Gods people Mighty power in the Scriptures preached First For Preaching there is a mighty power in the Scriptures preached for he writes these things that they may be preached and to be read and to make use of them in conference and meditation and in them all there is a mighty power But first for preaching Rom. 1.16 17. The Gospell is the power of God to salvation for therein is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith By the Gospel of God preached the Righteousnesse of God is revealed from faith to faith to lead on beleevers to beleeve and not to rest growing in beleeving til they reach unto salvation it is the mighty power of God to salvation to every one that beleeves such an one while he lives shall be of the thriving hand in faith And when the Apostle prayed so earnestly night and day to come againe to the Thessalonians Doth hee not therein imply though there may be a mighty power in the word read to increase faith where it is already wrought yet his personal presence would helpe it much more whether by conference or by preaching and therefore he prayes much to see them again An evident argument though the word read may be of much use to establish us yet much more the personal persence and conference and preaching of the Gospel of Christ else that prayer of his had been something impertinent Conference And so secondly for conferring of the Scriptures you know when the two Disciples were doubtful whether that was the Christ or no Luke 24.21 our Savior doth not only reprove them for that doubtfulnesse but he begins at Moses and opened to them the things written in the Prophets till in the end their hearts glowed and burned within them and that was a furtherance of their faith for then they presently ran to Jerusalem and then they do not say we trusted this was he but they say the Lord is risen indeed In very truth without any further dissention never distrusted it more he is risen indeed so that there is a mighty power in the word confered upon in private conference and therefore they doubt no more of it So that the word opened by way of conference made their hearts to burn within them they do not call it preaching but rather a private conference an applying the Scripture to this point they stood need to be instructed in and they go away with ful resolution the Lord is risen indeed And you know the mighty power and use of the conference of Phillip with the Eunuch upon that conference the Eunuch beleeved and was baptized Acts 8.37 So that take the word preached and there is a mighty power of God in it to lead a Christian man from faith to faith And take the Gospell of God and conferre about it and it is a mighty power to increase faith that beleevers may beleeve Reading the word Thirdly And so it is for the word read another kind of dispensing this word that is a special end of it that by reading you might beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God that is the next use of the Scripture they which do read shal by reading finde their hearts confirmed and established in the faith John 20.30 31. There is a mighty power of God that accompanies the word of God read to strengthen men in the faith that such as beleeve already may beleeve more and bee established in their perswasion of the truth of God Fourthly If you shal examine the things that you have heard Examination of things heard that is another use of the Scriptures an examination of what you heare goe home and consider whether the things that have been taught were true or no whether agreeable to the holy Scriptures or no for a Preacher speaks not the expresse words of the Scripture but comments and explications of the Scriptures and therefore examine whether that which is delivered be agreeable to the Scriptures which are alledged for to prove the doctrine We must make use of the Scripture as a rule to measure all the Sermon by we heare whether it be of just length and breadth of Gods word or no as the ballance of the Sanctuary the two testaments be and when you weigh what is said then you are confirmed and established in it Now this kind of making use of the Scriptures to examine what you hear it is of special use to helpe forward the faith of such as do beleeve yea and which is more it may bring on men to beleeve which it may be never did beleeve before mightily stirred before but beleeved not til they goe home and searched the Scriptures seeing that which is spoken to be fully agreeable to the word of God they have been brought on wonderfully to beleeve famous is that of the Bereans Acts 17.11 12. they heard the word and what he spake they received it gladly they thought he spoke well but they searched daily to see whether those things which were spoken were so or no therefore see the blessing of God upon it vers 12. many of them beleeved they received the word with reverence and did not cavell at it but heard it patiently and when they came at home conferred about it and when upon examination they saw it was according to the Scriptures of the holy Prophets when they saw that what Paul preached was suitable to Moses and the Prophets the blessing of God was great upon them for the number of them that beleeved was not a few to shew you that a man that hath heard the word and hath been stirred with what he heard if he shal go home and consider and weigh well and see how one thing bears witnesse to another Note this so as that the word preached opens the word written and the word written confirmes the word preached then though before he was doubtfull as sometimes a godly mans heart may faile him in applying the word to himselfe as Jacobs heart failed and he beleeved not yet when he considered it and saw what tokens of love was sent him and laid circumstances together then his spirit revived So a man heares much and some thing pertinent to him yet his heart may faile him and may have much adoe to gather any comfort out of it but when he considers things more privately and searches the Scriptures upon examination Repetition of the word blessed many a man beleeves the word which before he was doubtful of Repetition and examination of the word is marvellously blessed by God to this end to helpe forward our faith it is of good use both to beginne and to increase faith sometimes to worke it where it was heretofore wanting much more to increase it where it was begun before and therefore as we were begotten by the immortall Word of God so no Word of God being dispensed in any Ordinance of God none of them but are of mighty use for the supplying our defects of faith
Phil. 1.23 Though the other be a lawfull desire but chiefly his desire is that he might see Christ whom from his first conversion he hath most loved and in whom he hath lived all his life and now to be wholly possessed of him and wholly acted and swayed by him not that he might have his heart filled with joy but that he might be with Christ not only as chiefest of ten thousand persons but as the chiefest of ten thousands benefits of God that should God give us pardon of sinne his Word and Sacrament and victory over all our lusts strength of every grace of God and everlasting life and therewith fellowship with all the blessed Saints and Angels yet to us Christ is the chiefest of them all none greater then the gift of Christ and this is the sincerity of a Christians soule he desires more any benefit for Christs sake then Christ for any of his benefits sake for he whose heart is set upon Christ more then upon the pardon of sinne or salvation that soule hath Christ and life in him he that hath Christ in his eye and heart above all blessings he indeed is a true Christian and hath Christ Reas Christ must so be had and we must so receive him as God gives him now God gives us first Christ in all his Ordinances and then in Christ all other things all benefits in and through Christ Act. 8.35 We preach to you Jesus we offer you him all lusts layed aside all sinfull corruptions put away whatever separates between God and us that being done away We now offer you Christ and in Christ plentious redemption but if we be without Christ we are without true life As in the Sacrament first you have the body and blood of Christ set before you Matth. 26.26 and then sealed up and confirmed to you in the Sacrament and together with that justification and further degrees of the sanctifying spirit and further pledges of everlasting life and glory No benefit but it s conveyed through him Christ first and then the benefit It is true Herod received joy but Foelix trembling and Jehu zeale but none of these received Christ they received the huske but wanted Christ they had the shell but not the marrow and kernell within they received the benefit but Christ they did not receive and for want of him they had no life at all Simon Magus hee beleeved Acts 8.13 but he had no lively faith because he would receive the benefit but Christ he minded not to receive Unlesse the heart be knit to Christ and the soule more seek Christ then pardon of sinne or subduing of lusts he hath no life in truth he that hath the Son he hath life not so he that hath the gifts and benefits of the son But Christ first and in having Christ we have all Christ must be received as God gives him we must acknowledge there is no life in any grace but in Christ Hos 14.8 On me is your fruit found and without me can you do nothing John 15.5 Now then carry this truth home with you and gather from hence a true estimate of your own estates whether you may judge of your selves as living or dead Christians Upon our having or not having of Christ depends our having or not having of life How will you know whether you have life or no you say you have Christ how know you that Whether is your hearts more set upon Christ then the gifts of Christ Whether do you labour more for gifts or for Christ himselfe And if you finde this that in the truth of your hearts you come not to the Ordinances but to find your beloved there not out of unclean and wanton spirits but to seeke him whom your soule most desires whose favour and countenance you would rather behold then to hear the voyce of a pleasant singer and you are not satisfied with any thing unlesse you find him then shal you find life in so coming to the Ordinances Can. 3.1 2 3. By night in my bed I sought him whom my soule loved c. The bed was the Temple wherein God did reveale himselfe in his Ordinances and disperse himselfe to his people in the bed of his love Shee came to the Temple not to seek any of the Preists and Levites there She goes indeed to the Watch-men and makes her moane and complaint to them that she could not finde Christ in his Ordinances and she durst not rest upon their opinions but saith have you not seen him whom my soul loveth can you tel me any newes or give me any intelligence of my beloved Saviour Thus she inquires of the Watch-men And from them she goes to the Daughters of Jerusalem to her Christian friends and chargeth them to tell him that she is sick of love Now if thus to desire him is to find Christ then there is no more to be doubted of in such a case as this But the heart thus seeking him in his Ordinances and the affections gon after him there more then after any of his benefits then in truth we have the Sonne he could not have our hearts if we first had not him And therefore it is a strong evidence we have him because our hearts are set upon him We search for nothing so much as for him This is part of the meaning of that place in Psal 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee or in earth in comparison of thee he desires nothing more then him neither peace of conscience nor joy in the Holy ghost nor any thing so cheifly and principally as God but if wee have a longing affection after pardon of sinne and peace of conscience and assurance of salvation after subduing of lusts and growth in grace these be blessed desires and usually upright and sincere but there may be hypocrisie even in these very desires and in using the meanes to attaine these for sometimes by this meanes we seek Christ and him in his Ordinances not so much for himself as for the benefits we have by him which is a spirit of harlotry As in a woman that it may bee hath a strong affection to match with such a man but it is but that hee might pay her debts and that she might be well provided for for the world and that he might be availe and a protector to her these be lawfull ends to aime at but if it be only and cheifly for these ends it is not true conjugal affection for if another man could do this for her as well as he she could make choyce of another as well as of him and she desires him not for his but for her own ends And just so it is alike in this case If a man desire the Lord Jesus Christ to this end that he may have his sinne pardoned and be furnished with grace though these be spirituall ends yet so much as wee prize the benefit above Christ so much are we halting in the truth of our affection to him If
Look what grace any where you see in Christ the resemblance of it is stamped upon every child of God by the spirit of Christ Hence it comes to passe that which is worth your observation those who have Christ they doe reason from the nature of Christ to justifie the temper of their owne spirits and the course of their own lives as is the Apostle Pauls owne Argument in 2 Corin. 1.17 18 19. Some of the false Apostles tooke up an Argument against the Apostle Paul to prove his levity and inconstancy and forgetfulnesse and how doth he free himselfe did I use lightnesse no saith he our words toward you was not yea and nay and thus he reasons from Christs nature The Sonne of God who was preached among you was not yea and nay but yea and amen Now he which establisheth us with you is Christ c. So that looke as Christ is yea and amen the faithfull and true witnesse of God what he speakes he confirmes and fulfills in due season Now saith he when Christ was preached among you it was not an uncertain Christ carryed about with lightnesse and unsettlednesse but what is once gone out of his lips It is yea and amen Therefore make account that God that hath poured the same spirit upon us hath established us together with you To shew you that by reason of the participation of the spirit of grace there is such a spirit in us as that you may argue all these the nature of Christ the nature of the Gospell and the nature of the frame of grace in the hearts of Gods people to be all alike they do mutually shew the face one of another in the frame and carriage one of another That as Christ is yea and amen so is the Gospell and such are they that beleeve the Gospell and are established by the Gospel in Christ Jesus v. 21.2 And he hath sealed us and given us the spirit in our hearts the same spirit of Christ that breathed in the Gospell and in the Preachers of the Gospell and the beleevers of it is yea and amen in them all a spirit of truth and innocency and gravity and purity whatsoever is the spirit of the one is the spirit of them all So that this is an evident signe that wee have Christ when we have the spirit of Christ when you may reason alike the one from the other though in us it be the weaker by reason of a spirit of corruption found in us and not in Christ Yet this is an evident argument of the stabillity and gravity of our hearts which though in regand of weaknesse we might think the Apostle might have been excepted against yet because there is no weaknesse in a child of God but if he have Christ his heart is in the same condition with Christ and with the Gospel also therefore he may comfortably argue a likenesse between them what he speakes that he thinkes in his heart and it is the desire of his soul that it may be effected And though he may be hindred yet his heart is still the same and he was by no meanes to bee taxed of any lightnesse because he did not performe his word the fault was not his levity his spirit was the same but some occasion fell out otherwise by the providence of God And so it is with every child of God if he have Christ the spirit of a Christian is ever the same if there should be any inclination to lying and inconstancy the frame of the spirit is altered but the true bent and frame of a Christian is to be one with Christ as Christ is one with him 2 Now as there is a likenesse and conformity The second conformity and unity in nature between Christ and a child of God so there is also in us a conformity to Christ in his Offices The meaning is Whosoever hath the Son he hath the offices which the Sonne hath As he was both King Priest and Prophet to God his Father so are we Rev. 1.6 As Kings to rule over all our lusts and to rule all those whom God commends to our Government according unto God As Kings to get victory and to conquer over the World and to over-wrastle any difficulty as we meete with As Kings anoynted with the spirit of a King of a royall spirit though not invested with fulnesse of glory till the last day yet of an heroyicke noble spirit can easily over-look all earthly drudgery and resist any enemy we meet with And Priests also we are so as we are able to offer up sacrifices of prayer and thanksgiving to God A broken and an humble heart is a Sacrifice much set by of God Psalm 51.17 and Phil. 2.17 offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith We are now inabled to go to God and to offer up praises to him which are as insence before him and in offering up any other sacrifice of an holy life we are Priests unto God the Father And so are we also Prophets Acts 2.17 hee poures out his spirit in a rich and plentifull measure he poures out his spirit upon all flesh whence it comes to passe that the servants of God understand many secrets of Gods counsell Psalm 25.14 and whence also it comes to passe that many a godly man by the same spirit discernes many secret hidden mysteries and meanings of the Holy Ghost in Scripture more then ever he could by any reading or instruction and many times discernes some speciall work of the spirit of God which inables them to fore-see some speciall blessings most usefull for their spirituall estate and so leads them on to many good things which they did little thinke of and so makes them of Propheticall spirits and bowes them to teach others also to lead on others of their neighbours in the wayes of God And now I say that as these be the Offices of the Lord Jesus Christ so there is no child of God that hath the Son but he hath all these in him hee is now a man of a royall and Priestly and Prophetical spirit And you are hereby I meane by the spirit not onely called to these Offices but inabled to discharge them For that is the difference between a Christian in heart and a Christian in appearance fall short of ability to performe these Offices And as there is this conformity to the Nature and Offices of Christ in them that have the Sonne So Thirdly The third conformity there is a conformity in their Estates you know Christ waded through an Estate of humiliation and exaltation These bee the main Principles of Religion that looke as it was with Christs estate it was sometime the time wherein hee was humbled in this world all the course of his life was a time of humiliation and that unto the very death or else his state of exaltation in heaven that then when he was most mortified then was he most glorified triumphing openly and mightily shewing
