〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Concision who instead of circumcising themselves did cut asunder the Church of God But the sound Believers were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Circumcision indeed as being circumcised by the Circumcision made without Hands in putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flâ—sh by Christ Câ—ll 2. 11. They were the true Children of Abraham who did indeed perform that for which Circumcision was intended For we are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the Flesh. In the words we have a three-fold Description of the True Circumcision How they stand affected To God Christ Self I. They worship God in the Spirit II. They rejoice in Christ Jesus III. They have no confidence in the Flesh. I. They worship God in the Spirit This Clause may be interpreted 1. In opposition to the Legal Ordinances So 't is taken Iohn 4. 23 24. But the hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth For the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth The Jewish Worship is in a sense called Carnal the Christian Spiritual Heb. 7. 16. A Carnal Commandment Heb. 9. 10. Carnal Ordinances imposed on them till the Time of Reformation And Shadows Heb. 10. 1. Now the Lord would have a Spiritual Worship and the Truth of what was in these Shadows these external Forms he allowed instituted in the Infancy of the Church so that they worship God in the Spirit is they have embraced the true Worship of the Gospel and serve God not by the Carnal Rites of the Law but by the pure rational Worship of the Gospel This is part of the sense 2. It implieth worshipping God with the inward and spiritual Affections of a renewed Heart Heb. 12. 28. Wherefore we receiving a Kingdom which cannot be moved Let us have Grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear Worship flowing from Grace engaging the Heart in God's Service is that which God prizeth Therefore a Christian should not rest in an External Form God is my Witness whom I serve with my Spirit Rom. 1. 9. 3. It doth also imply the Assistance and continual Influence of the Holy Spirit Ephes. 6. 18. Praying always with all Prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints And Iude v. 20. Praying in the Holy Ghost The Doctrine is this That a True Christian is known by his Worship or is one that doth worship God in the Spirit Here I shall shew you 1. What is Worship 2. What a true Christian 1. doth worship 2. Why in the Spirit 1. What is Worship 'T is either Internal or External The Internal consisteth in the Love and Reverence we owe to God The External in those Offices and Duties by which our Honour and Respect to God is signified and expressed 1. Internal The Soul and Life of our Worship lieth in Faith and Reverence and delight in God above all other things Psal. 2. 11. Serve the Lord with Fear and rejoice with Trembling Such a delight as will become the greatness and goodness of God Worship hath its Rise and Foundation in the Heart of the Worshipper there it must begin In our high thoughts and esteem of God especially two things Love and Trust. 1. Love Deut. 6. 5. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Heart with all thy Soul and with all thy Might We worship God when we give him such a Love as is Superlative and Transcendental far above the Love that we give to any other thing that so our respect to other things may sâ—oop and give way to our respect to God 2. The other Affection whereby we express our esteem of God is Trust which is the other Foundation of Worship Psal. 62. 8. Trust in the Lord at all Times pour out your Hearts before him Delightful adhesion to God and an intire dependance upon him if either fail or be intermitted our Worship faileth If Delight Job 27. 10. Will he delight himself in the Almighty Will he always call upon God Isa. 43. 22. But thou hast not called upon me O Jacob but thou hast been weary of me O Israel They that love God and delight in him cannot be long out of his company They take all Opportunities and Occasions of being with God So Dependance and Trust Heb. 3. 12. Take Brethren lest there be in any of you an evil Heart of unbelief in departing from the Living God James 1. 6 7. Let him ask in Faith nothing wavering for he that wavereth is like a Wave of the Sea driven with the Wind and tossed For let not that Man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. Dependance begets Observance They that distrust God's Promises will not long keep his Precepts If we look for all from him we will often come to him and take all out of his hands Be careful that we do not offend him and displease him 2. External In those Offices and Duties by which our Honour and Respect to God is signified and expressed As by Invocation Thanksgiving Praises Obedience God will be owned both in Heart and Life In all these prescribed Duties by which our Affections towards him are acted If God did not call for outward Worship why did he appoint the Ordinances of Preaching Praying singing Psalms Baptism and the Lord's Supper God that made the whole Man Body and Soul must be worshipped of the whole Man Therefore besides the Inward Affections there must be External Actions In short we are said to worship God either with respect to the Duties which are more directly to be performed to God or in our whole Conversation 1. With respect to the Duties which imply our solemn Converse with God and are more directly to be performed towards him such as the Word Prayer Praise Thanksgiving and Sacraments Surely these must be attended upon because they are special Acts of Love to God and Trust in him And these Duties are the ways wherein God hath promised to meet with his People and appointed us to expect his Grace Exod. 20. 24. In all places where I record my Name I will come unto thee and bless thee And Mark 4. 24. 'T is a Rule of Commerce between us and God With what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you and unto you that hear shall more be given 2. In our whole Conversation Luke 1. 74 75. That we should serve him without Fear in Holiness and Righteousness before him all the days of our lives A Christian's Life is a constant Hymn to God or a continued Act of Worship ever behaving himself as in the sight of God and directing all things as to his Glory He turneth Second-Table Duties into First James 1. 27. Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the
Weak The Perfect that have the Truth of their side must not condemn others nor the Weak must not condemn and censure them 2. Something expressed Or the Reason of this mutual Condescension and Forbearance if they be sincere and humble God will at length shew them the Truth I begin with his Counsel to the Strong and Grown Christian and there I shall speak first of the Term by which they are expressed Let as many of us as be perfect Doct. That there is a kind of Perfection attainable in this Life I shall first explain the Point by several Distinctions Secondly Prove that all Christians should endeavour to be perfect For the first There is a double Perfection Perfectio termini praemii perfectio viae seu cognitionis sanctitatis A Perfection of the Reward and a Perfection of Grace 1. Of the Reward which the Saints shall have in Heaven where they are freed from all sinful Weakness 1 Cor. 13. 10. When that which is perfect shall come then that which is in part shall be done away In Heaven there is perfect Felicity and exact Holiness then the Saints are glorious Saints indeed when they have neither spot nor wrinkle nor blemish nor any such thing Ephes. 5. 27. When presented faultless before the presence of his Glory Jude 24. Now this we have not in the World but because this we expect in the other World we are to labour after the highest perfection in Holiness here because allowed Imperfection is a disesteem of Blessedness Do we count Immaculate Purity and Perfection in Holiness to be our Blessedness hereafter and shall we shun it and fly from it or at least neglect it as if it were our Burden now No surely he that hath this hope in him purifieth himself as Christ is pure 1 John 3. 3. That looketh not for a Turkish Paradise but a Sinless Estate will endeavour it now get as much as he can of it now When you cease to grow in Holiness you cease to go on any farther to Salvation you seem to be out of love with Heaven and Blessedness when your Desires and Endeavours are slaked 2. The Perfection of Grace and Holiness is such as the Saints may attain unto in this Life Col. 4. 12. That ye may stand perfect and compleat in all the Will of God So we are perfect when we want none of those things which are necessary to Salvation when we study to avoid all known Sin and address our selves to the practice of all known Duty serving God universally and intirely Secondly There is Perfection Legal and Evangelical Legal is unsinning Obedience Evangelical is sincere Obedience the one is where there is no Sin the other no Guile no allowed Guile The one standeth in an exact conformity to God's Law the other in a sincere endeavour to fulfil it the one will endure the Ballance the other can only endure the Touchstone 1. The legal Perfection is described Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all the words of this Law to do them A personal perpetual perfect Obedience It supposeth a Man innocent it requireth that he should continue so for the least Offence according to that Covenant layeth us open to a Curse As the Angels for one Sin once committed were turned out of Heaven and Adam out of Paradise The omitting of ought we are to perform the committing ought we are forbidden yea the least warping as well as swerving by an obliquity of Heart and Spirit maketh us guilty before God Now this is become impossible through the weakness of our Flesh. Rom. 8. 3. Man is fallen already and hath mixed Principles in him and cannot be thus exact with God 2. Evangelical When the Heart is faithful with God fixedly bent and set to please him in all things 2 Kings 20. 3. Remember Lord I have walked before thee in Truth and with a perfect Heart This may be pleaded in subordination to Christ's Righteousness this Perfection is consistent with Weakness 2 Chron. 15. 17. Nevertheless the Heart of Asa was perfect all his days And yet he is taxed with several Infirmities This Perfection all must have 1 Chron. 28. 9. And thou Solomon my Son know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect Heart and a willing Mind What is done for God as it must be done willingly readily not by constraint but the native Inclination of the Soul so perfectly that is with all exactness possible As some may do many things which are good but their Hearts are not perfect with God 2 Chron. 