conceiue for all things beegin with heauenly light of the understanding all grace comes into the soule by the understanding There is no sanctifying grace in the affections but it comes by enlightning the understanding we see the grounds of it in the understanding first God opens the understanding and then he opens the memory to retaine That the memory may bee as the pot of Mannah to hold heauenly things he opens and strengthens it with retention to keepe them and he opens the will to close with holy things and the affections to joy and delight in them So the heart is the whole inward man he not only enlightens the understanding but infuseth grace into the will and affections into the whole inward man We must take it in that extent for else if God should only open the understanding and not through the understanding flow into the will by the power of his spirit the will would alway rebell as indeed it is a poysonfull thing there is nothing so malicious next the divell as the will of man God will haue one way and it will haue another Therefore God doth not only open the vnderstanding to conceiue but he opens the will to close with and to imbrace that that is good or else it will take head and take armes against the understanding in that that is good and neuer come to the worke of grace Therefore take it so he opened the will and affections as well as the understanding though what-soeuer is in the will and affections comes through the understāding as well as heate comes through light God opened her heart to what end To attend to the things that were spoken of Paul THe word signifies to applie and set her mind to the things that Paul said to joyne and fasten the mind to what Paul sayd First you see then here is the opening of the heart before there is attending before there can bee any attending and applying of the mind the mind must be sanctified and strengthened the soule must be sanctified before it can attend The reason is nothing can flow but from a sutable facultie and ability to attend is a power and act of the soule it must come from a sanctified power of the soule the heart must first bee opened and then the heart attends God sayth he will circumcise the heart and then we shall loue him he sanctifies the heart and then it loues him God changeth and altereth the frame of the soule and then holy actions come from it First grace begins with the abilities and powers of the soule the heart is opened and then come holy actions sutable There is no proportion betweene holy actions and an vnsanctified soule the heart must first be opened and then it attends Whose heart the Lord opened that shee attended c. YOU see then in the next place that God opening the heart of any Christian it is to carrie the attention to the word God by grace carries the heart to the word shee attended to what Paul spake Where true grace is wrought it carries not to speculation or to practise this or that idle dreame but where the heart is open grace carries to attend to the word especially to the good word the Gospell of Christ. As grace is wrought by the word so it carries the soule to the word And therefore it may be a use of tryall to know whether wee haue our hearts wrought on by the grace of God or no whether GOD by his spirit haue opened our hearts or no if our hearts be carried to the blessed word of God to rellish that If they be God hath opened our hearts to attend to the word And there is no better evidence of a child of God then that that is fetched from the affection that hee carries to the word and blessed truth of God Oh! he rellisheth it as his appointed food he cannot be without it take away that and you take away his life My Sheepe heare my voyce you are none of mine because you heare not my word A delight in the blessed truth of God is an argument that God hath first opened the heart Therefore poore soules when they want good evidence when they doubt whether their estate be good or no Let them consider what rellish they have of diuine truths Whether it be connaturall to the word or no whether it be savourie or no whether they could be without the meanes of salvation or no and let them judge of themselves by their delight in Gods truth her heart was opened to attend to the word Shee attended to the things which were spoken of Paul WHich were the blessed truths of salvation The forgiuenesse of sinnes The free mercy of God in Christ. The particulars are not set downe but it was the Gospell and shee beleeued upon it therefore it must needes be the word of faith We see heere then that The seed and ground of faith is the Gospell Her heart was opened to attend to that that Paul spake which was the Gospell And indeed so it is The foundation of faith the word of faith is the Gospell nothing can breed faith but the word of God for how can wee hope for heauen and happinesse but by the mind of God discovered Can we looke for any thing but GOD must discover his mind to bestow it and where haue wee the mind and bosome of God opened to us is it not from the scriptures the word of God from the good word especially It is called the word of grace and the word of the Kingdome and of glory The word of life because by it all these blessed things are conveyed to us Now it is not the word simply here but the word spoken by Paul that is the word preached by an authorized minister is the usuall meanes of faith her heart was opened to attend to what was spoken by Paul an authorized minister so the word preached is the ordinary though not the sole foundation of faith Therefore the Apostle saith that God by that converted the world by the foolishnesse of preaching And in the ladder of heauen in Rom. 10. How shall they call on him of whom they haue not heard and how shall they preach except they bee sent so there is no faith without teaching The point is playne you heare it oft The word is the ground of faith and the word especially as it is preached by a Paul by a Minister unfolding it Therefore be stirred up as yee fauour the soules of Gods people to pray to God to send labourers into his harvest and to pray that the Gospell and the preaching of it may haue a free passage that God would set vp lights in all the darke corners of the kingdome and every where to those that are in darkenesse and in the shadow of death And blessed are their indeauour that labour that the Gospell may be preached in euery part of the Kingdom For we see here it