though at the first it may be weake yet it growes to that temper by which it may propagate and the life of grace is most strong in this regard it no sooner moves and feeds or growes in any measure or begins to expell any ill matter but it will have a minde to be fruitfull begetting its kinde and that is above naturall life a Christian is most apt and ready to draw on others to be like himselfe As soone as ever the woman of Samaria saw that Jesus was indeed the Messiah and found true sweetnesse in him the very same houre she runs into the Towne and tells her neighbours Come see a man that hath told me all that ever I did Joh. 4.29 Is not he the Christ and when they came and saw it they said We beleeve not because of thy Word but because we have heard him our selves and we know that this is indeed the Christ This is the proper nature of true life as soone as they are truly begotten they beget others of their owne kinde not but that sometimes a Christian soule hides himselfe long before he be well setled but when he truly discernes that he lives and is conscious to himselfe that God will be gracious to his soule then he desires to propagate the like grace unto others Joh. 1.41 to 46. when one had found Christ they call others to come and see Psal 51.10 Then shall I teach transgressors thy wayes and sinners shall be converted to thee to shew you that if God will but worke a cleane heart in David and renew a right spirit within him and his broken bones may be recovered and if God shall be pleased to establish him with his free spirit and he may be once againe assured of the pardon his sins then will he teach others the wayes of God if he be once converted himselfe he will draw on as many others as he can Thus you have five signes of spirituall life SERMON X. 1 JOHN 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life WE are now in the next place to see how we may discerne life by the properties and adjuncts of it you heard before of the effects of life now of the properties and qualities of this life by discerning of which we may know that we have life There be three properties or qualities of life Three properties of life 1. Warmth First where ever there is life there is some warmth 2 King 9.34 when the Prophet had laine upon the childe and had done so seven times at length the breath of the childe began to wax warme a signe that life was a restoring and thereby the Prophet discerned that life began to returne into the body of the childe because warmth returned and so is the presence of the Spirit of grace and the union of it with the soule and body of a man it makes a man fervent and warme Fervent in spirit Rom. 12.11 and therefore it is that it is resembled unto fire Matth. 3.11 The Holy Ghost shall come downe upon you as it were with fiery tongues and shall warme and heate you with whatever duties God shall call you to 1 Thes 5.19 Quench not the Spirit now quenching belongs to fire a signe therefore that the spirit is of a fervent nature so farre forth as it is capable of any quenching and destroying by the Sons of men and 2 Tim. 1.6 Stirre up the gifts of grace in you as if yee stirred up the embers of the fire so stirre up and kindle the gifts of God which is in you blow them up into a kindling flame so that all these things expresse thus much That since the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus and from him communicated to his Members is a spirit of heat therefore wheresoever there is warmth there is life if no warmth nor heat there is no life and as our spirits begin to wax warme so we grow to life in Christianity Notable is that expression in Luke 24.22 Did not our hearts burne within us while he talked with us of the Scriptures to shew you that there is a power in the Word to convey such a measure of the Spirit of grace to the Hearers as that their hearts begin to glow within them and to convey some heat and warmth into them when the Word is powerfully applyed to the soule For the further opening of this point you shall see it in some things principally which are ever found in some measure in the spirits of Christian men that have any life in Christ First that which is wonderfull and is indeed no where found but in them their very knowledge is warme Knowledge warme which in all other men is cold knowledge is but an empty speculation brings forth no great matter of heat but in a Christian his knowledge is full of heat Zeale must be according to knowledge knowledge is no knowledge without zeal and zeale is but a wilde-fire without knowledge Rom. 10.2 So if Christians have a knowledge of God but no zeale there is no saving life in that knowledge it is not the knowledge of Gods people Notable is that speech of our Saviour Joh. 5.35 speaking of John He was a burning and a shining light not only a shining light to give cleare instruction in the knowledge of the Messiah and the true meaning of the Law but withall a burning light Joh. 5.3 expoundeâ— so as that he had a notable power when Hypocrites came before him to burne them up Mat. 3.12 And so where ever he came he did not only shew them what they should doe what shall we Publicans doe and what shal we Souldiers doe Luk. 3.3 to 15. but he did burne up not only those who were professed enemies to the wayes of grace but all those that he found in Hypocrisie he burnt them all up where ever he came and if he did not finde out their lusts he would kindle a fire in them he warmed Herod in such sort as that he was constrained to doe many things according to Johns Ministery Mark 6. and so shall you finde it in all the Servants of God that according to their life if there be true life there is true burning though sometimes their burning is not so strong as their life yet there is heat and fervency of spirit mixed with their knowledge that if they know the Will of God they are inflamed and their knowledge of Christ will not suffer them to be barren and unfruitfull 2 Pet. 3.18 So that the knowledge which a Christian man hath is such as by which he will doe what he ought to doe if he see sinne in his brother he will not suffer it to lye there Levit. 19.17 If he see any thing amisse in his brother that he sees not in himselfe he will be helpfull to him where the Spirit of grace is lively they will not suffer their brethren to rest in sinne much lesse
in the second place there is something in our prayers made according to the will of God as is exprest in the spirit of him that prayes for this you shall finde ordinarily in Scripture that men that pray pray in the spirit Jud. 20. Praying in the Holy Ghost and Eph. 6.18 Pray in the spirit And you know what the Apostle saith in that well knowne place Rom. 8.26 27. We know not what to pray for nor how to pray as we ought but the Spirit helpeth us c. God searcheth the heart especially in prayer he knowes the meaning of the Spirit for he maketh requests according to the will of God that is the words of the text so that if you would aske how we may pray according to the will of God looke what is revealed in the breathings of the Spirit which marvellously declares it selfe in the wrastling and longing desires that it puts up to God Psal 119. My soule longeth and breatheth after thee and it lets us know what the will of God is and for that the Spirit helps us to pray First to pray in the spirit is to pray feelingly Now to open this a little First you shall discerne the will of God by the breathing of the Spirit first when the Spirit helps us to pray feelingly and sensibly for those blessings that we stand in need of when the Spirit doth lift up our hearts and reach after those mercies we stand in need of in some feeling and sensible manner The will of God is revealed in the breathing of the Spirit that stretches forth it selfe in such an humble and faithfull manner as that the soule is very sensible of its need of it we poure out our soules before God for what we stand in need of in feeling desires and this good Hannah expressed in her prayers 1 Sam. 1.15 I am a woman of a sorrowfull spirit I have poured out my soule before the Lord. To shew you there was an inward sensible worke of the Spirit of God in her heart that did inlarge her not so much to poure out words as sighes and groanes this feeling power of the Spirit doth mightily expresse what the will of God is that we should aske this is according to the will of God according to what you read Esay 26.9 With my spirit within me will I seeke thee early my spirit within me that is to say he speakes as if there were a spirit within his spirit besides the inclination God had given and wrought in him to the wayes of grace and besides his soule that did animate his body the Spirit of God within him with that spirit will he seeke God early in prayer the spirit will inwardly be working and turning him towards God so then this is the first thing wherein God reveales his will to us and we pray in the spirit which we doe when we pray in the sence and feeling of our own wants of those blessings we want at Gods hand that is by a certaine strength greater then any of our owne spirits can reach forth themselves unto the Spirit of God comes and helps us to wrastle with God with sighes and groanes that cannot be expressed that we thinke more then we speake and we speake more then we thought of 2. Fervently Secondly besides this this spirit helps us to pray unto God with fervency and heate of spirit so much as that in such a case as this we strive with God in our prayers and wrastle with him The effectuall fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much Jam. 5.16 When the Spirit of God helps us to fervency to cry to God and to be earnest with him in that regard and not to give him over and comes from a sensible want of the blessings we stand in need of and that makes us goe out of our selves to God for the mercy that is according to the will of God and this in Scripture is called wrastling and striving with God Rom. 15.30 when you grow sensible of your owne danger and you strive with him for the blessing this is to expresse fervency of spirit and this was commended in Iacob that he wrastled with God Gen. 32.24 26. which is expounded Hos 12.4 that he prayed and wept his wrastling was chiefly in prayer with teares that God would be mercifull to him in this case Thirdly 3. Perseverance We pray then in the spirit when we also persevere in prayer for that is also requisite in all the Petitions we put up our Saviour put forth a Parable for this very end that men should pray constantly and never be weary Luk. 18.1 Pray upon all occasions for every thing that you stand in need of and never give over til you be heard and answered and the Parable teacheth thus much from the unjust Iudge Shall a sinfull mortall man be moved with importunity and shall not God arise and be moved for those poore soules that cry unto him night and day yes doubtlesse though you may thinke God is not sensible of your prayers but he rests himselfe quietly in heaven and remaines in fulnesse of glory who is blessed for ever in himselfe and will not trouble himselfe with such poore requests as yours is but let me tell you this woman did not so much trouble the Judge here nor could be more troublesome to him then a poore Christian is to God that wrastles with him in prayer God cannot be quiet in heaven for such a soule but in the end he must rise and satisfie its desire so you have the like Luk. 11.8 to 13. If you continue knocking he will rise and so will your heavenly Father doe for you much more so as that though God might seeme to be asleep and rest himself satisfied in that blessed estate he enjoys in another world and no more regard things below then men asleep yet if you continue knocking and begging you wil disturbe his peace till he arise and shew mercy to you and this he speakes after the manner of men to shew you that he doth as unfeignedly and as deeply take to heart the desires of your soules as any of you can doe one of another and therefore be constant and persevering in prayer and never give over when we have a good petition in hand never give over when we pray for pardon of sin or for peace of conscience or for strength of grace for our selves or for others when we pray for the healing of our soules or our bodies for the Church or Common-wealth whatsoever we have in hand if the Spirit of God doe but move us this way it is for us never to give over untill God shew mercy to us in some one kinde or other that we may see our requests was not neglected Ephes 6.18 Watch thereunto with perseverance vers 19. where you see what course God would have his Servants to take take this course ever follow God watch night and day and never give over till he blesse you and
him to attend and stay there a signe he meanes to take it into consideration at least and good hopes it will be accepted Now God consults with no body but if he give us a heart to waite and stay assure your selves he meanes not to send you empty away but it is an undoubted argument he will give us an answer because thou canst thus waite upon him Fourthly There is a fourth worke of this unction and it tends marvellously to the speeding of our requests and that is that which you read Psal 145.19 He will fulfill the desires of them that feare him Doest thou finde that the Lord hath wrought a spirit of feare in thy heart so as that thou walkes awfully before him and in the feare of his name goes about every duty and in his feare dependest upon him and endeavourest to approve thy selfe before him truly he will assuredly fulfill the desires of them that feare him when we reverence him in his Ordinances pray with reverence and in an holy feare Psal 2.11 Them that goe about holy duties in a reverent and holy feare doe all things in the feare of the Lord he hath a spirit of power to prevaile with God this is such a feare as whereby a man keeps Covenant with God and consequently prevailes with God to keep Covenant with them Jer. 32.40 This feare is it which makes us keep Covenant with God this feare of God alwaies keeps possession for God so as that we dare not doe that which is unlawfull we dare not sinne against God nor performe good duties carelesly and fearelesly for the feare of God bowes us to goe about holy duties in an holy and reverent manner and blessed is that man that so feareth alwaies If therefore God take from us a wanton and wilde heart a loose and unreverent heart and worke in us an awfull reverent feare of his name in every duty of his service and our owne callings that keeps us from departing from God and it keeps God from departing from us that we alwaies have him neare at hand to heare all the desires of them that feare him It is that spirit of which you read spoken of concerning our Saviour in which he shall prosper in all the workes of his hands Esa 11.2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him c. A spirit of power and of the feare of the Lord and that shall make him quick of understanding and so shall prosper which is a blessing promised our Saviour Esa 53.10 It pleased the Lord to bruise him and to put him to griefe but the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand This is the end of this blessing when God puts us to griefe and humiliation and so workes in us the feare of his great name which ever accompanies those dispensations then the worke of the Lord prospers in our hands If God give us a Spirit of his holy feare in any duty we goe about then it will assure us that God will heare our desires Fifthly But yet further there is a spirit of obedience which doth marvellously seale up unto us the hearing and granting of all our prayers and petitions 1 Joh. 3.22 Whatsoever we aske we receive of him because we keepe his Commandements and doe those things which are pleasing in his sight It is of necessary use that when God gives us hearts to listen to every word of his mouth he will then listen to the desires of our soules Prov. 28.8 The prayer of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord but the desires of the righteous are his delight and he that turneth away his care from hearing the Law his prayer shall be abominable But if a man lend a listening eare to Gods Law it makes his prayer acceptable hearken to the Lord and the Lord wil hearken to you else not It is to this purpose what you read Judg. 9. latter end of the seventh verse Hearken unto me that God may hearken unto you If God gave them hearts to hearken to what he spake to them in Gods name then God will hearken to them If we speake and doe as Eli taught Samuel to say Speake Lord for thy servant heareth 1 Sam. 3.10 If we come before God with such a resolution that whatever God speakes to us we will heare it and doe it we shall finde this upon it whatsoever we speake to God he will answer us and worke it for us so that an obedient Christian is a powerfull petitioner he is powerfull in prayer And this we may attaine to by making use of this holy Epistle of John that is written to all that beleeve on the name of Christ this is a fourth direction that Iohn gives us in this Epistle whereby you see how mighty this same Epistle is to satisfie and fill our hearts with fulnesse of joy Reas The reason of this confidence springs from the promises and the discerning of them clearly to belong to us now all these things discover to us many promises confidence springs partly from Gods nature and partly from Gods promise and partly also from our owne experience and these are the staffe of our confidence and from hence it is that we grow to see many promises belong to us we see the nature of God become fatherly to us and we from hence in time gather many experiences of Gods acceptance of us and this strengthens our confidence in his hearing of our petitions Our Adoption assures us of Gods nature to be ours whereby God takes us to be his Children and he is one that is full of grace and goodnesse nothing is wanting on his part he is a Father to us and that is a great matter And in regard that Christ is our Advocate and Attonement he brings all the promises to us which in Christ are all yea and amen 2 Cor. 1 20. And this holy Spirit of God gives us experience of all that goodnesse that is in God and the truth in his promises yea and it gives us experience in this also that he that hath given us his owne Sonne will not be give us all things else Rom. 8.32 He gives us Election Redemption fatherly Adoption and effectuall Vocation to the wayes of his grace and so he gives us experience of the greatest matters and from hence we know that he will not deny us smaller things as victory against the remnant of our corruptions the greatest part of them is scattered before the staffe and strength of them already broken and we now conflict but with remnants of corruption But now when the Holy Ghost saith we know this it goes farre for confidence and faith springs from the testimony of him that speakes or from the nature of him upon whom we trust but knowledge doth not so much spring from the testimony of any either God or man but is commonly gathered from sence and experience and experience is both a ground of confidence and knowledge and hence comes the knowledge of all
