Brother a Sister a Friend that hath no grace Lord what shall I doe for her in the day when she shall be spoken for Remember your owne misery and you will pitty their poor soules Thirdly and lastly Were you all borne out of Christ in a sad undone condition by Nature Then let mee perswade you to keep humble hearts Remember but what you were It is enough to tame the swellings of your spirits to thinke that you were not borne worth a ragge to cover your nakednesse you were cast out into the open field to the loathing of your person It was that which the Apostle urged to bring downe the swellings of pride in the Corinthians 1 Cor. 4. 7. For who maketh thee to differ from another And what hast thou that thou didst not receive Now if thou hast received it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it Let mee apply those very words to thy soule Christian Art thou proud of thy gifts and proud of thy graces that thou differest from another and excellest another others are nothing to thee c. I beseech thee to consider who maketh thee to differ How came there to be such a difference betwixt thee and other Christians I am sure you were once both under the Apple-tree together there your mothers brought you forth there she brought you forth that bare you Hath Christ made thee to differ What hast thou then that thou diddest not receive Now if thou diddest receive it why diddest thou glory as if thou hadst not received it Wilt thou boast boast of thy owne then Christian boast of thy workes not of thy gifts give Christ his owne and thou art not worth a farthing yea the Lord knowes ten thousand times worse than a begger Wee say and truely too that one that hath been very scandalous if ever the Lord brings him in he had need bee very circumspect and humble And so concerning one that hath been of a verie low and meane condition and by the meere favour of the Prince is raised up to some great dignity wee say it will be a great deale of policy in him to carry himselfe humbly in his place Truely Christian I know no actuall difference by Nature betwixt thee and the vildest damned Reprobate in Hell Indeed there was a difference in God the Fathers Book of Election and in Christs Book of Redemption which is but a transcript of the other but a Creature difference there was none no selfe-difference at all Hath the Lord brought thee in thou hadst need walke humbly and circumspectly Philip would have the Boy to cry at his Chamber doore Philippe memento mortalis es Philip thou art a mortall man remember it be not proud of thy Empire thy Diadem must lye downe in the dust I would have the Christian that the Lord hath given great gifts and parts to be minded of his first estate I would have my Text written in his heart repeated in his eares O remember Christian who it was that Raised thee up under the Apple-tree there thy mother brought thee forth there she brought thee forth that bare thee And now I have done with my Use of Exhortation in its several Branches Use 4 I have but one word more and that is Consolation Is it so that we are borne under the Apple-tree though under out of Christ yet under not out of sight or hope The Apple-tree is over us though by Nature we have no hand to reach up to it Here 's then a word of comfort and hope 1. To those that upon serious examination the Lord hath made seriously sensible that to this houre they are out of the Lord Jesus Christ if yet they be willing to get into him 2. To those of Gods people that walke with sad hearts for the spirituall estate of their children husbands wives friends c. considering that they were all borne out of Christ and for ought they can yet see they have yet no portion in him For the first Is there any whose hearts the Lord hath smitten with the sad apprehensions of this Truth that they are all borne out of the Lord Jesus Christ that begin to say what shall we doe to be saved Loe here is some comfort yet though thou beest borne for the present out of Christ yet possibly thou mayest be borne under the Apple-tree yea for ought thou knowest thou art Christ is the Apple-tree Christ exhibited in his Gospell in the preaching of the Word c. is a glorious Apple-tree full of ripe Apples dropping into the hands of every soule that doth but lift up his beleeving hand to take and eat This is certaine whomsoever Gods secret will shuts out of heaven his revealed will shuts out none who doth not shut out himselfe Come therefore Turne turne why wilt thou dye O thou sinfull creature For ought thou knowest thou art in no worse condition than Manasses and Paul and Mary Magdalene all of them were borne such as thou art Christ cals Hoe every one that thirsteth come c. Come then let not thy sinnes hinder thee there 's merit enough and mercy enough in him O let not faith be awanting in thee Behold it is now Autumne with us Autumne indeed for Gospell-dispensations have been but as green Apples formerly to the times wherein the Lord hath cast our lot never was there such a plenty of soule-enlightening powerfull preaching plenty enough the Lord grant we surfeit not with it O reach out an hand take eat live To encourage consider how the Lord pleads with you Some Apple-trees are so loaden with fruit that when the Apples grow once to their full quantity the boughes bend even to the hand of the gatherer such my friends are our dayes the boughes loaden with Apples of free Grace even bend again to your soules O take eat and your soules shall live The Autumne is plenteous The Gospell is free you may take what you will it shall cost you nothing Christ even bends to you loaden with Apples of Love Ah! how he reacheth out himselfe to your soules despaire not only plucke and eat you are under the Apple-tree Secondly Is there any one here that hath a child husband wife friend brother sister c. that he can have no comfort concerning in regard that they can see no sigues of grace in them let this comfort them yet they may be under the Apple-tree though the Lord hath not discovered himselfe yet to their soules yet he may doe it All the Apples are not gathered off the Tree of Life it is laden yet pray cry for them mourne for them the Lord may yet give them an heart to repent I thinke it was Ambrose told Saint Austines mother being sadly lamenting the condition of her sonne then a Manichee Be of good comfort saith he it is impossible that a sonne of so many teares should perish I will not say so concerning any one but I will say vix probabile est it is scarse probable
washed and sanctified You heare what you were by Nature borne out of Christ Children of wrath as well as others hath the Lord raised you up hath hee given you to taste of the Apples of free-grace let the remembrance of your former condition perswade you 1. To get thankfull hearts 2. To get pittying hearts 3. To keep humble hearts A word or two of each of these 1. Let this consideration perswade with you to get thankefull hearts Let every soule of you say sing that 103 Psalme verse 1 2 3. Blesse the Lord O my soule and all that is within mee blesse his holy Name Blesse the Lord O my soule and forget not his benefits who hath forgiven all thine iniquities who hath healed all thy diseases c. to the 6. verse Christians I have heard a Story of a Gentleman that having rid over a dangerous Passage in the night returning in the morning to see it at the beholding of it sunke down and dyed Astonishment kild him Ah Christian wouldst thou be but perswaded in the morning of thy Conversion when the Lord hath brought thy soule to himselfe wouldst thou bee but perswaded to look with a serious eye of meditation what dangers thou hast escaped now many times in the mad age of thy youth thou ranst over everlasting burnings and wert just sinking wouldst thou but remember how often thou dividedst an haire betwixt thy soule and hell and this not once but againe and againe that the Devill had not thy soule onely in chase but was bearing at thee many a time and hell was opening its jawes upon thee and thy soule was just going alive into the pit Ah Christian wouldst thou but thinke of this me thinks thou shouldst even be ready to sink downe and dye in astonishment nay rather live Christian ascend let thy heart ascend in praises O say Blesse the Lord O my soule My heart and all that is within me praise his holy Name My tongue and all that is without me sing unto his glory Ah! what a miracle of mercy it is that ever one poor soule should come to heaven Stand amazed at it O my soule were not wee all borne blinde How doe any of us see O now let us all say with David Psalme 116. verse 16. O Lord truely we are thy servants we are thy servants and the children of thine hand-maidens for thou hast loosed our bonds I shall shut up this first Branch of the Exhortation with the words of the blessed Apostle Rom. 12. verse 1 2. Now I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that you offer up your bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service And bee not conformed to this world but be yee transformed by the renewing of your mindes that yee may prove what is that good that acceptable and perfect will of God Ah Christians God deserves your hearts and hands O bee thankfull But I shall now passe over this first Branch of the Exhortation and the rather because I shall have a more full opportunity to meet with it againe and presse it more home in the next Doctrine which I shall note from those words I raised thee Secondly were you even you Christians also out of Christ when your Mother brought you forth Ah methinkes then the sense of your owne misery should call for the yernings of your soules to those poore creatures that are yet in it I beseech you therefore brethren to put on as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies It was the Apostles exhortation Col. 3. vers 12. though in another case Ah how many objects of such Charity is there every where How many poore wretches in every Congregation in every family that the Lord knoweth are yet in the state of Nature It is ten to one but all of us have either an Husband or a Wife a Father or a Mother or a childe or a brother or a sister or a friend so As the Elect of God put on bowels of mercy for them pitty them pray for them mourne before God for them pluck them as brands out of the fire you know what their condition is how sad and deplorable and what an object of pitty they are Wee that never were yet in the Spanish Inquisition nor ever were yet in the Turkish Captivity yet from but the meer reports of the slavery that poor Creatures suffer there our soules yerne towards their sufferings and wee sometimes could weep to thinke of them and could bee content to part with some pence to contribute towards their reliefe So for our poore brethren of Ireland though praised for ever be our God wee have not seene such butcherings and rapes as they have done nor felt such penury and pinching want as they have done yet he scarce deserves the name of a Christian amongst us that hath not a yerning soule towards them that doth not pray for them that is not afflicted to heare those sad and dolefull relations concerning their sufferings and that would not to his ability contribute something to relieve them Ah Christians that you would be but as sensible of soule-evills as bodily trifling calamities Is not think you the Captivity of hell as sad and dreadfull as to be a Turkish Gally-slave Is not it as sad to be under the Devills clutches as it can be to be in the fingers and under the power of the Irish Rebells Alas let them doe what they can they shall doe no more but kill the body there is their malice spit if that bee done but here both body and soule are in danger for ever And my friends do you think that the Turke hath the tenth part of the Captives that the Devill hath Do you thinke there is not ten thousand times more poore soules under the Devills Lashes than there is Christians under the power of the Irish Rebells and have they a sword have they torments like him and where is the soule mournes over the Drunkard vaine person the swearer or blasphemer where is the soule that sayes to him what are you about to doe and yet I dare say here is not one in this Congregation that hath not a Father or a Mother a childe a brother or a sister or a friend in that Captivity O Christians consider did not you need pitty and prayers thinke you when you were there O save others with feare pulling them out of the fire O pray pray It may bee it is but yet a day and this Herod the Devill intends to make an end of these poore soules Cry cry mightily to God for your poor Children Friends Acquaintance Hark how the Church of the Jewes prayed for the Church of the Gentiles when they were strangers to God Cant. 8. verse 8. We have a little sister and she hath no breasts what shall wee doe for our sister in the day when shee shall bee spoken for So say O Lord I have a little Childe a Father a Mother an Husband a