God they are the three issues of a gracious beleeuing heart and where they are not there is no faith at all I beseech you let us imitate this blessed woman You see here the name of Lydia is precious in the Church the name of Lydia as it is sayd of Iosiah it is as a boxe of oyntment powred out the name of Lydia cannot bee named in the Church but there is a sweete sauour with it As soone as shee beleeued the Holy Ghost the spirit of GOD blowing upon the garden of her heart where the spice of Grace was sowed stirred vp a sweete sent of faith and of bountie and liberalitie in the cause of Christ. Let not this bee in vaine to us but euery one of us labour to bee like Lydia you see what loadestone drew PAVL heere to goe unto her house shee had Faith and shee expressed it in loue Let us labour to haue faith and to expresse it in loue to GOD vnto CHRIST to his people and word and ordinances that haue his stampe on them and let us boldly owne the cause of CHRIST let us not regard the censures of vaine men that say thus and thus Faith and loue forget danger it is bold Shee forgot all the danger that shee was in by countenancing Paul and such men Let us labour for faith and loue and wee shall not say this and that There is a Lion in the way but wee shall goe on boldly vntill wee doe receiue the end of our faith and loue the salvation of our soules FINIS The Table A. Abasement part page CHrists word powerfull in his abasement 2.92 Affections Affections to Religion strong in women 1.9 Affliction Affliction why sent of God 2.58 Prayer a remedy in affliction 2.60 Angels Praise a duty fit for Angels 2.108 Appetite To blesse God for appetite 2.46 Spiritual appetite how recovered 2.140 Attend Attention God opens the heart to attend 1.46 Attention necessary 1.54 Directions to attend on the Word 1.57 Trials of attending aright 1.69 Attire Selling and wearing rich Attire lawfull 1.17 Atheisme see Nature B. Baptisme Baptisme a seale of salvation 1.76 How to thinke of our Baptisme 1.78 Beginning Great things from small beginnings 1.11 Boldnesse see Sinceritie C. Callings Callings allowed of God 1.14 Censure Censure of wicked men not to be regarded 2.24 Command Command of God over all things 2.84 Commerce Commerce lawfull 1.15 Confirme Approbation of strong Christians confirmes the weak 1.95 Crie Gods children crie in afflictions 2.57 D. Death Gates of death what 2.49 Death how to disarme it 2.53 Deferre God why hee deferres helpe 2.81 Dishonour Only wicked men dishonour God 2.104 displease To take heed of displeasing God 2.87 Distemper What to doe in spirituall distempers 2.141 Divinitie Divinitie transcends other Arts. 2.37 E. End Fooles forget their End 2.17 Epicures Happinesse of Epicures unstable 2.45 Extremitie see Crie F Faith Faith trialls of it 1.104 Fooles Folly Wicked men fooles 2.9 Why they are fooles 2.10 Folly in Gods children 2.25 Fruitfull True faith fruitfull 1.101 G. Garments Garments the use of them 1.16 Gates see Death God God to bee sought in trouble 2.35 Gospell Gospell the ground of faith 1.50 H. Heathen God heares the prayers of the Heathen 2.21 Heart Heart opened by God 1.32.34 Heart what meant by it 1.40 Humiliation Ground of humiliation of wicked men 2.21 I. Iesting Iesting with sinne a signe of folly 2.16 Invitation Lydia's invitation 1.99 Iustifie To justifie God in his judgements 2.33 L. Labourers Labourers to be prayed for in Gods harvest 1.52 Love Trials of faith by love 1.104 M. Meanes God brings the elect under meanes 1.29 Mind The mind must be sanctified to attend to the Word 1.43 Miserie Miserie of wicked men 2.50 Why God suffers men to fall into great miserie 2.55 Murmuring Murmuring in trouble the cause of it 2.39 N. Nature Atheisme against nature 2.57 Notice God takes particular notice of his 1.7 O. Open. Trials whether the heart bee open 1.46 See heart Passion Wicked men fooles for their passion 2.12 Passion how it presents things 2.13 Patience Patience to others the ground of it 1.38 Patience in our selves 2.34 People People of three sorts before Christ. 