25. 2. He did that which is right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect Heart Not a sincere bent of Soul towards God alone when the Heart is divided between God and other things Hosea 10. 2. Their Heart is divided Jam. 1. 8. A double-minded Man is unstable in all his ways An Heart against an Heart In point of Faith between God and other Confidences in point of Love between God and the Vanities of the World and God's Interest is not chief nor do we love him above all things In point of Obedience between pleasing God and pleasing Men and pleasing God and our own vain Fancies and Appetites honouring God and promoting our Worldly Ends you set up a Rival and Partner with God Now this Perfection we must have or else not in a state of Salvation 3. There is a Perfection Absolute and Comparative 1. That is absolutely perfect to which nothing is wanting This is in our Lord Christ who had the Spirit without measure this is in our Rule but not in them that follow the Rule Psal. 18. 30. As for God his way is perfect But that absolute Perfection is not in any of the Saints here upon Earth I prove by these Arguments 1. Where there are many Relicks of Flesh or carnal Nature left there a Man cannot be absolutely perfect but so 't is with all the Godly there is a double warring-working Principle in them Gal. 5. 17. For the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would And 't is actually confirmed in Paul witness his Groans Rom. 7. 24. Oh wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death Mark there the Apostle speaketh of himself not of another of himself in his present renewed Estate not of his past and unconverted Estate when a Pharisee His past Estate he had spoken of vers 9. Sin revived and I died but vers 14. I am Carnal and vers 15. That which I do I allow not and vers 18. How to perform that which is good I find not Many things there said cannot agree to a Carnal Man As for instance not allowing Sin vers 15. Hating Sin in the same Verse What I hate that do I so delight in the Law of God vers 22. Again there is
be considered that we must dispense this Forbearance as the Matter will bear There are great Disputes about Toleration only let me tell you now that we speak not of the Toleration of the Magistrate but of the Church what things are within the latitude of allowable Differences within the Church The Magistrates Concessions may be larger for in supernatural Things such as Matters of Religion are he may bear with that which the Church ought not to bear with in them that have submitted to an higher Institution or in its own Members or rather private Christians one with another But in this limited Forbearance there are Extreams and for want of right stating of things Men fight with their Friends in the dark some think all things should be suffered some nothing wherein to bear with our Brethren The one sort of Christians is for imposing on their Brethren all things that have gotten the vogue and the favour of Authority and that not only on their Practice but their Judgments too And this in Matters not fundamental or destructive to Faith or Worship but in things controversal or doubtful among godly and peaceable Men. But if it should not go so high contending about every Difference of Opinion and urging our Brethren with every thing we conceive to be right is a Breach of Christian Love and destroyeth the use of those differing Gifts which Christ hath given to the Church and crosseth his Mind in the frame of the Scriptures which are clear in Soul-saving Matters in other things especially Matters of Discipline and Order more dark and obscure 'T is also contrary to the mild and gentle Government of the Apostles who press in lesser Matters a Forbearance as Paul Rom. 14. 1. The weak in Faith receive but not to doubtful Disputations receive him own him but do not cast him out of the Church nor trouble him for doubtful Things but let him come to himself for Men will sooner be led than drawn The other Extream is of them that will have all things to be tolerated even Blasphemy and Fundamental Errors as if the Scriptures were uncertain in all things No in Things absolutely necessary to Salvation 't is clear open and plain The Law is a Lamp and a Light Prov. 6. 23. and Psal. 119. 105. And in such a case we are not to bid him God-speed 2 Epist. Iohn 10. In such cases of damnable Heresy the Law of Christian Lenity holdeth not but if we agree in the principal Articles of Faith let us embrace one another with mutual Love though we differ from one another in variety of Rites and Ceremonies and Discipline Ecclesiastical if we agree in the Substantials of Worship let us go by the same Rule do the same Thing Though in Circumstantials there be a difference these are Matters of lesser moment than Separation or the other division of the Church 2. As to the Persons contending there is a difference The Apostle when he perswadeth this Lenity and mutual Forbearance excepts those that raise Troubles in the Church and distinguisheth between Erring Christians and their Factious Guides Vers. 2. Beware of Dogs beware of Evil Workers beware of the Concision the poor seduced Christians he would have to be pittied but the Renders and Cutters of the Church he would have them beware of such 3. The Forbearance it self 't is not a Forbearance out of Necessity because we dare do no otherwise but voluntary choice out of Christian Pitty and Compassion knowing that we need as much Forbearance from God and others for we all have our Mistakes and Failings not a Forbearance out of Policy till we get opportunity to suppress others The Sons of Zerviah are too hard for us God often layeth that restraint upon us by his Providence and 't is well he doth but it should be the restraint of Grace not a respect to our own ease lest we create trouble to our selves but upon Christian Reasons No the Apostle sheweth you whence this Forbearance should come Ephes. 4. 2 3. With all lowliness and meekness and long-suffering forbearing one another in Love endeavouring to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace There are four Graces enforce it 1. Lowliness which is a Grace and Vertue whereby a Man from the sense of his own Infirmities doth esteem but meanly and soberly of himself and all that is his 2. Meekness whereby we are rendred tractable gentle affable and easy to be intreated and conversed withal Iam. 3. 17. 3. Long-suffering which is nothing but Meekness extended or continued and not interrupted by length of Time or multiplication of Offences 4. Love to our Christian Brother or Neighbour whereby our Hearts are inclined or well-disposed towards them for their good Love covereth a multitude of Sins 1 Pet. 4. 8. Maketh us bear with many things in the Person loved 1 Cor. 13. 4. Charity suffereth long and is kind And Vers. 7. Beareth all things hopeth all things This is the Forbearance we press a Forbearance out of Meekness and Humility and Love for Christ's sake 4. In this Forbearance both strong and weak have their part and are much concerned as having either of them much to do herein Which that we may clear to you let us consider 1 st What they are not to do 1. Not to leave the Truth or to do any thing against it No the Apostle saith Let as many as be perfect be thus minded not change Truth for Error Strings in Tune must not be brought down to strings out of Tune but they brought up to them 2. Not to connive at their Sin or Error for that is not Love but Hatred Levit. 19. 17. Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine Heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy Neighbour and not suffer Sin upon him To let him go unconvinced is to harden him 2 Thess. 3. 15. Yet count him not as an Enemy but admonish him as â— Brother The Sins of others must not be leâ— alone under the pretence of Forbearance and there must be no neglect of Means to reclaim them from their Sin but meekly we are to hold our Light to them and use all Holy Means of convincing and satisfying their Judgments 2 dly What they are to do 1. The Strong are not to deal rigorously with the Weak nor insult over them nor pursue them with Censures but wait till God declare the Truth unâ—o them and must promote their Conviction with all gentleness and condescension We are to feed Christ's Lambs as well as his Sheep and for both we need Love Iohn 21. 15 16. Among the Flock of Christ there are variety of Tempers and Degrees of Strength both Lambs and Sheep we must imitate our Lord Isa. 40. 11. He shall feed his Flock like a Shepherd he shall gather the Lambs with his Arms and carry them in his Bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young We should condescend to the weak and feeble Ones as well as consider what
apt to think that Religion is a sower thing and abridges them of all the Comforts of their lives No besides the rich Comforts it provideth for the Soul it alloweth and forbiddeth not so much sensitive pleasure as tendeth to the holiness of the Soul and furthereth us in God's Service It rebukâ—th and forbiddeth nothing but what really may be a Snare to us It considereth all things Meats Drinks Marriage Wealth Honours and Digâ—â—ties of the present World as they have respect to God and a better World and as they help and hinder us in the pleasing God and seeking Immortality 2. With respect to others The Spirit of our Religion may be known by the Example of our dearest Lord 'T is not a proud disdainful Spirit that refuseth the company of the meanest and worst so we may do them good He came to save Sinners and conversed with Sinners He came to redress the miseries of Mankind and went up and down doing good tho his familiarities were with the most godly yet he disdained not the company of others And surely his Religion where it prevaileth in the Hearts of any it causes them not only to deal justly with all but to love all all Mankind with a love of Benevolence it maketh us to long for the good of their Souls and desirous also to do good to the Bodies of those that are in need 'T is said indeed Prov. 29. 