righteous with God to render trouble to them that trouble him we presse God with our sinnes as a cart is prest with sheaves it is his owne similitude no wonder if hee lades us with troubles to the breaking of our hearts when wee take such liberty to break his lawes I am not of their mind that think Saints troubles come not upon them for their sinnes that they come not as law demands for satisfaction I grant that they may come medicinally or meerly for the exercise of faith or patience or some other graces I also easily grant Whether wee may call them punishments or no though I see no solid reason against the affirmative in that nicety I will not dispute but this is sure enough If the Saint were not a sinner hee should not bee a sufferer neither in body nor in spirit nor in his estate nor his relations Death with all the appurtenances of it death both in the egge and bird is sinnes wages sinnes off-spring Saints by their sinnings by their inconstant and uneven walkings are causes of their own sufferings causes of their owne miseries A third head of causes for the Saints troubles may be the world And that 1. In respect of the incertainty of its comforts 1 Joh. 2. 17. The world passeth away and againe 1 Cor. 7. 31. The fashion of this world passeth away Job complaines that his welfare past away as a cloud Job 30. 15. Take what you will of the world it passeth away our friends passe away One generation goeth and another commeth Our prosperity passeth away Job's sunshines had a cloud came over them Riches take themselves the wings of the morning and flie away Now hence of course ariseth trouble when the heart of the creature is fixt upon a Relation and the Generation passeth the parent dies the husband wife child friend or what ever the Relation be it is gone Man goeth to his long home the mourners of course goe about the streets the affection remaines but the object being gone the spirit is disquieted the heart dissetled c. and so for other things Trouble followes of course upon the flitting and passing away of what the heart was let out after 2. The world is also a cause of the Saints troubles In respect of the ill nature of its inhabitants the malice of them Joh. 15. 19. Because you are not of the world but I have chosen you out of the world therefore the world hateth you The world is very selfish in its love it loves none but its own If yee were of the world the world would love its owne The world cares for none but those that are it 's owne it hateth Christ and all that claime kinred of him all that are in relation to him Joh. 15. 18. it hated Christ before it hated the Saints but hating him it hateth those that are flesh of his flesh and bones of his bones Eph. 5. 30. Thus you see various causes of the Saints troubles and so I have dispatched the third thing I promised you The fourth followes What peace is that that the Saint may have in Christ in the midst of this worlds troubles how is it in Christ and what paines hath Christ taken concerning it and how may the Saint get this peace and find it out in Christ and draw it from Christ To this I shall answer and first wee must enquire what peace is Pax est concordia Peace is an agreement say some tranquillitas ordinis a quiet of order saith Aquinas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Because it drawes into an unity unio cordium rerum an union of hearts and actions say others tranquilla constitutio animorum ac rerum say others a quiet composure of differing spirits and actions Mutuus consensus say others a mutuall consent betwixt persons All amount to the same peace is a quiet composed frame of spirit amongst divers parties Now as there are many different parties in the world to agree and many different cases upon which agreements may bee so there are different sorts of peace There is an outward peace or an inward peace a peace with men and a peace with God peace with men may be either Politicall with Princes and subjects of different Kingdomes or amongst the subjects of the same Kingdome or betwixt the head and members of the same body politick or amongst men of the same City and Corporation contrary to forrain or civill warres and dissentions Or it may be domestick which is an agreement betwixt Husband and Wife Parents and Children Governours or Servants of the same family or more private betwixt party and party call'd pax sociorum the friendship and agreement of friends and companions c. All these now are the worlds peaces which Christ puts in opposition to his peace Ioh. 14. 27. Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you There is a peace that is properly called Christ's peace It was Christ's legacy hee left it by his last will and testament to his Disciples and Saints hee distinguiguisheth it from all other peace whatsoever Now in generall this is the peace that the Saints may find in Christ in the midst of this worlds troubles it is Christs peace But more particularly what is that what peace is that that the world cannot give that Christs peace This is that peace with God which is nothing else than mutuus consensus Dei hominis an agreement betwixt God and man the Creator and the creature it may be considered in the root and in the fruit in the cause and in the effect in the originall and in the coppy 1. The originall is our Justification in foro Dei in Gods Court A peace betwixt God and the soule by vertue of an Act of Oblivion that the Lord hath passed in Heaven concerning all the sinners sinnes hee hath said I will remember your sinnes no more hee makes them as if they never had beene now upon the passing this Act there is an agreement concluded betwixt God and the sinner the differing parties are one the peace is made and entered in the rolls of heaven God looks upon the sinner no more as his enemy but as his sonne daughter friend in the nearest relation to him From hence ariseth 2. A piece of conscience which is nothing else but the agreement of the sinner within himselfe Conscience that is Gods agent in the soule proclaims no more warre bids no more defiance the man is at peace with himselfe hee dare say to himselfe conscience is it peace and his conscience shall make him answer it is peace Now this peace is but the sealing up of the other in the court of the mans own bosome A coppy of the other taken out by faith according to that Rom. 5. 1. Beeing justified by faith wee have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ this is also Christ's peace Now this peace with God whether considered in the originall
him and engaged him still to be The servant of thy soule in the work of his Master John Collings Chaplyfield house May 21. 1649. THE LOST SHEEP brought home c. Solomons Song Ch. 8. v. 5. Who is this that commeth out of the wildernesse leaning upon her weld beloved I raised thee up under the Apple-tree there thy mother brought thee forth there shee brought thee forth that bare thee THis book is called the Song of Songs that is Canticunt excellentissimum the most excellent song so Vatablus and Estius gives the reason because it containes a discourse between Christ the most glorious Bridegrome and his Church or the beleeving soule the Bride The song of songs as a note of Quia sermocinationem cōtinet Christi Sponsi Ecclesiae spōsae Estius eminency Mr. Brightman will have it as well Nota distinctionis quam eminentiae a note of distinction as well as of eminency A song more excellent than any of those that Solomon made the song that sounded sweetest to Canticum excellentius omnibus quae Salomon composuit Brightman Solomons penitent heart whose pen-man was Son and heire to the sweet singer of Israel Whose every note is a note of free grace where every straine is breathed by the spirit of the most high and every close sounds the beleevers close with Christ an union with him who is the head of the Church A song finally wherein every line breathes the perfume of the Rose of Sharon and is beautified with the colour of the Lilly of the Vallies It is a song of love sung in parts by the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of his Fathers love and the wife of his bosome whether the society of beleevers his Church in generall or every beleeving soule in particular It beginns with love Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth for his love is better than wine and it ends with love Make hast my Beloved and come away The fountaine from whence it ariseth is a spring of love and the Sea into which it falls is an ocean of love where the soule that enters is swallowed up of love and drowned in sweetnesse The whole streame of the book is a streame of love running betwixt two precious bankes Jesus Christ and the beleeving soule sometimes it is an higher sometimes a lower water it is alwayes some though the flood-gate be not alwayes open The two lovers spend their long in feasting themselves with each others embraces One while the Bridegroome courts his bride with ravishing straines of grace another while she is emptying her soule into her beloveds bosome In the whole there is nothing but a sweet enterchange of delightfull expressions while both seeme to be ravished with each others embraces I shall in handling of the text first open it to you 2 Raise some propositions of Doctrine from it and 3. Handle them by explication confirmation and application For the finding out the meaning of the words it is necessary we should consider them in a double Notion 1. Relatively 2. Absolutely 1. Relatively as they stand in a necessary connexion with the former verses It was now the spouses course to powre out her soul into her beloved's bosome her part began at the 10. ver of the former Chapt. and continues to this verse My text in the former part of it seemeth to be a