1.19 Pestilence To praise God for deliverance from the pestilence 2.129 Physitian God the best Physitian 1.71 Power Powerfull Gods word Powerfull 2.83 Incouragements to pray from Gods power 2.89 See Abasement Poyson Sinne as poyson 2.41 Prayer What state we are fit to pray in 2.62 Prayer to God successefull 2.73 See affliction Praise All men to praise God 2.99 Other creatures how they prayse God 2.102 Prayse the end of all we doe 2.109 Helps and meanes to prayse God 2.113 Preached The Word preached the usuall meanes of faith 1.51 Preaching how to be prized 1.54 Preparation Workes of preparation necessary 1.20 Preparation from God 1.21 Preparations remove hindrances 1.22 Progresse of preparation 1.24 Preparations not to bee rested in 1.31 Providence Instances of Gods providence 2.3 R. Rod. Sinne puts a rod into Gods hand 2.40 S. Sicknesse Sinne the cause of sicknesse 2.32 Sicknesse how from God 2.38 Extremitie of sicknesse 2.43 Naturall cause of sicknesse 2.44 How to converse with the sicke 2.47 To have recourse to God in sicknesse 2.73 Sight Foure things requisite to sight 1.55 Sinne. Aggravation of sinne 2.22 Vnhappy succession of sinne 2.31 Beginnings of sinne to bee avoided Ibid. Particular sinnes to be searçhed out 2.34 What sinnes hinder prayer 2.82 Sinceritie The boldnesse of sinceritie 1.95 Soule God by his Word heales the soule 1.137 T. Table Whence the breach of the second Table comes 2.27 W. Waiting Waiting after prayer necessarie 2.79 Weake How to judge of weake Christians 1.77 Wisdome Spirituall Wisdome to bee begged 2.23 Wittie Wicked men wittie in their Generation 2.18 Women See Affections Word See Power Worldling The course of Worldlings 2.35 Wound Fooles wound themselves 2.20 FINIS A Rescue from DEATH with a Returne of Praise PSAL. 107.17 c. Fooles because of their transgressions and because of their iniquities are afflicted c. THis Psalme containeth some passages concerning Gods particular sweete Providence not onely to the Church but to other men for Hee that created all things even the meanest creature must haue a providence over all things his providence must extend it selfe as large as his creation for what is providence but a continuance of creation a preservation of those things in being that God hath given to have a being The Prophet here of purpose opposeth the profane conceits of them that thinke God sits in heaven and lets things goe on earth as if he cared not for them it was the fault of the best Philosophers to ascribe too much to second causes The Psalmist here shewes that God hath a most particular providence in every thing First hee sets it downe in generall and then hee brancheth it out into particulars especially foure wherein hee specifieth Gods providence The first instance is of those
THE RICHES OF MERCIE In two Treatises 1 Lydia's Conversion 2. A Rescue from death By the late learned and reverend Divine RICHARD SIBBS Doctor in Divinitie Published by the Authors own appointment and subscribed with his owne hand to prevent imperfect Copies 1 SAM 2.6 The Lord killeth and maketh alive hee bringeth downe to the Grave and bringeth up LONDON Printed by I. D. for Francis Eglesfeild and are to be sold by him at the signe of the Marigold in Pauls Church-yard 1638. LYDIAS Conversion ACT. 16.14 And a certaine woman named Lydia a seller of Purple of the Citie of Thyatira that worshipped God whose heart the Lord opened that shee attended to the things that were spoken of Paul And when c. THE holy Apostle Saint Paula vessell of mercie having found mercie himselfe of God was a fit instrument to preach mercy to others Hereupon he was appointed to be a preacher to the Gentiles Among the rest of the Gentiles he was called to preach to them of Macedonia and it was by a vision as we see in the former part of the Chapter A man of Macedonia appeared to Paul by night and sayd Come to Macedonia and helpe us Indeed the state of the people of Macedonia called for help as now the state of many people doth though there be not such a vision as a man of Macedonia yet their wretched estate being under the Kingdome of Satan cries Come and help us though they doe not crie with their mouthes yet their estate cries The Apostle upon this vision takes his journey to come toward Macedonia and he stayed there a good while Hee abode certaine dayes Though God called him to Macedonia yet God did not giue him great incouragement for the present This is the manner of Gods carriage not to discouer at the present what he wil doe but leads people on by gentle incouragements and to humble them the more with little fruit at the first hee abode there certaine dayes without any great fruit Afterwards he goes out to Philippi the cheife City in Macedonia and on the Sabbath day the people were gathered together a company of women were resorted together and there he preached to them As indeed holy communion is never without a blessing they met together on a good day the Sabbath and for a good end they were met together Now Paul tooke the advantage of their meeting together on the Sabbath day he cast his net and he catcheth one with her family namely Lydia The Gospell was a sweete savour of salvation to her Hereupon there is a discourse of Lydia a short story of Lydia a story worthy to bee thought of which is in the words of my text A certaine woman named Lydia c. SHee is described First by her person and sex a certaine woman By her name Lydia By her calling a seller of purple By her citie Thiatira By her pious disposition shee worshipped God And then her conversion is set downe by the cause of it God opened her heart And what followed upon that opening of her heart shee attended to the things that were spoken by Paul and likewise shee was baptised with all her household And then the sweet fruit that this conversion of her with all her household had presently shee shewed the loue that shee felt from God in converting her to the blessed Apostle and his company shee besought them saying If yee haue judged mee faithfull to the Lord Come to my house c. which words I shall vnfold as I come to them And a certaine woman named Lydia a seller of purple c. FIRST here-is a description of her person and sexe and name and calling and city and disposition God takes notice of all the particulars of those that are his he delights to speake of them those that haue their names written in the booke of life hee knowes their names and callings and persons they are as Iewels in his eye they