27. An unjust Man is an abomination to the just and he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked But we must distinguish of the hatred of Abomination and the hatred of Enmity We hate our sinful Neighbour as we must our selves much more in opposition to the love of Complacency but not in opposition to the love of Benevolence so we must neither hate our selves nor our Neighbour no nor our Enemy The business of your lives must be to do good to all especially to the Houshold of Faith God's Natural Image is on all Men his Spiritual Image on his Saints and we must love God in all his Creatures especially in his Children This is true Religion consecrated by our Lord's Example Secondly We may observe That an External Holiness which consisteth in an outside strictness without that Faith Love Charity Hope usefulness and activity which is the very soul and life of Christianity usually puffeth up Men with a vain conceit of their own Righteousness and a censuring and a despising of others This Text sheweth us both the Spirit of Pharisaism and the Spirit of Christianity The Pharisees who abounded in outward Observances censured Christ for his free Converses and disdained those Sinners whom he invited to a better life Luke 18. 9 10 11 12. And they were ignorant of true Wisdom which is justified embraced and received by all her Children Learn then that an unruly fierce censorious Spirit which is only born up by external advantages is not the right Spirit of the Gospel True Religion maketh men humble and low in their own eyes acquainteth them with their Desert Sin and Misery and maketh them pitiful and compassionate to others and more ready to help them than to censure them and to use all ways and means to do them good Thirdly The main Observation is this That a free Life guided by an holy Wisdom is the most sanctified Life and bringeth most honour to God and is most useful to others Here I shall shew you 1. Wherein lieth this free life guided by holy Wisdom 2. How it is the most sanctified life 1. Wherein lieth this free life guided by holy Wisdom 'T is said of Enoch Gen. 5. 22. That he walked with God and begat Sons and Daughters that is dedicated himself to God's Service and lived in most strict Holiness And there you see the use of a conjugal life in its purity may stand with the strictest Rules of Holiness So for worldly Affairs when the course of our calling ingageth us in them 't is not using of the World but over-using is the fault 1 Cor. 7. 31. So for the Comforts of this life Psal. 62. 10. If Riches encrease set not your heart upon them The business is not to withdraw them away but to withdraw the Affection So for the lawful Delights there are two extreams clogging and retrenching our liberty with outward burdensome Observances or abusing our liberty to wantonness Gal. 5. 13. Ye are called to liberty only use not your liberty as an occasion to the Flesh. Corrupt Nature venteth it self both ways either by superstitious rigors or by breaking all Bonds and inlarging it self according to the licentiousness of the Flesh. Meat Drink Apparel are in their own nature indifferent neither must Superstition work upom them nor Profaneness and in the mean between both lieth Godliness 2. How it is the most sanctified life 1. Partly because it suiteth with the Example of Christ He came as to expiate our Offences so to give us an Exsample 1 Pet. 2. 21. Leaving us an Example that we should follow his steps and 1 Iohn 2. 6. walk as he walked 'T is high presumption to aim at an imitation of Christ in those acts of his which he did for satisfying the Father's Justice or proving his Dâ—ity yea 't is impossible to imitate him in those yet in Actions moral we are bound to imitate him and in Actions indifferent not to suffer our Liberty to be strâ—ightned but to govern Circumstances according to that holy Wisdom Christ retired not from the society of Men but used the greatest freedom in an holy way 2. Because there is more true Grace in being dead to the Temptation than to retreat from the Temptation A Christian is not to go out of the World neither by a voluntary Death Iohn 17. 15. nor by an unnecessary sequestration of our selves from Business and the Affairs which God calleth us to 1 Cor. 7. 20. Let every Man abide in the same Calling wherein he was called But to be crucified to the World Gal. 6. 14. that's Grace to withdraw our Hearts from the World while we converse in it and with it Many real Christians when they hear us press Mortification and deadness to the World think they must leave their Callings or abate of their necessary activity in their Callings Alas in the Shop a Man mayâ—keep himself unspotted from the World as well as in the Closet in a Court as well in a Cell We read of Saints in Nero's Houshold Phil. 4. 22. he was a great Persecutor yet some Saints could live there within his Gates There were some Professors of the Gospel So Rev. 2. 13. I know thy Works and where thou dwellest even where Satan's seat is and thou holdest fast my Name and hast not denied my Faith even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful Martyr who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth In the sorest and thickest of temptations a Christian may maintain his Integrity In short our way to Heaven lieth through the World
thing your resolution is unfixed They that only take Christ upon liking will soon be tempted to mislike him and his ways And your resolution is not unbounded whilst you set upon the Profession of Religion and yet keep the World or something of the World your Heart will ever and anon be seeking occasions to withdraw for you were false at heart at your first setting out and treacherous in the very making of your Covenant 2. With respect to the Duties of Christianity or that part of the Kingdom of God which concerneth your Obedience to him You are never â—it for these while the Heart cleaveth to earthly things and you are still hankring after the World A threefold Defect there will be in our Duties 1. They will be unpleasant 2. They will be inconstant 3. Imperfect in such a degree as to want sincerity 1. Your Duty will be unpleasant to you so far as you are wordly and carnal so that you can never yield châ—arful and ready obedience to God Certain it is that we must serve God and serve him with delight his Commandments should be kept and they should not be grievous to us 1 Ioh. 5. 3. Now what is the great Impediment Worldly Lusts are not throughly purged out of the heart for presently he addeth this reason For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World 'T is an hard Heart maketh our work hard and the Heart is hard and unperswadable when our Affections are ingaged elsewhere The readiness of our Obedience dependeth on the fervency of our Love the fervency of our Love on our victory over the World our victory over the World on the strength of our Faith the strength of our Faith on the certainty we have of the principal Object of our Faith the principal Object of our Faith is That Jesus is the Son of God whose Counsel we must take if we will be happy And the evidence of that Principle is the double Testimony or Attestation given to him from Heaven or in the Heart of a Believer Once settle in that that you can intirely trust your selves and all your Interests in the hands of Christ and all Duties will be easy 2. You will be inconstant in it and apt to be ensâ—ared again when you meet with Occasions and Temptations that suit with your Heart's Lusts. As the Israelites were drawn out of Egypt against their Wills The Fleshâ—pots of Egypt were still in their minds and therefore were ready to make themselves a Captain and return again Numb 14. 4. and Iames 1. 8. A double-minded Man is unstable in all his ways Nothing will hold an unwilling Heart Demas had not quitted this hankring mind after the World and therefore it prevented him doing his Duty 2 Tim. 4. 10. Demas hath forsaken me having loved this present World He left the Work of the Gospel to mind his own privat Affairs The love of Riches Pleasure Ease and Safety if they be not thorowly renounced will tempt us to a like revolt and neglect of God Therefore to prevent it when we first put our hands to the Plough we must resolve to renounce the World Psal. 45. 10. Forget also thine own People and thy Father's House Look back no more as long as we are intangled in our Lusts and Inticements of the World we are unmeet to serve God Paul counted those things that were gain to him to be loss for Christ Philip. 3. 7 8. Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the Knowledg of Christ Iesus my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but Dung that I may win Christ. Paul repented not of his Choice but sheweth his perseverance in the contempt of the World I have counted and do count He seeth no cause to recede from his Choice Many affect Novelties are transported at their first Change but repent at leisure 3. We are imperfect in it I mean to such a degree as to want sincerity for they bring nothing to perfection Luke 8. 14. Their Fruit never groweth ripe or sound for Religion is an underling Some good Inclinations they have to heavenly things but their worldly Affections are greater and overtop them so that though they do not plainly revolt from their Profession yet their Duties want that Life and Power which is necessary so that they bring little honour to Christ by being Christians 3. In respect of the hurt that cometh from their looking back both to themselves and to Religion 1. To themselves 2 Pet. 2. 20 21. For if after they have escaped the Pollutions of the World through the knowledg of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ they are again intangled therein their latter end is worse with them than their beginning for it had been better for them not to have known the way of Righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the Holy Commandment delivered to them Many have so much of the knowledg of Christ as to cleanse their external Conversation But Sin and the World were never so effectually cast out but they are in secret League with them still and therefore they are first intangled and then overcome first enticed by some Pleasure or Profit and then carried away with the Temptation But what cometh of this Their lattar end is worse than their beginning Their Sin is greâ—ter since they sin against Light and Taste their Judgment is greater both Spiritual and Eternal As God giveth them over to brutish Lusts and to the Power of Satan And this will be a cutting thought to them to all Eternity to remember how they lost their acquaintance with and benefit by Christ by looking back to the World and deserting that good way wherein they found so much sweetness in Christ. 2. The Mischief which is done to Religion They wonderfully dishonour God and bring contempt upon the Ways of Godliness when after they have made trial of it they prefer Sin before it as if God had wearied them Mich. 6. 3. Therefore 't is just with God to vindicate his Honour And Satan after he seemeth to be for a while rejected taketh a more durable possession of them Luke 11. 26. O think of this often to look back after we seemed to escape doth involve us in the greater Sin and Misery Better never to have yielded to God so far than to retract at last partly because their Sins are Sins against Knowledg Luk. 12. 47. That Servant which knew his Lord's Will and prepared not himself neither did according to his Will shall be beaten with many stripes Partly because they are unthankful for so much deliverance by the knowledg of Christ as they received and that 's an hainous aggravation of their Offence Partly because their Sin is Treachery and breach of Vows for they turned the back upon the World and all the Allurements thereof when they consented to the Covenant and resolved to follow Christ in all Conditions till he should bring them