CHRIST THE Fountaine of LIFE OR Sundry Choyce SERMONS on part of the fift Chapter of the first Epistle of St. JOHN PREACHED By that Learned judicious Divine and faithfull Minister of Jesus Christ Mr. JOHN COTTON B. D now Preacher at Boston in New-England Christus Vita Via est Scriptura Christi Published according to Order LONDON Printed by Robert Ibbitson and are to be sold by George Calvert at the signe of the half Moone in Watling street neer Pauls Stump MDCLI The Contents CReatures broken Cisters without Christ Pag. 2 Men cannot redeeme themselves ibid First part of the worship of Christ viz. in the minde and judgement p. 6 To prize Christ is to worship him p. 7 Christians worship Christ in their mindes p. 8 Moses honours the reproaches of Christ ib Naturally men desire to know the worth of blessings p. 9 He that hath Christ is inquisitive to know all the vertue that is in Christ ib Two parts of the worship of Christ is in the will and affections ib Deep measure of worshipping of Christ p. 10 Christ when more truly worshipped p. 11 Sweetest frame of spirit ib Third part of worshipping of Christ p. 12 Universall obedience ib If we cannot enjoy the liberty of the Ordinances but with sin against our soules in this case the Ordinances of God are to be neglected and omitted p. 22 The life of Christianity is not a life of wisdome and graces but of faith p. 29 A third way of having Christ is by Covenant p. 31 Extent of the Covenant on Gods part p. 33 God a Fountaine of goodnesse to his servants ib Extent of the Covenant on our part p. 34 Covenant three-fold ib Covenant of Salt p. 35 A fourth way of having of Christ p. 39 Christ received as into a temple three wayes p. 40 Second way of receiving of Christ p. 44 The third way of receiving Christ ib How to know whether you have truly embraced Christ p. 45 First thing considered in having Christ as a Son p. 46 True love to Christ wherein it is p. 53 Christ united to us and we to him by a three-fold spirit p. 59 A three-fold conformity between Christ and his p. 60 The first conformity wherein it consisteth ib The second conformity p. 61. The third conformity p. 63 The second worke of the Spirits liberty p. 65 Liberty from feare of sinne ib Naturall property of a Son p. 66 Liberty from power of sinne p. 67 Freedome from sins service p. 68 A Servants care in perseverance of Christian duties brings priviledge of peace to his soule p. 69 The third signe he that hath the Sonne hath him for his Prince pag. 74 To have Christ for a Saviour requires two things p. 75 Christ a Saviour from sin as well as from distresse p. 79 An hard matter to be willing to be saved by Christ p. 80 Christ saveth as a Prince p. 81 Christ our Prince in two things p. 82 Rebellious thoughts p. 83 Christians differenced by their thoughts ib Good thoughts continue for ever p. 85 Summe of all laid downe p. 88 Three sorts of signes of Spirituall life p. 92 First cause of Spirituall life ib John the first and the thirteenth opened p. 93 The second cause of Spirituall life p. 94 That the Promises belong to every true Christian p. 95 Ground of the point p. 96 A third cause of Spirituall life p. 98 Signes of Spirituall life from the effects of it p. 101 Life of Justification ib Inward peace flowes from pardon of sin ib That every sinner as soone as his sin is pardoned hath an unconceiveable peace in his soule p. 102 Second effect of the life of Justification ib Property of Spirituall life p. 105 Love of God a signe of Spirituall life ib Life of Sanctification p. 109 Joy and griefe in the soule sanctified at once p. 110 Joy and feare p. 111 Joy in affliction p. 113 Patience without forbearance ib Meeknesse and strictnesse at once p. 114 Modesty mixed with magnanimity p. 115 Psalme the 24. the 7. verse opened p. 116 Psalme 149. verse 6. expounded p. 118 The seventh combination of graces p. 119 Diligence in worldly businesse and yet dead to the world ib Love of Enemies p. 102 Effects of Sanctification signes of spirituall life p. 127 First effect motion ib Lightnesse of spirit p. 128 What is required to a Spirituall duty p. 129 Of common gifts p. 130 Causes of deadnesse of heart p. 132 Remedies against deadnesse p. 133 Second signe of spirituall life ib John 6.35 explained p. 134 First a soule longs after Christ in the Ordinance ib Strength and sweetnesse in the Ordinance p. 135 Third particular applying of the Word p. 136 Fourth conformity to the Word in every thing ib Growth in grace p. 138 Repentance the best purge p. 140 Fourth effect of the life of Sanctification ib Fifth signe life propagates it like p. 142 Three properties of life first warmth p. 144 Knowledge warme p. 145 John 5.32 expounded ib 2. Where there is life there is breath p. 146 3. Spiritual warmth digesteth Gods Ordinances p. 148 4. Spiritual warmth heateth others ib Power of sinne p. 153 Plyablenesse of spirit p. 158 James 3.17 expounded ib So much sweetnesse so much life p. 159 Danger of being out of Christ p. 161 Jer. 13. last opened p. 162 Esa 44.11 explained p. 165 Procure Christ for our selves and others p. 172 Motives to get Christ p. 172 Meanes of having Christ p. 174 What help Johns Epistles yeelds to beleevers p. 179 The bane of Congregations that have no means of preaching p. 184 Note the miserable case of Congregations that have but bare reading p. 186. Carnal men have benefit by the Word p. 187 Three reasons or signes of grace p. 189 Knowledge what p. 190 Rome an Harlot ib Mighty power in the Scriptures preached p. 199 Reading the Word p. 200 Examination of things heard ib Repetition of the word blessed p. 201 Meditation on the Word p. 202 Property of a faithfull Minister p. 203 Faith profitable to all things p. 205 Infidell practice of Papists ib Mighty power in meditating upon the Word p. 206 Kings must read the Word of God daily p. 207 To pray according to Gods will in two things 1. Aske things lawfull 2. aske in Christs name 1. To aske in Christs name requireth humility p. 211 212 First second third fourth acts of humility p. 212 213 First second third fourth acts of faith in prayer p. 213 214 First to pray in the spirit is to pray feelingly 2. Fervently 3. Perseverance p. 218 219 Advocate what p. 228 Partiall eye Censorious eye Malicious eye wanton eye p 243 244 245 Mantle of wisdome p. 248 Mantle of of faithfulnesse ib Mantle of compassion p. 249 CHRIST the FOUNTAIN of LIFE SERMON I. 1 JOHN 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life THese words containe the Third part of the record that God bare of
his Son to whom this eternall life is communicated and that is to all such as to whom the Son is communicated amplified by the contrary He that hath not the Son hath not life Doctrine According to or upon our having or not having of Christ depends our having or not having of life The note is of speciall weight in our Christian experience and therefore let us take so much the more care in opening of it He that findeth me which is all one with hee that hath me he hath life Prov. 8.34 but he that is estranged from me he loveth death ver 36. So that finde Christ and finde life Finde him not but be estranged from him and finde death So Eph. 2.12 In times past ye were without Christ being aliens from the Commonwealth of Israel strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope and without God in the world and Eph. 4.18.19 There he speakes of some that were alienated from the life of God but in ver 20. Ye have not so learned Christ if so be you have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus For further clearing of this point let me shew you first the Reasons upon which it depends and then the uses of it Creatures broken Sisterns without Christ Reason 1. For the first The first reason arises from the insufficiency of all the body of the creature to give us life without Christ Heb. 10.1.4 It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should cleanse the conscience from sinne They are not a valuable recompence to God for the transgressions we have done by our transgressions we had deserved death for which the death of the beasts cannot make recompence Men cannot redeem themselves And besides should we dye for our sinnes our selves our death would not free us from the punishment for we are not able to overcome death but should for ever sinke under it If there had been a Law that could have given us life then wee might have lived by it but there is no such Law as can give us spirituall life David speakes in the name of Christ Psal 22.29 It is the speech of our Saviour or of David in his name No Man can keepe alive his owne soule It is beyond the power of the creature to keep alive his own soule no not so much as naturall life Psal 49.7.9 No man can give a ransome for the soule of his brother no man is able to ransome or redeem his owne life or anothers yea which is much Adam in innocency was taught to looke for the preservation of his inocent nature out of himself for to that end did God give him the tree of life Gen. 2.9 the tree of life grows not in Adam but in the Garden Now he that was to eat of the tree called the tree of life he was taught from thence that the maintenance and continuance of that life which he then lived a life of grace and glory was not to be expected from his owne strength but from something without himselfe The tree of life was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ the second person in Trinity 1 Joh. 3.4 Now if Adam could not keep alive his own soule but by that tree how much lesse Adam falne and corrupted being now become unable to keep that Law which in innocency he might have kept But more clearly see the grounds of this insufficiency in the creature to helpe it selfe The first is taken from the preciousnesse of the price of our redemption The costlinesse of it the matter of our justification is the price of our redemption and without justification no spirituall life at all Now the price of our redemption is our justification the forme of that justification is Gods accepting of it and imputing it to us but the matter of it is the price of our redemption and that is the root of all our spirituall life the price of our redemption given to God is accepted of him and by him given to us Psal 49.8 Precious is the redemption of soules it is farre beyond the power of the creature that which may be fit matter to give to God by way of satisfaction for a soule that is very precious and this was onely the obedience of Christ to the death he by suffering death for us and rising from the dead declared himselfe mightily to be the Son of God and he by his obedience to the death offered to God the price of our redemption He gave himselfe a ransome for many And this shews that it had beene impossible for any under the Sonne of God to have given a sufficient price for our redemption neither man nor Angels could doe it but he in giving a sufficient price for us did thereby mightily declare himselfe to be the Sonne of God he onely by his death is the matter of our justification and his rising is our life the Father himselfe it could not stand with his justice to give a price for our redemption he being the person offended but the Sonne taking upon him our nature that nature which had offended God he by this meanes made atonement betweene the Father and us and in making atonement declared himselfe mightily to be the Sonne of God none but he alone was able to tender to God such a recompence as might be a satisfaction for our sins 2. And as this is ground why there is no sufficiency in the creature to give us the life of our justification so it is also taken from the root of our sanctification and consolation for they spring both from one fountaine and that is the Spirit of Gods grace John 16.7 he is the comforter that is our sanctifier and this springs in us to everlasting life Joh. 4.14 Now he that can give a spirit of sanctification and consolation is onely the Lord Jesus Christ unlesse he goe away and send the Comforter to us he never comes If you would know who it is that can give this water of life you shal read Joh. 4.10 that it is only the Lord Jesus he it is only that goes to the Father and sends his Spirit of grace into our hearts unlesse he go to heaven and send it downe from heaven to us it is not given So that he being the root of the Spirit of consolation of sanctification all this life of consolation sanctification springing from the Spirit as from a fountain and Christ being he that sets open this fountain Zac. 1.13 Therefore it is that there is an insufficiency in the creature to shed abroad such a thing as this into our hearts Act. 2 33. when he was to give a reason of the spirit of Tongues he fetches it fom the resurrection of Christ that he by his ascending into heaven did shed abroad this word which you now see and heare so that by his death he gave to God not onely the price of our redemption but prevailed with the Father to bestow upon him the Spirit to
his darling Lust that nothing might lye between God and him but might now become fit for Christ because he would not cut himselfe short of Herodias and cut short his reformation there then this was added to all his other sins he shut up John in prison and afterward cut off his head also so that when there is any sinne whether honour or pleasure or any comfort in this life that men will not be content to cut themselves short of it is the way to utter ruine God will not be abundantly ready to pardon such And so was it with Daemas when the love of money did so prevaile with his heart after he had been much esteemed of the Apostles and mentioned honourably in their Writings yet in the end it is said of him He hath forsaken me and loved this present world 2 Tim. 4.10 Love of the world had so prevailed with him that he fell off from Paul and from the Lord whose Servant Paul was and from fellowship in the Gospel and so did not finde Christ this rule is universally to be followed and the care of it not to be neglected in any case that our sins are to be put out of our hearts and hands as ever we looke to finde Christ and life in him notable is that expression recorded in Judg. 10.10 to 16. the people come and cry to the Lord to deliver them out of the hands of their enemies but they had got to themselves other gods and now he would deliver them no more When the people heard that that God would not deliver them and could finde no acceptance from him so long as they continued in such a sinne they thereupon goe and put away all their Idols and leaves not one to be seen among them and when God sees that they had put them away the text saith that his soule was grieved for their misery and his bowels rowled within him for them and he delivered them So that when men are willing to fore-go their honourable sinnes their sweet and delightfull sinnes their profitable sinnes and those wherewith they have been most captivated and he knowes one may as well pull their hearts out of their bellies as some sinnes out of them but when he sees men are willing to fore-go their most darling delightfull sins willing to breake off all impediments that stand between God and them the Soule of God is grieved in such a case and it pitties him now that such a soule should be without him and then it will not be long ere God stirres them up meanes of deliverance and he himselfe will reveale himselfe unto them Notable is that speech Hos 14.3.8 when they take words to themselves and promise to leave all their evil wayes whereby they sinne against God they make this request to God That he would take away their iniquities from them and least God should answer them but be you doing something in the meane time they professe that for their owne parts they will set about the doing of their iniquities away and they say Ashur shall not save us and we will have no more to doe with them wherein he shewes you that God lookes not that only his people shall pray him to take away their iniquities for we may pray so long enough and not finde it done but when we desire God to doe it and set our hearts and hands to it and now with heart and hand say Ashur shall not save us nor will we say any more to the workes of our hands Ye are our gods then saith God in vers 4. I will heale their back-slidings and will love them freely c. God is then abundantly ready to pardon when men forsake their owne wayes and thoughts and throw away the sins that hang about them God will say of such a people I will heale them and love them freely mine anger is turned away from them And you may presume when Gods anger is turned away it is by and through Christ or else there is no healing and therefore in vers 8. Ephraim saith What have I to doe any more with Idols the heart of a Christian or of a Nation shall openly acknowledge that they wil have no more fellowship with these abominations and then faith God I have heard him and observed him God heares us and understands what we say and observes us well and offers to be a covert to us from the storme when we begin solemnly to abandon such evils then he heares us and answers us according to the desire of our hearts you have many a soule that cryes to God Take away our iniquity and many Petitions we put up to God to that purpose and that sometimes with many bitter moanes but God heares it not we pour out our plaints in vaine and he regards it not but when we come to God and desire him not only to take them from us but begin to consider our owne wayes and iniquities and to put them from us out of our hearts and hands and we wil no more take such bad wayes as heretofore we have done we will no more ride upon horses nor run to forreigne Princes for succour then God heares and grants graciously whatever his poore people begge at his hands and answers it according to all the desire of their hearts then the Lord preseâ—â—â— gives us the Lord Jesus Christ and life and healing in him and this is the second way of having Christ by purchase Thirdly God sometimes requires that we should part with all his holy Ordinances in some cases part with all confidence in them and from staying our hearts upon them we may soone loose Christ and loose his protection and his fatherly compassion towards us if in the use of the blessed Ordinances of God we be not willing so farre to sit loose from them as not to looke for life in the Word or Sacraments or communion with Gods Servants but to looke for it all in Christ not that God would have us cast his Ordinances behind our backs but therein to seek him yea to seek his face evermore and not to be barred from them he would have a childe of God to count it his greatest misery Psal 27.4 Psal 42.3 4. Though God would have us to make account That one day in Gods Courts is better then a thousand elsewhere Psal 84.10 yet God still hath regard to this that he would not have us to trust in the temple of the Lord because so to doe is to trust in lying words Jer. 7.3 4. Hold close to the Ordinances and by no meanes part with them if you can have them in any purity and peace to your consciences but rather part with Princes Palaces then with them but while you enjoy them trust not in them nor thinke not to stand upon this that you are blessed in regard of them but looke at them all as losse and drosse and dung that you may win Christ Looke not so wishly at the Priviledges of the Ordinances