are written on the palmes of his hands hee takes more speciall notice of them then of the rest of the world Therefore the Apostle is very punctuall in the description of all particulars For her person I will be very short I will giue but a note or two and so come to that I mainly ayme at her conversion A certaine woman named Lydia FOR her sex shee and the rest were women that were gathered together as wee see in the former verse In Christ Iesus there is neither male nor female Sin came in by a woman and the meanes of salvation was by a woman too here were a company of women gathered together For the most part women haue sweet affections to religion and therein they oft goe beyond men The reason is Religion is especially seated in the affections and they haue sweet and strong affections Likewise they are subiect to weakenesse and God delights to shew his strength in weaknesse And thirdly especially Child bearing-women bring others into this life with danger of their own therefore they are forced to a nearer communion with God because so many children as they bring forth they are in perill of their liues Therefore the Apostle here mentions a company of women that were gathered together and among the rest a Certaine woman named Lydia What! a woman to bee the foundation of the Church of Macedonia a poore woman and then a Gaoler afterward a rugged rough Gaoler for these to be the foundation of so famous a Church as Philippi and other Churches in Macedonia Oh! yes the Kingdome of heauen is as a graine of mustard seed small in the beginning It is so in regard of the Church it selfe and in regard of the grace that euery particular member hath it is little and weake beginnings Christians are not as the Angels were perfect at the first The Church growes by little and little Therefore we should not be discouraged when the plantation of the Gospell hath poore successe at the beginning We see in the Church of Macedonia there was little successe at the first A woman and a rough Gaoler a Gaoler that both by calling and disposition and custome was a man hard and hardned too yet these two were the foundation of a great Church Was it not so among our selues The Church of latter times in the time of reformation how began it By a child and a woman King Edward the sixt and Queene Elizabeth of famous memory Therfore as the Prophet sayth Who art thou that despisest the day of little things despise not little things There is nothing lesse then grace at the first But as Christ the stocke of Iesse rose from the dead and rose up to heaven and overspreads the world now so euery Christian riseth of meane beginnings and so doth the Church it selfe A certaine woman named Lydia shee was the foundation of a famous Church Then shee is set downe by her calling A Seller of Purple GOD allowes callings The calling of Christianity
I will not force this point further at this time Shee was a woman that feared and worshipped God Shee was faithfull in that light shee had and to him that hath shal be given Shee worspipped God NOT in any sight of her owne she had the grace of God from the spirit of God All feare comes from the spirit of God initiall feare and ripened feare all feare is from God but I will not conflict with adversaries at this time You see the person a woman her calling A seller of purple and her pious disposition shee was such a one as worshipped God And she heard Paul The sweete providence of God brings those that belong to Election vnder the compasse of the means at one time or other Let the divell and the instruments of the Divell rage and oppose and doe what they can those that belong to God God will haue a time to bring them within the compasse of his calling and effectually call them by his spirit As here Lydia there was a sweete preventing providence that shee never thought of God brought an Apostle for the saluation of her soule shee heard Paul and was converted To come to the description of her conversion in the next words Whose heart the Lord opened to attend to the things that were spoken of Paul GOD opened her heart To what purpose To attend to the things spoken of Paul God by the word preached opens the heart to attend to the word by the word we are fitted to the word The spirit and the word draw us to themselues The spirit and the word draw us to regard the word by the word her heart was opened to attend to the word First I will speake of the opening her heart And then of her attending upon the word preached by Paul God opened her heart Shee was a religious woman yet her heart was shut before God opened it Shee was religious in her kind yet her heart must be further opened before shee could bee saved There is no staying in preparations in this or that degree as many abortiues in our times that make many offers they haue the spirit of bondage and are cast downe but there they stick and neuer come to proofe But those that will attaine to salvation must not rest in religious dispositions in good affections and gracious offers they must goe on further and further as wee see here God opened her heart Obserue then in the opening of the heart these things First the heart is naturally shut and closed up as indeed it is to spirituall things it is open enough to the world and to base contentments here but it is shut to heauen and heauenly things naturally it is cleane locked up Partly in its owne nature being corrupt and earthly partly because Sathan he beseigeth all the senses and shuts up all There is a spirit of deafenesse and blindnesse and a spirit of darknes and deafnesse in people before God hath brought them by the powerfull worke of the Gospell from the