ah Christians if you would but put out your selves to the utmost you would find the Lord both ready and willing to assist you to meet with you and to doe for you above what you are able to aske or thinke Caesar by continuall employment overcome two constant Diseases the Head-ach and the Falling-sicknesse Oh! the spirituall Diseases that the active Christian overcomes Among the Aegyptians Idlenesse was a capitall crime Among the
a treasure of rare abilities in them would as soon part with their hearts as their conceptions I think they are rather Monsters then reall Christians that are of such a spirit The third and last thing to which you are to improve your gifts and graces is To the benefit and profit of your own soules The good of the soule is specially to be minded 1 Because 't is the most Noble part of man 2 Because the Image of God is most fairly stampt upon it 3 Because it is first converted 4 Because it shall be first glorified Not to improve them to your owne internall and eternall good is with a high hand to crosse the maine end of Gods conferring them upon you Ah Christians you must improve them to the strengthening of you against temptations to the supporting of you under afflictions to the keeping under of strong corruptions to the sweetning of all mutations and to the preparing and fitting of you for the dayes of your dissolution I shall content my selfe with giving you this hint because I have before spoken more fully to this head And thus we have done with the Doctrinall part We shall come now to make some Use and Application of this Point to our selves If this be so That 't is the Duty of Christians to improve and exercise the gifts and graces that the Lord hath given them Then in the first place this looks very sowrely and wishly upon all lazie idle negligent Christians that doe not stir up themselves to lay hold on God that doe not stir up the grace of the Lord in them 'T is sad to consider how many Christians Cupid complained He could never â—asten upon the Muses because he could never find them idle No Christians so fâ—ee from Satans assaults as active Christians are nor none so tempâ—ed as idle Christians can stir up themselves to lay hold on all opportunities to make themselves great and rich in the world and yet suffer their golden gifts and graces even to grow rustie for want of exercise 'T is sad to see how busie many men are to exercise and improve a Talent of riches who yet bind up their Talents of gifts and grace in a Napkin By these God looses much honour and praise and themselves loose much comfort and content and others loose much profit and benefit and the Gospel looses much credit and glory But the maine Use that I shall make of this Point shall be To exhort and stir you all up to make a blessed improvement of your graces And indeed it is a Point of most singular use to us all our The Jewish Rabbins report That he same night that Israel de parted out of Aegypt towards Canaan all the Idols Idolatrou Temples in Aegypt by lightning and earth quakes were broken downe So when grace holinesse is set up in the heart all the Idols of Satan which are meâ—slust are throwne downe dayes a truth that is every day of very great concernment to our soules Now there are seven Considerations that I shall propound by way of Motive to stir up your soules to make a blessed improvement of the grace and gifts you have received And the first is this Seriously consider that the exercise and improvement of grace in your soules will be more and more the death and ruine of sin in your soules Take it from experience There is not a choycer way then this for a man to bring under the power of his sin then to keep up the exercise of his grace Sin and Grace are like two Buckets at a Well when one is up the other is downe They are like the two Lawrels at Rome when one flourishes the other withers Certainly the readiest and the surest way to bring under the power of sin is to be much in the exercise of grace Rom. 8. 10. And if Christ be in you the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is life because of righteousnesse The life and activity of Christ and grace in the soule is the death and destruction of sin in the soule The more grace acts in the soule the more sin withers and dyes in the soule the stronger the house of David grew 2 Sam. 3. the weaker the house of Saul grew As the house of David grew every day stronger and stronger so the house of Saul every day grew weaker and weaker So the activity of the new Mat. 21. 12 13 14. man is the death of the old man When Christ began to bestir himselfe in the Temple the money-changers quickly fled out So when grace is active and stirring in the soule corruption quickly flyes A man may find out many wayes to hide his sin but he will never find out any way to subdue his sin but by the exercise of grace Of all Christians none so mortified as those in whom grace is most exercised Sin is a Viper that must be kill'd or 't will kill you for ever and there is no way to kill it but by the exercise of grace Secondly Consider this by way of motive to provoke you Mat. 5. 16. The exercise of virtue will draw I ve from a mans very enemies Tilligny for his â—are virtues was reserved from death by his greatest enemies at the Mâ—ssacre of Paris as you may see in the French History in the life of Charls the Ninth to exercise and improve your Graces The exercise and improvement of your Graces will provoke others to blesse and admire the God of Grace Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good workes and glorifie your Father which is in heaven The light of your Conversation and the light of your graces Oh! how many thousand soules be there now triumphing in heaven whose gifts and graces shin'd gloriously when they were on earth and ah how many thousands are there now on earth that blesse and admire the Lord for the shine of their graces who are now in heaven That blesse the Lord for the Faith of Abraham and the Zeale of David and the Meeknesse of Moses and the Patience of Job and the Courage of Joshua c. Ah Christians as you would stirre up others to exalt the God of grace look to the exercise and improvement of your graces When poor servants shall live in a family and see the faith of a Master and the love of a Master and the wisedome of a Master and the patience of a Master and the humility of a Master c. shining like so many stars of heaven oh how doth it draw forth their hearts to blesse the Lord that ever they came into such a family 'T is not a profession of Religion but the exercise and improvement of grace that contributes so much to the lifting up of the glory of the Lord and to the greatning of his praise in the world Many Saints have had their hearts warmed and heated by siting by other Saints fire by eying and dwelling upon other Saints
stark naught lâ—ke the Monk in the Fable did his excellent spirit appear in that he was holy and humble in heart though high in place and worth c. Dan. 6. 3-7 Daniel keeps humble and holy when he is lifted high yea made the second man in the Kingdome Malice it selfe could not find any thing against him but in the matter of his God 'T is much to be very gracious when a man is very great and to be high in holinesse when advanc'd to high places usually mens blood rises with their outward good Certainly they are worthy ones and shall walk with Christ Rev. 3. 4. in white whose Garments are not defiled with greatnesse or riches c. Secondly They that have highly improved their graces will comply with those commands of God that crosse nature that are contrary to nature And doubtlesse that man ha's improv'd his graces to a very high rate whose heart complies with those Commands of God that are crosse and contrary to nature As for a man to love them that loath him Mat. 5. 44. They use to say If any man would have Mr. Fox doe him a good turne let him doe him an injury c. to blesse them that curse him to pray for them that persecute him c. 