crooked wayes be made strait and rough wayes made smooth Isa 40.3 4. and this is the preparation we must make for Christ to come into us you have sometime heard this fully spoken to that is when the high mountaines of our great spirits and lofty lookes are brought so low that we are content to be nothing in our owne eyes that we have all we have in Christ and are able to bring nothing to him and are willing that he should take all from us whatever he would have us to part with and when we are willing to be whatsoever he would have us to be and that he should doe with us what is good in his owne eyes then these high mountaines being brought low we are made fit for Christ to come into us we must have no crooked wayes of our owne if we have any imagination of our owne left in us that we wil part with such and such Lusts but yet are loath to be disposed of in all things as God wil have us then there is no roome for God he wil not climbe for it but if we smooth the way for him then he wil come into our hearts But besides this there is to be filled up every low valley and that holds forth two things Every Valley shal be filled that is first every base heart shall lift up it selfe to the high things of God for he speakes of vallies first as if there were such a low dejectednesse in the Creature as made it unfit for Christ God requires that every base heart should be exalted to the minding of high and heavenly things lifted up farre above these low things that cannot reach the wayes of God these Gates must stand open and be lifted up that the King of glory may come in Psal 24.7 to 10. and he meanes the gates of our hearts and he calls them the gates of eternity they are our hearts and soules stand not poring upon earthly things here below but lift up your heads higher looke for a God and for a Kingdome stand not pedling about these earthly things as if you had nothing else to looke after your hearts lye too low for Christ to come into but if you would lye levell with him then lift up your minde to heavenly things let the bent of your heart be for pardon of sinne and for everlasting life be of a levell frame of spirit to the Kingdome of Heaven and then Christ will come into you And as it implyes that the heart must not be too low for Christ through basenesse of spirit and an earthly mind so it may be too low through despaire and through excessive sorrow for sinne he may be cast so low downe in dejection of spirit that his heart lyes too low for Christ not able to lay hold on Gods favour to him in Christ thinkes the Promises belongs not to him it is well and happy for them that can lay hold upon them but for his part there is none of these Promises reach him Did yee ever know any in my case finde mercy now the heart lyes something too low this mans heart is not base he looks at Christ as the most honourable thing in the world he sets his heart upon the bloud of Christ and would be glad with all his heart that he had his part in it but he is dejected and lyes too low fit to despaire and therefore in this case a Christian must be thus farre exalted as to be made levell with Christ to beleeve there is hope in Israel touching his estate Christ hath had mercy upon many in such a case and he wil doe so to us if we seeke him in the way of his Ordinances and if therefore we resolve to seek him and put our mouthes in the dust expecting salvation to be revealed by him and follow him in his Ordinances and never have fellowship with the unfruitfull workes of darknesse and wil still continue to seeke him then we begin to be something levell with Christ But you say There is such a crookednesse in my heart and un-evennesse that Christ cannot come in truly that must be made strait Princes are not wont to goe downe back lanes but downe plaine wayes so Christ as he would have his way neither too high nor too low so he would not goe round about but would have the way to lye plaine before him the judgement and heart and affection lye in such sort of evennesse as simply to aime at the glory of God in his way and therein to be ruled by the Word of God and then is the heart of a man in a good frame if there be nothing in a mans heart but hee is willing to bee guided in it by the streight rule of Gods Word and hee aimes directly at the glory of God and the comming of his Kingdom and the doing of his will then is all a mans crooked wayes laid aside and the heart lyes so levell that Christ will suddenly come into his Temple these crooked windings of a spirit of hypocrisie are made streight when he is brought low yet he may have much hypocrisie in him pretend to be more then he is he may be doing good dutys more to be seen of men then that God should observe him therefore when God hath brought us to this that we are desirous of grace rather in truth then in outward shew or if in shew but that we might doe others good thereby and singly aime at Gods glory in it and desire and endeavor to walk by the streight rule of the Word of God then are our hearts cleansed in some measure from the crooked windings of hypocrisie which might hinder the free passage of Christ into the soul And yet there is another winding in a mans heart though in some truth the dutyes be done yet there is many times an aptnesse in us to cover and to wind about our own sinnes and to make them lesse then they be and this is a wicked course Psal 125.4 5. and therefore God would have us deale most plainly with him that in the singlenesse of our hearts when it may stand with the glory of God and the confusion of our own faces we will not be wanting to lay open our hearts before him these be such windings as will not profit us when we deal plainly and confesse what we have done and come to be thus open hearted to God then is Christ ready to come suddenly into his Temple when we have brought downe our high spirits and raised up our too low base and dejected spirit and laid all levell before him then there remaines no more but for Christ to come suddainly into his Temple But yet besides all this when al this is don yet there may be stil a great measure of a rough and harsh and sharpe and fiery spirit in him which Christ will have removed before he comes to dwel there before that he will have this harshnesse and bitternesse laid down that they shal
be smooth and level before him the frame of the heart shall be as meeke as a Lamb The Lamb of God will not lye in a den of Lyons and if we breake out into harsh and unsavory distempers afterward we shal damp the life of God in us the life of Christ wil be dead in us and therefore if you desire to entertain Christ into your hearts then lay aside al harshnesse and bitternesse and roughnesse and al guile of crookednesse 1 Pet. 2.12 then you shal have life in the Word and find Christ to be yours This is the first thing whereby we receive Christ Second way of receiving of Christ Secondly Suppose he be come there is thus much more required to have him and to keep him there we must look there be no unholy thing remaining there all vaine and common things must be removed no prophain matter must stay there 2 Cor. 6.16 touch no unclean thing And if Christ be come unto you you must not onely remove all sinfull and uncleane matter but also all common matter and now every thing must be dedicated to God and you must goe about your callings as becomes Christians and you and all yours must be dedicated to God your silver and your gold must be dedicated and onely spent upon such uses as God calls for and therefore look at every thing so as God may have glory by it and let him not bee dishonoured in any thing by you all that you are and have must be dedicated to God mind and judgement and conscience and heart and affection love and hatred your whole man and all your labours and all you can reach lyes as a consecrated thing else God will not dwell livelily in you unlesse you have a care to keepe every thing cleane you shall find this to be true Christ loves to lye cleane and Religion loves to lye cleane and if hee see hasty sluttishnesse in us he will be gone and wil not tarry there he would not have naturall uncleannes to appear among you but let al such be covered and let no such defilement be seen among you he would have all kept in an holy reverent frame such as might become the presence of God The third way Thirdly The receiving of Christ into our hearts as into a Temple implyes to keep the charge of his Ordinances and holy things to offer to him all our sacrifices and to look that all be performed in such a manner as himself requireth God chargeth it as a sinne upon his people Ezekiel 44.8 ye have not kept the charge of my holy things but ye have set keepers of my Ordinances in my Sanctuary for your selves God will not dwell among them when they set up the uncircumcised to offer up their Sacrifices God will have every man to take charge over his own Temple have a care of your selves put not off your care to others you may not put off the charge of Gods holy things every man hath a charge to look to the things of God not only to see that al unclean things be removed and all common things dedicated but to see that every morning and evening Sacrifice be duly performed and all things done in a right manner else you will finde little life in Christ and if he see this care in you then Christ will come into his Temple and dwell there and you shall have life in Christ and that in abundance you cannot have God for your God but you must have a place readily prepared for him and keepe it in fitnesse and comelynesse for him trimme it up for an habitation for him this God requires of every soule that will have God for his God In a word therefore doe but consider whether your hearts have thus imbraced Christ or no is your base hearts exalted to look after heavenly things Note this and are your proud hearts brought low to the obedience of Christ do you find your ways of hypocrisie made plain before God and is your rough passions made smooth before God then you have Christ whether you see him or feel him or no and do you find that when you have Christ you dedicate your selves to him and suffer no unclean thing in your selves or yours and do you keep the Ordinances pure and offer up your morning and evening sacrifice your selves then you have received Christ and it is your faith by which you do thus receive him but if it be not thus with you then say you have not received Christ or if you have you are to be humbled for your great neglect and want of keeping of him SERMON IV. 1 JOHN 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life THere yet remaines two things for signes of having Christ for in all this point of our Christian faith there is no word but of more then ordinary and common use And therefore when he saith he that hath the Sonne hath life some signes may be gathered from the word having him and some from having him as a SONNE and some from this word Life by which we may know whether we have the Son and life in him Wee now come to speak of the second sort of signes Hee that hath the Son hath life then if we would have life in Christ we must have him as a SON The thing then to be opened is What it is to have Christ as the Son of the most high God and that will give further light to the Text and to the consciences of them that would see the ground of their hopes settled upon a foundation Hee that hath the Son hath life There bee three things implyed in having Christ as a Sonne First it implyes that such as have Christ in truth and so having him First thing considered in having Christ as a Son have life by him they do not rest in having any of the benefits of Christ though they be spirituall but they cheifely affect to have himselfe not so much his benefits as himselfe he doth not say hee that hath such and such spirituall gifts hath the Son no though you have never so many gifts and they such as doe accompany salvation but that which he principally commends to us is himselfe you shall read of a company of Professors that had Christ and affected to have him so farre as they might have Loaves from him Joh. 6.26 27. but our blessed Saviour bids them in seeking Christ seeke not for loaves that perish but labour for the meate which endureth to eternall life and that is only the Lord Jesus Christ himself Labor not for any loaves whatsoever you might finde in your pursuit after Christ It was this by which Peter did discover the hypocrisie of Simon Magus he desired the gift of the Holy Ghost but for Christ himselfe his heart was not set upon him but he only desired that in which lay most profit for had it been in his power that upon the laying on
expression of a living soul is he doth not say it was wrought when he had a good mind to hear such a man or to take such a course so it may be will flesh and blood say but when you come to an heart that indeed lives in God sight he expresseth himself thus but when it pleased God it was done I for my part ran cleane another way I never had a desire after God I had indeed a kind of forme and shew and could comply my selfe to my Governours and Neighbours that I might be flattered and incouraged by them and I should never have taken better course of my selfe but when it pleased God to call me by his grace there is the life of a Christian he fetches his life from the highest heavens It pleased God to call me by his grace and to reveale his Sonne in me when it pleased him to shew me the estate of my soule and the sinfull rebellion of my heart and when he revealed Christ not so much to me as in me he was revealed to him in Act. 9. in the first vision and worke upon him but when he revealed Christ in me then he went that way the Holy ghost led him Thus you shal easily discerne it plainly though it be hidden in the pleasure of God yet it will shew it selfe evidently in the expression of a Christian man when he comes to speake of the life of his spirituall estate they never attribute it to good inclination nor to the good instructions of others but they say when it pleased God thus and thus to reveal himself in me when he shewed me my selfe when God laid about to find which way to hemme me in then it pleased God to do it and since then I have lived A second cause of my spiritual life is The second cause of spiritual life The Word of God the word of Promise for so the Apostle tells you Not all that are of Abraham are the seed and children of Abraham but the children of the Promise are counted for the spirituall seed That seed which is elected of God and chosen to everlasting life that is the seed of Promise That is such as are begotten of some promise of God or other Every Isaack is a Sonne of the promise And least you should thinke it peculiar to Isaack alone the Apostle opens it sweetly in Gal. 4.28 As a thing common with Isaack to all the people of God it is a like Priviledge given to the Galathians and to all others that were born of God We brethren are children of the Promise it was not peculiar to Isaack alone to be borne of the Promise and yet of the Promise he was borne in a kind of peculiar manner for before he was born God gave Isaack to Sarah by promise and by vertue of that promise was he borne even a naturall life Now so farre indeed it was a speciall peculiar Prerogative to Isaack and Jacob but the Apostle would from thence gather that the spiritual birth of us all is by a word of promise All of us one and other is born by a word of Providence but if we speak of our spiritual birth then we brethren are children of the Promise So that you shall observe this to be an holy truth of God That every child of God is borne of the promise of God So that then hast thou a new birth and dost thou live a new life Tel me then what promise was it that did beget thee to God that begat thee to this new life What Word of God was it by which thou wast begotten it is a general speech that in Ro. 10.17 Faith commeth by hearing and by the doctrine of faith preached Gal. 3.5 that is the Gospell of faith so that this is the point There is some promise which being reported to the soule in the ministery of the Word is laid hold upon by the hearts of Gods people the same Word of promise working that faith in the heart by which the soule cleaves to such a promise Then doe but consider if thou beest borne of God what cause was there of thy birth wa st thou born of that Word of God or of thine own conceite or of the good opinion of Christians or is there some Word of God which thou hast placed thy confidence in and upon which thou hast been reformed and since that day to this God hath turned thy heart and way to another course and given thee to live in his sight It is true it may be many a good soule cannot readily tell you Note this what promise did first bring them on to God but though thou canst not alwayes tell yet a word of promise it was and ordinarily a word of Promise which the word preached did apply to thy soule and caused thy heart to reach forth and to lay hold upon it but though thou beest not always able to reckon up the first Promises yet this I say And marke it there is no Christian soule but hath some promises of God on which his heart is stayed upon and by which his life is nourished which argues it was bred of those promises of which it is now fed though a man be not alwayes able to tell what promise it was sometimes a word of reproofe or of counsell may sink deep into a man when God sets it wel on and may make a deep impression in the heart of a man And may so turne about the course of their lives as that thereby they may reforme all common and outward and knowne soule sinnes which before was ever cause and matter of reproofe but that is not so safe a worke of Christ not such a strong evidence of our spirituall life when such a word of reproofe or counsell hath set us in such a course and we have thereupon refrained gaming and breaking of the Sabbath and vain fashions this is well but it is not so safe a signe of our new birth for this may befal even an hypocrite he may be so convinced by a word of grace and wise counsell as may strongly turne the streame of his course another way and yet bee without any life and power of godlinesse only the word of promise is able to work grace and life in the heart of a man For the Ground of the Point is this Ground of the point we cannot have a spirit of life wrought in us by the workes of the Law nor by the words of the Law Gal. 3.5 He that ministereth to you in the spirit and worketh miracles doth hee it by the workes of the Law As if he should say did ye ever receive the grace of Christ by the workes of the Law or by the counsell of the Law or by the commandements of the Law or by the reproofes reached forth from the Law he excludes it as impossible and as no wayes able to doe it vers 21. And therefore he doth ever lead us unto some word of the Gospel to some promise