So here 't is not a simple Negation but a Comparative that he approved of Moral Duties more than Sacrifice 2. Observe The two things compared Mercy and Sacrifice In the Prophet Hosea there is another word I desired Mercy and not Sacrifice and the Knowledg of God more than Burnt-Offerings Mercy comprehendeth the Duties of the Second Table as the Knowledg of God the Duties of the First Table Now this Piety towards God and Charity towards our Neighbour was more acceptable Service towards God than all the Rites of their External Worship Doct. There is much to be learned from God's expressing himself in his Word that he liketh Mercy to them that stand in need of it better than the Offering of the richest Sacrifice I frame the Point so as it may comply with Christ's Scope and Purpose Three things especially we learn in it I. The respective Value and Preference of Duties II. The Guise of Hypocrites as our Saviour pincheth and taxeth the Pharisees often by this Point III. The Excellency of Mercy I. I shall speak to the respective Value and Preference of Duties and there I shall lay down these Propositions 1. All that God commandeth must be respected and Obedience endeavoured partly because his Laws are all Holy Just and Good Rom. 7. 12. The Law is Holy and the Commandment Holy Iust and Good viz. that Law by which he was convinced and which had wrought such trouble in his Heart Holy as being the Copy Draught of God's Holiness Iust as doing no Wrong no Infringement of our just Freedom Good as profitable to direct and perfect our Operations nothing therein is in vain or useless And partly because they are all ratified by the same Authority Exod 20. 1. God spake all these words not these words but all these words He that said Thou shalt not commit Adultery said also Thou shalt not Steal as the Apostle improveth the Observation Iam. 2. 11. For he that said Do not commit Adultery said also Do not kill God hath expressed his Will in one thing as well as another And partly because in Conversion we have Grace given to obey all Ephes. 4. 24. The new Man is created after God in Righteousness and true Holiness 'T is not only sitted for Righteousness but Holiness not only for Holiness but Righteousness As the Sun is placed in Heaven that he may shed abroad his Influences every where and nothing is hidden from his Heat and Light So is Grace planted in the Heart that it may diffuse it self in an uniform Obedience and that we may be Holy 1 Pet. 1. 15. As he that hath called us is holy in all manner of Conversation The Heart is framed to resist every Sin and to observe all the Commands of God The new Creature never cometh maimed out of the Birth or wanting any part Well then Holiness and Righteousness must ever go together and the Obedience to both Tables be inseparable We must serve him in Holiness and Righteousness all our days Luke 1. 75. Not in Holiness only or in Righteousness only but in both 2. Though all are to be respected yet all Duties are not equal nor all Sins equal A vain Thought is not so heinous a Crime as the killing of a Man And to blaspheme and curse God is a greater Sin than an idle Word and Idolatry than stealing of a Shilling Though all God's Laws stand by the same Authority yet the Matter of all is not of a like moment and consequence And therefore the Sins and Duties are greater and lesser according to the importance of the Law Mat. 5. 19. Whosoever shall break one of the least of these Commandments and shall teach Men so to do shall be least in the Kingdom of Heaven There are Commandments which may be called the least and there are others which may be called the greatest In ordine motum the Order sheweth the Weight The Fundamental Article of the Covenant is to have God for our God and to prefer Natural Worship before Instituted the Means stated before Manner and Time God before Man Parents before others 3. Simple Duties of the first Table are greater than Duties of the Second Christ himself saith Matth. 22. 38. That this is the first and great Commandment They must needs be the greatest because the Object of them is greatest God is greater than Man as 't is said Iob 33. 12. To oppose a Prince in Person is more than to oppose his mean Officer He that sinneth against his Neighbour sinneth against God but not so immediately 1 Cor. 8. 12. And 2. because this is the great Bond on the Heart to enforce the Duty of the second the Conscience of our Duty to God because I love or fear or would honour God therefore I perform my Duty to Man for the Lord's sake And so we turn Second-Table Duties into First-Table Duties And so Alms is a Sacrifice Heb. 13. 16. And so Obedience to Masters is Obedience to God Ephes. 6. 6. And as they inforce so they regulate for we are to obey them in the Lord and so as will stand with an higher Duty we owe to God Acts 4. 19. Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judg ye So that these are the greatest Duties but yet this must be understood so as the Comparison be rightly made The chief of the First-Table with the chief of the Second the middle with the middle the least with the least Externals with Externals otherwise not Disobedience to Parents is more than an irreverent Speech of God Adultery a greater Sin than coldness in Worship stealing than not giving The People made many Prayers but their Hands were full of Blood Isa. 1. 15. And therefore the Order must be rightly conceived first love to God then love to Men first the Worship of God and then Duty to Men in our several Relations first Acts of outward Worship then Acts of outward Respects to Men Duties of Piety and also Justice and Charity Thus the Circumstantial and Ceremonial Duties of the First-Table must give place to the necessary and moral Duties of the Second But when the Comparison is duly made in the same Rank those Laws which do simply and directly respect God are to be preferred before those Duties which concern Men. And Sins of the highest Degree against the first Table are greater than Sins of the highest degree against the Second And in Duties the Love of our Neighbour must give place to the Love of God As the Love of Father and Mother Wife Children Friends Brethren Luke 14. 26. If any Man hate not Father and Mother c. he cannot be my Disciple God is chief and most worthy of respect 4. Moral and Substantial Duties should chiefly be made Conscience of and ought to take place of Ceremonial Observances though belonging to the First-Table for so in the Text is Mercy preferred before Sacrifices Which is to be regarded to a double end
without seeking the reconciling and renewing Grace of the Redeemer Luke 18. The proud Pharisee pleadeth his own Merits rather than God's Grace but the Publican pleaded Mercy 'T was long e're Paul was brought to count all but Dung and Dross for the Excellency of the Knowledg of Christ Phil. 3. 7 8 9. But on the other side a Christian though he maketh progress in Holiness yet from first to last cherisheth a broken-hearted sense of his own Wants and a thankful remembrance of his Redeemer's Love who is all in all with him both for Justification and Sanctification Before Pardon the Sinner is weakned and humbled with a sense of his lost Condition and then there is a constant watchfulness with Repentance and brokenness of Heart which followeth Pardon loving much because much is forgiven Luke 7. 47. And loathing himself in his own sight because of his vileness and sinfulness after God is reconciled to him Ezek. 16. 63. This is the frame of Heart which suiteth with the Gospel-state III. I come to the third Thing the value of Mercy I shall not speak of it at large but only with respect to this Scripture 1. 'T is better than Sacrifice To sacrifice is to serve God but to shew Mercy is to be like God Luke 6. 36. Be ye therefore merciful as your Heavenly Father is merciful Now Conformity to God is more noble than Subjection to God it hath more of Perfection and Blessedness in it especially than a particular external mode and way of subjection to God 2. As 't is preferred before Sacrifice so 't is preferred before the external Observation of the Sabbath The Sabbath is the great Institution conducing to the enlivening of other Duties Mercy not only to the Souls of Men as here or Bodies of Men but Mercy to the Bodies of the to help a Beast out of a Pit is a Sabbath-days work Mat. 12. 11 12. 3. 'T is more than Gospel-Externals of Worship The Apostle had spoken of being not hearers of the Word only but doers also Jam. 1. 25. Then saith Vers. 27. Pure Religion and undefiled before God is this To visit the Fatherless and Widows in their Affliction and keep himself unspotted from the World Is this Religion to come to Church to hear the strictest Preachers Doth the Apostle reckon this another part of Religion No but to visit the Fatherless and Widows They who are truly Religious have such a deep sense of God's Mercy to them that they are changed into the Divine Nature that they cannot but pity the miserable and afflicted Now the Ordinances of the Gospel are rational not so carnal and servile as the Ordinances under the Law 4. 'T is more excellent than all the Gifts of the Gospel The Gifts of the Gospel were glorious Things Gifts of Tongues Gifts of Healing Gifts of Knowledg and Utterance 1 Cor. 12. 31. Covet earnestly the best Gifts and yet I shew you a more excellent way What is that Love Charity Mercy Though Abilities are excellent Things to be able to edify and instruct others yet no way to be compared with the Grace of Charity and the performing all our Duties to our Brethren out of love to God 5. I cannot say 't is above the Graces of the Gospel Faith and Love to God yet this I can say that those Graces are not real unless accompanied with Charity 1 John 4. 