'T is nothing to love them that love us and to speak well of them that speak well of us and to doe well and carry it well towards them that carry it well towards us Oh! but for a man to love those that hate him to be courteous to them that are currish to him to be sweet to them that are bitter to him c. this strongly demonstrates a high improvement of grace Certainly that man is very very good who ha's learned that holy Lesson of overcoming evill with good Such a one was Stephen Acts 7. 55 ult Rom. 12. ult He was a man full of the holy Ghost That is of the Gifts and graces of the Holy Ghost he was much in the exercise of Grace he can pray and sigh for them yea even weepe teares of blood for them who rejoyced to shed his blood So did Christ weep over Jerusalem so did Titus so did Marcellus over Syracuse so did Scipio over Carthage but they shed teares for them whose blood they were to shed but Christ shed teares for them who were to shed his blood So Abraham being strong in faith gave glory to God How Rom. 4. why by complying with those commands of God that were very contrary to flesh and blood as the offering up of his Son his onely Son his beloved Son his Son of the Promise and by leaving his owne Countrey and his near and dear relations upon a word of Command The Commands of God so change the whole man and make him new that you can hardly know him to be the same man saith one Well Sirs Lactant. defalsa sapient lib. 3. cap. â—7 remember this 't is a dangerous thing to neglect one of his Commands though it be never so crosse to flesh and blood who by another is able to command you into nothing or into hell Let Luther hate me and in his wrath call me a thousand times Devill yet I will love him and acknowledge him to be a most precious servant of God saith Calvin c. Thirdly consider this Such soules will follow the Lord fully that have made an improvement of their graces Oh! this was the glorious commendations of Caleb and Joshua in Numb 14. 24. that They followed the Lord fully in the face of all difficulties and discouragements They had another spirit in them sayes the Text they would goe up and possesse the Land though the Walls were as high as Heaven and Veni vidi vici I came I saw I overcame said that Emperour the Sons of Anak were there they made no more of it then to goe see and conquer They followed the Lord fully In the Hebrew it is They fullfilled after me The Hebrew word is a metaphor taken from a Ship under saile that 's carried with a strong wind as fearing neither Sands nor Rocks nor Shelves c. Such have little if any thing of Christ within who follow him by halves or haltingly I remember Cyprian brings in the Devil triumphing over Christ thus As for my followers I never dyed for them as Christ did for his I never promised them so great reward as Christ hath done to his and yet I have more followers then he and they doe more for me then his doe for him O where is that spirit in these dayes that was upon those Worthies Psal 44. All this is come upon us yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsely in thy Covenant our heart is not turned backe neither have our steps declined from thy way though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death Fourthly Such soules that have improved their Graces to a considerable height will blesse God as well when he frowns as when he smiles As well when he takes as when he gives when he strikes as when he strokes as you may see by comparing the Scriptures in the Margent together When the Lord had stript Job of all and had set him naked upon the dunghill why then Job 1. â—1 Levit. 10. 3. 2 Sam. 15. 25 26. Isa 63. 14 15. sayes Job The Lord gives and the Lord taketh away and blessed be the name of the Lord. Where Grace is improved to a considerable height it will work a soule to sit downe satisfied with the naked injoyment of God without other things John 14. 8. Shew us the father and it sufficieth us The sight Christus est mihi pro omnibus sayes a Christian as he said Plato est mihi pro omnibus of the father without honours the sight of the father without riches the sight of the father without mens favour will suffice the soule As Jacob said It is enough that Joseph is alive so sayes the soule that 's high in Grace 't is enough that Jesus is alive c. Fifthly Soules that have improved their Graces to a considerable height will be good in bad times and in bad places Such soules will bear up against the stream of evill examples in the worst of times and in the worst of places Abraham Though the Fishes live in the salt sea yet they are fresh So though soules eminently gracious live among the wicked yet they retaine their spiritualnesse freshnesse and liâ—e was righteous in Chaldea Lot was just in Sodome Daniel holy in Babylon Job upright and fearing God in the Land of Vz which was a prophane and most abominable superstitious place Nehemiah zealous in Damasco Oh take me a man that hath improved his grace and the worser the times are the better that man will be he will bear up bravely against the stream of evill examples he will be very good when times and all round
and minde who was rather willing to beautifie Italy then his owne house That Pilot dyes nobly saith Seneca who perisheth in the storme with the Helme in his hand Such that seek themselves more then the publick good must be served as Aesop did his fellow servant he gave him warme water to drink by which means he vomited up the stollen Figgs Friends 't is not a little grace that will make a man prefer the publick good above his owne particular good but much grace will therefore labour to be rich in grace Fifthly 'T is your Principle That you are to doe the Duties that God requires of you and quietly leave the issues and events of all to the wise dispose of God But pray tell me Will a little Grace inable a man to live up to this Principle To do his duty and to leave issues and events to him to whom they belong Surely no. Eccl. 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to doe doe it with all thy might for there is no worke nor device nor knowledge nor wisedome in the grave whither thou goest Mark he does not say what thy hand finds to doe for that may find a thousand things nor what thy heart finds to doe for that may find ten thousand things but what thy hand finds to doe that is look what work God cuts out to thy hand to doe that doe with all thy might for there is no working in the grave We are to doe much good in a little time we are made here and set to be a doing something that may doe us good a thousand years hence yea that may stand us in stead to eternity our time is short our task is great The Devil knowes that his time is but short and that 's the reason why he is so active and stirring why he doth outwork the Children of light in a quick dispatch of the deeds of darknesse Christians don't deceive your selves 't is not shewes of grace nor little measures of grace that will inable a man to live up to this Principle but great measures of grace will as you may see in the 3 Children We are not carefull to answer thee O King in this matter if it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of thine hands O King But if not be it knowne unto thee O King that we will not serve thy Gods nor worship the golden Image which thou hast set up We know our Duty and that we will keep to what ever the issue and event be So those Worthies Ps 44. Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadow of death yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant Here was much of Christ grace within So in Acts 21. when Paul was to goe up to Jerusalem to suffer his friends by many teares and Arguments laboured to disswade him for feare of some sad issue and event that would follow But Paul rich in grace answered What mean ye to weep and breake my heart for I am ready not to be bound onely but also to dye at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus I must goe up to Jerusalem and I am willing to goe up though I dye for it I here 's a soule that lives up to his Principle I but now soules that are weak in grace as Many of the English have in this been like the Israelites c. we have had large experience of it in our times they are more taken up and busied about the events and issues of things then they are with their owne Duties When they should be a praying a believing a waiting and acting for God they have been a questioning and fearing what the issue and event of this and that and the other thing would be And indeed they have been high and low as secondary causes have wrought which hath made many of their lives a very hell But now those that are rich in grace they say as once he did Let us be of good courage and let us play the men for our people and for the Cities of our God and the Lord doe that which 2 Sam. 10. 10 11 12. seemeth him good Let us doe our duties and let the Lord doe as pleaseth him c. Sixthly 'T is your Principle That men are to be prepared and to stand fast against all suddaine assaults and invasions that may be made upon them Many a valiant person dares fight in a Battell or a Duell who yet will be timerous and fearfull if suddenly surprized in a mid-night Alarum Many precious soules when they have time to consider of the evill of sin the holinesse of God the eye of God the honour of God the glory of the Gospel the joyes of the Saints and the stopping of the mouths of sinners will rather dye then sin they will rather suffer any thing then doe the least thing that may be a reproach to Christ Oh! but when a sudden occasion or temptation is presented why then they often fall as David by chance spied Bathsheba washing her selfe and falls before the temptation he is conquered and carried captive by that sudden occasion But that 's a more comfortable and considerable passage that you have concerning Joseph in Gen. 49. 23 24. The Archers sorely grieved him saith the Text and shot at him and hated him but his Bow abode in strength and the armes of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. Joseph never wanted counsel nor courage when he was at the worst Soules rich in grace usually stand firme under the greatest and suddenest pressures assaults and invasions as you may see in Paul 2 Cor. 1. 9 12. and so the three Children so Daniel and so those Worthies Heb. 11. 35. They would not accept of deliverance that they might obtaine a better resurrection Many sudden assaults and attempts were made upon them their enemies would faine have stormed them and overcome them sometimes by golden offers sometimes by terrible threats but they are invincible nothing stirs them nothing takes them Really friends it must be much grace that will make a man to live up to this Principle and there 's nothing that speaks out more the strength of Grace in a man then his standing against suddaine assaults and invasions that by the Devil and the world are made upon him You may talk of this but without much grace you will never be able to doe it c. Seventhly and lastly 'T is your Principle That your hearts are to be ready for every worke that God shall impose upon you You are not to choose your imployment neither are you to refuse any imployment that God shall put upon you You are alwayes to have an open eare a ready hand an obedient heart and a willing cheerfull soule to fall in with what work or service soever it is
Shâ—â—hen Humility as the Violet though the lowest yet the sweetest of Flowers at my word The word there rendred dwell is an Hebrew Participle and signifies Dwelling Thus saith the high and lofty one dwelling with him that is of an humble and a contrite spirit The word notes to us thus much That God will not dwell with an humble man as a wafairing man dwells with his relations a few nights and away Dwelling notes a constant and not a transient act of God God will for ever keep house with the humble soule when once they meet they never part There is no such way to be rich as to be poor and low in our owne eyes this is the way to injoy his company in whom all treasures are Fourthly Improve the riches that you have Improve that knowledge that faith that light that love that you have Those that had two Talents did by the improvement of them gaine other two and those that had five did by the improvement of them gaine ten Prov. 10. 4. The diligent hand maketh rich Take hold of all opportunities to inrich your soules with spirituall riches Men will The â—adâ—x Hâ—râ—ts is to â— dig in the ground for gold whence 〈◊〉 fine precious gold Prov. 16. 16. The neglect of golden soul inriching opportunities has made many a mans life a hell yea many a Courtiers life a â—ell as all know that know any thing of History c. easily readily greedily and unweariedly close with all opportunities wherein they may get earthly riches and why should not you be as diligent in taking hold of all opportunities to enrich your precious soules Is not the soule more then rayment more then friends more then relations more then life yea more then all And why then doe you not labour to inrich your soules Thou wert better have a rich soule under a thred-bare Coat then a thred-bare soule under a silk or golden Coat If he be a Monster among men that makes liberall provision for his Servant his slave and starves his wife what a Monster is he that makes much provision for his baser part but none for his noble part A sloathfull heart in the things of God is a heavy judgement Prov. 4. 31. I went by the field of the sloathfull and by the Vineyard of the man voyd of understanding Or as the Hebrew hath it The man that had no heart that is to make use of his Vineyard and loe it was all growne over with thornes and nettles c. O the lusts the wickednesses that will overgrow sloathfull sluggish soules Spirituall sluggards are subject to the saddest stroakes Oh the deadly sins the deadly temptations the deadly judgements that spirituall sluggards will unavoidably fall under None such an enemy to himselfe none such a friend to Satan as the spirituall sluggard 'T is sad to think how the riches of Christ the riches of Consolation the riches of Justification the riches of Glorification are brought to many mens doores and yet they have no hearts to imbrace them no judgement to this Wherefore is there a price in the Prov. 17. 16. Wealth without wit is iâ—l bestowed c. hand of a foole to get wisedome seeing he hath no heart to it Well spirituall sluggards remember this When your consciences are awakened this will be a sword in your soules that you might have been saved you might have been spiritually and eternally inriched but that you have trifled and fooled away golden opportunities and your owne salvation Fifthly Walke uprightly holily and obedientially If ever you would be spiritually rich look to your walking 't is not the knowing soule nor the talking soule but the close-walking soule the obedientiall soule that is in spiritualls the richest soule Others may be rich in notions but none so rich in spirituall experiences and in all holy and heavenly grace as close-walking Christians Psal 84. 11. When my heart is coldest and highest I present God to my self under the notion of his greatnes but when my heart is loose and fearing then I present God to my soul under the notion of his goodnesse saith Luther The Lord will give grace and glory and no good thing will he with-hold from them that walke uprightly The upright walker shall be both of his Court and Councel he shall know any thing and have any thing In John 14. 21 23. compared If any man love me he will keepe my Commandements and I will love him and my father will love him what then we will make our abode with him and will manifest our selves to him Certainly they cannot be poore that injoy such Guests as these they must needs be full who injoy them that are fullnesse it selfe God and Christ are overflowing Fountaines and holy soules find it so Sixthly Be most in with those soules that are spiritually rich Let them be thy choycest Companions that have made Christ their chiefest Companion Doe not so much eye the outsides of men as their inside look most to their internall worth Many persons have an eye upon the externall Garb of this and that Professor but give me a Christian that minds the internall worth of persons that makes such as are most filled with the fullnesse of God to be his choisest and his chiefest Companions In Psal 16. My goodnesse extends not to thee sayes David now David speaks in the person of Christ but to the Saints that are in the earth in whom is all my delight There are Saints and there are excellent Saints now those are the excellent ones that are most rich in Heavenly Treasures and these you should make your bosome friends your choycest Companions Prov. 13. 20. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise That is he shall be more wise more humble more holy and more abounding in all spirituall riches The word Rolech that is rendred walke is an Hebrew Participle and signifies walking to note to us that 't is not he that talks with the wise nor he that commends the wise nor he that takes a step or two or three with the wise that shall be wise but he that gives up himselfe to the society and company of the wise that shall be more and more wise more and more gracious more and more holy He that cometh where sweet Spices and Ointments are stirring doth carry away some of the sweet savour though himself think not of it The Spouses lips drop as the Honey-comb Cant. 4. 10. the tongue of the just is as choyce silver he scaters pearls he throws abroad treasures where he comes Prov. 15. 7. The lips of the wise disperse knowledge The Hebrew word is a Metaphor from Jezaru from Zarah scattering abroad with a Fan or from Seeds-men scattering abroad of their seed in the furrowes of the field They scatter their light their love their Experiences among those with whom they converse as Seeds-men scatter their seed in the field Christ sayes his Spouses lips are like a
dispossessing of his Son If thou canst believe saith Christ all things are possible And the poore man said with teares Lord I believe helpe my unbelief And presently Christ charged the foule spirit to come out of him c. A believing husband a belâ—eving wife a believing Child or a believing servant may bring downe by the actings of faith many a blessing upon their relations Faith hath a happy hand and never but speeds in one kind or another It hath what it would either in money or moneys worth Apollenius saith Sozonem Never askt any thing of God either for himselfe or his friends but he had it And one pointing to Luther said There 's a man can have any thing of God that he will aske And as faith brings downe blessings upon our owne heads Faith hath a kind of Omnipotency in it iâ—'s able to do all thingâ— c. and the heads of our friends so it often brings downe wrath upon our enemies There 's nothing contributes so much to our enemies ruine as faith doth I am confident it hath neither been Armies nor Navies nor Parliaments that have had the chief hand in bringing howne the proud and stout enemies of Christ and Zion in this and other Nations but the faith of his despised people One Enemy may stand before Mary Queen of Scots that was Moâ—her o King James was wont to say That she feared Mâ— Knockes prayers who was a man of much â—â—iâ—h more then an Army of ten thousand men the face of another but what enemy can stand before the face and power of faith That 's a remarkable Scripture Heb. 11. 33. Who through faith subdued Kingdomes wrought righteousnesse obtained Promises stopped the mouths of Lyons quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword out of weaknesse were made strong waxed valiant in fight turned to flight the Armies of Alians Other means were used but that which did the work and struck all dead was faith faith ingages God in every incounter and who can stand before a consuming fire Polybius speaking of Horatiâ—s his keeping of the field against his Enemies Forces saith That his enemies were more afraid of his faith then of his war like strength And truly there is nothing that renders men more dreadfull to an understanding enemy then their faith Oh! 't is brave for men to believe downe the powers of darknesse to believe downe those that war against the Lamb c. No way to get an Enemy downe like this nor no way to keep an Enemy downe like this No way to save a Kingdome like this nor no way to keep a Kingdome like this the Nation is beholding to none so much as to believing soules Oh England England thou hadst long before this been a prey to men that delight in blood had it not been for the faith of the Worme Jacob c. Christians as you would have Christ goe on and doe more and more glorious things for England as you would be Crown'd with the choycest and the chiefest blessings and as you would have vengeance executed upon all that hate that wage war against and persecute Christ and the Saints be mighty in believing Ninthly and lastly Faith is a root Grace and will the branches flourish if the root wither O therefore water this root have an eye to this root If you have a choyce root in any of your Gardens Oh how carefull are you of it you will mind it and water it and look to it c. Well of all graces faith is the root grace and if this dye you will find your graces to languish your hope love fear patience humility joy c. can never out-live your faith these live together and they dye together therefore above all labour to be rich in faith for this is a root grace and if this flourish all other graces will flourish but if this decay all other graces will loose their strength beauty and glory c. And thus much for the fifth Proposition We come now to the sixth Proposition and that is this That no gracious soules doe at all times alike grow and thrive in spirituall riches A Child sometimes shootes up more in a month then he doth at other times in many months and sometimes more And don't Plants and Trees sometimes shoot up more in a week then â—n many c. in a year then he does afterwards in many years So many a Christian thrives more and gets more spirituall riches in one moneth then in many in one year then in many I appeale to your experiences Christians don't you find it so I know you doe To cite Scripture to prove this would be to cast water into the sea and to light Candles to see the Sun at noone Sin and Satan doe sometimes work more violently and more strongly in the soules of Saints then at other times Now when sin and Satan work most and prevaile most then grace thrives least As the life of grace is the death of sin and the growth of grace the decay of sin so the increase of sin is the decay of grace and the strengthning No ships have it all times the same gales of wind c. of sin is the weakning of grace Againe No Saints have at all times alike gales of the spirit of God and therefore they doe not grow in spirituall riches at all times alike A man thrives in spirituall riches as the gales of the spirit of God are upon him and no otherwise When the spirit of the Lord doth blow most sweetly Cant. 4. ult and strongly upon his heart then his graces thrive and flourish most then those beds of spices doe yeeld the most fragrant smell But when the spirit of the Lord doth withdraw and with-hold his influences how does the strength and glory Latimer said of the Spirit That 't is coming and going c. of grace wither and decay The Herb Heliotropium doth turne about and open and shut according to the motion of the Sun so doe the graces of the Saints according to the internall gales motions and operations of the spirit c. Againe No Saints have at all times the like externall advantages and opportunities of growing rich in spiritualls They have not the word it may be in that power and life as formerly or it may be they injoy not the communion of Saints as formerly or if they doe yet perhaps those that have formerly been as fire to warme and inflame them are now become water to coole them and deaden them or it may be they have not those advantages for Closet duties as formerly or it may be the course of nature is changed and if so 't is no wonder that they thrive not in spiritulls as formerly When Children have not as good food and as good lodging and as good looking after as at other times no wonder if they thrive not as at other times When men have not the same advantages and