of grace for the ground of all our spiritual life as if ever we would be able to say we are begotten to a new Inheritance we must be able and are able to say we have some word of Promise which hath wrought this in our soules which hath bowed us to looke to Christ and to cleave to him for strength and increase and groweth in grace For it is true indeed The Workes of the Law may indeed cut us off from some bad wayes but when it hath don so it leaves us there leaves us in an estate wherein we would not give offence and would not displease men that are grave and wise And this we may reach unto without respect to the glory of God or any inward regard of his holy feare but when as we are quickned to live by vertue of some Promise then the love of God constraineth us to live to obedience and good ends then our respects can reach heavenly and spiritual ends And therefore observe this as of necessary use for any man that as he would be loath to be deceived in a counterfeit peece of money so much more let him be carefull in the main points of his everlasting estate on this depends our having or not having of life And therefore it behooves us to bee sure that we be not disappointed in this great mystery of godlinesse and consider seriously upon what your hopes and confidence was bred and whence it was grounded Quest You will say But is it not ordinary that the Word of the Law doth humble and cast downe the heart and spirit before God and cut them off from all confidence in the flesh before they come to lay hold of the promise of grace in Christ Answ True it is so indeed That ordinarily some word of the Law some word of conviction prevailes with the heart and makes him in sence of sinne say to his Christian friends what shall I doe to be saved this is true but yet this is not it that makes him a new man in Gods sight it may reach to the reformation of his outward man and to the alteration of sundry of his former courses which no meanes else could have reclaimed but yet this makes him not live a spiritual life until he be not onely humbled by the Law but in some measure brought on to look after the promise of grace in Christ and to long after them and to say and desire oh that I had but my part in this or that promise what a mercy of God would that be to me could I but lay hold upon them but thereupon the soule of a Christian doth stand poring and plodding and wistly gazeing upon them till in the end the very sight of a promise hath so seasoned us with a spirit of faith that we begin not only to long after that promise but to cleave to it and in time come to receive it into our hearts and come to imbrace it to rejoyce in it to acknowledge it and finde our happinesse and life and comfort to bee wrapped up in it A third cause of our spiritual life A third cause of Spirituall life Is the Spirit of grace that which is borne of the spirit is spirit whatever is borne of the flesh and no more is but carnall but that which is borne of the spirit is spirit Joh. 3.6 there is a shedding abroad the spirit of Gods grace in the heart of man that makes him of another spirit he is not the same man that he was before his spirit was changed his inclination and disposition is changed For Spirit is nothing else but the inclination and disposition the habit of it the spirit of wisdome is an habit or inclination to Wisdome the Spirit of grace is an habit of Grace the Spirit of prayer is an inclination or an habit of Prayer they are severall words but all meane the same thing Be renewed in the spirit of your mindes that is bee renewed in the inclination and disposition of your minde Epb. 4.23 And not only be renewed in the mind or judgement or understanding of a man but there must be a renewall of the whole soule of a man the disposition and inclination of the whole must be changed and altered Caleb and Ioshua was of another spirit they could judge of things otherwise then other men could doe other men not renewed in the spirit of their mind have no alteration but the truly regenerate they see a great change they never saw the danger of their sinnes before nor ever before judged themselves for their sinnes but now their spirit and soule and affection is changed and now a spirit of feare and love and care and every affection is altered now a man is turned quite off from earthly things so farre as they hinder him in the enjoyment of his Spirituall life and now we are set upon the things of God so as that he that is borne of God to a Spirituall life is become a new Creature and old things are past away 2 Cor. 5.17 He hath a new mind and a new heart new affections new Language and new employments that he was never wont to doe before now he can read Gods Word and conferre with Gods people about the things of God and can instruct others and fashion himselfe to a new mould and all upon the renewall of the spirit of his minde so that if you see that God hath put another spirit into you then ever you had before so as not only this or that part but the whole man is changed and put into another frame that though there be still a taste of the Old man yet the frame both of the body and soule is of another mould and all things are become new in some measure then you live a new life indeed else it is not a perfect change though this and that alteration bee wrought in you By these causes you may clearly discerne whether God hath given you a new life or no consider it therefore I beseech you how doe you now finde your hearts apt to speak when you speak of that estate you are in Are you in your Closets wont to say That time was when you have been thus and thus led in the vanitie of your minde and the hardnesse of your heart and custome of sinne but when it pleased God who called you by his grace when it pleased God then it tooke place you had been in good company before and had used many meanes but never any thing would worke but when it pleased God then it wrought and from that day to this it hath been so and so with me It is a good signe to you if withall you can recall that such or such a word of promise it pleased God to pitch your soules upon you have long looked and waited for salvation but in the end it pleased God to wrap up your soules in life by such a promise and if you can call to minde that such a promise
your soules did cleave unto then are you indeed borne to a Spirituall life because you are right bred bred of a Promise and of the holy will and pleasure of God but if you finde your selves to be of another frame and you are bowed to walke with God and to reforme your course of life by outward bounds this is not so safe but if your whole man universally be bowed to a godly holy frame and all things are become new new friends new affections new desires if you finde such an universall change then you are right bred Christians and indeed no Christians are right bred but such Christians but if you make a great stirre about the great Reformation that is wrought in you and it is from the good inclination and disposition you have alwaies had you ever had a good minde and in the end you thanke God you have reformed such and such evils as you have been blamed for time was when you could have freely played at Cards and Dice but since then you see the vanity of it Note this and you take better courses and doe now consort your selves with wel ordered and stayed company you had alwaies a good minde to be better but you could not doe it suddenly and so in the conclusion your reformation is but a good inclination or disposition of your minde and if you see that much good hath been wrought upon you by the counsell of such and such friends and by the good example of such and such wise and discreet friends and if you find that there is some strange change in your carriage your course of life is much altered you are not so light and wanton as you were but you take a farre more grave and wise and stayed course and to much better purpose both for Church and Common-wealth wherein you live now I say if you shall goe on and looke for that Spirituall life which only springs from Christ Jesus and wil lead on to eternall glory and therefore rests not in any reformation of your selves till you finde there be such an inward and whole change wrought in you which the heart is wont to speake of to the praise of Gods grace it was Gods will else it could never have been wrought and you could not speak of it till now and you never rest satisfied in such a change as a word of reproofe or counsell that hath wrought such a change or reformation in you that stayed in the outward man or in some affections till you found your hearts to sanctifie the name of Gods grace in the acknowledgement of the word of Promise and of the Spirit of grace making you new that you may bee able to say that in very deed you have Christ and with Christ life and that life which will never decay but wil hold to all eternity And therefore now to speake something of the signes of the life of our Justification Therefore a second sort of signes Signes of spirituall life from the effects of it is taken from the effects of Spirituall life you see what is the causes of it as the good pleasure of God the word of promise and the Spirit of grace these be the first sort of signes Now a second sort of signes is from the effects and fruits of life and herein take notice of some fruits of your life of Justification Life of Justification it is a principall part of our Spirituall life to have our sins forgiven Blessed is the man whose iniquity is pardoned and to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne Psal 32.1 2. And therefore it is that forgivenesse of sinne is called justification then God accounts us righteous and this is called Justification of life Rom. 5.18 because in the pardon of our sins is our life As when a Malefactor by the Law is condemned he is by the Law a dead man and if his Pardon come his pardon is his life and it is so indeed So is it in this case the pardon of our sins is the very life of our soules and if God give us to finde that life there is no feare of the life of our Sanctification or Consolation c. The first effect then that flowes from the pardon of our sins is some inward peace of Conscience Inward peace flowes from pardon of sins some inward refreshment and satisfaction yeelded to the heart that it could never attaine to before for sinne may be pardoned in the sight of God and yet that pardon is not manifested and declared to my soule untill God vouchsafe me some measure of peace and a manifestation of the free pardon of my sins I can have little rest it is a notable saying Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God through Jesus Christ A man justified is one that hath his sins pardoned for what was it that all our life time before made us afraid of Gods displeasure and we had much disquietnesse about our estates Oh the sinne of our soules that we had committed all our life long the sinne committed many a day agoe that now lay heavie upon our soules and the want of pardon lay as heavie as our sins but now if God come and say Thy sins are pardoned then followes a sweete tranquility of peace in the soule A matter that Philosophers have talked of to quiet the minde to lull men asleep and with applying remedies did stupisie for a while and take off the heavie burthen or the sence of the burthen rather then the burthen it selfe but so soone as ever God pardons sinne there is shed abroad a spirit of peace in our soules and sometimes in that unspeakable measure as that it passeth the understanding of a man to conceive Note this Phil. 4.7 But I doe not so conceive that every Christian as soone as ever his sinne is first pardoned hath such an unconceiveable peace in his soule but he findes a great deale of ease sometimes as if you had thrown a Milstone from off his body notable is that expression in Esa 32.17 The work of righteousnesse shall be peace and the effect of righteousnesse quietnesse and assurance for ever He speakes of that righteousnesse whereby we stand righteous before God and the imputation of Christs righteousnesse to our soules The worke of righteousnesse shall be peace from this worke and effect you may gather what the causes of it is blessed are such it is quietnesse and assurance for ever Not that there is an everlasting sence of that peace for the sence of it is sometimes obscured for want of watchfulnesse and want of experience in the wayes of godlinesse and sometimes through the buffetings of Sathan or desertions from the hand of God and so many times our peace may be over-clouded and the sence of it taken away but the worke of righteousnesse is peace if sinne be pardoned peace will follow upon it and the fruit of this righteousnesse is quietnesse and assurance for ever the heart
also The life of Justification you heard hath these three effects or fruits in the heart Peace Quietnesse and Assurance for ever Care to keepe our conscience pacified in some measure carefull to maintaine that peace we have had so much ado to get And also love of God according to the abundance of sin that hath been pardoned to us We are now speaking of the effects of life and now to speake of the effects of the life of our sanctification Life of Sanctification Hee that hath the Son hath life not only in the pardon of his sin but he hath likewise the graces of Gods spirit which are the life of sanctification A frame of grace wrought in the soule which is the life of holinesse Now because Sanctification is found partly in the heart and partly in the life Let me now shew you some such effects of spirituall life as are found in the heart of a Christian And breathe forth themselves in his life by those habits and gifts which are principally within And the sum of what I shall now say is thus much There are certaine variety of the graces of God in themselves so different and opposite As that in nature they are seldome compatible to one person at one and the same time or least of all to be found in one and the same businesse And yet are found where ever the heart of a man is sanctified by the Spirit of grace where you have the life of sanctification in a Christian you shall finde variety of graces in them some of them of such diversity and opposition one to another that in nature the like temper is not to be found in one person at the same time and in the same businesse They are certaine kind of conjugations or companions of grace so fitted and joyned together in the heart of a man as that nature is not able to compact such sanctified affections unto such uses upon any occasion much lesse able to bring them forth upon any occasion they are so different in themselves to name some of them in particular First if you looke at the grace of God as it workes in the heart Ioy and griefe in the soule sanctified at once and exercises it selfe in the conversion of a sinner you shall finde that when the soule discernes any life of grace in its heart that sin is now pardoned and God is pleased to frame it anew and to give it a new life at that time the heart is taken up with these two contrary effects it is both inlarged with no small measure of joy that ever God should redeeme him from such a desperate condition as his soul lay in and yet withall full of grief of heart that ever he should have so much displeased that God that hath done so much for him and so plaine as that you shall evidently discerne the voyce of your own joy from the voyce of your owne griefe I know not better how to instance in it then to fetch a resemblance from the returne of the Children of Israel from captivity to Ierusalem read Psal 126.2 3 4. When God turned the captivity of his people this was their affection then was their mouth filled with laughter and their tongue with singing c. Now the same people that so rejoyce to see themselves redeemed by the Arme of the Lord when they doe rejoyce to see themselves set at liberty from the captivity they doe at the same time as sadly grieve and weepe to consider the unkindnesse they have put upon God and their unworthinesse of such a mercy from him as you may read Jer. 50. 4 5. speaking of the same people and of the same time their return from the captivity and he tels you They shall come going and weeping shall they goe and seek the Lord God and aske the way to Zion with their faces thitherward If the Psalmist speakes of it he saith they were out of and beyond themselves for joy as in a comfortable dreame the newes seemed to be too good to be true and they rejoyced with exceeding great joy and if the Prophet Jeremy speake of the very same people and the same time and the very same action he tells you They goe to Jerusalem weeping they goe to seek the Lord and aske the way to Zion they rejoyce at the greatnesse of the mercy and weep in sence of their unworthinesse of it And truly this kinde of combination shall you finde stirring in every soule that is converted to God when the pardon of its sin is sealed to its heart it breeds a certaine kind of inward joy and comfort in the Lord that hath thus graciously pardoned their iniquity and yet more abundantly mourning for the evils it hath so displeased God with nor is there any mourning so deeply woundeth the soule as that which ariseth from the sight of Christ crucified then the soule mournes full bitterly Zach. 12.10 He wil mourne exceedingly to thinke that he should deale so unworthily against that God that hath all this while had such wonderfull thoughts of peace towards him This is the first combination of graces that is found in the soule after sinne is pardoned and the heart restored to a new life for wee spake before of prizing Christ in our judgements by certaine preparative graces but now we speak of that kind of life of sanctification which puts forth it selfe after some sence of our justification this life of the mixture of joy and mourning beares witnesse to our life of sanctification Secondly in the worshipping of God in those duties of the life of sanctification 2. Joy and feare you shall finde another combination of mixed affections the like of which are not and cannot be found in nature and that is joy and feare according to Psal 2.11 Serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with trembling A Christian man when he is in a good frame and the life of grace most stirres in his spirit he never comes to an holy duty but with some holy fear and trembling before God before whom he then stands and yet there is no duties he goes about with more comfort and joy then those when his heart is not dead It is true a dead hearted Christian comes to good duties like a Beare to a stake while they are in such a temper if they can shun duties they wil but take the heart of a Christian when it is alive and then they are a willing people Psal 110.3 they come with some inward gladnesse of heart it is the joy of their spirits to heare of an opportunity when they may heare the Word and pray or performe any duty acceptable to God but how when their hearts are most joyful and they goe about duties most willingly yet then most awfully for take you a Christian when he comes unwillingly his heart is not much affected with feare and trembling but then he is most awfull when his heart is in the best frame towards holy duties these