Kingdome of Satan that poffesseth every man naturally Naturally therefore our hearts are not open but locked and shut up that is supposed here so that except God be mercifull to breake the prison as it were whereby by vnbeleife and the wickednesse of our nature we are shutt up there is no hope of salvation at all God opens the heart The second thing is this that as our hearts are shut and closed up naturally so God and God alone opens the heart by his spirit in the use of the means God opened Lydia's heart God hath many keyes he hath the key of heauen to coÌ„mand the raine to come downe he hath the key of the wombe the key of hell and the graue and the key of the heart especially He opens and no man shuts and shuts and no men opens He hath the key of the heart to open the vnderstanding the memory the will and affections God and God only hath the key of the heart to open that it is his prerogatiue He made the heart and he onely hath to doe with the heart he can vnmake it and make it new againe as those that make locks can doe And if the heart be in ill temper hee can take it in peices and bring it to nothing as it were as it must be before conversion and he can make it a new heart againe It is God that opens the heart and God only All the Angels in heauen cannot giue one grace not the least grace Grace comes meerly from God it is meerly from God All the creatures in the world cannot open the heart but God only by his holy spirit For nature cannot doe aboue its sphere as we say aboue its owne power Naturall things can doe but naturall things For nature to raise it selfe up to beleeue heavenly things it cannot be Therefore as you see vapours goe as high as the sunne drawes them up and no higher so the soule of man is lift up to heauenly thâ—ngs by the power of Gods spirit God drawes us and then we follow God I say onely openeth the heart Because there is not only want of strength in the soule to open it selfe but likewise there is enmity and poyson in the heart â—o shut it selfe and shut out all goodnesse A man hath no senses to spirituall things no eyes no eares no taft no life Nay there is an opposition to all A naturall man perceiveth not the things of God neither can he he wants senses and those senses hee hath are set against goodnesse as the Apostle saith he esteemeth them foolishnesse I need not bee much in so easie an argument that you are well enough acquainted with Naturally the heart is shut and God only must open it This should teach us patience when we can do little good with those that are under us by all our instructions and corrections wait the due time Grace is not of thy giving the heart is not of thy opening or of any mans opening therefore as it is 2 Tim. 2. waite and beare with patience men of contrarie minds waiting when God in due time giue them grace to repent Grace is Gods creature it is none of our owne Therefore take heed that we be not short angry spirited if we cannot haue all we would haue of those that are under us children or servants let us waite Gods time he opens the heart in his time And if wee find not grace wrought in our owne hearts at the first or second or third sermon Let us doe as hee at the Poole of Bethesda lie there till the Angell stirre the water till God bee effectuall by his spirit God doth it and he only doth it only we must waite he will doe it in his good time be not ouer short-spirited This we ought to obserue out of these words God opened the heart of Lydia The heart is put for the whole soule he opened her understanding to
is the word unfolded the unsearchable riches of Christ spread open the Tapestry laid open that usually beget faith The mine must be digged people must see it familiarly layd open Therfore saith he here Lydia's heart was opened and shee attended to the word spoken by Paul Let this teach us to set a price upon the ordinance of God doth God set up an ordinance and will he not giue vertue and power to it Yes there is a majesty and a power in the word of God to pul people out of the Kingdome of Sathan to the blessed light of Gods Kingdome It was the word and the word opened by the ministery of Paul But it was the word and the word opened and attended to shee mixed it with her attention and her heart closed with it There are these 3. goe together The word and the word preached and then attending to the word preachedth at was the ground of her faith these 3. meeting together There are these foure things must alwayes be in the senses of our body If wee will see there must be an object to see we must see something and a facultie to see our eye and then a light whereby wee see we cannot see in the dark And then there must bee an application of the eye to see the object by that light So in spirituall things there is the blessed truth of God the mercie of God in Iesus Christ that wee may see these things wee must haue a light by which we may see them And there must be a power to see which is the sanctified opened understanding when the understanding is opened then there is an application of the soule to attend to the word of God by the light of the word So that there must be application and attention to the word before the word can doe us good it must be applyed to the object the tast to the thing tasted and so in all the other senses Attention is a speciall thing how many sermons are lost in this Citie that are as seed drowned that never come to fruite I thinke there is no place in the world where there is so much preaching and no place where there are so many sermons lost why because people want a retaining power and facultie to attend and retaine and keepe what wee heare shee