20. If a Man say he loveth God and hateth his Brother he is a liar for if a Man hateth his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen He speaketh there of Love to Christ vers 19. We love him because he loved us first There may be a great deal of Hypocrisy in professing and pretending Love to Christ and so he doth certainly who doth malign and persecute Christians or not shew Mercy to them in their Distresses We daily converse with Men meet with Objects of Charity whom we should pity but if we do not this which is the more easy we will not do that which is more difficult 6. 'T is the Qualification of finding Mercy Mat. 5. 7. ` Blessed are the Merciful for they shall obtain Mercy Compassion to other Mens Bodies and Souls gives this hope and confidence of finding Mercy with the Lord and that is all our Hope It will be inquired into at the Day of Judgment Mat. 25. 35 36 37 38 39 40 41. For I was an hungred and ye gave me Meat I was thirsty and ye gave me Drink I was a Stranger and ye took me in Naked and ye clothed me I was sick and ye visited me I was in Prison and ye came unto me Then shall the Righteous answer him saying Lord when saw we thee an hungred and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee Drink When saw we thee a Stranger and took thee in or naked and clothed thee Or when saw we thee sick or in Prison and came unto thee And the King shall answer and say unto them Verily I say unto you in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my Brethren ye have done it unto me Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Oh then let us make Conscience of this Duty more than ever we have done A DESCRIPTION of the True Circumcision PHIL. 3. 3. For we are the Circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Iesus and have no confidence in the Flesh. AMong those that entertain thoughts of Religion there ever have been and will be many Contests who are the True Church and People of God The Lazy place their Plea and Claim in External Observations The Serious look to the Vitals and Heart of Religion and cannot satisfy themselves in an outward Form without the Life and Power This was the very difference between the True Christians and a certain sort of Persons who took upon them to be the Circumcision The Jews are often called the Circumcision Therefore Christ is said to be a Minister of the Circumcision as being sent to the People that were to be Circumcised Rom. 15. 8. And Peter is called the Apostle of the Circumcision Gal. 2. 7 8. as being appointed to deal with that People Now these Judaizing Christians who had a zeal for the Ceremonies of the Law did falsely boast themselves to be the only People of God and the true Circumcision This was the difference between them Who were to be accounted the true Circumcision the Jewish Zealots who placed their Justification in the Ceremonies of the Law or those who adhered to Christ only and looked for the Mercy of God through him We are the Circumcision say they excluding the other and better sort of Christians The one had the Form and the other the Effect and Power The one were circumcised outwardly the other spiritually The Apostle judgeth for the latter the former were
Tormented Vse 2. Is to incourage you to Rejoice in Christ Jesus Now because we are helpers of your Joy 1 Cor. 1. 24. And God is best pleased with this frame of Spirit 1 Thess. 5. 16. I shall resume the main Discourse And 1. Handle the Nature of it 2. Shew you whether this Joy may be without Assurance 3. Shew you the spiritual Profit of it 4. The Helps or Means by which it is raised in us 1. For the Nature of it 'T is an Act of Love begotten in us by the sense of the Love of Christ revealed in the Word and shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost whereby the Soul is more affected with delight in the Grace of the Redeemer than with all other things whatsoever In which Description Observe 1. 'T is an Act of Love The Acts of Love are two Desire and Delight They both agree in this That they are conversant about good and are founded in esteem We think it good They differ because Desire is the Motion and Exercise of Love and Delight the Quiet and Repose of it Desire is expressed in that Speech Psalm 63. 8. My Soul followeth hard after thee A Believer cannot forbear to seek after God Desire of Union keepeth us up in the pursuit of him Delight is expressed in that form of Speech Psal. 16. 5 6. The Lord is the Portion of my Inheritance and my Cup. The Lines are fallen unto me in a pleasant place yea I have a goodly Heritage He hath all his Joy and Pleasure and Contentment in God Desire supposeth some want or absence of the valued Object Delight some kind of Enjoyment Either he is ours or might be ours if we would our selves For the Offer is cause of Joy as well as the Injoyment If our Desires have reached the lovely Object 't is cause of Joy or if it be within our reach As when Christ and his Benefits are offered to us and left upon our choice And therefore 't is said Jonah 2. 8. They that observe lying Vanities forsake their own Mercies Their own though not possessed by them yet they are offered to them They might have been their own if they did not exclude themselves The Object is in a sort present and brought home to us in the Offers of the Gospel 2. 'T is an Act of Love begotten in us by the sense of the Love of Christ For Love only begetteth Love 1 Iohn 4. 19. We love him because he loved us first The Object of Love is Goodness Now we love God in Christ for the Goodness that is in him the Goodness that floweth from him and the Goodness we expect from him all these attract our Love 1. The Goodness that is in him Moral and Beneficial Moral which is his Holiness Psal. 119. 140. Thy Word is very pure therefore thy Servant loveth it If we Love his Law for the purity thereof then certainly we must love God how else can we study to imitate him for we imitate only that which we love and delight in as good Then for his Beneficial Goodness Psal. 100. 5. For the Lord is Good his Mercy is everlasting and his Truth endureth to all Generations And Psal. 119. 68. Thou art Good and dost good 2. The Goodness that floweth from him Not only in our Creation but our Redemption by Christ which is the stupendous Instance of his Goodness to Man Titus 3. 4. After the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards Man appeared c. In the Creation there was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Redemption 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That God found a Ransom for us and so great as his only begotten Son this was Love and Goodness indeed 3. The Goodness we expect from him both in this World and the next Here Reconciliation and Remission of Sins which is a Blessing that doth much draw the Heart of Man to delight in Christ. For she loved much to whom much was forgiven Luke 7. 47. We keep off from a condemning God but draw nigh to a pardoning God Therefore the Apostle saith Heb. 7. 19. The bringing in of this better Hope by the Gospel doth cause us to draw nigh to God Being at peace with God and reconciled to him we may have access with confidence and boldness to the Throne of Grace are no more at distance with God looking upon him as a consuming Fire The Gospel giveth us liberty to come to him and expect the Mercy and Bounty of God through Jesus Christ. So in the next World Eternal Life and Glory which is our great Reward merited by Christ Mat. 5. 12. Rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your Reward in Heaven This is a solid lasting satisfying substantial Good Worldly Joys are but seeming they appear and vanish in a moment every blast of Temptation scattereth them Well then offers of Pardon and Life by Christ are the Matters of this Joy as they free us from the greatest Miseries and bring us to the enjoyment of the truest Happiness If you ask me then Why is a Christian described rather by rejoicing in Christ than by rejoycing in the pardon of Sins and Eternal Blessedness I Answer Because Christ is the Author and Procurer of these things to us And by our Joy we express not only our esteem of these Benefits but our gratitude and thankfulness for the Mercy and Bounty of God and the great Love of our Redeemer 3. The Description sheweth how the sence of this Goodness is begotten in us The Love of Christ is revealed in the Word and shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost And I add Believed by Faith and improved by Meditation 1. 'T is revealed in the Gospel or Word of Salvation which is sent to us Therefore 't is said Acts 13. 48. When the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the Word of God and as many as were ordained to Eternal Life believed Surely the Mind of Man which is naturally discomforted and weakned and strangely haunted with Doubts and Fears about the pardon of Sin and Eternal Life is mightily revived and encouraged with these glad Tydings of this Salvation dispensed to us by a sure Covenant Heb. 6. 18. And if the Gentiles that heard these things were glad proportionably we should be glad for the Gospel should never be as stale News to Sinners or as a Jest often told Our Necessities are as deep as theirs and the Covenant standeth as firm to us as it did to them Therefore if we have the Heart of a guilty Man it should be as welcome to us 2. 'T is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost So much is asserted by the Apostle Rom. 5. 5. The Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us Our dry Reason cannot give such a lively sense of these Comforts as the Revelation of the Holy Ghost And this is the difference between a believing by Tradition and believing by Inspiration