Parenthesis and the voice of a third person considering the great love exprest by the spouse and her following of him through the most rugged wildernes-ways and even then leaning upon him or considering the great glory and happinesse of the Spouse from the influence of Christ love upon her either in admiration of Christs condiscention that will admit a worm to leane upon him and will stoop to lead it and uphold it in darkest saddest conditions and fill it with light in peace at such times or in admiration of the Spouses glory and beauty by the reflection of her Beloveds countenance or of her constancy and secret power of grace in her that in the wildernesse saddest condition she could leane that the briars and thornes would not seperate her Beloved her quos Deus conjunxit c. or out of an ignorance of her and the secret power of grace in her carrying her out in darkest times and in a wildernesse condition to such an affiance cryes out Qua est illa What manner of creature is this that she should leane Or who is this so glorious a creature that comes up leaning Or what manner of love is this that makes her follow a Beloved through such uncoth rugged dangerous wayes as these 2. But to consider the words Absolutely now in themselves Who is this that commeth up The first question is whose words these are The second what the meaning of them is Expositors differ upon the first Some would have them to bee the continued speech of the Church and say They are an expression of the great love beleeving soules beare to Expositio summi amoris quo Ecclesia prosequitur Sponsum an suit ulla unquam Ecclesia quae tot ac tantos labores perferret tantaque pericula susciperet ad consequendum dilectum suum Haec igitur sunt pignora voluntat is meae quod fide difficultates omnes superavi Tremell ad locum the Lord JESUS CHRIST by comparison What Church or what person ever saith she would undertake so many and so great labours to obtaine her Beloved These are pledges of my good will that by faith I have overcome all difficulties leaning upon him in the wildernesse I shall neither wholly embrace nor altogether reject this sense I am inclinable to thinke the words may be the Spouses but not spoken in Tremelius his sense as from her selfe boasting of her selfe but spoken by a Prosopopeia the Spouse speaking what she conceived others would say concerning her and rather incline to thinke the words should be a Parenthesis than otherwise Beda and M. Brightman with the rest that would have this whole Booke to be a Prophecye of the calling of the Church of the Gentiles will have the words to be the voice of the Jewish Church admiring at the calling of the Church of the Gentiles Who is this What wildernesse-creature is this that she should have any thing to doe with the promised Messias Quem me solum deligere caeteris autem Nationibus rebar esse ignotum Cujus nominis sit haec gens quae ascendit ex deserto Institui videtur haec questio de grandioribus natu sororibus quae stupescent hoc novo inaudito spectaculo Bright ad loc Beda ad locum And therfore those Expositors read it Dilectum meum my Beloved who I thought only had loved and chosen me and should have been unknowne to any other Churches But I see no reason why the words should be only restrained to the Jewish Church nor why illa this should only be understood of the Church in generall whiles that which
things noted 1. The author of grace unto her I raised thee Jesus Christ the author and finisher of our salvation 2. The meanes of this grace the apples that grow upon Christ the appletree 3. The effect of this grace in her she commeth up out of the wildernesse 4. The instrumentall meanes for the application of meritorious grace that is faith in Jesus Christ she commeth up leaning upon her well-beloved 5. The opinion of others concerning her in this estate of grace 1. She is glorious and creates admiration in some 2. The hidden principle of life in her makes her not to be understood of others all say who is this Here are two great things hinted in the text 1. The misery that the elect are in by nature 2. The happy condition they are in by grace I might handdle the words in order and raise many profitable Doctrines from them But I will only pitch upon 3. which will comprehend all and not handle the text as the words lye in order but according to the order of the things contained in them The 3. I will pitch upon are these 1. That Gods gracious Saints and every one of them though they lye under a gracious ordination to eternall life yet are borne in a lost undone condition 1. They have need of raising 2. they are under not in the apple-tree there their mother brought them forth 2. That it is the Lord Jesus that helpeth his redeemed ones out of this condition I raised thee 3. That by the power of Jesus Christ the Spouse being raised comes up out of every wildernesse leaning upon her Beloved I shall begin with the first Doctrine Doct. 1. That the best of Gods Saints by nature were born in a lost condition in a state of disunion to Jesus Christ there their mother brought them forth there she brought them forth that bare them I say the best though they all of them lye under a saving ordination to eternall life and though many of them may be borne of holy and godly parents yet if you looke upon them as they are by Nature they are in a lost undone condition and had need of a raising Now for the prosecution of this Doctrine I shall 1. prove it by testimony of Scripture 2. I shall open it to you how it comes to passe that they are so borne 3. I shall make application of the Doctrine 1. That they are by Nature in a lost undone condition 1. In respect of finne 2. In respect of punishment Take that pregnant place for it Ephes 2. where the designe of the Apostle is plaine to advance Christ in the hearts of the beleeving Ephesians To this end 1. he discovers what need they had of him that he opens by setting out their sad and wofull condition without him 1. They were dead in trespasses and sins ver 7. 5. 2. They lived according to the Devils wil ruled and acted by him v. 2. 3. They were tainted with the lusts of the flesh and inclined to fulfill the lusts of the flesh and of the mind v. 3. 4. They were Gentiles in the flesh v. 11. 5. They were without Christ 6. Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel 7. Strangers from the Covenant of Promise 8. having no hope 9. Without God in the world ver 12. 10. Afar off irreconciled ver 13 14. 11. To summe up all in a word ver 3. The children of wrath by nature as well as others Children of wrath Active Actively inclined or disposed to nothing but that which will undoubtedly bring downe the wrath of God upon their soules And children of wrath Passive passively being originally so guilty that they deserve and in respect of themselves are liable to the eternall wrath of God And who are these ver 19. They were such as were quickned ver 1. such as v. 19. were now no more strangers and forraigners but fellow-Citizens with the Saints and of the houshold of God They were borne under the Apple-tree but raised up A second place is that knowne place Psal 51. 5. Behold I was shapen in iniquity and in sinne did my mother conceive me They are Davids words that man of God that man according to Gods owne heart yet he confesseth he was borne under the Apple-tree there his mother brought him forth he was shapen in iniquity yea in sinne did his mother conceive him I will add but that one place more Ez. 16. Where God setting out the native condition of his Church sets it out by the resemblance of a new borne infant For her parents her father was an Amorite and her mother an Hittite For her owne person In the day wherein she was borne her navell was not cut nor was she washed in water to supple her she was not salted at all nor swadled at all cast out into the open feild to the loathing of her person v. 3. 4. 5. Polluted in her blood v. 6. Yet she was one to whom God had said live v. 6. Whom God had beautified and adorned with speciall graces v. 8. with whom God had made a covenant and she was Gods claime v. 8. v. 9. I passe on to the 2. Question propounded viz. How it comes to passe that all the Saints of God are originally in a lost undone condition The words of the text answer this their mother brought them forth so Adam eat of the tree of forbidden fruit he fell that guilt cleaves to all our natures This the Apostle speaks fully to in the 5 chap. of the Epis to the Romans v. 12. By one man sinne entered into the world and death by sinne v. 15. Through the offence of one many were made dead v. 18. By the offence of one Judgment came upon all to Condemnation v. 19. By one mans disobedience many were made sinners Quest But here is the question started How the sinne of Adam should leave a defilement upon all his Children to the end of the world because The father hath eaten sowre grapes shall all the childrens teeth be set an edge My intention is not here to dispute like a sophister concerning those many questions about the propagation of Originall sin Quid quaeris apertam rimam Saith Augustine quum habes apertam Ianuam c. what need we seek for a rift for it to creep in when the Apostle hath shewed us an open door for it to come in with a full body he sayes by one man it came into the world not by imitation of his example as the Pelagians dream So he might have said per diabolum intravit that it entred in by the Devill as well as per unum hominem by one man but it entred propagatione carnali by carnal propagation what could be cleane that was borne of a woman M. Perkins sayes it may be done two wayes 1. Adam being a publique person carrying all us in his loynes and God ordering that what he received he should receive for himselfe and all his posterity hereupon Adam Sinning deprived