attended to the word preached To giue a little direction in this poynt of attending and applying the mind not to speake much I will name two or three principall things that I thinke fit at this time If we would come as we should to the word preached let us search our wants before wee come and all the occasions wee shall have to encounter with all temptations that we are like to encounter with let us fore-cast by presenting to our soules I am weake in knowledge and I want such graces I am like to encounter with such temptations I am too weake for it I shall meete with such adversaries I know not how to answer them I am plunged in such businesses I shall be lost in them without grace then the soule comes with a mind to be supplied and then it will attend and wll pray for the preacher Oh Lord direct him that he may speak fitly to me somewhat for my understanding somewhat for my affections somewhat to helpe me against such such a temptation this is wanting and therfore we profit no more by the word then we doe Then when we come to heare the word let us heare it with all spirituall subjection as that Word that hath power to Command the conscience This is the word of God the Minister of God speaks in the place of God to me I must give an account of it I will subject my conscience to it It is spoken with evidence and proved I will stoupe to it Thus we should come with subjection of soule and conscience to whatsoever is taught and not come to judge and censure or to delight in it as musique as if wee came to a play to heare some prettie sentences but come to heare God as to the ordinance of God come as to that Word that shall judge our soules at the latter day that is the way to attend Then againe if we would attend when we have heard the word of God let us labour by all meanes to bring it neare to us that it may be an ingrafted Word that the soule may be leavened by it that it may be so ingrafted in the understanding and affections that we may thinke the better in the vertue of it and love and speake and doe the better as a Sience savours of the plaâ—â— it is put into Let us labour that the word of God may be written in our soules in the tables of our hearts that the truth of God may be neare us as any temptation shall be neare us or any corruption neare us What is the reason wee yeeld to corruptions and temptations They are neare and the Word is farre off We never attended to the Word to bring it neare home If the word were as neare as corruptions and temptations that it were ingrafted and in vested into the soule we should have the word readie for every temptation there should not â—e a temptation offered nor a corruption arise but wee should subdue it and beat it downe with the blessed truth of God accompanied with the spirit Let us labour to get it neare us that the reasons of the word and our reason that the judgment of God and our iudgement that the wil of God our own wil may be all one and so to have it incorporated and naturalized into our hearts that we may speake and thinke and doe nothing but that which is Divine that is to have the word written in our hearts our attention should be to that end Therefore when we heare we should doe as nature doth with the meate we eate it suckes out a strength sutable for every part every part hath a power to draw out nourishment what is sutable to it selfe so when wee heare the word of God we should be able to say this is good for such and such an end and never leave thinking of the word of God when wee have heard it till we have turned the word into our soules till we have it fixed in our understandings that we can say Now I know it till we have subdued our hearts to it and we be molded and delivered up to it that we can say Now I have it now the word is mine Let us never leave the truth wee heare till we be brought to that alas to what purpose is it to heare except we make it our owne as nature makes the meate our owne that we eate There is a second or third digestion that goes before digestion be perfectly made and the meate turned into it It is ruminating and meditating and altering of that wee heare and working on it that makes spirituall nourishment thus
wee should doe to attend to purpose And that we may doe it let us adde some meditations to these practises Consider first of all whose word it is It is the word of the great God and the word of God for my good It is the good word of God and the word of God that brings me much good eternall salvation if I obey it it is the word of God that brings eternall damnation if I obey it not It is the word of the great King a Proclamation a Law whereby I shall be judged and perhaps that word that I shall not heare another time perhaps the spirit may worke more now then at another time therefore I will be wise give way to the spirit of God and not beate it backe perhaps I shal never have such a gale of the spirit offered againe it may be the last Sermon I shall heare while I live we should have such meditatiōs we that speak as if it were the last time we should speake and you that heare as if they should be the last things that ever you should heare for how doe wee know but it may be so It is another manner of matter to heare then we take it Take heed how yee heare saith our blessed Saviour We heare nothing but it sets us forward in the way of Grace to heaven or forward to hell we are helped by it to heaven or else hardened by it further to hell We had need to take heed how we heare we must be judged by that wee heare and that that wee heare now negligently and carelesly God will make good at the day of judgement We may shake off as prophane spirits doe the