so much as this Holy Joy There is no true Thanksgiving if this be not at the bottom of it 2. For the Degree The Heart doth delight in Christ above all other Things As to the sensitive Expression in the lively stirring of Joy we may to appearance be more affected with outward Benefits because fleshly Objects do more work upon our fleshly senses as carrying a greater suitableness to them Religion is a grave severe thing not seen so much in actual Transports as in the habitual complacency and well-pleasedness of the Mind yet in solâ—mn Duties thâ—re may be as great Ravishment of Soul Psalm 6. 35. My Soul shall be ravished as with Marrow and Fatness and my Mouth shall praise thee with joyful Lips When they feel the Love of God shed abroad in their Hearts they are in effect transported with it more than with all the Delicates and Banquets of the World and cannot hold from praising God But generally it must be measured by our solid complacency and judicious esteem What we prize most and would least want and would not forgo for all other things so the Saints rejoice in God and Christ more than in any worldly Matter whatsoever Psalm 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none upon Earth that I desire besides thee Psal. 119. 14. I have rejoiced in the way of thy Testimonies as much as in all Riches Psal. 4. 6 7. There be many that say Who will shew us any good Lord lift thou up the light of thy Countenance upon us That hast put Gladness in my Heart more than in the time that their Corn and their Wine increased Psalm 63. 3. Because thy loving Kindness is better than Life my Lips shall praise thee This is that which they love most and keep best and are most loth to want This is that which giveth a value to Life it self and without which that which is most precious and desirable is little or nothing worth and giveth them more comfort then what is most comfortable in this World and is the most chearful Employment for their Thoughts to think upon This is delight in Christ. Q. Whether this may be had without Assurance And can those who are dark in their interest in Christ and know not whether they have any Grace or no rejoice in him To this I Answer Yes certainly For there are general Grounds of rejoicing for the Gospel bringeth glad Tydings to Sinners as it offereth to them a way how to escape out of their misery and enter into the Peace of God But more distinctly 1. The Scripture speaketh of a two-fold rejoicing in Christ Before Faith and After Faith Before Faith is full grown and is but in the making as those Acts 13. 48. When they heard this they were glad c. And he that had found the true Treasure for Joy thereof sold all that he had Matth. 13. 44. There was Joy before the thorow consent though introductive of it yet antecedent to it And the reason is because God hath shewed them the way how to free themselves from Misery and to enjoy true Felicity and Happiness Now if there may be a Joy before Faith certainly before Assurance The very offer of a Remedy is comfortable when in misery And then there is a Joy after Faith as Joy and Peace in Believing when they take the course to get this Liberty and Deliverance by Christ yet this is Faith not Assurance As a sick Man when he heareth of an able Physician who hath cured many of the same Disease wherewith he is oppressed he rejoiceth and conceiveth some hope that he may be cured also When he hath lighted upon this Physician and beginneth to make use of his Healing Medicines he is more glad and expecteth the Cure But when he is perfectly recovered and feeleth it then he is glad indeed So when a broken-hearted Creature heareth the glad Tidings of the Gospel that Christ Jesus came into the World to save Sinners he rejoiceth that God hath found out such a Saviour to recover the lapsed Estate of Mankind But when he submitteth to Christ's Healing Methods and trusts himself with his skill and fidelity he is more comforted and doth more intimately feel the benefit of this course in his own Soul but as he groweth more assured of his Health and Salvation his Comfort still increaseth and his Joy is more unspeakable and glorious So that this Joy may be without assurance for the Causes of it at first are Knowledg and Faith 2. There is a Joy that accompanieth seeking even before we attain what we seek after Psal. 105. 3. Let the Heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. There is a great deal of Contentment in this course though that complacential Joy which is our full Reward be yet reserved for us yet there is a Joy in seeking Better be a Seeker than a Wanderer This Blessed Saviour am I waiting upon Though we have attained to little Communion with him yet 't is a comfort that we are seeking farther measure Delight and Joy keepeth up our endeavours 3. When our Right is cleared then we have more abundant Joy 2 Pet. 1. 10 11. Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your Calling and Election sure for if ye do these things you shall never fall For so an Entrance shall be administred to you abundantly into the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ. Some are afar off others not far from the Kingdom of God Others make an hard shift to go to Heaven through many Doubts and Fears some sail into the Haven of Glory with full Sails with much Joy and Peace of Soul 3. I shall shew you the Spiritual Profit of this Joy 1. 'T is such a Joy as doth enlarge our Heart in Duty and strengthens us in the way of God Nehem. 8. 10. The Ioy of the Lord is your strength There is a natural deadness and dulness in Holy Duties which we often find in our selves which cometh to pass partly from the back-bias of Corruption weakning our Delight in God and partly from the remissness of our Will towards Spiritual and Heavenly Things Now the most proper and kindly cure of it is this Delight and Rejoicing in Christ for a Man will readily do those things which he delighteth in though â—oilsom and difficult Let the Heart be but affected with the Grace of Christ and our Joy will soon vent it self in a thankful and delightful Obedience 1 John 5. 3. For this is the Love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous Psalm 119. 14. I have rejoiced in the way of thy Testimonies as much as in all Riches Psal. 40. 8. I delight to do thy Will O my God yea thy Law is within my Heart The hardest Services are pleasant to one that delighteth in Christ they are sweetned by his Love and quickned and inlivened by the sense and esteem that we have of the Benefits
he procureth for us Shall we refuse to do any thing for such a compassionate Saviour who died for us to reconcile us to God and bring us to the everlasting fruition of him So that the Life of all Obedience dependeth on this Joy 2. 'T is our Cordial to fortify us against all the Calamities and Infelicities of the present World and maketh every bitter thing sweet to us whether they be the common Afflictions incident to Man or Persecutions for Righteousness-sake 1. For the common Afflictions A Christian is never in a right Frame 'till he hath learned Contentment in all Estates That he doth not over-joy in worldly Comforts nor over-grieve for worldly Losses 1 Cor. 7. 3. But carrieth himself as one that is above the Hopes and Fears of the World Now there are many Means to be used that we may get this humble and composed frame of Heart but the most constant and effectual care of worldly Sorrow is to keep our rejoycing in Jesus Christ and to be satisfied with the Fruits of his Redemption This like the Wood that was cast in at Marah to make the bitter Waters sweet doth sweeten our Troubles and supply our Wants and swallow up our Griefs and Infelicities for we have that in Christ which is better than the natural comfort taken from us Hab. 3. 17 18. Although the Fig-tree shall not blossom neither shall Fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Olive shall fail and the Fields shall yield no Meat the Flock shall be cut off from the Fold and there shall be no Herd in the Stalls Yet will I rejoice in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation He supposeth not only some want but an utter destitution and desolation of all things and yet his Heart was kept up by Joy in God So elsewhere Rom. 12. 12. Rejoicing in Hope patient in Tribulation continuing instant in Prayer The Comfort of Reconciliation with God and the Hopes of Heaven do most breed Patience in Afflictions And certainly Joy is the best cure of Sorrow Contraria contrariis curaâ—tur Now the Joy that must be opposed to worldly Sorrow is not Worldly but either Spiritual or Heavenly Joy Spiritual in the present Fruits of Christ's Death Heb. 12. 11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable Fruit of Righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby Heavenly surely Eternal Joys will best vanquish Temporal Sorrows Heb. 12. 2. Looking unto Iesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the Ioy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God This will enable us patiently and chearfully to bear all things 2. Persecutions We need to be fortified against this that we may boldly profess our Faith in Christ without any fear of Sufferings and may not faint under them but bear them with courage and constancy Now this is the Fruit of this rejoicing in Christ witness these Scriptures Acts 5. 41. They went away rejoiceing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name Heb. 10. 34. Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your Goods knowing in your selves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring Substance So Mat. 5. 12. Rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your Reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you And in many other places and 1 Pet. 4. 13. Rejoice in as much as ye are partakers of Christ's Sufferings that when his Glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with an exceeding Ioy. And Iames 1. 4. Count it all Ioy when ye fall into divers Trials Surely Christ and Heaven are worth something and such Trials do in part shew how much we esteem him and value him above any Interest of ours 3. It doth draw off the Heart from the Delights of the Flesh Not only Contraria contrariis curantur but similia similibus Carnal Pleasures put the Soul out of relish with better things and draw off the Heart from God A fleshly Mind is easily blinded and inchanted with worldly Vanities Therefore it concerneth us to check our Inclination to sense-pleasing and flesh-pleasing which is so natural to us How shall it be cured but by seeking our Delight elsewhere Every Man must have some Oblation for Love cannot lie idle in the Soul either his Love is taken up with the Joys of Sense or the Joys of Faith with vain Pleasures or with chast and spiritual Delights The one spoileth the taste of the other A Spiritual Mind that is feasted with higher Delights cannot relish the Garlick and Onions and Flesh-pots of Egypt Cant. 1. 4. We will remember thy Loves more than Wine And a brutish Heart that is wholly lost and sunk in these dreggy Contentments which gratify Sense valueth not the Favour of God thinketh it Canting to talk of Communion with him and the Joys of Hope to be fantastical Expressions They love Pleasures more than God 2 Tim. 3. 