A comparison from the seale of a Ring the foâ—m of which is imprinted in the wax Image why the Lord Jesus beares the Image of his father Heb. 1. 3. He is the brightnesse of his fathers glory and the expresse Image of his person You prize others for their wisedome and knowledge such a one is a very wise man you say and therefore you prize him and such a one is a very knowing man and therefore you prize him why all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge are in Christ Col. 2. 3. In whom saith he speaking of Christ are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge The truth is all those perfections and excellencies that are in all Angels and men they all centre in Christ they are all epitomized in Christ All the Angels in heaven have but some of those perfections that be in Christ All wisedome and all power and all goodnesse and all mercy and all love c. is in no glorified Creature no not in all glorified creatures put together But now in Christ all these perfections and excellencies meet as all water meets in the sea and as all light meets in the Sun Others you prize for their usefulnesse the more usefull persons and things are the more you prize and value them The Lord Jesus Christ is of universall use to his people why he is the right eye of his people without which they cannot Chrâ—st is quâ—quâ—d appetib â—e aâ— Oâ—igen speaks whatever we can desire If we hunger and â—hâ—â—st he is pâ—bxlum animâ— the food of the soule see and the right hand of his people without which they cannot doe c. He is of singular use to all his people he is of use to weak Saints to strengthen them and he is of use to doubting Saints to resolve them and he is of use to dull Saints to quicken them and he is of use to falling Saints to support them and he is of use to wandring Saints to recover them In prosperity he is of use to keep his Saints humble and watchfull spotlesse and fruitfull and in adversity he is of use to keep them contented and cheerfull All which should very much ingage our hearts to prize this Christ Againe We prize things as they suite us why Christ is not onely a good but a sutable good Christ is light to inlighten John 1. 8 9 Phil. 5. 14. us and he is life to inliven us he is riches to supply us and he is rayment to cloath us he is a staffe to support us and he is a sword to defend us he is bread to nourish us and he is water to refresh us and wine to cheere us and what would we have more Christ may well be compared to the Trees of the Sanctuary Ezek. 47. 12. which were both forme at and for Medicine Fourthly Yet once more that this may stick upon us let us consider That where we are highly prized there we highly prize Why the Lord Jesus Christ doth exceedingly prize every believing soule yea even such poore weak Saints that many swell'd soules slight and despise as persons of no worth because they want that light and knowledge and those parts and gifts that others have Well Christians remember this Christ prizes you as the Apple of his eye Zech. 2. 8. he prizes you as his Jewels Mal. 3. 17. He prizes you as his portion Deut. 32. 9. The Lords portion is his people He prizes you as his Glâ—ry Isa 46. 13. He prizes you as his Ornaments Ezek. 7. 20. He prizes you as his Throne Jer. 40. 21. He prizes you as his Diadem Isa 62. 3. He prizes you as his Friends John 14. He prizes you as his Brethren Heb. 2. 11 12. He prizes you as his Bride Isa 62. 5. He prizes you above his Fathers bosome for he leaves that to doe you service John 16. 28. Yea he prizes you above his very Life he layes downe his life to save your soules John 10. Now oh who would not highly prize such a Christ that sets such an invaluable price upon such worthlesse soules Fifthly and lastly consider That your high prizing of Christ will worke you to value the least things of Christ above the greatest worldly good 'T will make you value the least nodd of Christ the least love-token from Christ the least good look from Christ the least good word from Christ the least truth of Christ c. above all the honours treasures pleasures and glories of this world Psal 119. 72. The Law of thy mouth is better then thousands of gold and silver Luther would not take all the world for one leaf of the Bible And oh that a serious consideration of these things might work all your hearts to a high prizing of the Lord Jesus The next Use that we shall make of this Point is this If Christ be so rich then trust to Christ Who will not trust a rich man Every one strives to trust a rich man The rich hath many friends Why the Lord Prov. 14. 20. Jesus Christ is very rich Will you be perswaded to trust him O trust him with your best treasures with your choycest Interpreters differ aâ—ont the pawne or pledge which the Apostle committed to Gods custody One saith Iâ— was his soule A second saith It was himself which is all one A third saith It was his works A fourth saith I was his sufferings A fifth saith I was his salvation Without doubt 't was all that was neare and deare to him Jewels with your names soules estates relations The Apostle was excellent at this 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know him saith he in whom I have believed that he is able to keepe that which I have committed unto him untill that day I have committed my soule to him and my life to him and my name to him and all my mercies and injoyments to him The child cannot better secure any precious thing it hath then by putting it into the fathers hands to keep Our mercies are alwayes safest and surest when they are out of our hands when they are in the hands of God We trust as we love and we trust where we love where we love much we will trust much much trust speaks out much love if you love Christ much surely you will trust him much That was a notable bold expression of Luther Let-him that dyed for my soule see to the salvation of it I have committed my soule to him I have given it up into his hands who is my life who is my love and let him look after it let him take care of it in securing of that he secures his owne glory Oh that Christians would trust in this rich Christ for a supply of necessaries Is Christ so rich and will you not take his word that he will not see you want Will you trust a rich man upon his word and will you not trust a rich 1 Christs promises are ever performed 2 Cor. 1. 20. â— His
therein lyes their glory and perfection Herein is our love made perfect that we may have boldnesse in the day of judgement because as he is so are we in this world As he so are we The Child is not more like the father then then we are like our Saviour The Child is the father multiplied the father of a second edition Our Summum bonum consists in our full communion with Christ and in our full conformity to Christ Oh if men were more universally conformable to Christ in their affections ends designes and actings c. they would have abundantly more clear full and glorious evidences of their interest in Christ A more full conformity to Christ in heart and life will make your lives a very Heaven c. Fourthly Interest Christ in the glory of all you injoy and in the glory of all you doe This is a precious way to have your interest in Christ more 1 Cor. 10. 31. and more evidenced to your owne soules Such as are good at this as are much in this will find Christ every day a clearing up more and more their interest in himselfe 'T is not usually long night with such soules O Christians interest Christ more and more in the glory of all your graces interest him in the glory of all your duties interest him in the glory of all your abilities as Christ doth interest you in himselfe in John 1. 16. Rev. 1. 5 6. 1 Pet. 2. 