Ministers exhortations but will you shake off depart ye Cursed at the latter day Will you shake off that sentence you would not heare me and I will not heare you Oh! no Therefore shake not that off now that will be made good then If thou entertaine the Gospell now God will make it good then if thou receive mercie now he will shew that thou art acquitted then before Divels and Angells and Men. Let us regard this and let it make us heare the word with attention as this good woman here God opened her heart and shee attended to the things that were spoken of Paul But you will aske how shall I know a man whose heart is opened and attends better then another man doth I will give two or three briefe rules of discerning He that by the spirit of God attends to the good word of God to purpose with an opened underding he not only knowes the words and the shell in preaching the word of God but the things he knowes not only what faith and repentance is in the words but he hath a spirituall light to know what the things are what repentance is and faith and love and hope and patience hee knowes the things And likewise he that hath attended to purpose he can do the things he not only knowes what he should doe but by the grace of the spirit and attending upon the word of God he knowes how to doe them Grace teacheth him not onely that hee should denie himselfe and live soberly and righteously and Godly but it teacheth him how to live soberly and righteously and Godly Grace when we attend upon the word as wee should teacheth us to doe the things not only that we should repent and pray c. but to doe them it opens the things and gives abilitie to doe them And in the next place those that attend as they should doe there is a spirituall eccho in their soules to every thing that is taught that is when they are exhorted to beleeve they answer Lord I will beleeve Lord I will heare I will repent and I will take heed of such sins by thy grace when God saith seeke my face Lord thy face will I seeke This is the answer of a good conscience this eccho where there is attention to the word of God by the spirit there is an eccho to that the spirit speaks Lord it is good and it is good for me if I yeeld to this if I doe not it is naught for me to put off repentance till another day I desire to yeeld now and oh that my heart were directed if it be rebellious and not yeelding there is a desire that the heart may be brought into subjection to every truth revealed there is a gracious eccho in them that attend to purpose Then againe those that doe attend from a sanctifing grace they see things by another light by a spirit of their owne by a heauenly light by a species in their owne kind spirituall things with a spirituall light Many come and heare sermons and can discourse and wrangle and maintaine janglings of their owne and all this out of naturall parts and out of pride of heart but a gracious holy man sees spirituall things by a spirituall light in their owne kind A man that is borne in a dungeon and neuer saw the light when he heares discourse of the Sun and stars and earth and flowers and plants he that Imaginations what they should be but he fancies other things so a man that neuer had spirituall eye-sight to see spirituall things in their kinde he fancies them to bee this and that but he sees them not by their owne light many speake and talke of good things but it is by the spirit of other men out of books and hearing and not by a spirit of their owne He that attends by grace speakes out of a spirit of his owne and not out of other mens spirits he sees spirituall things in their owne colours Thus wee see how to discerne spirituall attention And he that knowes what this meanes what is it to haue his heart opened to attend when he goes from hearing the word he judgeth of his profiting by it not by what he can say by heart but by how much the meeker hee is how much more patient how much more able to beare the crosse to resist temptations and to haue communion with God so hee values his attending upon the meanes and hearing the word by the growth of his grace and the decay of his corruptions Shee attended to the things that were spoken of Paul And shee was baptized and her houshold SHEE had the meanes of salvation and shee had the seale likewise which is baptisme We haue all need of seales wee haue need to hane our faith strengthened God knowes it betthen wee our selues We thinke Baptisme and the Communion small matters but God knowes how prone wee are to stagger hee knowes that all seales are little enough therefore it is sayd here shee was baptized and all her houshold Baptisme is a solemne thing it is the seale of the Covenant of grace you are well enough acquainted I imagine with the thing therfore I will not enter into the common place it is needlesse As the whole trinitie