the Apostle told the beleeving Ephesians that they were Children of wrath by nature even as others Eph. 2. 3. Besides that Christ useth not to pay any debts by halves it were as good as nothing for Iesus Christ to pardon a reprobates Originall sin to whom he never intends to pardon all sinne yea Originall sinne doth not only remaine upon elected ones as an offence to God and laying upon them an obligation to death since Christ dyed untill their Iustification but even after Iustification there is a body of death it hath lost its condemning power and its raigning power but it yet cleaves to our flesh as Ivy to the tree so deep an impression it hath upon all our natures But this openeth a way to another question whether originall sin remaines in any of the elect after Justification the affirmative is truth but in regard that my text strikes not directly against the errour I shall passe it by and refer you to those that have defended the truth in it as Zanchi c. and leaving this first use shall proceed to some further application which shall be more Particular 1. By way of Instruction 2. By way of Examination and Tryall 3. By way of Exhortation 4. By way of Consolation Of all these in their order By way of Instruction We may hence learne first what a sad condition the most men of the world are in Ah! Lord how few are they whom thou hast chosen ever to obtaine eternall life and yet these are children of wrath by nature as well as others Poore creatures my heart trembles to thinke of you How many in this Congregation yet lye in a condition low enough and the Lord knowes whether ever to be raised yea or no. If a child should be borne with some naturall weaknesse in its armes or leggs and it should live six or ten or twenty years and yet not be able to use its limbs you would say it would be a very great hazard if ever that child did recover its limbs so as to have the strength and exercise of it it would be almost a miracle It was such a miracle that in the ninth of John when Jesus Christ had restored sight to one that was borne blind the Jewes would not beleeve it possible and ver 32. we find a positive determination upon the question Since the world began it was never heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was borne blind How many poore wretches that are come here into the presence of the Lord that were all borne blind deafe dead and have lived some ten some twenty some thirty yeares some more and all this time have continually had all the meanes that could be applyed to them for recovery and yet are in the same lost undone condition Ah my friends what can you neither stretch out hand nor foot nor tongue nor any member notwithstanding all the meanes of grace astoorded you for quickning Let me tell you it is ten thousand to one if you doe not perish for ever My friends It is a miracle a great miracle of mercy that any one poore wretch considering in what condition it is borne should ever come out of it The Jewes would hardly beleeve the report therefore they say Joh. 9. 19. Is this your sonne that was borne blind how then doth he now see We may say so concerning every one that hath any thing of God in him Was not this poore creature borne blind how doth he now see was not he borne lost How is he now raised but for those that in stead of growing better are growne ten times worse that have hardened their hearts and gone on in riot and wantonnesse and are yet in their bloud it is ten to one if ever the Lord say to them live they are growne to such a shamelesse impudence in wickednesse I dare not say there is no hope But let me sadly say there is small hope that ever the Lord should raise such wretches And if he doth not better ten thousand times better sinner had it been for thy soule that thou hadst never seen the light of the morning nor heard the voice of the Gospell in thine eares This is your condition the Lord awaken you Secondly From hence we may be instructed Whom we have cause to thanke that any of us are this day out of hell Who art thou O man that boasts thou art of good parentage or of a great birth harke in what language my Text speaks thy birth Thou wert borne under the Apple-tree there thy mother brought thee forth there she brought thee forth that bare thee If thy heavenly Father doth no more for thee than thy earthly mother woe to thee that ever thou wert borne What a boasting we have of pedegrees and great descents What a great word it is in the world I was better borne than you My father was such a Gentleman so great so rich c. My mother was of such or such an ancient Family O vanity vanity of vanities Poore creature thy mother brought thee forth under an Apple-tree The very heathen out of a meere rationall principle could scoffe at such brags Genus proavos quae non fecimus ipsi Vix ea nostra voco Tully could retort to the Roman bragging of his descent Domus mea à me incipiet tua verò in te desinet My house shall have its Originall from me my Nobility and worth thy Noble Family shall have an end in thy Basenesse Christian what is thy birth consider it but in a spirituall notion the poorest wretch in the world is borne in as good a condition as thou art and thou in no better an estate towards God than he Suppose a man were borne of some great parentage and had no Lands no estate left him but could only boast of fumos nomina vana Catonum his fathers name and the smoake of his chimney Possibly he hath some gorgeous suit of apparell left him this he weares and glisters in for a while yet a little while and these teare and then he hath not a rag left him nor a penny to buy one to cover his nakednesse how contemptible would such a poore wretch be in every mans eyes And is not this the condition of the most of the great men gallants of the world they glister with an outside a little in the world their names are great their persons admired yet a little while and these weare out the men dye and lye downe in hell Ah! that those that glory would glory in this that God is their Father and Jesus Christ their portion Thus your Houses would have a beginning of Glory from you and their Glory should not end with you 2. Nor is the boasting of those much better that can boast of their Religious Parents I confesse it is the better of the two an heire of Glory being farre more noble than the greatest worldling and in regard that the Election of God runs much in a
wanting to thee Goe sell all that thou hast Christian let me tell thee all this self-Righteousnes must be sold not lost but slighted If thou hast no more than a Bridled nature it is not enough the young man went away from Christ sorrowfull Mar. 10. The Pharisee went away not justified Luke 18. ver 14. Nay secondly if thou hast no more than a refined Nature it is nothing though it be seven times refined It is a piece of Nature That there is a God Nature revealeth it to men and that this God is a spirit and that Si Deus est animus c. Hic tibi praecipuè sit pura mente colendus Seeing God is a spirit he must 1. Be worshipped 2. Be worshipped sincerely Cato could say so this is all but Nature the finest of Nature Thou mayest pray in thy Family Morning and Evening the Heathen would doe as much they would cry to their Penates yes thou mayest doe it and without the Common-prayer Booke too I doe not read that they had one in use to worship their Idols with Nature had given them a tongue to speak their wants without a Tutor and yet be a wretch under the Apple-tree The Pharisee would be so far from being ashamed to pray in his Family that he would not be ashamed to come and pray in the Temple Luke 18. v. 10 11. He fasted twice a weeke They fasted often Mat. 9. 14. They were strict observers of the Sabbath how many quarrels had they with our Lord Jesus Christ for healing for his Disciples but plucking of eares of corne on the Sabbath day Here was Nature seven times purified and yet for all this Christ tels his Disciples Mat. 5. 20. That except their righteousnesse exceeded the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisees they should never enter into the Kingdome of God Tremble at this you that are lyers Sabbath-breakers prophane persons unjust in your Callings unconscionable in your walkings with God Tremble at this you that never pray in your Families in your Closets God never heares of you but when you come to Church and then to no purpose neither you are not yet raised nay far from it Flesh and bloud might have revealed this unto you This is the first Note Secondly know If you have not pluckt and tasted of the fruit of the Apple-tree you are still but under it You may remember I construed under the Apple-tree out of Jesus Christ If you have got no benefit by Jesus Christ you have no portion in him if you be not in him and if he be not in you It is the Apostles Note 2 Cor. 13. ver 5. Know you not that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates The Apple is in the man that hath eat it Christ is in the soule by a spirituall union if the soule hath any part in him or shall ever have any benefit by him Free Grace is the fruit of this Apple-tree of Paradise Are the Graces of God in you but some may say how shall we know that The tasted Apple is 1. Sweet 2. Cordiall 3. Nutritive 4. Diffusive 1. Sweet Cant. 2. 3. As the Apple-tree amongst the Trees of the Wood so is my Beloved amongst the Sonnes I sate down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was pleasant to my taste The Spouse there compareth the Lord Jesus to an Apple-tree a rare Apple-tree as an Apple-tree amongst the trees of the wood Now he was not only an Apple-tree in himselfe a sweet Tree full of the Apples of Life and free Grace but he was an Apple-tree to her he was her beloved and shee sate downe under his shadow Now it was 1. With great delight 2. His fruit was sweet to her taste If Christ be in thee and thou beest in Christ Christ is very sweet to thee thou sittest under his shadow with great delight and his fruit is pleasant to thy tast 1 Pet. 2. 7. To you that beleeve he is precious His name to thy soule is as an ointment powred forth Cant. 1. 3. Why like an ointment powred forth Mar. 14. v. 3. Joh. 12. 3. When the box of ointment was broken and powred forth on Christs head the whole house was filled with the savour of it Is it thus with thy soule Christian Is Jesus Christ precious to thee Is his name to thy soule like an ointment powred forth Is thy whole heart filled with the sweet smell of Jesus Christ Art thou ravished with his love his incomprehensible his unfadomable love Is Christ in his Ordinances precious to thy soule that thou desirest the sincere milke of the word as the new borne babe desires the milke of the breasts Doth the very thinking of Christ ravish thy heart Doth the naming of him carry thy soule almost above it selfe in an extasie of love Is he like an Apple to thy tast that thy mouth is filled with the sweetnesse of his juice High thoughts of Jesus Christ argue that Jesus Christ is spiritually tasted by thy soule Art thou melted with his love It is a signe thou hast tasted of the fruit of the Apple-tree 2. The tasted Apple is cordiall Cant. 2. 5. Stay me with flaggons comfort me with Apples Cant. 7. 8. The smell of thy nose is like Apples It is spoken there of the Church Apples are cordiall in tast and comfortable in smel Try thy self by this Christian Is Christ cordiall to thy soul when thy soul is fainting swooning in the thoughts of thy self and thine owne wickednesse and vilenesse Doth it then comfort thee to remember Jesus Christ his love and merits Christ is no cordiall to wicked unbeleeving wretches it terrifieth them the more to remember Jesus Christ When the Lord hath awakened their consciences and startled them in their naturall condition tell them of Christ this adds fuell to the flame Why It is this Christ whom they have scorned abused crucified It is this Christ concerning whom they have said We will not have this Christ to raigne over us Now they thinke that they heare that scorned Christ ringing a dolefull peale in their eares Bring those mine enemies that said I should not rule over them and slay them before me But to the Beleever Christ is comfortable when he looks upon himselfe as a great sinner the naming of Christ comforts him Ah! saith he that is he that dyed for my sinnes and rose againe for my justification Rom. 5. 25. When he looks upon all his righteousnesse as a monstruous cloth and as filthy rags the naming of Christ is againe a cordiall to him Ah! saith the soule that is he that was made for me wisdome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption When he looks upon himselfe as a debtor to an infinite justice the name of Christ is a cordiall againe that 's he saith the soule that hath paid the debt to infinite justice for me that for me hath satisfied his Fathers wrath that powred out his soule unto death and was Esa 53 4