4. Now if we would restrain and check this Inclination we should rejoice in Christ delight our Minds and Hearts in the remembrance of his Love and Benefits What-ever Pleasure a Man doth find or imagine to find in sensual fleshly courses that and much more is to be had in Christ where we rejoice at a surer and more sincere rate Ephes. 5. 4. Not Iesting but rather giving of Thanks Carnal Mirth doth not so chear Worldlings as the remembrance of the Favours and Blessings we have by Christ. Keep the Heart thankful and sensible of God's Goodness and Christ's Love and you will not need vain Delights So Ephes. 5. 18. Be not drunk with Wine wherein is Excess but be filled with the Spirit These are Motives and Marks also for by these three things you may know whether you have this Joy yea or no. 4. The Helps or Means by which this Joy is raised in us 1. A sense of Sin and Misery This maketh you more sensible of the Mercy of the Deliverance and to be more affected with it As the grievousness of a Disease maketh the recovery more delightful The Law condemned you his Ransom must absolve you Sin made you dead his Graâ—e quickneth and puts Life into you Always as our sense of Misery is so is the sense of the Recovery if one be bitter the other is sweet None prize and esteem Christ so much as the broken-hearted and burdened 2. An intire Conâ—idence of Christ For so it followeth Have no Confidence in the Flesh. If we have no Confidence in the Flesh and look for all from the Mercy and Bounty of God through Christ we shall prize him 1 Pet. 2. 7. Vnto you therefore which believe he is precious Phil. 3. 8. Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the Excellency of the Knowledg of Christ Iesus my Lord. 3. A conâ—â—ant use of the Means whereby this Joy may
too early he might meet with a Lion in his range and walk before they were retired into their Dens Thus do Men alarm themselves with their own foolish fears to excuse their idleness and negligence So again Prov. 15. 19. The way of the slothful is as an hedg of thorns but the way of the Righteous is made plain They imagine difficulties and intollerable hardships in a course of Godliness but 't is their cowardise and pusilanimous negligence which maketh the Ways of God seem hard they are all comfortable plain and easy to the pure and upright Heart and willing Mind Come we to the New Testament Luke 14. 18 19 20. They all with one consent began to make excuse The first said I have bought me a piece of Ground and I must go to see it I pray thee have me excused And another said I have bought five yoke of Oxen and I go to prove them I pray thee have me excused And another said I have married a Wife and cannot come The meaning is Many were invited to everlasting Happiness but they preferred their designs of worldly advantages Mark they do not absolutely deny but make excuse Excuses are the fruit of the quarrel between Conviction and Corruption They are convinced of better things but being prepossessed and biassed with worldly Inclinations they dare not fully yield nor flatly deny therefore they chose a middle course to make excuses Doing is safe or preparing our selves to do but excusing is but a patch upon a filthy sore or a poor covering of Fig-leagues for a naughty Heart 3. The usual excuses which Sinners may and usually do allege are these four The Difficulty of Religion The danger that attendeth it Want of Time And that they have no power or strength to do good 1. For the first 'T is troublesome and tedious to Flesh and Blood to be held to so much Duty and to wean our Hearts from things we so dearly love and the World thinketh that we are too nice and precise to urge Men to such a strict and holy and heavenly Life and less ado will serve the turn To this I answer 〈…〉 deligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless And therefore if you cannot deny the ease and sloth of the Flesh you are wholly unfit for the Work of Godliness 2. This Diligence is no more than needeth whatever the carnal World thinketh who leave the Boat to the Stream and hope to be accepted with God for a few cold and drowsy Devotions or some superficial Righteousness A Painter-stainer will think a Painter-limner too curious because his own work is but a little daubing The broad way pleaseth the World best but the narrow way leadeth to Life 3. This Diligence may be well afforded considering that eternal Life and Death is in the case Life Will you stop a Journey for your Lives because 't is a little tedious or there is Dirt in the way or the Wind bloweth on you and the like Since 't is for God and Heaven we should not grudg at a little labour 1 Cor. 15. 58. Therefore be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the Work of the Lord forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. There is also Death in the case Now which is better To take a little profitable pains in Godliness or to endure everlasting Torments to save a little labour or diligence in the holy Life and run the hazard of being miserable for ever Which is worst the trouble of Physick or the danger of a mortal Disease 2. Another Excuse is the Danger which attendeth it It may expose you to great Troubles to own God and Religion heartily And if there be Peace abroad and Magistrates countenanâ—â— Religion yet many times at home a Man's greatest Foes may be those of his own Houshold Mat. 10. 36. But for the pleasing or displeasing of your Relations you must not neglect your Duty to God as Ierom to Helidorus Per calcatum perge Patrem If thy Father lie in the way tread upon his Bowels rather than not come unto Christ. Our Lord hath expresly told us Mat. 10. 37. He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not worthy of me Neither favour nor disfavour of our Friends is a just lett or impediment to our Duty The Advantages we can or are likely to receive from Parents are not worthy to be compared with those we expect from God nor is their Authority over us so great as God's is Luke 14. 26. If any Man come to me and hate not his Father or Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also he cannot be my Disciple Though Christianity doth not discharge us from obedience to Parents yet the higher Duty must be preferred namely obedience to Christ and loving less is hating 3. Another excuse is I have no time to mind Soul-affairs My distractions in the World are so great and my course of life is such that I have no leisure I answer Will you neglect God and Salvation because you have worldly things to mind Whatever your business be you have a time to eat and drink and sleep and have you no time to be saved Better incroach upon other things than that Religion should be cast to the Walls or justled out of your thoughts David was a King and he had more distracting cares than most of us have or can have yet he saith Psal. 119. 147 148. I prevented the dawning of the Morning and cried I hoped in thy Word Mine Eyes prevent the Night-watches that I may meditate in thy Word And v. 164. Sâ—ven times a day do I praise thee because of thy Righteous Iudgments Do you spend no time in idleness vain talking and carnal sports and might not this be better employed about heavenly things Ephes. 5. 15 16. See then that â—e walk circumspectly not as Fools but as Wise redeeming the time because the days arâ— evil Vitam non accipimus brevem sed fecimus nec inopes temporis sed prodigi sumus God hath not sâ—t you about Work that he alloweth you no time for but we waste our time and then God is straitned Many poorer than you have time because they have an heart and will to improve it 4. I have no power or strength to do good And what will you have us do This is the excuse of the idle and naughty Servant Mat. 25. 24. I knew that thou wert an hard Man reaping where thou hast not sowen and gathering where thou hast not strawed God sets you about work but giveth you no strength is your â—xcuse but certainly you can do more than you do but you will not make trial God may be more ready with the assistances of his Grace thau you can imagine The tired Man may complain of the length of the way but not the lazy who will not stir a foot If you did make trial you would not
evident to you 1. I shall prove That all other things must be hazarded for the saving of the Soul 2. That nothing will make us hazard all things for the purchasing or acquiring the Salvation of the Soul but only Faith 1. That all other things must be hazarded for the saving of the Soul Mat. 10. 39. He that findeth his Life shall lose it and he that loseth his Life for my sake shall find it So 't is repeated again upon the occasion of the Doctrine of Self-denial Mat. â—6 25 26. The saving of the Soul is more than the getting and keeping or having of all the World For the World concerneth only the Body and bodily Life but the saving of Soul concerneth Eternal Life If Life be lost Temporally 't is secured to Eternity when we shall have a Life which no Man can take from us And the Case standeth thus That either we must bring Eternal Perdition upon our selves or else obtain Eternal Salvation They that are thrifty of Life bodily and the Comforts and Interests of it are certainly prodigal of their Salvation But on the other side If we are willing to venture Life Temporal and all the Interests thereof for the saving of the Soul we make a good Bargain That which is left for a while is preserved to us for for ever In short so much as God is to be preferred before the Creature Heaven before the World the Soul before the Body Eternity before Time so much doth it concern us to have the better part safe And as Men in a great Fire and general Conflagration will hazard their Lumber to preserve their Treasure their Mony or their Jewels So should we take care that if we must lose one or other that the better part be out of hazard And what-ever we lose by the way we may be sure to come well to the end of our Journey 2. That nothing will make us hazard all things for the purchasing or acquiring the Salvation of the Soul but only Faith The Flesh is importunate to be pleased Sense saith to us Favour thy self that is spare the Flesh But Faith saith Save thy Soul Faith which apprehendeth things future and invisible will teach us to value all things according to their worth and to lose some present satisfaction for that future and eternal Gain which the Promises of God do offer to us Now Faith doth this two ways By convincing us of the Worth and of the Truth of things promised by God through Christ. The Apostle when he bloweth his Trumpet and summoneth our reverence and attentive regard to the Gospel in that Preface 1 Tim. 1. 