9. his spirit in his graces in his riches in his Titles in his dignities in his offices Ah Christians did you interest Christ more in all you have in all you are and in all you doe you would never be so full of feares and doubts and questions about your interest in Christ as you are Your interessing of Christ in all you have and doe will speak out not onely the The mother that strongly loves her child dâ—es not question the truth of he love to her child truth of your love but also the strength and greatnesse of your love and where men love much where they love strongly there they doe not question the truth of their love The Heathen Gods were contented to divide their honours amongst themselves and hence the Senate of Rome rejected Christ from taking him to be a God after that they had consulted about it For said they if Christ come to be acknowledged a God he will not share with the rest he will have all himselfe And so upon this reason they refused him Christians Christ will not have any competitor he will rather part with any thing then with his glory Isa 42. 8. I am the Lord that is my name and my glory will I not give to another neither my praise to graven Images Christ will rather part with his life then with his honour therefore let every Christian say as David does 1 Chron. 29. 11 12 13. Thine O Lord is the greatnesse and the power and the glory and the victory and the Majesty for all that is in the Heaven and in the earth is thine Thine is the Kingdome O Lord and thou art exalted as head above all Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all And in thine hand is power and might and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all Now therefore our God we thanke thee and praise thy glorious name And cleerly friends the more your hearts are led forth to interest Christ in all you injoy and in all you doe the more clear and glorious evidence you will have of your interest in Christ let his honour and glory lye nearer and nearer to your hearts and you shall see that he ha's set you as a seale upon his arme as a seale upon his heart The fifth meanes to gaine the knowledge of your interest in Christ is By cleaving to Christ and whatsoever is deare to Christ in the face of all miseries difficulties and dangers It 's nothing to cleave to Christ in faire weather when every Psal 44. Acts 5. Heb. 11. Dan. 3. Acts 21. 13. one cleaves to Christ when every one professes Christ but to cleave to him in a storme when every one runs from him this speaks out a child-like disposition it speaks out a Jacob's spirit Surely he must needs have much of Christ that nothing can take off from cleaving to Christ When the soule sayes to Christ as Ruth said to Naomi Whither thou Ruth 1. 15 16 17 18. goest I will goe and where thou lodgest I will lodge thy people shall be my people and thy God shall be my God The Lord doe so to me and more also if ought but death part thee and me When neither the frownes of men nor the reproach of men nor the contempt of men nor oppositions from men can take the soule off from cleaving to Christ it will not be long before Christ speaks peace to such a soule Psal 63. 8. My soule followeth hard after thee thy right hand upholds me In the Hebrew 'tis My soule cleaveth to thee or Dabka naphshi is glewed to thee as Jonathan's soule cleav'd to David and as Jacob's soule cleav'd to Rachel in the face of all difficulties and troubles Doubtlesse when the soule cleaves to Christ in the face of all afflictions and difficulties this carries with it Shaâ—nma one of Davids Worthies stood and defended the field when all the rest fled very much evidence of its interest in Christ In temporalls men cleave to persons and things as their interest is in them and so 't is in spirituals also Christ cannot Christ will not throw such to hell that hang about him that cleave to him Sixthly and lastly If you would know whether you have an interest in Christ Then be very much in observing what interest Christ ha's in you Observe whether he ha's the interest of a head a husband a father or no Christ ha's a generall interest in all creatures as he is the Creator and Preserver of them And he ha's a heads interest a husbands interest a fathers interest onely in them that have a saving interest in him The interest of the head the husband the father is the greatest interest 't is the sweetest interest 't is a commanding interest 't is a growing interest 't is a peculiar interest 't is a lasting interest and really if the Lord Jesus hath such an interest in you you may be as confident that you have a reall and glorious interest in him ' as you are confident that you live And thus much for the means whereby you may come to know your interest in rich Jesus Before I close up this discourse give me leave to speak a few words to poore sinners who to this very day are afar off from this Jesus who is so rich in all excellencies and glories A VSE of Exhortation to Christ-less soules Ah poore hearts you have heard much of the riches of the Lord
in his works you will find nothing but what may incourage you to believe in him and to resigne up your selves to him Ah poore sinners what would you have Is there not power in Christ to support you and mercy in Christ to pardon you and grace in Christ to heal you and goodnesse in Christ to relieve you and happinesse in Christ to crowne you and what would you have more Oh that you would believe Ninthly Let this Principle be rooted in you That the surest way and the shortest cut to mercy and to get an interest in Christ is by a peremptory casting of the soule by faith on Christ John 3. 16 17 18 36. 8. 24. 16. 9. 4. 50 53. 5. 24. 6. 35 40. 7. 38. 11. 25 26. 12. 46. Acts 10. 43. Rom. 3. 26. 1 John 5. 10 11 12. There 's no way under heaven to be interested in Christ but by believing There 's no way to get an interest in the riches of Christ but this He that believes shall be saved let his sins be never so great and he that believes not shall be damned let his sins be never so little And so much shall suffice to have spoken concerning this great and weighty Point I shall follow what hath been said with my prayers that what ha's been said may work for your internall and eternall welfare c. EPHES. 3. 8. Vnto me who am lesse then the least of all Saints is this Grace given that I should Preach among the Gentiles the Vnsearchable Riches of Christ. THERE are two other Observations that arise from these words I shall by Divine assistance speak something to them and so finish this Text. And the first is this Viz. That 't is the great Duty of Preachers to Preach Jesus Christ to the people To me who am lesse then the least of all Saints is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ 'T is the great Duty of Ministers to Preach the Lord Christ to the people I shall prove it and then open it to you In Acts 5. 42. And daily in the Temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach what Jesus Christ So in Acts 3. 20. And he shall send Jesus Christ which before was preached unto you So in 1 Cor. 1. 23 24. 2 Cor. 4. 5. We preach not our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord and our selves your servants for Jesus sake So in Acts 4. 2. 2. 35. 9. 20. As soon as Paul was converted straightway he Preached Christ in the Synagogue that he was the Son of God Now for the opening of the Point I shall onely attempt two things 1 Give you the Reasons Why it 's the great Duty of Ministers to preach Christ to the people 2 Which will be the maine To shew you How they are to preach Christ to the people I confesse this is a very usefull Point in these dayes wherein many men Preach any thing yea every thing but a crucified Jesus Well Christians remember this As 't is your duty to take heed how you heare so 't is as much your duty to take heed who you hear Many there are that count and call themselves the Ministers of Christ and yet have neither skill nor will to Preach Jesus Christ to exalt and lift up Jesus Christ in lip or life in word or work a sad reckoning these will have to make up at last But to come to the Reasons of the Point Why it is the great worke and duty of Ministers to preach Jesus Christ to the people First Because that this is the onely way to save and to win soules to Jesus Christ There is no other way of winning and saving soules but by the Preaching of Christ to the people In Acts 4. 