did it freely we buy without money or money-worth Isa 55. 1 2. 2. If you aske to what end hee did it It was his own glorie that he might get himselfe glory from poore dust and ashes that little thanke him for all this mercy declared to their souls He Predestinated Redeemed and Adopted us meerely to the praise of the glorie of his grace Ephes 1. verse 6. The end which he aimed at in Calling us was his glory Rom. 9. 23 24 25 26. If you aske me why God that could as well have been glorified in the damnation of poore wretches would chuse rather to be glorified in their salvation and bringing them to life I must run back again to the Fountaine againe meerly because so it pleased him because it was his will There wee must rest I shall now proceed to the Application of this mysterious sweet and precious Doctrine and it might be applyed severall wayes But I shall onely apply the consideration of it as offering you ground and matter First of Humiliation Secondly of Instruction Thirdly of Examination Fourthly of Exhortation Fiftly of Consolation Use 1 First of all for Humiliation Harke Christians is it so that thou wert so lost and undone that none but Jesus Christ could raise thee and hee hath done it when none else could and wil raise thee higher yet and this hee could not have done without taking thy flesh dying upon the Crosse suffering the bitternesse of his Fathers wrath consider then what cause thou hast to be humbled for thy sins 1. Considering that these were they put Christ to death 2 that by these since that time thou hast crucified the Lord of life 1. Consider that thy sins were those that put Christ to death Rom. 4. 25. He was delivered to death for our sinnes Me thinks every one when they heare of Christs Agony and bloudy Sweat of his Whippings Buffetings of his bitter Sufferings c. should be ready to cry out with Pilate Quid mali fecit What evill I pray hath he done Ah none Christian it was to raise thee thou wert dead lost undone he dyed to raise thee thou stolest the fruit he climbed the tree thou enjoyedst the sweetnesse of sinning and he for that was acquainted with the bitternesse of suffering He bore thy iniquity even thine and mine too if we be elected Certainly it was a great griefe of heart to David to remember that he had an hand in the bloud of Uriah that was surely the great transgression that hee complained of to be sure that heart-troubling sinne for which hee puts up that particular Petition Deliver mee from bloud-guiltinesse O God And questionlesse it was no small Trouble of Spirit to Paul afterwards to consider that he was one of them that were consenting to Stephens death Acts 7. 59 60. Chap. 8. verse 1. he afterwards repeats it with shame I was a persecuter Christian here is one murdered by cruell hands not an Uriah not a Stephen but hee that is worth ten thousand of these not an Abell yet his bloud troubled Cain all his life time but one whose bloud cries for better things than the bloud of Abell did here 's the Lambe of God slaine slaine by thy hands he was bruised for thine iniquities and his soule was made an Offering for thy sinnes Is it nothing to thee O Christian when Pilate was but about to condemne him his wife came startled in and cries Have nothing to doe with that just man and when Stephen charged the Jewes Acts 7. 52. for being the betrayers and murtherers of the Lord Jesus they apprehended it as a thing so hainous that they would not endure him beyond that word but were cut to the heart and gnashed upon him with their teeth verse 54. Christians there is none of you here but your sinnes were the betrayers and murtheres of the Lord Jesus that Christ that had such eternall sure and unchangeable thoughts of love to your soules Ah! how great were those sins which could not be remitted without the bloud of the immaculate Lamb of God Me thinks every one of you should sit downe and say Ah Lord that ever I should be such a wretch so farre to provoke the fire of thy wrath that nothing could quench it but the bloud of thy Sonne that I should throw my selfe so deep into Hell that nothing could raise mee but the bloud-shedding of the deare Sonne of Gods love You have had to doe with that just man Christians not to doe with condemning him but even with the vildest acts of Barbarisme were done unto him your hypocrisie was the kisse that betrayed him the sinnes of your hands and feet were the nailes that fastened his hands and feet to the Crosse the sinnes of your body were the Spears that pierced his sacred side the sinnes of your soules were they that made his soule heavy to the death that caused the with-drawings of his Fathers love from him and made him in the heavinesse of his panged soule to cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me O sit downe goe alone weep and weep bitterly for him whom you have pierced for those stripes by which you are healed 2. But secondly if any thing will move your soules to make your head a Fountaine of water and your eyes Rivers of teares Consider That this Christ you have crucified even since his death upon the Crosse for you When the Apostle St. Peter Acts 2. had made a long Sermon of Christs love shewing the Auditors what Christ had done and what he was he summeth up all verse 36. God hath made that same Jesus whom yee have crucified both Lord and Christ Now saith the Text verse 37. When they heard this viz. that they had crucified this Christ they were pricked at the heart This Christ my beloved whom you have crucified by your youth sinnes and life sins this was he that was crucified for you O be pricked at the hearts at this saying Was it not enough that he once was pierced scoffed wounded crucified for you but must you againe crucifie him and which of you doe it not daily Causinus tels us a story of Clodoveyus one of the Kings of France that when he was converted from Paganisme to Christianity while Remigius the Bishop was reading in the Gospell concerning the Passion of our Saviour and the abuses he suffered from Judas and the rest of the Jewes he brake out into these words If I had been there with my Frenchmen I would have cut all their throats In the meane time not considering that by his daily sins he did as much as they had done Which of us is not condemning the crucifiers of Christ for their cruelty and in the meane time we condemne not our selves who by our daily sinnes make him to bleed againe afresh Ah let us judge our selves and sit downe and mourne we are they that have added to Christs bonds that have increased his wounds and the pangs of his grieved soule
capable of that literall sense Others are against this partly because as they say that marriage of Solomons was wicked and against Gods Law Deut. 7. and partly because it is probable that Solomon having before that time as 1 King 3. 3. the feare of the Lord in his heart it is not probable he would have contracted that marriage had not she first contracted to have forsaken her fathers house which the Hebrewes also say was one of the marriage-Articles But it is probable that that marriage gave occasion to the writing of this Psalme and for the reason against it Rivet answers by a Rule of S. Hieroms Homines mali in re non bona sanctissimarum rerum imo ipsius Dei typi esse possunt That In Scripture evill men and that in wicked actions are oft-times types of holy actions and that of Gods owne too oft times Ishmael was a type of the old Testament according to the Apostle an many other instances might bee given Whether it be a Type or an Allegory is not much materiall nor worth the disputing Rivet thinks neither sense improbable but conceives it might be both nor do I see any thing of value against it In the Psalme observe 1. The Preface verse 1. Wherein he Psalmist declares the readinesse of his heart and instinct of the spirit putting him upon the Composure of it 2. The narrative part of the Psalm from the 2 verse to the last 3. The Conclusion of it verse ult In the narrative part is something 1. Relating to the Bridegroom 2. Relating to the Bride The Bridegroome is commended from his Beauty v. 2. Thou art fairer than the children of men 2. From his Eloquence v. 2. Grace is powred into thy lips 3. From the blessing of God upon him God hath blessed thee for ever 4. From his Glory and Majesty v. 3. 5. From his successe v. 4. 6. From his Temper and Disposition verse 4. 7. From his Valour verse 4 5 6. 8. From the nature of his Kingdome v. 6. 9. From his love to Justice v. 7. 10. From the perfume of his Garments v. 8. 11. From his choice in his Queene and his Attendants v. 9. So farre it relates to the Bridegroome The other part relates to the Bride and in it is a Lesson of Instruction and Exhortation read to her prest from severall Motives The Exhortation is in the two verses in which my Text lyes And it is foure-fold prest from severall Arguments In the Text then you may consider 1. An Exhortation enforced upon the former Description 2. Severall Motives to presse this Exhortation 1. In the first consider 1. The person exhorted set out by the name of Daughter O Daughter 2. The Exhortation which is five-fold 1. Hearken 2. Consider 3. Incline thin eare 4. Forget thy people and thy fathers house 5. Worship him 3. The Motives inforcing it which are 1. The former description of him now thou art married to such an husband hearken c. 2. The Relation of Daughter Children should harken to their Parents 3. Shee should bee beautifull 4. Her beauty should be desireable 5. The King should desire it yea greatly desire her beauty Let me a little open the words and then proceed O Daughter Quae consentit viro in matrimonium est viro in loco filiae saith Rivet The woman that consents to her Husband in marriage is to him in stead of a Daughter So saith the Parable 2 Sam. 12. 3. The Ewe-lambe which signified the wife laid in the poore mans bosome and was unto him as a daughter Jer. 3. 4. Wilt thou not from henceforth crie unto me Thou art my Father the guide of my youth the guide of her youth that is an Husband and yet her Father God can marry his Daughter and yet the marriage not be incestuous Yea hee first marryes the soule and then makes it his Daughter according to that 2 Cor. 6. 18. Wherefore come out from amongst them and be yee separate saith the Lord and I will be a Father unto you and you shall be to me Sonnes and Daughters saith the Lord Daughters by Adoption Gal. 4. 6. Nor in vaine called a Daughter It is a courteous compellation as both Rivet and Mollerus note by which the Lord will let his Saints know that he will extend towards them the care of a father as well as the love of an Husband he will love them like an husband and protect them like a father Hearke Christians Saints are Sons and Daughters as wel as Spouses to Christ If he be a father where is his honour If an husband where his love But to proceed Hearken O Daughter Audi filia What should shee heare Shee should heare her husband There was a voice from heaven Matth. 17. 5. This is my well-beloved Son heare him Christs Sheep are eare-marked John 10. 