15. he saith This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Iesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners Salvation by Christ is worthy to be regarded above all things And if it be true all things should give place unto it Now Faith convinceth us of the Worth and Truth and maketh us to take the thing promised for all our Treasure and Happiness and the Promise it self or the Word of God for our whole security 1. It maketh us to take the thing promised for all our Treasure and Happiness Mat. 6. 19 20 21. Lay not up for your selves Treasures upon Earth where Moth and Rust doth corrupt and where Thieves break through and steal But lay up for your selves Treasure in Heaven where neither Moth nor Rust doth corrupt nor Thieves break through and steal For where your Treasure is there your Heart will be also It highly concerneth us to consider what we make our Treasure Worldly things are subject to many Accidents and deseâ—ve not our love nor esteem only heavenly things deserve to be our Treasure If our Hearts be set upon these things 't is a sign we value what Christ hath offered So 2 Cor. 4. 18. While we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are Temporal but the things which are not seen are Eternal We make these things our End aud Scope and Happiness 'T is easy to prove the worth of these things in the general as 't is easy to prove that Eternity is better than Time that things incorruptible are better than those which are subject to corruption That things exempted from Casualty are better than those things which are liable to Casualty and are not out of the reach of Robbery and Violence But to Creatures wedded to sense and present enjoyment 't is difficult and hard to cause them to set their Hearts in another World and to lay up their Hopes in Heaven and to part with all things which they see and love and find comfortable to their Senses for that God and Glory which they never saw This is the Business of Faith or the Work of the Spirit of Illumination changing their Hearts and Minds This general Truth all will determine as that things Eternal are better than things Temporal But we undervalue these gracious Promises whose accomplishment must with patience be expected whilst their future Goodness cometh in actual competition with these bodily Delights which we must forgo and those grievous bodily Afflictions which we must endure out of sincere respect to Christ and his Ways Therefore before there can be any true self-denial Faith must incline us to this offered Benefit as our true Treasure and Happiness whatever we forgo or undergo to attain it 2. For the truth of it the Word of God must be our whole security as being enough to support our Hearts in waiting for it however God cover himself with Frowns and an appearance of Anger in those Afflictions which befal us in the way thither The Word of God is all in all to his People Thy Testimonies have I taken as my Heritage for ever they are the rejoicing of my Soul Psal. 119. 111. If a Man hath little ready Mony yet if he have an Heritage to live upon or sure Bonds he is well â—paid So is a Believer rich in Promises which being the Promises of the Almighty and Immutable God and built upon the everlasting Merit of Christ are as good to him as Performances and therefore cause joy in some Proportion as if the things were in hand Heb. 11. 13. These all died in Faith not having received the Promises but having seen then afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them And Psalm 56. 4. In God will I praise his Word in God have I put my trust I will not fear what Man can do unto me Faith resteth upon God's Word who is able to save to the uttermost all that come to him by Christ. 1. Vse is Information concerning a weighty Truth namely what the Faith is by which the Just do live 'T is such a trust or confidence in God's Promises of eternal Life through Iesus Christ as that we forsake all other hopes and happiness whatsoever that we may obtain it To make good this Description to you let me
Spirit which is the great Testimony and Pledg of his Love then is our Pardon executed or actually applied to us And we receive the Attonement Rom. 5. 11. And 2 Cor 5. 8. All things are of God who hath reconciled us to himself by Iesus Câ—rist that is all thiâ—gs which belong to the New Creature vers 17. And that 's the Reason why God is said to sanctify as a God of Peace that is as reconciled to us in Christ see 1 Thess. 5. 23. And the very God of Peace sanctify you wholly and Heb. 13. 20 21. Now the God of Peace that brought again from the Dead our Lord Iesus that great Shepherd of the Sheep through the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant make you perfect in every good Work to do his Will c. And in all God's internal Government with the Saints he sheweth his pleasure or displeasure with the Saints by giving or withholding and withdrawing the Spirit as it were easy to prove to you Well then you see the Reasons why in believing in Christ we reflect the Eye of our Faith on Reconciliation as the prime initial Benefit 2. The next great consummating Benefit is the everlasting Fruition of God in Glory For Christ's Office is to recover us to God and bring us to God which is never fully and compleatly done till we come to Heaven Therefore the saving of the Soul is the prime Benefit offered to us by Jesus Christ to which all other tend As Justification and Sanctification and by which all our Pains and Losses for Christ are recompenced and from which we fetch our comfort all along the course of our Pilgrimage and upon the Hopes of which the Life of Grace is carried on and the Temptations of sense are defeated So that this is the main Blâ—ssing which Faith aimeth at see the Scriptures 1 Tim. 1. 16. For a Pattern to them who should hereafter believe on him to everlasting Life Wherefore do Men believe in Christ but for this end that they may obtain everlasting Life Wherefore were the Scriptures written John 20. 31. These things are written that ye might believe that Iesus is the Christ the Son of God and that believing ye might have Life through his Name The Scriptures are written thâ—â— we might know Christ aright who is the â—ernel and Marrow of them and the chief Benefit we have by him is Life or the Salvation of our Souls and therefore well may it be called in the Text The End of our Faith 4. In the next place I add the immediate Acts and Effects of it 1. Such as maketh us to forsake all things in this World And 2. give up our selves to the Conduct of the Word and Spirit for the obtaining this Happiness 1. To forsake all things in this World As soon as we address our selves seriously to believe we turn our backs upon them namely upon the Pleasures and Honours and Profits of this World We forsake them in Vow and Resolution when we are converted and begin to believe for Conversion is a turning from the Creature to God As soon as we 〈◊〉 believe and hope for the Fruition of God in Glory as purchased and promised by Christ our hearts are weaned and withdrawn from the false Happiness not perfectly but yet sincerely and we actually renounce and forsake them at the call of God's Providence when they are inconsistent with our fidelity to Christ and the hopes of that Happiness which his Promises offer to us Now that our Faith must be expressed by forsaking all yea that it is essential to Faith and nothing else is saving-Faith but this as appeareth 1. By the Doctrinal Descriptions of it in the Gospel which I shall describe to you according to my usual method our Lord hath told us That the Kingdâ—m of Heaven is like a Merchant man Mat. 13. 45 46. seeking goodly Pearls Who when he had found one Pearl of great Price he went and sold all that he had and bought it And surely he knew the Nature of Faith better than we do Many cheapen the Pearl of Priâ—e but they do not go through with the â—â—â—gain because they do not sell all to purchase iâ— Faith implieth such a sense of the Excellency and Truth of Salvaâ—ion by Christ that you must chuse it and let go all which is inconsistent with this Choice and Trust. All your sinful Pleasures Profit Reputation and Life it self rather than forfeit these Hopes Luke 14. 26. 〈◊〉 any Man come to me and hate not Father and Mother and Brother and 〈…〉 Disciple and his own Life he cannot 〈…〉 And vers 33. Whosoeve◠〈…〉 that forsaketh not all that he hath he cannot be my Disciple After such express Declarations of the Will of Christ why should we think of going to Heaven at a châ—â—per rate Christ must be preferred above all that is nearest or dearest or else he will not be for our turn nor we for his The same is inferred out of the Doctrine of Self-denial Mat. 16. 24. If any Man will come after me let him deny himself and take up his Cross and follow me For Self-denial hath a greater Relation to Faith and is nearer of kin to Faith than the World imagineth 't is the immediate Fruit of our Trust. If God be trusted as our supream Felicity he must be loved above all things and all things must give way to God If Christ be trusted as the way to the Father all things must be counted dung and loss that we may gain Christ Phil. 3. 8. The same is inferred out of the Baptismal Covenant which is a renouncing the Devil the World and the Flesh and a chusing Father Son and Holy Ghost for our God if there be a chusing there must be a renouncing The Devil by the World tempts our Flesh from the Christian Hope therefore Idols must be renounced before we can have the True God for our God Iosh. 24. 23. Put away the strange Gods which are among you and incline your Heart to the Lord God of Israel Naturally our God is our Belly while Carnal Phil. 3. 19. Mammon is our God Mat. 6. 24. The Devil is our God Col. 1. 13. And Ephes. 2. 2 3. Wherein in times past ye walked according to the course of this World according to the Prince of the Power of the Air the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of Disobedience Among whom also we all had our Conversation in times past in the Lusts of our Flesh fulfilling the Desires of the Flesh and of the Mind and were by Nature the Children of Wrath even as others Besides the Nature of the thing Baptism implieth this Renunciation 1 Pet. 3. 21. And this Renunciation is nothing else but a forsaking all that we may have eternal Life by Christ. 2. It appeareth by Reasons For 1. Faith cannot be without this forsaking Nor 2. this forsaking without Faith 1. Faith cannot be without this forsaking For Faith implieth a sight of the Truth and