10 11 12. compared Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby Jewel Cowper and others had no such pleasure or joy as they had in Preaching Christ unto the people we must be saved You may Preach this and that and a thousand things to the people and yet never better them never win them 't is onely Preaching of Christ that allures and drawes soules to Christ John 17. 3. This is life eternall to know thee the onely true God and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Ah! nothing melts the hearts of sinners nor wins upon the hearts of sinners like the Preaching of the Lord Jesus 'T is true the teaching of this and that opinion may please many a mans fansie but 't is onely the Preaching of Christ that changes the heart that conquers the heart that turnes the heart c. Peter by Preaching of a crucified Christ Acts 2. 14. to 42. converts three thousand soules at once Were Christ more Preached men would be more inamoured with him He is onely precious to them that hear of him and that believe in him Christ is in all respects incomparable and therefore as 1 Pet. 2. 7. you would honour him and win upon others make him more and more knowne to the world c. Secondly They are to Preach Christ to the people Because it is the choycest and the chiefest way to ingratiate Christ with poore soules This brings Christ and the soule together and this keeps Christ and the soule together nothing indeares Christ to Marâ—ian Arch Bishop of Constantinople said once of Subbaâ—ius a wretched and unworthy man whom he had Oâ—dained to be a Presbyter We wish we had raâ—her laid our hands on the bryars then on such heads the soule like this We see by wofull experience Christ neglected despised scorned and trampled upon by most and no wonder for many Preach themselves more then Christ and they Preach men more then Christ and their owne notions and impressions more then Christ Surely Christ is but little beholding to such Ministers and I think the soules of men as little and Oh that they were so wise as to consider of it and lay it to heart Surely a reall Christian cares not for any thing that hath not Aliquid Christi something of Christ in it There is a strange and strong Energy or forciblenesse in hearing Christ and his beauties and excellencies displayed and discovered The daughters of Jerusalem by hearing the Church presenting Christ in so high a Character and by describing and painting him out in such lively colours are so inchanted and inflamed that might they but know where to find him they would be at any paines to seek him When Christ is set forth in his glories with much affection and admiration others fall in love with him as you may see by comparing Cant. 5. 10. ult with Chap. 6. 1. Thirdly 'T is their great duty to Preach Jesus Christ to the people Because the Preaching up of Christ is the onely way to Preach downe Antichrist or whatever makes against Christ Some would have Antichrist
pittifull work would they make Yea for want of a Christ within how little of Christ doe they understand How little of Christ doe they make known notwithstanding all their borrowed helps Paul was a man that had got a Christ within him Gal. 2. 20. I live yet not I but Christ lives in me and the life that I live is by the faith of the Son of God c. Compare this with Gal. 4. 19. My little Children of whom I travell in birth till Christ be formed in you A Christ within makes him travel in birth Odino 2 Cor. 11. 23. ult As Nurses to Princes children are fed with the most delicate fare but not for their owne sakes buâ— for the childrens sake to whom they give Nurse So 't is with many Ministers that want a Christ within â— Tim. 2. â—4 25. The Greek word Translated I travell in birth signifies not onely the travel of the woman at the birth of the Child but also the painfull bearing thereof before the birth The paines of travel breed not a greater desire to see a Man-child borne into the world then Paul's love bred in him till Christ were anew formed in them No man did so much for the winning of soules to Christ as Paul nor no man had so much of a Christ within him as Paul Nothing will naturalize a Ministers heart to his work like a Christ within nothing will make him so wise so painfull so watchfull so carefull to win soules as a Christ within nothing will make him hold out and hold on in the work of the Lord in the face of all oppositions persecutions dangers and deaths as a Christ within Nothing will make a man strive with sinners and weep over sinners and waite upon sinners for their returne as a Christ within Such Ministers that have not a Christ within them will find to comfort and as little successe in their Preaching of Christ Above all gettings get a Christ within or else after all thy Preaching thy selfe will be a cast-away Secondly They that would Preach Christ to the people must Study more Scripture truths Scripture Mysteries then humane Histories They must study Gods Book more then all other Books The truth and antiquity of the Book of God finds no companion either in Age or Authority No Histories are comparable to the Histories of the Scriptures Moses is sound more ancient then all those whom the Grecians make most antient as Homer Hesiod and Jupiter himsâ—lâ— whom the Greeks have seated in the top of their Divinity For 1 Antiquity 2 Rariety 3 Variety 4 Brevity 5 Perspicuity 6 Harmony 7 Verity Gregory calls the Scripture Cor animam Dei The heart and soule of God for in the Scriptures as in a glasse we may see how the heart and soule of God stands towards his poore creatures It was the glory of Apollos that he was mighty in the Scripture Acts 18. 24. John 5. 39. Search the Scripture saith Christ The Greek word signifies to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 search as men search for gold in Mines You must search the Scripture not superficially but narrowly The Scriptures are a great depth wherein the choycest treasures are hid therefore you must digge deep if you will find Col. 3. 16. Let the word of Christ dwell richly in you Or as the Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let the word of Christ indwell in you as an ingrafted word incorporated into your soules Let the word be so concocted and digested by you as that you turne it into a part of your selves You must be familiarly acquainted with the word you must not let it passe by you as a stranger or lodge and sojourne with you as a wafairing man it must continually abide with you and dwell richly in you 2 Tim. 3. 16 17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse That the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good workes All Books and helps are not comparable to the Bible for the compleating and perfecting of a man for the work of the Ministry That which a Papist reports of their Sacrament of the Masse That there are as many Mysteries in it as there are drops in the sea dust on the earth Angels in heaven Starres in the skie Attomes in the Sun-beams or sands on the sea-shore Whiles they burned us said Reverend Moulin for reading the Scriptures we burnt with zeale to be reading of them But where is this brave spirit now c. may be truly asserted of the word of God No study to the study of the Scripture for profit and comfort Count Anhalt that Princely Preacher was wont to say That the whole Scriptures were the swadling bands of the child Jesus he being to be found almost in every page in every verse in every line Luther would often say That he had rather that all his Bookes should be burnt then that they should be a means to hinder persons from studying of the Scripture The third and last Rule I shall lay downe is this Such as would Preach Christ aright to the people had need Dwell much upon the vanity of humane doctrines The vanity of which doctrines may be thus discovered First They doe not discover sin in its uglinesse and filthinesse as the Scriptures