two affections never meet in other things when a man goes about any businesse gladly he is not afraid of it or if he be in feare he goes not about it joyfully the Sun trembles not at his course but rejoyces to run his race the Horse rejoyceth at the Battaile he never trembles at the matter or when any man goes about any worke with joy he never trembles at it but a Christian man when he goes about any spirituall duty though he have much joy and comfort in it and is glad of the occasion yet he is most fearfull as Psal 130.4 the very consideration of the greatnesse of Gods mercies makes a soule fearefull of the presence of God so the more rich God in grace and mercy is to us either pardoning sin or sanctifying the heart or quickning us to any duty the more fearefull is the soule in such a condition And hence is that you read Exod. 15.11 the Lord is said to be fearfull in praises when the heart is most enlarged to praise God with comfort then doth it most feare God so that here is another combination of graces that are not commonly found together in other businesses of ordinary affaires but where the heart is spirituall they meet together in the same thing Thirdly Take you a godly man in affliction Ioy in affliction and when he is most able to bear them and yet when afflictions is most heavy if he find his heart able to grapple under them yet then you shall find much joy and sadnesse of heart mixed together it was a signe of the election of the Thessalonians because they received the word in much affliction and with joy of the Holy ghost When they found much affliction either by the word or in the outward man though much affliction yet inwardly joyous Heb. 12.11 No affliction is joyous for the present yet it brings forth the quiet fruites of righteousnesse By how much the more affliction makes their spirits sad yet so much the more is the heart inlarged with joy and comfort in the Holy ghost Rom. 5.3 We rejoyce in tribulations tribulation is such a kind of affliction as is a threshing us like corne out of the chaffe drives us out of all the comforts of this life and that is not in nature to rejoyce in any measure when the heart is in grief and discouragement it ever wants something to raise it up Fourthly There is this mixture of affection in our carriage towards men which argues the life of holinesse in us Patience without forbearance In our converseing with men you shal have the same heart full of much patience but without all forbearance And those are such as are not found in nature nor in an hypocrite yet in a Christian heart you shall find them together the more patient a man is towards others yet the lesse able is he to bear with evill read Revel 2.2 I know thy workes and thy labour and thy patience and how thou canst not beare them which are evill A man would think it were a very strange expression A man of known and prooved patience and yet cannot bear For what is patience but bearing and forbearing yet saith God I know thy patience and that thou canst not beare them that are evill implying that such a soule if it were a matter to be put upon himselfe any affliction or tryall put upon himselfe then I know thy patience in bearing of it but if it come to a matter of evill not of punishment but of sinne then I know thou cannest not bear it Take you any patient man that onely hath a moral vertue of patience and if he have so much patience as that he can bear with crosses and afflictions he can as well also beare with evills committed against God but this is the nature of spirituall patience it is mixed with zeale so as that the more patient a man is in regard of injuries done to himselfe the lesse patient he is in respect of injuries done to God Fiftly You shall have gentlenesse and meeknesse sometimes mixed in a man with much austerity and strictnesse which is very much they should meet in one man Meeknes and strictnesse at once at one and the same time The wisdome that is from above is gentle and meek and easie to be intreated It was said of Moses Hee was the meekest man upon earth Numb 12.3 Take Moses in his owne case and his carriage towards men as they had respect to himselfe and then he was a meek man soon perswaded yet the same Moses when hee saw the matter concerned the Cause of God hee is so stiffe and unmoveable as that he wil not yeeld one jot he wil not leave an hoofe behind of all that appertained to the children of Israel Exod. 10.26 He would not onely have men and women and children goe forth to serve the Lord but their cattle and their stuffe He will not yeeld a little here no not for the Kings pleasure sake A man would much wonder that such a man so meek and gentle and so easie to be perswaded in his owne cause that yet when it comes to a matter of importance and concerns God hee will not there yeeld he is now inflexible nothing can perswade him to give way to it this is a combination of graces that are not wont to be found in men thus mixed together but it is found in the people of God that live a sanctified and holy life I know not better what to instance in then in the liquid Aire of all other things the most easiest to be peirced through of it selfe it gives way to every creature not the lest flye or least stone cast into it but it gives way to it of it selfe yet if God say it shall be as a Firmament between the waters above and the waters below it then stands like a wall of brasse and yeelds not it will not suffer the water in the clouds to fal down but if it do fal to water the earth it shall straine through the aire as through a sieve the clouds sometimes are so full that one would thinke they would burst through the aire and fall upon the earth but God having set the aire to be a Firmament or expulson between the waters above and the waters below though of it selfe a very liquid thing yet it stands like to a wall of brasse and truly so is it with a Christian spirit though of himselfe he is as liquid as the aire you may easily passe through him and goe an end with him easily he is easie to be intreated very gentle but take him now in any thing wherein God hath bid him keep his stand in his course and there he stands like a wall of brasse that were never such high and great matters put upon him ready to beare him downe he will not shrinke nor give any way at all this is another mixture of affections which are found in Christian men that
the sword of the Spirit whereby Kings are bound in chaines and Lords in Iron bonds and such honour have all the Saints he would have all the Saints of God to invest themselves with this honour that they might speake of such glorious excellent things as their words might be like to a two-edged sword to cut asunder the hearts of great Princes to bring Kings and great Lords in chaines of horrour and anguish of soule and conscience such chaines as out of which there is no redemption but by the high words of the Saints by the high promises of God to speake peace to the soules of Princes but let the high threatnings of God be in their mouthes the high Commandements of God in their mouthes and those wil binde Kings in chaines and Lords in fetters of Iron and then let the high promises of God the spirituall promises of grace be in their mouthes to set Princes at liberty and to teach their Senatours wisedome A strange kind of combination in the Spirit of grace wrought in such hearts they can call upon their hearts to be lifted up to the high things of God nothing then too great for them to exercise themselves in no Mercies nor Judgements too great no not the unsearchable counsell of God the depths of the Mysteries of God nothing is too high for them it will be prying and looking into the secret counsells of God and yet both together with most modesty when the soule is most lifted up in the wayes of God yet at the same time he lookes at himselfe as nothing and yet notwithstanding so far forth as God will be pleased to reveale it to him hee will bee searching into the deepe things of God and yet all this will hee doe with a very modest spirit Thus you have seene six combinations severally of the gracious affections that are not to bee found in nature no not set upon civill objects much lesse upon spirituall but upon civill objects they cannot be so combined together Seventhly The seventh combination of graces there is another combination of vertues strangely mixed in every lively holy Christian And that is Diligence in wordly businesses and yet deadnesse to the world such a mystery as none can read but they that know it For a man to rise early and goe to bed late and eate the bread of carefullnesse not a sinfull but a provident care Diligence in worldly busines and yet dead to the world and to avoid idlenesse cannot indure to spend any idle time takes all opportunities to be doing something early and late and looseth no opportunity go any way and bestir himselfe for profit this will he doe most diligently in his calling And yet bee a man dead-hearted to the world the diligent hand maketh rich Prov. 10.4 and you read of the godly woman that she riseth while it is yet night Prov. 31.27 And of this ye read Prov. 15.13 and 18 19.27 Now if this be a thing which is so common in the mouth of the holy ghost and you see was the practice of the greatest women then upon the earth the greatest Princes in those times the more gracious the more diligent and laborious in their callings you see it will well stand with the life of grace very diligent in worldly businesse And yet notwithstanding the very same souls that are most ful of the worlds businesses the more diligent they be in their callings yet the same persons are directed to be dead with Christ Col. 3.1 2 3. Set not your affections upon things below but on things that are above for we are dead with Christ Meaning dead to all these earthly things and all the comforts here below they are not our life but our life is hid with Christ in God and therefore to this world are we dead And Paul therefore so speakes of it Gal. 6.14 The world is crucified to me and I unto the world the very same men that are so crucified to the world yet the spirits of those men though their affections be in heaven yet their labours are in the earth Phil. 3.20 Our conversation is in heaven but our imployments is here upon the earth diligently taking paines in our callings ever very busie in outward imployments Observe the Ante learne her wayes and be wise Prov. 6. be busie like Antes morning and evening early and late and labour diligently with their hands and with their wits and which way soever as may be the best improvement of a mans tallent it must be imployed to the best advantage and yet when a man hath laboured thus busily yet his heart and mind and affections are above he goes about all his businesse in obedience to Gods Commandement and he intends the glory of God and he thereby sets himselfe and his houshold at more liberty for the service of God in their places and so though hee labour most diligently in his calling yet his heart is not set upon these things he can tell what to doe with his estate when he hath got it Say not therefore when you see two men labouring very diligently and busily in the world say not here is a couple of worldlings for two men may do the same businesse and have the same successe and yet a marvellous difference between them the heart of the one may be dead to these things he looks at them as they be indeed but crums that fall from the childrens table he lookes not at them as his cheifest good but the bread of life the spirituall food of his soule that is the thing which he cheifly labours after another man places his happinesse and felicity in them and makes them his cheifest good and so there is a manifest difference between them So then you see seven combinations of graces that are in the life of holinesse and all of singular use in this kind Eightly the last vertue is a single one and that is love of enemyes Love of Enemies I say unto you love your enemies Matth. 5.44 that you may be the children of your heavenly Father Love your enemies This very grace whereby we doe love our enemyes it hath a contrary worke to nature for naturally this we shall finde to be the frame of our hearts towards our enemies we are cold and undisposed to doe any good office unto them very hard and cold and frozen towards them Those who are our enemies we take no pleasure in them but now in such a case as this the love of a Christian will come and warme the heart and thaw this cold frostinesse that is in our soules whereas before a man was cold toward his Enemies his heart now begins to reflect upon him in pitty and compassion and instead of hardnesse his heart now melts and is made soft within him to see what ill measures it could have put upon its enemies But on the contrary side the same hatred in a man that is towards his enemyes it makes a man of an hot
distemper with boyling in heat of wrath against his enemies he is all upon it to doe him any harme his heart is full of hot and bitter wrath so as that love which was as heat and fire to thaw and warme cold and hard hearts when it comes to the fire of wrath it is as it were cold water and allayes that heat and bitternesse and harshnesse which else our hearts are subject to This is the nature of love as it is the nature of water to coole hot distempers and as it is the nature of fire to thaw and soften hard frozen spirits so though it be but as one intire grace Yet in the act it puts forth a kind of variety of worke whereby one would thinke it did crosse it selfe but it doth not but doth all by the life of Christ thus you see what the effects of the life of sanctification is in the heart of a man after that God hath begun to roote the life of justification in us and hee discernes that God hath wrought a change in him and then these severall graces though in themselves and worke one opposite to another yet in a Christian heart they can meet and joyne together And therefore now doe but lay this to heart he that hath the Sonne hath life Will a Christian say how shal I know that I have that life in having of which I may know I have Christ Why do but consider with thine owne soule not now of the life of thy justification but hast thou found that ever God did fill thy heart with joy so as thy soule hath said the Lord hath done great things for my soule whereof he hath made me to rejoyce and hast thou found that when thou hast most rejoyced in the wonderfull mercy of God then hath thy heart most melted before the Lord thy God And thou hast been ashamed and confounded within thy selfe and never open thy mouth against God any more Doest thou see that the more God reveales Christ to thee who was crucified for thy sake the more bitterly thou moanest for thy wickednesse then it is a strong evidence of life and peace in thy soule were it not the mighty power of the life of Christ in thee thou couldest have had neither of both these graces much lesse combined together to worke the same thing at one and the same time if therefore God hath helped you to looke at the great mercy of God with joy and yet with shame and bitter mourning that ever thou shouldest dishonour such a God certainly God hath vouchsafed thee life and such a life as in which thou shalt live You shall have many a soule that is marvellously comforted in hearing the word rejoyce exceedingly in what they heare and goe home and say such a word was good and very comfortable and never man spake like that man and he never thought before that there was so much to be found in the word as now he conceives there is But now if this were the joy of Gods Elect if it were such a joy as would not vanish away like lightning in the aire a flash of joy it would sinke downe into the heart and leave so much the more deeper impression mourning by how much the more it hath had joy I grant that sometimes the joy of Gods owne servants may soone vanish away but it was never knowne that the joy of a living Christian did so soone vanish and depart away but that when it did most abound in the heart it did cause inward mourning and if not weeping yet an affection of greife and sorrow of soule that ever we have so displeased God the more God hath been mercifull to us the more are we shamed of ourselves inwardly grieve for our shamelesse carriages If therefore you only finde joy in hearing that may deceive you it is not the shortnesse of the continuance that argues the unsoundnesse of the joy but the want of this combination that will argue the falshood of it if God yoake not spirituall joy with spirituall mourning then suspect your joy for it doth not accompany salvation unto life And in very deed this you shall find to be true the joy of living soules in Christ though that oftentimes bee soon gone yet it leaves this spirit of mourning which keeps possession for it and that many times for a long time and you may read your comfort in the sorrow that it hath left behind for there is as much cause of comfort in this sorrow as in the joy when you had it when you see your soules can mourne unfeignedly for that you see so good a God to such a wretch this very comfortable sorrow that is left in thy heart is an undoubted pledge that it is not a vanishing joy the power and work of it lasts long and wil abide in the soule for ever a man will in such a case mourne for his sin while he lives If you have therefore found your joy mixed with sorrow it is right else it is but a fading hypocriticall and false joy Againe further how doe you finde your heart affected with the duties of Gods worship Doe you come to duties marvellous unwillingly that if you could avoyd it you would not keep such duties in your house and if it must needs be you put it upon any body rather then upon your selfe you may be a living Christian but your heart is in a dead frame at that time and if it be alwayes so with you you never did truly live but if you finde your spirits at least your hearts comming on most willingly to Christian duties that you performe them like Free-will offerings not free so as without warrant from Gods Word but free in respect of grace Doe but observe thus much it may be you may come off freely before God because hee hath given you spirituall gifts and you can quit your selves well in the performance of them and that makes you come the more boldly but consider if the more willingly you come to Christian duties the more trembling your heart goes about them the more the soule is prepared the more it feares before the Lord and the more lowly the spirit is and awfull in the sight of God if a man can serve the Lord with joy and trembling together then the service you perform to God is heavenly and spirituall and lively and such as in which you live they come from a living heart and the sacrifice is lively and acceptable and argues you have life and therein you have Christ the God of peace but if a man have only feare in a duty but no joy or joy but no feare his heart is not in a good frame we must bring a better frame of heart before God then so before we can say that we have the life of sanctification Againe for another signe How doe you finde your selves in your tribulations are they altogether matter of burden and wearinesse to your hearts Have you no
the more we have respect to the Word as our daily rule so much the more All our stirrings in our callings is a motion of Spirituall life and argues the life of sanctification shed abroad in our hearts Secondly another action of life is feeding 2 Signe of spirituall life the creature that feeds it selfe is able to live Joh. 6 35. explained Iohn 6.35 Except you eate my Flesh and drinke my Blood you have no life in you He doth not speake of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper there for it was not then instituted but yet it is true of that as wel as of any other Ordinance of God the Body and Blood of Christ fed upon in Word and Sacrament and Christian communion in hearing and reading the Word and if Christ had ordained more Ordinances then he hath yet when he hath had ordained any Spirituall Ordinance the feeding upon Christ in that Ordinance had been an argument of Spirituall life Except yee eate his flesh and drinke his blood yee have no life in you This is an argument of Spirituall life when a man in every duty that he takes in hand and is sensible in them all in some measure though not alwayes easie to be discerned at first but if in every duty of Christianity that you performe and in every Ordinance of God you feed upon Christ then you have life in Christ so that let a man observe it You heare the Word and you receive Sacraments and you partake in Christian company Doe you eate the flesh of Christ there and drinke his blood there If so then it is well when you heare the Word is the Blood of Christ or is the flesh of Christ there or is either of both there to feed upon Or in prayer or in any other duty that you take in hand doe you feed upon Christ in it If you feed upon him there you have life and he that feeds not lives not if a man forbeare his meat he cannot long subsist It is true a man may live for a while and finde no rellish in any thing but in time he must finde relish in them else he cannot be preserved Quest But how shall I know that I doe feed upon Christ in every Ordinance Ans 1. A soule longs after Christ in Ordinance First Whether doe you finde an inward longing desire in your souls after the Lord Jesus Christ in the duties you goe about Doe you come with a desire to finde Christ in his Ordinance hungring and thirsting and not satisfied unlesse you finde Christ that is the nature of hungring and thirsting and so is the case here This desire and thirst is such an unquenchable desire as that without Christ it is by no meanes satisfied doe you therefore finde an inward longing to find and meet with the Lord Jesus in the Word that you read or heare in the Sacraments that you receive and such a longing desire as that if you finde not Christ there you goe away poore and dead and finding your hearts unsatisfied is an evident signe of life for you came to an Ordinance and desired to finde Christ there and there he was not what then Cant. 3.1 2 3. to the bed of the Ordinances the Church goes to seek and to finde Christ by night I sought him that was in a time of calamity that she could plainly discerne she found him not and she sought