11. The good sheep are thus markt They hear his voice Faith comes by hearing yea and it growes up by hearing too they are over-growne Saints that are growne past Ordinances I am afraid they are growne out of Christs knowledge it is the deafe adder stops her eare Davids eare was opened Psal 40. They that are too proud to heare Christs Voice on Earth I am afraid will be thought too vile ever to see his face in heaven Hearken therefore O Daughter Gods way to the Heart lies through the Eare that 's his ordinary way if he at any time comes another way I am afraid it is not when wee have wilfully blockt that up but when himselfe hath stopt it Hearken O Daughter and Consider or see vide First heare then see There is a seeing of Faith Faith is the daughter of hearing the Eare must open before the soule Doe not onely heare but also see Hearing is not enough He that beleeveth not is damned already Seeing may bee of experience As wee have heard so have we seene in the City of our God The soule that heares well shall see Iohn 1. 50. Because I said unto thee I saw thee under the Fig-tree beleevest thou thou shalt see greater things than these Faith must goe before Sight but Sight shall succeed saith yet Faith is a Sight though not of experience And incline thine eare Expositors make this Phrase to containe three things 1. A Repetition of the first Branch Hearken It is a difficult duty the word is doubled that it may bee inforced the Psalmist speaks twice considering our deafnesse yet he speaks louder in this than in the other phrase Secondly therefore To incline the eare is more than to heare it doth argue a notable stirring of Attention Hee that inclines his eare affert aliquem animi motum propensionem quickens up his minde and brings with him to the duty a readinesse of Spirit and an intentnesse of minde 3. Inclining the Eare say some is Nota demissionis a Note of that subjection and obedience which should bee found in the Spouse of the Lord Jesus Christ toward him It followeth
Gods Word with Heart and Affection read it with obedience so shall we meet in joy at the last day Or else I bid you farewell for ever In these now and such like cases that soule that would make its beauty desireable in the eyes of Jesus Christ must like Levi say to his Father and his Mother I have not seen you in these cases he must not acknowledge his Brethren nor know his owne Children They stand in Christs way and Christ calls hastily The Saint must spare no time to parley Naturall affection with them he must forget his Fathers house the deare company of it his Rolations Secondly all sinfull Company is the Company of our Fathers house The Company of fooles as Solomon calls it Now all this must be forgotten or else in stead of being saved thy soule will bee destroied Prov. 13. 20. A Companion of fooles shall bee destroied Psalme 119. 63. I am a companion saith David of those that fear thee You must leave your swearing Company and your drinking Company and your vain Company or the King will never desire your beauty The soul that would render it selfe desireable in the eyes of the Lord Jesus Christ must make all its delight with David in those that excell in vertue the Saints upon the earth Saul before his Conversion was a companion of those that stoned Stephen and persecuted the Saints Like to like for himselfe consented to his death and was a Persecutor but no sooner had the Lord made his Motion to him but he forgat this company and assayed to joyne himselfe to the Church Thirdly the soule that would render its beauty desireable in Jesus Christs eyes must forget the Honour and Pompe and Riches and Greatnesse of his Fathers house all the high-Towers and Treasures of it c. They that will be Christs Disciples must not take up Crownes and advance themselves and follow him No they must deny themselves and take up the crosse and follow him their Crownes must be of Thornes made after their Masters Coppy They must not be such as love the uppermost roomes at Feasts and the chiefe seats of the Synagogues and Greetings in the Market and to be called of men Rabbi Rabbi Bee not yee call'd Rabbi saith Christ for one is your Master even Christ and all yee are brethren Hee that is greatest amongst them that are Saints must be as a Servant Matth. 23. 7 8 9 10. They must forget that naturall itching which is in the children of Adam usually and must be scratched with Madam or Rabbi or some high-swelling words of vanity they must not bee such as will swell like that Toad Haman if Mordecay give him not the knee or if their Brother give them not the wall or the way Saints are no such creatures they are such as are not at all taken with any such high titles but Rom. 12. 10. In honour they prefer one before another And they must look upon it as the greatest honor in the world not that they are masters and descended atavis Regibus of great Parentage c. but that they are servants of Jesus Christ the name of Christian the badge of honour first created at Antioch must appeare to them better than the names of Lord or Lady Theodosius was wont they say more to glory that hee was a servant of Christ than that hee was Emperour of the East Now I say That soule that would make its beauty desirable to Christ must forget all these not affect any of them not value them for hee that exalteth himselfe shall bee abased and he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted Behold a miracle saith Mat. 23. 12. Augustine God is an high God yea the most high yet the higher thou liftest up thy selfe the further thou art off him the lower thou humblest thy selfe the nearer he drawes to thee he looks neare to the humble that he may raise them up but sees the proud afarre off that hee may depresse them The proud Pharisee prest as neare God as hee could the poore Publican durst not but stood afarre off God was farre from the one and neare to the other The high towers of the fathers house must bee forgotten yea and so must all the rich coffins and chests of it these are part of the furniture of our fathers house You know what Christ said to the young man when he seemed to bee in love with Christ Matth. 19. 21. If thou wilt be perfect if thou wilt make thy beauty a desirable beauty Goe and sell all that thou hast and give to the poore and thou shalt have treasure in heaven and come and follow mee and againe v. 24. It is easier for a camell to goe through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdome of God You know what Christ saies Mat. 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poore are those that are gospellized But to proceed yet The soule that would render its beauty desirable in Christs eyes must forget the pleasures and vanities of its fathers house all that is in the world 1 Joh. 2. 16. whether it be the lust of the eyes or the lust of the flesh or the pride of life When the Apostle speaks of lovers of pleasures he puts in more than lovers of God 2 Tim. 3. 4. Jude tels us such as are sensuall have not the spirit Jude 18. 19. Iob in the description of the wicked Job 21. 12 13. tels us that they are such as take up the tymbrell and harpe and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ their children dance they spend their dayes in wealth c. These are they that say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of his wayes What is the Almighty that wee should serve him and what profit is there that we should pray unto him v. 15. Their fiddles must be laid in the water of true repentance and contrition The daughters of pleasure must undresse if they will be beautifull in Christs eyes they must lay aside their paintings and dressings their curlings and perfumings of the haire where as hee wittily sayes the powder doth forget the dust their ornament must not be the outward adorning of plaiting the haire and of wearing gold and putting on of apparell but the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit which is in the sight of God of great price 1 Pet. 3. 3 4. The daughters of pleasure must undresse I say for the Lord as he threatned hee would doe in the day of judgement Is 3. 18 19 20. so in the day of mercy to the soule of the vaine creature hee will also take away the bravery of their tinckling ornaments about their feet and their cauls and their round tyres like the moone the chaines and the bracelets and the mufflers the bonnets and the ornaments of the legs and the head-bands and the tablets and the carerings and the
the builders refused A man of no fashion in the world who cared for him did any of the Pharisees believe on him The wife you know takes her honour from her husband and usually if hee be accounted one of no fashion shee is not valued at a very high rate Saints though they be indeed the worlds pillars yet in the vulgar estimate they are the worlds burthens and where ever they live they usually live at a low rate in worldlings desires if any of note before turne puritane hee loseth his rate in the worlds thoughts presently the Gentleman loseth his honour the Lady her repute but it is because their prizers have lost their wit and their eyes and it need not much trouble a Saint for Christ desires their beauty still They have put themselves out of the worlds reckoning and heightend themselves in Christ's esteem Despise on sooles the King hath desired these soules beauty Ah! but will a poore misdoubting Christian say I am afraid they have a true object of laughter in me I am afraid I have not that desireable beauty but am a painted sepulchre were I but convinced that I had indeed truly forgot my fathers house and that the Lord Christ had indeed desired my beauty I could naile their scoffes to my heeles and mourne over their gallant follies But I feare 1 Obj. Alas I am going home to my fathers house ever and anon I am ready to yield to temptations ready to fall into sinne yea and the Lord pardon mee I fall seven times a day If I had forgot my fathers house should I have such inclinations to goe home would my heart draw so hard for vanity as it doth sometimes should I sinne so often c. I answ 1. Which way stands your affection your heart you say bends that way but which way stands your affection doe you take pleasure in such inclinations have you a good mind to sinne if you durst to returne to your old vanities if you durst only you durst not that 's an ill signe But upon such inclinations doth there presently arise a loathing in your soules doe you say Get thee behind mee Sathan that 's a good signe that though you be invited by a temptation of vaine company or the Devill c. yet you have truly forgotten your fathers house 2. You goe home sometimes you say it may be you fall into some of your former vaine courses and are with some of your vaine companions But I pray What doe you when you are in your fathers house are you pleased with your vanities or with the vanities of your friends or doe you spend your time in chiding It may be your heart sometimes declines to some vanity or you are sometimes in converse with vain persons Are you one with vanity one with sinners or doe your spirits rise against your selves and against the vanities of those with whom you are What indignation is wrought if any you may have forgot your fathers house for all this going home 3. You goe home sometimes you say But I pray How long doe you stay there Is sinne your trade Doe you live in knowne sinnes this indeed will argue your profession but hypocrisie But on the contrary though you fall through weaknesse yet doe you rise through grace though you sinne sometimes yet is sinne as Davids concupiscence call'd a stranger in the Parable Thus the best Saints have sinn'd yea and may sinne not of wilfulnesse but of weaknesse not trading in sinne nor lying in it but falling into it and rising by repentance 2. Obj. Ah! but will another Christian say I cannot deny my selfe in the company of my fathers house wretch that I am I got acquaintance when I was young with vaine persons or I am related to such and I dare not say but I love their company and oft times leave better for them neither can I deny my selfe in my relations My heart is excessively let out after them 1. Thou saiest thou art oft times yet a companion of vaine persons but consider Christian are they thy invited ghests or accidentall meerly are they intruders or are they the welcome crmpanions of thy life are they thy pickt company or no thy intimates or meerly companions in respect of thy trade and converse with the world If thou delightest not in them they indeed are sometimes thy companions but thou art not theirs 2. Art thou a companion with them in sinne or onely in civill actions or for discourse c. sometimes if the first indeed it is a signe thou hast not left thy fathers house but if the latter onely it is no such signe thou keepest thy course they come to thee and it may be disturbe thee but thou doest not goe to them 3. Thou sayest thou lovest them But it would be considered Whether thy love be meerly naturall or more It may be thou lovest them because they are witty people or of ingenuous dispositions Thus Christ loved the young man Matth. 