doe They search but to the skin they reach not to the heart they doe not doe as the Master did in Jonah's ship when they were in a storme Secondly Humane doctrines have no humbling power in These things had need be seriously minded in these dayes wherein â—umane doctrines are so much exalted and admired them They may a little tickle you but they can never humble you they cannot cast downe Satans strong holds they cannot melt nor break the heart of a sinner they cannot make him cry out with the Leaper Vnclean unclean Thirdly Humane doctrines nourish not the noble part the soule of man The Prodigal was like to starve before he returned to his fathers house A man may study much and labour much and lay out much of his time and spirits about humane doctrines and yet after all be like to Pharoah's lean Kine A man that studies humane doctrines doth but feed upon ashes Fourthly Humane doctrines cannot cure a wound in the conscience The diseased woman spent all she had upon Physitians but was not a penny the better The remedy is too weak for the disease Conscience like Prometheus Vulture will still lye gnawing notwithstanding all that such doctrines can doe Fifthly Humane doctrines are so far from inriching the soule that they usually impoverish the soule They weaken the soule they expose the soule to the greatest wants and to the greatest weaknesses they play the Harlot with the soule they impoverish it and bring it to a morsel of bread Who so poore in spirituall experiences and heavenly injoyments as such that sit under the droppings
to Ministers when their people are like them in knowledge wisedome love humility holinesse Plutarch said of Demosthenes That he was excellent at praising the worthy acts of his Ancestors but not so at imitating them Ah! many in these dayes are excellent at praising and commending the holy and gracious actings of their Prayer is Porta coeli c'avis Paradisi The gate of heaven a key to let us into Paradise The Jewes fable That our Saviour by finding out the right pronouâ—ciation of the name of God did all his Miracles But certainly the right invocation of the name of God would even make Ministers work Miracles indeed Ministers but not so at imitating them Fourthly You must honour them By bearing them upon your hearts when you appeare before the Lord in the mount Ephes 6. 18 19. 2 Thess 3. 1 2. 1 Thess 5. 25. Col. 1. 4. 3. Heb. 13. 18. Acts 12. 5. All these Scriptures doe bespeak Christians to bear their faithfull Ministers upon their hearts when they are a wrestling with God None usually are opposed as they their wants are many their weaknesses are more their work is great their strength is small O pray pray more and more for them yea pray believingly pray affectionately pray fervently pray unweariedly that they may speak from the heart to the heart that they may speak things that are seasonable and sutable to the capacities and conditions of his people They can tell when they want your prayers and when they enjoy your prayers did you pray more for them they might doe more for your internall and eternall good then now they doe Lastly You must honour them By adhering to them and biding with them in all their tryals afflictions and tribulations that doe or shall attend them 'T is brave to owne them in a storme to owne them when others disowne them when others oppose them and act highly against them Paul lookt upon himself as much honored by Onesiphorus owning of him in his chains 2 Tim. 1. 16. The Lord give mercy unto the house The Saints in the Primitive times did so stick and cleave to those that were in bonds that the very heathen admiringly cryed out Looke how the Christians love one another of Onesiphorus for he oft refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chaine But when he was in Rome he sought me out very diligently and found me The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day And in how many things he ministred unto me at Ephesus thou knowest very well Chrysostome in an Oration sayes of Christians That they would not be kept from visiting the Confessors in Prison although it was forbidden with many threatning terrours and it was great danger to them But to draw to a close You have heard that the Office of a faithfull Minister is honourable and you have heard what honour is due unto them Let me therefore desire you all To take heed of scorning contemning and despising those that are faithfull that are qualified according to Gospel Rules That 's a sad word 2 Chron. 36. 15 16 17 18. God sent his Messengers early and late to reclaime them but they mocked the Messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people till there was no remedy nor no healing David never plaid such a harsh part all his dayes as he did to the Ammonites that dispitefully used his Ambassadours as you may see at large in 2 Sam. 10. Ambassadouâ—s are inviolable by the Law of Nations and the least indignity offâ—red to them is to be as severely punished as if it had been offered to the person of that Prince whom they represent The Romanes sacked the famous City of Corinth and razed it to the ground for a little discourtesie they offered to their Ambassadours And they slew many of the Illyrians and the Tarentines for misusing of their Ambassadours And doe you think that the Lord is not as tender of the credite and honour of his faithfull Ministers and that he will not avenge the affronts wrongs and injuries that are done unto them Surely he will Jer. 29. 17 18 19. Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Behold I will send unto them the Sword the Famine and the Pestilence and will make them like vile Figgs that cannot be eaten they are so evill And I will persecute them with the sword with the famine and with the Pestilence And I will deliver them to be removed to all the Kingdomes of the earth to be a curse and astonishment and an hissing and a reproach among all Nations whither I have driven them But why will God doe this Because they have not hearkened See 2 Kin. 17. 13 14 15. The Lamps went out and Leander was drowned said he in the History to my word saith the Lord which I sent unto them by my servants the Prophets rising up early and sending them but ye would not heare saith the Lord. Now mark though these temporal judgements are not visible among us yet spirituall judgements which are the worst of judgements are very visible Though there be no sword no famine no Pestilence yet there is spirituall madnesse spirituall drunkennesse spirituall giddinesse Oh! the blind minds the corrupt judgements the hard hearts the seired consciences that are to be found among the Professors of this age As there are no mercies Jer. 13. 13. Ezek. 23. 33. 1 Tim. 4. 2. Tit. 1. 15. to spirituall mercies so there are no judgements to spirituall judgements Oh the slightnesse the coldnesse the deadnesse the barrennesse that is abroad in the world God suites his judgements to mens sins the greatest sins are alwayes attended with the greatest judgements In these dayes men sin against more glorious means more great love more clear light more tender bowels of mercy c. then formerly and therefore God gives men up to more sad and dreadfull spirituall judgements then formerly They say when Hercules drew up Cerberus from hell he led him in a Chaine and he went quietly till he came to the Horizon and saw the peeping of the light but then he pulled so strongly that he had like to have pulled the Conquerour and all back againe Ah! 't is sad when men had rather live in darknesse and dye in darknesse and to hell in darknesse then they will see the light injoy the light and walk in the light Many fret at the light and at those that bring it as the Aethiopians once a year solemnly curse the Sun Such soules stand in much need of pity and prayer And thus according to my weak measure I have given out what God ha's given in from this Scripture and shall follow it with my prayers that it may be a word of life and power both to Writer Reader and Hearer Amen Soli Deo Gloria in Aeternum FINIS