him in every other Ordinance but found him not or sign of life she hungers and sought out after him but could not finde him and when she missed him was not satisfied If a man come to an Ordinance and find nothing there Note this and yet when he is gone he is satisfied he is well enough that soule hath either no life at all or life in a swound or cold without stirring and motion there is not an hungering desire after him when you can come and goe away unsatisfied and yet be well contented too Secondly feeding hath another worke Strength and sweetnesse in the ordinance the former is but a preparation or supposition of feeding but a man also then feeds when he findes some sweetnesse and rellish in the meat that he eates that doth ever accompany feeding and is a signe that a man doth feed the stomach doth well affect the meat it feeds on have you then found some sweet rellish in the Ordinances the Gospell is a sweet savour to them that are saved 2 Cor. 2.15 16. and as for savour to smell so as a sweet savour to the taste doe you therefore finde some kinde of sweetnesse a spirituall sweetnesse in the Word you heare or read or Sacraments you receive or prayers that you make Are they such a comfort or sweetnesse to you that you finde in this or that promise or commandement or doctrin any word of life Do you finde strength and sweetnesse in it It is an evident signe of life because you finde sweetnesse in it it s a signe of health to rellish a sweetnesse in our meat for a sick man it may be eates and drinkes but he findes no sweetnesse in it and that is a part of his complaint that he cannot relish his meat and it is true it may be a man that hath some life in him feels no relish no savour in any Ordinance but then he sees he is sicke and he complaines of it to God but yet notwithstanding if a man doe finde sweetnesse and relish there it is an evident argument not of life only but of health and such as will maintaine spiritual life but if a man find no sweetnesse in it he cannot live for were there life it would finde sweetnesse Thirdly 3. Particular applying of the Word in all feeding there is a taking of the meate downe and not spitting it out but we receive it downe and there it lyes in our stomachs and we chew upon it and there it rests but if we cast it up againe then we feed not it is an ill signe when we cast it away as soone as we receive it If Gods Word abide with us and in us that we doe not reject it but hide it in our hearts that so we might not sinne against God Psal 119.11 and receive it by a wise applying of it to our owne soules receive it into the inward man and apply our selves to every duty commanded us so farre as concernes our callings and our estates and takes notice of every threatning that we had need looke to it so farre as we might sinne against God if we thus take the Word of God downe into our hearts and make it our owne case and therefore keepe it within our selves and give up our selves in some measure to be bowed by it and hide it in our hearts and lets it sit next our hearts then truly we doe feed upon it and it secretly conveyes strength into us though sometimes we lesse discerne it Fourthly 4. Conformity to the Word in everything all
themselves and therefore this is the warmth of this knowledge it both burnes up their owne lusts like chaffe and all the sinfull distempers that we see in the lives and wayes of our Brethren this is one part of the heat of a Christian soule that his knowledge is a warme knowledge Look what he knowes he thinkes he must doe whereas another man knowes many things but he doth them not but a Christian if he know it to be the Will of God he must doe it And that is the reason why Gods servants are many times counted very busie as indeed the fire is ever very busily working no creature in the house so busie as the fire is and so the knowledge of Gods people makes them to be so busie in doing and therein they expresse the life of Christ Secondly 2. Where there is life there is breath where ever is true life there is this warmth a warmth in their breath both in the Naturall and Spirituall body in this Naturall body while we live it is warme and so long as we live we breath more or lesse it is but for a little time if at all breath be intercepted it may be in some suddaine fits but ordinarily if it tarry long it is a signe of death but if there be life there is breathing and that breathing is warme some warme breath comes from him that is alive And truely so shall you finde it in your spirituall life If there be any true life in the heart of a Christian soule there is alwayes some kind of warm breathing there is some measures of warmth in his prayers the prayers of an hypocrite ir alwayes but lip-labour and accordingly lust labor the words vanish away in the aire but there is ever more or lesse some kind of warmth-in the prayers of Gods servants according to what the Apostle speakes Rom. 8.26 even then when we know not what to pray for nor how to pray as we ought then the spirit helpes our infirmities that when we sometimes cannot bring out a word to God the heart is ful sometimes of anguish and discouragement in respect of inward desertions or temptations and outward afflictions but yet though in such a case we be not able to tel what to pray for yet there is ever in a Christian soule something that makes him seeke to God and the very sighs of such a soule come from ome warmeth of spirit within him The scalding sighs and deep groanes of the soule they come from a spirit of life and warmth in Christ Jesus Therefore though it be true there be many cold prayers that Gods servants do put up yet there is some kind of sighs and groans that springs from them which argues some heat and life in them And so is it As they breath thus to God-ward so doe they breath one to another so that if they speake of the things of God they speake not of God and his Word lightly and wantonly or loosely as those that have no affection to them but if they speak of the Word of God of his threatnings promises or of any of his commandements or any of the workes of his providence they speake not of them coldly as those that took no pleasure in them but if they speake of any of the things of God they speake with some reverence and desire after them and settling a confirmation in them they have love to the word and rejoyce in it and stand in awe and in feare of it and they exercise their hearts and wits about it when at any time they speak of the things of God so that there is some kind of warmth in the expression of a Chirstian in some savoury affection whereby he esteemes of the things of God above what is found in an hypocrite Thirdly Spiritual warmth digesteth Gods Ordinances There is a certaine kind of warmth by which the soule doth not only affect the Ordinances of God but by which it doth in some measure digest them there is no living man wanting some such measure of heat as makes him able to digest some kind of dyet though not alwayes strong meate especially if he be in any measure of health and that is no small measure of heate Psal 119.20 the very longing desire it alwayes hath to Gods Judgements was it that even made his soule to breake within him and so to pant after Gods Word and his presence in his Ordinances Psalm 42.1 there was a kind of panting and longing and eager desire after God by which it comes to passe that the soule of a Christian closes with God in his Ordinances and turnes them into nourishment within himselfe and so is more strongly and inwardly bent towards God in the ways of his grace whereas a dead spirit is flat and hath no affection to the word no affection to Gods presence no list to the things of this nature Fourthly things that are warm put them together and they are the more warm 4. Spiritual warmth heateth others but put cold clogs and peeces of wood together and they are never a whit the warmer but if you take but two or three of them things that are well kindled and they will set all a fire that comes nigh them though ready before to goe out for want of supply if you lay two or three warme brands together they will kindle one another And truly so it is among Christians take you a Christian that hath this spirituall warmth in him though almost benumbed for want of good company and good conference and breathing forth of Gods spirit and grace in the soule Yet if he meet with two or three like himselfe they presntly begin to kindle one another And the breath of such Christians is like bellows to blow up sparkes savoury and sweet expressions of their hearts and edifie themselves by their mutuall fellowship one with another Yea and sometimes they grow so warme by this means as that they are fit to admonish one another to exhort and to comfort and if need require to rebuke one another as occasion serves 1 Pet. 4.8 Have fervent love one to another above all things have fervent love among your selves this is a speciall thing love among Christians by which love they so kindle one another to such deep respects to God and the wayes of his grace and so burne one out of another much sinfull folly and frailety which will be in them that are so loose one to another and raiseth them up to that power of godlinesse which sometimes they had grown up unto and now almost lost for want of often joyning together for by so doing they do what they can to put out the fire when Satan means to put out the light and life of Religion out of both Church and Commonwealth hee layes one Christian in one corner and another in another that they shall when they list go to bed and sleep and then a lazy spirit shall come upon them and so they
lye till they be dead in trespasses and sins But above all things have fervent love among your selves forsake not the fellowship you have one with another as the manner of some is Heb. 10.25 26. Love covereth a multitude of sins So as that though there was much evill in Christians before yet their very lying together doth burn out all that superfluity of naughty stuffe that hangs about the servants of God 1 Pet. 1.22 see that ye love one another with a pure heart and fervency of spirit This warmth in Christians it is found in these foure things And thus you see the properties of this life Quest You say but if this were always found in Christian men how comes it to passe then that the servants of God do many times finde their hearts so cold in their prayers and appetite so little to the word and so unprofitable under it How should a man heare so much and profit so little if a man aid digest the word and is it not a common complaint of Christians how much they hear and how little they profit Yea and will not some Christians say he profits nothing at all no not any thing And is it so many times that Christians come together and they are little edification one to another very little profit sit together and talke of matters that little edifie but rather corrupt the spirits one of another how is it then that you say where ever there is life there is heat so such as makes them more lively in Christian duties And it might be objected that Luke 24.32 Did not our hearts burn within us c. A sign that till he came to them and came into conference with them and did rub them up they were very cold hearted and dull spirited and went on their way with much darknesse of soule without life and strength of soule until he came to put life into their spirits Answ It is true many times Gods servants are very cold and benumbed and a cold spirit growes upon them exceedingly so as that they scarce feele any life breathing in their knowledge or prayers or appetites to the Word or love to their Brethren little warmth in any of these partly through want of supplying the life of Gods grace with fit nourishment whereby the heart should grow warme As naturall fire if it be not supplyed with new fewell it will goe out and partly sometimes by pouring cold water upon it which is as much as in us lyes to dampe the fire And we doe power cold water upon this life of grace when we admit of any sinfull lusts in our soules those do marvellously eate out all that life and heate of spirit that sometimes we had in our hearts and sometimes by an excessive use of worldly things which without a very spiritual mind doth clog the soule as much as if you should throw cold water upon a fire it will damp it very much so is this case men sometimes walke in worldly businesses with worldly affections and sometimes give leave to distempered lusts and sometimes neglect to put any fewell to the fire of grace but as soone as ever they find the heart well warmed with some good Sermon or a good Prayer or Conference or the like they thinke this fire wil never goe out and so they begin to neglect it and so either the fire goes quit out or else is so damped as that you can discerne no life no savour or power of Religion there And therefore such a thing may befall Gods servants they may grow dul hearted one way or other as you have heard But yet thus much let me say though this sometimes do befal the spirits of Gods people yet even then when they want burning and chafeing and stirring up there is something in them that argues some life and where is some life there is some heat so much life as there is so much heat is there so much as you take away of your Christian heat so much life you take away And therefore for these two Disciples that went to Emaius It is said when they were talking one with another they were talking of Jesus Christ and upon all the things that befell him in his passion And said Christ to them ver 17. What manner of communication is this and what is the matter that you are thus sad what was it that made them sad was it not an affection of griefe for all the evills done to their Saviour that was life of grace and some heate there was in them that their spirits should be so troubled to see their Elders and Princes and all the people to cry out so bitterly against the Lord Jesus Christ and not to leave him till they had crucified him there was some sad expression came from them upon that occasion And so though it left the outward man sad yet there was something in the heart though full of doubting through unbeleife what this Christ was and what this would come to we hoped this was he that should redeem Israel c. then Christ began to put a little warmth into them by saying ought not Christ to suffer these things v. 24 25. and so he opens to them the Scriptures spoken of himselfe and these words put new life into them and did blow up the spirit and heat of that decaying life which was overwhelmed with griefe and care their hearts was heated yet So that take you a Christian man when he is even in the most disordered framelook how much he hath lost of his spiritual heat so much of his true life if he have left to be warm so much life hath he lost and if his warmth be smoothered his life is smoothered for the present And even as life will shew it selfe in the very sad face of the heart and dejection of spirit that they fall into and sometimes in the deepe sighs and groans of the heart which in such a case it sometimes will breake forth into So a Christian soule when his heate is most damped there is a sad face in his spirit that he discerns all is not well with him his spirit is benumbed his heart in his own thoughts is frozen within him It is a burden to him and a matter of sadnesse to his spirit and therefore hee doth expresse himselfe sometimes with many sad and deep sighs and groanes about his forlorne and lost estate and yet sometimes you shall have his heart even then when his heart is most cold which is worse then the former for you shall sometimes have a Christian soule not onely not affected with sadnesse 〈◊〉 this when his life is smothered within him but vanish away in much empty carnall delights and contentments and rejoycing in those comforts which have no life at all in them A Christian man that hath his life so deaded may come not onely to have nothing left but sadnesse of heart to behold it but hee may loose his sadnesse too and even
that vanish away in outward rejoycing so as no life in his heart in a manner is left Peter when he had denyed his Master his heart was much oppressed within him he was pricked and wounded with anguish in his soul but there was some life in that But what was it with David after his committing of uncleannesse nine or ten months together he pleaseth himselfe in his pleasures and delights and contentments which his royalty put upon him and made Vriah drunke and did eate and drink himselfe liberally with him and in the end put him to death and that very sleightly and when he heares of it makes no matter of it but the sword devoures one as well as another and had not his pulse beating in him no warme breath comes from him but an empty flourish and outward joyallity as if he had sung all care away and all fear of God out of his heart As if there was no spirituall affection left in his heart of the estate of the whole Church of God whereas his poore servant could say unto him shall I goe home and sollace my self with my wife and children the case standing with the Church so as it doth he would not do so a word that one would have thought would have warmed a good mans heart but he was not warmed with it nor with any lively affection not any beating of his pulse to Christianity nothing stirring but a swounding of the whole man that he that had seen David in such a case and had never known him before he might have written in his forehead a man forsaken of God and void of all feare of his name had he seen him in this case Where was then Davids life all this while It was a fearefull condition and of all we read in the Scripture none so farre forsaken whose whole spirit was so farre benumbed as Davids then was and yet truly life there was stil in him I doubt not though all this while you shal see that either David prayed not all this while and that hath been the case sometimes of right godly men that have sometimes not of three yeares together made a private Prayer in their Closets have been content to come to duties in the Family cause others to perform duties but for their own parts further then a form of religion or shame or satisfying of conscience forces them they let all rest no affection at all to the duty they know God tooke no pleasure in such a soule while they lived in such a course and so would they lye many moneths and yeares and all that while not so much as lift up a private prayer to God and this is a far worse case then the other and yet even this sometimes befalls them when as sinfull lusts have so distempered the life of Christ in them there is still an habit of grace in the soule but yet scarce any life of Religion putting forth it selfe but still where warmth is removed so much life from holy duties is taken away And another answer to this poynt is that even as you see it is by the Almighty power of God that there may be fire and not heat as you see in the fiery Furnace whereinto the three Children was cast though it was made exceeding hot yet it had not power to hurt an haire of their heads nor to swinge a lap of their Garments the power of the sire was propended by the mighty power of God as there is this power in God concerning materiall fire so is there a marvellous hellish and Devillish power in sinne though not an Almighty power yet very like to an Almighty power that that which hath a mighty worke of God by the Almighty power of his grace in the hearts of the Servants of God the work of an Almighty power There is such a venemous power in sin as that it will susspend all acts of grace Power of sinne not so much as shew any act of grace in a Christian soule but the soule and all the graces in it shall lye as the body of a man in a swound not any breathing or sight or hearing or motion nothing to shew of any spirituall life that if he should continue so you would conclude he were dead only this kind of life of grace is there you shall have thus much life in him There is a kinde of unlistinesse and heavinesse of soule to act wickednesse with all that strength and power which sometimes a godly man while he was carnall did reach forth his heart and hand unto a kind of frame of spirit in a Christian when it is at the worst though it can solace it selfe very farre in sinne and goes on hardening its heart in its owne way most desperately and frowardly yet notwithstanding there was alwaies something in his heart that will not suffer his soule to breake out with all that strength of the spirit of wickednesse as it did when it was carnall and the reason of that is because of that speech Gal 5.17 there is flesh and spirit in that soule so as neither can the spirit doe what it would nor the flesh what it would take a Christian when he is most strong and he cannot so glorifie God nor so edifie his brethren as hee would by reason of the body of sinne there is alwaies in the best of a Christian something like the spots in the Moone some darknesse in it not a Christian man but when he is most lively in grace but he hath some darknesse in his best performances so when corruption is most strong and grace most feeble and weake as in the former corruption will weaken the best performances so here corruption cannot carry a Christian man to doe all that wickednesse which else he would breake forth into nor with that strength and vigour which else he would put forth in it though he doe rejoyce in his wickednesse Note this and beare it out yea out-face his very conscience and out-stare the very light of the graces of God within him and goe on pleasing himselfe in the hardnesse of his owne heart yet there is something in the bottome that keeps possession for God and makes him goe about it bunglingly it becomes him not he cannot set it forth with a grace David in his worst comes not off with full power of wickednesse which else his corrupt heart would willingly break forth into were it not for the Spirit of grace that moves slowly in such cases as these be so that still the case stands cleare how much life so much warmth and that warmth will expresse it selfe if any life be there at all So that take a survey of your owne estates by this meanes you would know whether you have Christ or no whether you have life or no If you have the life of grace there is some spirituall warmth in thy soule some heat in thy soule doe but consider then the knowledge that is within thee Is thy knowledge such