19. and thus thou mayest love them It is an ill signe if thou lovest them because they will drinke or sweare or bee vain and wanton in their discourse or carriages 4. Thou sayest thou lovest thy relations and thou canst not deny thy selfe in them thy heart is so glued to them c. and God forbid but thou shouldst love them 1. with a naturall affection it s a signe of a wretch Rom. 1. 31. to be without naturall affection and 2. with a providentiall love and care hee that provides not for his family saith the Apostle is worse than an infidell But 1. Suppose Christ should call thee to suffer for him and thou hadst a good mind to it and they should plead hard for thee to spare thy selfe wouldst thou with Hierom shake off thy father and mother and children and runne to Christ this would bee a signe thou hadst forgot them Though thou lovest them 2. Notwithstanding that thou lovest them wouldst thou favour them in any sinne against God and onely luke-warmely reprove them like old Elie It is not well done of you O my sons because thou lovest them wilt thou rather let them dishonour God damn their owne soules doe any thing rather than reprove or smite them this love indeed is a reall hatred and will argue little love to God in thy soule But on the contrary though thou lovest them with the tenderest love wilt provide for them with the most providential care yet is thy love so truly tempered that it shall not in the least hinder thee from doing thy duty to Christ no nor yet from doing thy duty to them from reproving sharply admonishing severely is thy love such that it shall not blind thy eyes so as thou wilt wink at the least neglect of duty in them not at the least sin in them Love them then as wel as thou canst it shall be no sad evidence against thy soule otherwise Parents look to it your children will curse you another day for your
or the transcript it is a peace with the whole Trinity The Father is he with whom it is made the Sonne is he by whom it is made the Spirit seales it and becomes Nuntius pacis the Messenger of that peace to the soule being hee to whom it belongs of office to set the broad seale of the Court to every pardon Eph. 1. 13. Eph. 4. 30. But why then is it called Christ's peace I easily answer 1. Because hee is the meritorious cause of it Eph. 2. 14 15. hee is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken downe the middle wall of partition betweene us having abolished in his flesh the enmity c. v. 16. and that hee might reconcile both to God in one body by the crosse having slaine the enmity thereby And the spirit which conveyeth the newes of this peace to the soule is sometimes called his spirit hee was hee that while hee lived upon tho earth came and preached peace to them that were afarre off and to them that were nigh Eph. 2. 17. and through him wee have an accesse by one spirit unto the father vers 18. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing their sinne 2 Cor. 5. 19. Wee that preach the Gospell of peace to you as though God did by us beseech you are Ambassadours for Christ and as in Christ's stead wee entreat you to be reconciled to God therefore it is called his peace and it is said to bee laid up in him and from this peace of justification and peace of conscience proceeds A third peace which is the peace of the members each with other a peace which is too sadly broken and too little pursued in our dayes 1 Joh. 1. 3. The Saints have fellowship one with another and their fellowship is with the father and the sonne Jesus Christ and could they walk together except they were agreed And thus I have now though in a discourse something too large shewed you what peace is and what this peace is that is Christ's peace and that is laid up in Christ for the Saints and they may find it in him in the midst of their earthly troubles But yet more particularly In what of Christ is this peace laid up for the Saints 2. How shall they come by it in the day of trouble To each of these give me leave to speak a word or two To the first In what of Christ is this peace laid up I answer in three particulars 1. It is laid up in the bloud of Christ in his bitter death and passion as the meritorious cause This peace Christian is written and sealed with the bloud of the Lambe the immaculate Lambe of God this is cleare in that place I before quoted Eph. 2. 16. Hee reconciled us both unto God in one body by the crosse vers 13. you are made nigh by the bloud of Christ his bloud was the bloud of expiation 2. It is laid up in the word of Christ in his precious promises That is plaine from the very words of the Text These things have I spoken that in mee you might have peace David had peace many a time out of a promise the word of the Lord quickned and comforted him hee had once a trouble that had sunk him had he not found peace here they are his owne words Psal 119. I had perished in my affliction if thy law had not beene my delight The Gospell is therefore call'd the Gospell of peace and the word of Christ is as well the word of peace as the word of truth how many poore soules have found this true by many precious experiences they hove been in spirit-troubles heavinesse hath made their heart to stoop till a good word hath come and made it better 3. It is in the spirit of Christ who is the Nuntius pacis hee that declares and seales up the peace to the soule and is the messenger of peace betwixt God and Christ and the soule that truly believes in the Lord Jesus Christ and believing in him hath life Thus it is in him Now if you aske how the child of God may draw this peace from Christ I answer these three wayes 1. By Meditation of him thus David Psal 104. 34. my meditation of him shall be sweet the soule-feeding upâ—◠〈…〉 of 〈…〉 â—â—on the gracious acts of grace in which the Lord Jesus Christ hath declared the yernings of his love to poor soules shall rather peace a quietment and establishing of spirit in the midst of all its troubles when the poore Christian is in the midst of troubles to sit down and think well yet my sinnes are pardoned yet God and I are at agreement this affliction this crosse comes not to me as a law demand not as a piece of vindicative justice but as a fatherly chastisement this shall administer peace to his soule his meditation of Christ shall be sweet to his soule That 's one way to gaine it 2. By a believing application both of what Christ hath spake and what he hath done Faith is the hand that the soule reacheth out for peace and by which the soule brings in peace to it selfe Rom. 5. 1. Beeing justified by faith wee have peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ Those that believe shall bee established and the more a soule believes the more it is established it is from some unbeliefes or other that any soule is disquieted Faith brings in peace it is not the bare knowing of the promise or the bare knowing of what Christ hath done but the chosen with the promise the chosen with Christ in what hee hath done and suffered for the soule that brings in peace to the soule 3. The soule gaines this place by a close walking with Iesus Christ a walking in the spirit Is 32. 17. The work of righteousnesse shall bee peace marke the upright man consider the just man the end of that man is peace the wicked mans conscience is continually throwing out myre and dirt There is no peace to the wicked saith our God Peace indeed is not the wages of a day well spent not a naturall result and fruit of a strict walking but peace is the reward of righteousnesse the reward not of debt but of grace The words of the Psalmist hint thus much to us To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Psal 50. 23. When a Christian hath ordered his conversation aright the salvation of God must be shewne him I have onely one thing remaining as to the doctrinall part of my discourse that is to shew you what paines what order Christ hath taken for his Saints peace in him while in the world they meet with trouble It may easily be gathered from what I have already spoken in short take it in these three words 1. He hath died upon the crosse that he might doe it Eph. 2. 14 15 16. It cost him his bloud to work out our peace 2. He hath