little of her argument whereby shee forced the blessed Apostle and the rest to her house If yee have judged me faithfull IT is a most binding argument If you judge me faithfull you must judge me a child of God an heire of heaven the Spouse of Christ you must judge mee all these and the like If you have judged mee faithfull come to my house And if you judge me so can you denie me this courtesie It is a conjuring wondrous forcible argument If you have judged mee faithfull It implies that S. Paul and holy men would be more strange else And so there should not be intimate familiaritie converse there may be but not familaritie with those that are not faithfull Indifferent carriage to all alike shewes a rotten heart those that make no difference betweene good Christians and formall hypocrites No but if you have judged me faithfull come to my house As if she had said I know your spirits are such that except you judge me faithfull you will not take this courtesie at my hands Againe she supposed if Paul judged her faithfull he would not denie her that courtesie Those that upon good grounds wee judge faithfull we should be gentle to them and easie to be intreated The wisedome that is from above is so Grace Sweetnes the Carriage and alters a mans disposition Those that have felt pittie from God are mercifull to others Therefore if you have judged mee faithfull c. It was an argument of a great-deale of sinceritie to appeale to their knowledge and judgement If you have judged me faithfull If she had not beene sincere she would not have done so but sinceritie makes a man bold to appeale to God himselfe Lord thou knowest that I love thee saith S. Peter and If there be any iniquitie in my heart saith David they dare appeale to God and to Gods people if yee have judged me faithfull In this speech likewise shee desires to have confirmation of her estate from the Apostles And indeed it is a great confirmation of weake Christians to have the judgement of strong Christians that they are good If you have judged mee faithfull doe me this courtesie And would it not comfort her soule to have the judgement of so strong a man as Paul It is a great strengthening not onely to have the spirit of God witnesse for us but the spirit of God in others And sometimes in temptations the judgment of others will doe us more good then our owne in a darke state Therefore wee should appeale to those that feare God to judge us faithfull though we be in a mist and in darkenesse sometimes that we are not able to judge of our owne condition And indeed when we judge the people to be truly good and true hearted to God we owe them this dutie to thinke them good people and to shew it it is a debt we wrong good persons when wee take wrong conceits of them Shall wee not affect and loue them that God loues It is as if shee had sayd God hath taken me into his family and will admit mee to heauen and will not you come to my house when Christ shall take men to be members of his body shall not we take them into our company It is a wrong to good people to be strange to them sometimes there may by way of censure in some sin be a little strangenesse but ordinary stangnesse becomes not Christians it becomes not that sweet bond the Communion of Saints If you haue judged me faithfull That is the bond Her invitation is Come to my house and and abide there YOU see many sweet graces presently after shee beleived here is a loving heart Why did shee desire them to come to her house To expresse the loue she did beare to them for their works sake shee felt the loue of Christ by their ministery and now she desired to expresse the fruit of her loue in maintaining them And not onely so but she desired to be edified by them shee was yongly planted and shee desired to bee watered from them Shee knew Paul would drop heauenly things and giue her that that might stablish her therefore she desired that they would stay at her house that she might haue benefit by their heauenly discourse and be built vp and edified further and further So you see these two graces especially upon beleeuing a bountifull louing heart shee intreated them not onely to come to her house but to abide there a good while as they did And here was her desire to bee edified And a boldnesse to appeare to owne Christ and his ministers in dangerous times for in those times it was a dangerous thing to appeare to be a Christian they were worse hated then the Iewes were though both were hated yet Christians were aboue all Therefore false Christians would be circumcised they would be Iewes to auoid the Crosse that they might not bee accounted Christians You see in Generall true faith that works loue and workes by loue It workes loue in the heart and by loue it works all duties of hospitallity and bounty by loue When it hath wrought that holy affection it works by that holy affection You see here it is neuer without fruit presently faith brings forth fruit as soone as shee was baptized shee shewes her loue to the Apostles and their company and her bounty and her boldnesse in the cause of Christ. We say of a graft it is grafted to purpose if it take and bring forth fruite so shee being a new sience graft into Christ shee tooke presently as soone as she was baptized into Christ here is the fruite of loue and bounty and boldnesse in the cause of Christ. Zacheus as soone as euer he beleeved halfe my goods I giue to the poore So wee see the Gaoler afterwards presently upon beleeving he entertained the Apostles with a feast and washed their wounds Take heed of a barren dead faith it is a false faith if thou beleeue indeed faith will worke loue and worke by loue as it did in this blessed woman her faith knit her to Christ in heauen her loue was as the branches of the tree her faith knit her to the roote but loue as the branches reached to others her branches reached fruit to the Apostle and his company So it is the nature of faith that knits us to Christ the same spirit of loue knits us to others and reacheth forth fruit to all wee converse with As wee desire to haue evidence of the soundnes of our faith let us see what spirit of loue we haue especially loue to these three things loue to Christ to whom wee are ingrafted and loue to the ministers of Christ. We cannot shew kindnesse to Christ he is in heauen but his ministers and his poore are upon the earth when wee can buy ointment to poure on Christs feete his poore members and his Ministers and loue to the word of