had Zimri peace that slew his master is damning a soule the way to save it A third sort dispute themselves out of troubles come out of disquietments of spirit upon morall principles these will argue the case with themselves what a shame it is that they should be ◠so much troubled for a lost friend or for a crosse in a worldly estate and conclude this is below a man or below their spirits the peace of these men is but a logicall conclusion upon false premises All these have not known the way of true peace no Christians no the way of peace they have not knowne True peace neither growes in the alehouse garden nor in natures garden no nor yet in the Philosophers neither It is a branch that springs out of the root of Jessee a conclusion upon gospell-premises an effect of the balme Gilead Are you under any burthens of spirit in any troubles and would you have peace runne up to Jesus Christ fetch it from his bosome extract it out of his bloud gather it out of his word This this is the peace which passeth all understanding this is the lasting peace that hath no worme at the root no defect no rottennesse in it All other peace will be as easily broke as it is slightly made Come out of your crosses and troubles Christians with a peace drawn from Jesus Christ come out this way I say otherwise you mistake the way of peace But I shall proceed no further in this first branch of application Us 2 Secondly Is this a truth that whatsoever trouble a Saint meets with in the world yet in Christ hee may have peace what means this weeping then Christians why doth Rachel refuse to be comforted why doth Asaph or Davids soule runne and not cease why doth their soule refuse comfort what is the businesse with Christians that their spirits are heavy night and day and no oyle will make their face to shine All the balme of Gilead will not close their wounds if the Lord doth but lay an outward crosse upon them if he doth but take away a friend call in the money hee lent them crosse them in a relation let their spirits but fall a little how are they troubled as if their fountaine of Peace were dried up and justification and Gospell-promises had lost the Nature of a Cordiall Christians doe not your sad disquieted troubled spirits deserve chiding when Christ hath taken such paines that in him you might have peace and yet you walke under a crosse as if there were no way of peace discovered For shame Christians know your duty are you troubled you are by your trouble invited to Christ that you might find peace shew for shame shew that your condition is different from those that have not tasted how good the Lord is that know not how to improve Christ in a day of adversity and Use 3 Thirdly you that are Christs Disciples bee of good cheare It is Christ's owne application 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Get heart be of good cheare though in the world you meet with troubles if you walk long with troubled spirits it is your owne fault for in Christ you may have peace who will pity your starving when you refuse your meat you may have peace if you will take it Lift up your heads therefore in the midst of your worldly troubles Be of good cheare Christ hath overcome the world Disquieting your selfe is not your duty believing is your duty and will ease you when that will but adde vexation unto your spirit Are you under burthens of spirit doe worldly crosses trouble you what then these should drive you to Christ but not into the cave go and pray believe c. But what doest thou doe in the cave Eliah Runne to Christ as fast as thou wilt but why sittest thou still to weep bee of good comfort there is no trouble upon thy spirit bee it what it will But Christ hath spoken some word or other done some action or other from whence thou mayest extract peace in that trouble Ah but will a poore Christian say this is spoken to Christ's Disciples to them indeed Christ speaks in mee you shall have peace but I am afraid I am none of that number and then what have I to doe with peace How may I know whether I bee Christs disciple yea or no and secondly I am afraid if I should make up peace that it would not bee Christs peace To speak a litttle to these two things Let me in the fourth place insist a little upon an use of examination Use 4 How then doth it stand you in hand Christians to examine your hearts concerning these two great things 1. whether you bee Christ's Disciples or no 2. Whether the peace of your spirits with which you content your selves and in which you satsfie your selves after trouble sometimes be a peace of Christs making or of your owne making and so false and uncomfortable I shall speak shortly to both these c. 1. Would you know whether you bee Christ's Disciples yea or no I will give you notes from his owne mouth to informe you in that point 1. Did your soules ever effectually heare and imbrace the word of Jesus Christ this is one note Joh. 10. 27. My sheep heare my voice you have heard with your eares but have you had eares to heare have you heard with a poore and contrite spirit so that you have trembled at it Is 66. 2. Hath the Lord bored your eares with the word Hath the word of Christ beene transmitted as from the preachers mouth to your eare so from your eare to your soules you have heard the Ministers voice but have you heard Christ's voice to your soules in an ordinance that the word came not onely to you in the letter but in power and in the spirit of God This is one signe but not enough Many are called 2. Doe you continue in the word of Christ this is a notable marke marke that place Joh. 8. 31. If you continue in my word then are you my Disciples indeed not in name not in profession not in the account of men onely no but indeed Disciples to purpose can your soules say that you have made the word of God a light unto your feet and a la◠horne to your pathes that you have set the law of the Lord ever before you that as you have learned Christ so you walk in him you fall not back but continue in the word of Christ then are you Disciples indeed 3. If you beare much fruit then are you Christ's Disciples Joh. 15. 8. Herein is my father glorified that you beare much fruit so shall you be my Disciples Doe you bring forth much fruit of holinesse unto God and righteousnesse before men thus you glorifie the father thus you shall evidence your selves to be Christ's disciples by growing in Grace and thriving in Godlinesse 4. If you be humble selfe-denying selfe-hating meek creatures This is a signe that
you have learn'd of Christ for hee is meek and lowly see Luk. 14. 26 33. concerning this note Christ in plaine English saith whosoever hath it not cannot be his Disciple it is the first lesson of Grace Deny your selves But are you humble and selfe-denying ones selfe-loathing and abhorring creatures doe you even loath your naturall selfe and hate your righteous selfe and forsake all your selfe then are you Christs Disciples doth the spirit of Christ which is the spirit of meeknesse dwell in you and rest upon you then have you learnd of him 5. If you beare the crosse with that faith and patience which you should bear it then you may know you are Christ's Disciples Luk. 14. 27. without this you cannot be Christ's Disciple there is nothing shall more evidence a Christian to himselfe and to others to bee Christ's Disciple than his religious bearing of the crosse his religious carriage under trialls and burthens of spirit this is a great peece of the way in which Christ will be followed of all those that are his Disciples Lastly If you love one another then you may know and all men may know concerning you that you are Christs Disciples Joh. 13. 35 By this shall all men know that you are my Disciples if you love one another Saint John in his Epistles beates much upon this to love the Saints meerly because they are Saints not for their good nature or wit or parts or greatnesse or any respect but impartially because they are Saints It is a good note By these things you shall know your selves whether you be Christs Disciples or no if you be you have a title to his peace And from what you have heard that true peace for the soule in the midst of this worlds troubles is only to be found in Christ and onely that which is drawne from Christ Every Christian hath ground to bring the peace of his spirit the comming of his spirit after trouble to the touchstone that he may be able to know whether it be Christs peace or his owne I shall give you five or six notes for that 1. If it be drawne from some word of God it is true peace Thy soule hath been troubled thy spirit hath been burthened now it is quieted I pray how came your spirit off trouble what was it that helpt thy spirit out of the miry clay what didst thou close with some Gospell-promises didst thou bosome a promise and was that peace to thee this is Christs peace such a peace was Davids Psal 119. 50. This is my comfort in my affliction for thy word hath quickened mee so v. 81. My soule fainteth for thy salvation but I hope in thy word so v. 114. Thou art my hiding place and my shield I hope in thy word so v. 147. Davids peace was drawne from the word of God from what God had spoken in reference to him in particular or at least in generall to one in such a condition Jer. 15. 16. Thy words were found and I did eat them and thy word was unto mee the joy and rejoycing of my heart Many a poore soule before me I doubt not but hath known this way of getting peace when his spirit hath beene full of trouble that he hath not known what to doe perhaps hath not been able to eat or drink or sleep through anguish of heart perhaps a Minister hath been made the sweet messenger of peace to the soule and God hath used him as an instrument to mind the soule of some promise or other which at such a time hath come into the soule as water to the thirsty ground and hath been even as an apple of gold in a picture of silver perhaps the spirit of God according to that promise Joh. 14. 26. Brings to remembrance something that Christ hath spoken some generall promise or some particular promise which proves as the balme of Gilead to the soule to heale its wounds This is a Gospell-peace a sweetly made peace a peace of Christs making in the soule according to the text 2. If thy peace ariseth from a due consideration and application of some thing in the nature of God as hee hath revealed his nature to us whether it be from Gods will or 2. from the meditation of Gods mercy and goodnesse or 3. from a meditation of Gods faithfulnesse the consideration of many things in Gods nature may command peace in a soule but especially these three are fountaines out of which the Saint drawes peace The consideration of the stroke that Gods will had in Davids affliction brought him peace Psal 39. 9. I was dumbe I opened not my mouth because I knew it was thy doing hence was Elie's peace 1 Sam. 3. 18. when his eares amongst the rest could not but tingle at Samuels news hee said It is the Lord let him doe what seemeth him good Hence was Hezekiah's peace when he could not but bee troubled to heare what should become of his sons and daughters 2 Kin. 20. 17 18. yet hee had peace v. 19. he said good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken Hence was those good peoples peace Acts 21. 13 14. They were troubled at Pauls departure considering what Agabus had prophesied concerning him v. 11. At last they quieted themselves and their minds stood upon this bottom v. 14. They said The will of the Lord be done now if thy peace be concluded upon this account the Lord hath sent a grievous crosse a grievous affliction upon thee and thou wert troubled but thou begannest to think why this was the will of the Lord concerning mee this is the Lords doing and upon the due meditation of this thy spirit growes quiet out of a meere submission and obedience to Gods dispensation This is true peace it was the Saints peace 2. Or perhaps it is from a due meditation of the Lords mercy and goodnesse thou hast a crosse and triall befallen thee but thou beginnest to think well yet the Lord is good to my soule yet the mercy of the Lord indureth for ever and upon this consideration thy soule hath peace this is true peace upon this account was the Churches peace Lam. 3. 21. This I recall to mind therefore have I hope It is of the Lords mercies that wee are not consumed because his compassions faile not they are new every morning c. v. 25. The Lord is good to them that wait upon him even to the soule that seeketh him c. Hence shee concludes peace in sad troubles 3. Or is it from a consideration of the nature of God in his faithfulnesse Lam. 3. 23. Great is thy faithfulnesse Thou sittest down with thy selfe and considerest why am I troubled the Lord hath promised that joy shall be to the upright of heart and that light shall arise out of darknesse to the upright and that though sorrow be for a night yet joy shall come in the morning This God is a faithfull God hee hath said it and shall hee not