good no not one Rom. 3.12 And he speakes of all men in an estate of nature without Christ not one doth any good no not one All the thoughts and imaginations of such mens hearts are evill and only evill and that continually Gen. 6.1 and Christ saith as much of their words Matth. 12.33 34. And so in all our workes A good tree brings forth good fruit but a corrupt tree brings forth evill fruit Mat. 7.18 Wherein he shewes you that as we do no good so we can doe no good not a good thought nor a good word nor a good worke comes from such a man all his dayes and all our speeches are rotten and unsavoury not any spirituall life in most seeming best duties we are not able to speake unto any good purpose let if be truly moulded an it is a precious fruit of righteousnesse but if spoke as comes from nature be it never so well spoken it is corrupt either full of pride or selfe-conceit or to please others or the like nor doe we regulate our words by the language of Canaan nor open our mouthes from a spirit of saith 2 Cor. 4.13 This is true in all naturall men we doe not therefore speake because we beleeve we speake not because we beleeve God hath commanded us so to speake as our Saviour said Iohn 14. last Nor therefore worke any thing because God set us aworke or to aime at any service of God or good to his people in it so that as our thoughts be so are our words evill and only and continually evill and much more all the workes of our hands that require greater strength of grace then either our thoughts or our words doe so that without Christ there is no act of spirituall life comes from us we would doe no good if we could If God should at any time assist us and supply us with something more then ordinary yet we will not be made clean that we might doe well Jer. 13. last opened O Ierusalem wilt thou not be made cleane when will it once be Jer. 13. last As if it were a thing never to be looked for God might waite upon a man from one end of the yeare to another and sometimes be asking of him Wilt thou be made clean and he may aske again Man wilt thou be made whole but if he but say Wilt thou be made cleane we have many devices to put off God and we can never finde that day wherein we will say This day we will heare Gods voyce and be made cleane from this day forward I resolve never to think my own thoughts more nor to doe my owne will more but now will give up my selfe to seeke for life and salvation in Christ that day is yet never pitched upon till we have found Christ never since we were borne untill now but now it may be we are convinced that it is good to become a Christian and we wish well to such as are Christians but when it comes to the matter we are but almost Christians as was Agrippa or if we be satisfied that we must become Christians indeed then truly it must not be to day but to morrow and when we thinke to set God a day when indeed it shall be as sometimes at our Marriage or when we come out of our Apprentiships or when we fall sick when left alone upon the Death-bed and if God say Yet when will it once be we cannot yet set him a day only we will say We will consider of it and we would be loath to disappoint God as Creditors will say to their Debtors We would be loath to set you a day because we know not whether we shall hold or no and therefore spare us in that but we will pay you as soone as we can but when will it once be Truly we are not yet perswaded there is yet something or other to be done and therefore you shall finde this to be true that we are so farre from spirituall life in Christ that none of us doe any good there is nothing you doe whereof you may say This have I done because God hath set me a worke and in respect of Gods Command or that God may be sanctified thereby never yet could we say so and as we have not done any good so neither are we able or capable of good And in truth this is a further want of spirituall action that if God should make us able to doe it yet we would not be willing to doe it but if he put us to the question When shall it once be read that Chapter and the next and see if ever they set God a time they will by no meanes set God a time least they over-much ingage themselves indeed sometimes it may be you shall see such men lying under some heavie hand of God and neare to death resolve upon time See our unwillingnesse to come off to God when we are in health we thinke in sicknesse to be made cleane but in sicknesse what will we say then some of you can tell what men are then wont to say What doe we then say Oh if God would but restore me to health you should see I would become a new man why when he was in health he said If sicknesse or danger came that should be the time wherein he would be made cleane but when sicknesse comes then we put God off till health againe As if a Debtor should put off his Creditor from Summer to Winter and from thence to Summer againe the answer will never be given why now it shall be this day say you in sicknesse it shall be when God shall bring me to health but why not to day you put off God from health to sicknesse and from sicknesse to health againe and when they doe not so and come and tell them of it they will say Why it is true God forgive them they thought to have done such a thing and they hoped to have done it But when shall it once be Why not to day before to morrow what if you dye of this sicknesse will you goe to Hell immediately will you take no course for turning the wrath of God from you Are not you now sick why doe you deferre it any longer and though he be not able to turne himselfe in his bed yet he may turne to God It is a vaine thing to put off God to health for in our sicknesse God will sooner visit us and doth expect that in the day of our affliction we should seeke him diligently and early Hos 5. last When will it once be So that take notice of this desperate deadnesse of a mans heart out of Christ he is dead in sinne so as that he neither doth any good nor is able to doe any good nor is willing to doe any good And as there is no spirituall motion in him no act of grace so it is another act of spirituall life for a man to feed upon Christ but doe you
thinke a dead man is able to feed upon Christ you know what God said of the Idolatrous people in old time Esa 44.11 12. Esa 44.11 explained The same saith 〈◊〉 to every naturall man He feedeth upon what upon Christ No no upon ashes why upon ashes ashes is farre from feeding upon the living God and yet truly a man feeds upon ashes every soule that feeds not upon Christ hath some Idol for his God and so falls downe to worship it some god of profit or pleasure and this is the estate of all wicked men they feed upon ashes upon ashes it seemes to me to be a borrowed speech or similitude taken from children or some women with childe that being sometimes taken with some ill humour and distemper of stomach they have an eager desire to feed upon ashes and such like dry unsavoury meat Children will be eating coales and ashes and so will sometimes women with childe so truly it is with every naturall man he is a naturall Idolater he worships something besides Gods he feeds upon ashes some dry and unsavoury and unwholsome meat which cannot profit him in the day of wrath which gives not his soule any nourishment for the soule of man is an immortall spirit and we only feed it with profit and pleasure and credit and these be but ashes bodily food The good things of this life are no more suitable to a mans soule then ashes be to a mans body and therefore Solomon so compares the estate of all the sonnes of Nature Eccles 3.21 Who knowes the spirit of a man that goes upward and the spirit of the beast that goes downeward to the earth his meaning is this he complaining of the vanity that lyes upon the sonnes of nature he speakes not in the person of an Epicure as some conceive but his meaning is Who knowes which of all the sonnes of men considers or takes it to heart that his soule goes up to any better place then the soule of a beast which of all the sons of Nature feeds his soule upon better food then the soule of a beast is fed upon Doe they not all feed as if they all went to one place and therefore upon the dust of the earth they feed turne me out the man that is in an estate of nature considers that his soule is to live for ever and therefore takes care to feed his soule to immortality this is the wofull distemper of all the sonnes of nature that we feed not upon Christ but upon the blessings of this world so long as we are without Christ all our food is upon earthly things here below there is not any power in a man by nature not any wisedome or strength in us to deliver our soules and then is not this a false course A lying vanity is not my heart deceived with this and that he is not able to aske his heart such a question am I such a foole to forget all good to my soule thus long it would deliver his soul if hee did but consider that there was a lye in the other way and he flatters himselfe in his good estate before God and considers not the truth of the thing he thinkes hee is as faire a dealing man as any of them all but his heart deceitfull and desperately wicked and so cannot see the falsehood of his way And for growing which is a third act of spiritual life a man is dead to any growth never comes to any growth in grace but he is apt to grow in evil and sin evill men and deceivers shall wax worse and worse 2 Tim. 3.13 take you any natural man and he is ever growing worse and worse ever growing of the worse hand he growes more and more unprofitable and more loose from God and estranged from the wayes of his grace and settled in the wayes of sin And this is that which the Prophet Jeremiah complaines of chap. 9.3 they proceeded from evill to worse and this is the estate of us all without Christ we grow from prodigality to covetousnesse and from wantonnes to voluptuousnes and so goe on til we come to take pleasure in all sinne though it be but for a season This is al the growth and progresse that such men make And in the fourth place for cleansing our selves from al superfluous and noysome lusts that we doe not neither can we be freed from them O Jerusalem wash thy heart from thy wickednesse how long shall thy vaine thoughts lodge within thee Jer. 4.14 Purge out all those sinful lusts God knowes the thoughts of the hearts of men are but vaine 1 Cor. 3.18 and they being vain God would have us to wash our hearts how long shal it be that we suffer these lusts to lodge within us we never cleanse our selves from these but such woful cleansing it is that if we goe about to purge them out by the motions of the spirit of grace that he casts into our hearts we think its a troublesome worke and doth crosse the tranquility and peace of our estates we thinke they are noysome and therefore if any good motion be darted into the heart in the Ministery of the Word or in the Counsell of Christian friends we are sick of it till we have cast out all those good motions againe and what ever good affection God hath been pleased to cast into us wee are not wel til we be shut of it as was the case of Ahab he comes sadly and mourning from Eliahs sharpe reproofe 1 King 21. two last verses but he could not be well at ease til he had cast it all off with putting Naboth to death and put it off with calling a Councel about going to War and so damped all the sorrow that was in his heart Let Caine have any good motion come in his heart and he wil put it off with building of Cities His sin and punishment is great Gen. 4.13 and would he not now seek to God for mercy that his soule might live no he goes out from the presence of God and from all good company and good councel and whither goes he then Into the land of Nod and there he builds Cities and calls them by such and such names and so takes off his thoughts from any good motion and extinguishes all the motions of grace And truly so stood the case with Foelix Act. 24.25 when he trembled at Pauls Sermon he would not indure to hear him any further but when he had convenient leasure he would hear him again but he never sent for him And so you shall ever find this frame in a naturall mans heart those motions which the spirit of God casts into his heart that might induce him and lead him on by the hand to better courses we are not wel til we have cast them all off Just as Paul complaines of the Jewes Act. 13.46 since you have put it away from you loe we turne to the Gentiles we purge and cast out the
of earthly blessings what will they advantage you but chiefly labour to get Christ and then He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life SERMON XII 1 John 5.13 These things have I written unto you that beleeve on the name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternall life and that ye may beleeve on the name of the Son of God WEE are now come to enter upon the beginning of the conclusion of this whole Epistle wherein the Apostle rehearseth the intention and scope of the whole fore-past Epistle the persons and subjects to whom he writes and the end and scope of his writing These things have I written unto you To whom To you that beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God And he intends a double end First That you may know that you have eternall life Secondly That you may beleeve on the Name of the Sonne of God Now to encourage to this latter end that John aimes at beleeving on the name of the Sonne of God he propounds three motives in the 15 16 17. verses amongst which the last of them is a promise of prevailing with God for pardon and a prevention of falling into the great sinne and so propoundeth certaine incouragements to the end of the Chapter Now at this time we shall treat of the first part of this conclusion which is an expression that John here makes or a description of the persons here spoken to to them that beleeve on the name of the Son of God from the persons to whom John dedicates this Epistle to them that beleeve on the name of the Son of God observe Doct. This Epistle of John was written or directed to beleevers on the name of Iesus Christ This is evident in the text which may be gathered from the beginning of the Epistle in Chapter 1.4 he writes to such who by reading this Epistle might attaine to fulnesse of joy and those are only beleevers who are capable of that mercy and blessing you may gather the same from the three sorts of Christians to whom he writes in particular vers 12. in chap. 2. I write unto you little children because your sins are forgiven you and these little children are divided into three sorts vers 13. Fathers young men and babes so that looke at all that Iohn writes to they are such as make a faithfull acknowledgement of God the Father as chap. 4. vers 4. And looke at his second Epistle and that is to the Elect Lady and looke at his third Epistle and that is first to the beloved Gaius and he shewes you what a notable Christian he was he wishes no further prosperity to his body and outward estate then his soule had attained unto his soule was in great prosperity only his body and estate was weake for he was the Host of the whole Church of God so that looke at all Iohns writings and they are all written to them that beleeve on the name of the Son of God And in very deed looke at all the Epistles of all the rest of the Apostles and they are all written to Beleevers if you summe them all up from first to last looke at the Prothesis of every Epistle in the first second and third verses of every Epistle and they are written sometimes to Saints by calling sometimes to faithfull brethren sometimes to the Churches of Christ naturall Sons partakers of the common salvation in a word only to those that were faithfull beleevers in Christ Iesus And when our blessed Saviour himselfe writes he writes to the seven Churches of Asia all of them such as sometime had been eminent and glorious and gracious and amongst the weakest he had a few names even in Sardis that had not defiled their garments chap. 4.3 Now when a man shall consider that all the Apostles doe dedicate all their writings to beleevers and Saints it gives us just occasion of inquiry Quest Wherefore hee writes to these and to these only Answ Now for Answer to which To these he writes in regardof the speciall benefit and helpe that these writings might yeeld to beleevers both to those that then lived What help Johns Epistle yeilds to beleevers and to all other beleevers that should succeed them to the end of the world And those benefits are many and divers As first Teaching Teaching that is one benefit the Churches receive by these Epistles 2 Thes 2.15 brethren stand fast and hold the traditions which ye have been taught whither by Word or by our Epistle This was one end of the Apostles writing their Epistles to the intent they might teach the Church of God sundry things which else they had not known Admonition 2 Another benefit the Churches received from these Epistles was Admonition and putting them in remembrance of the things they had heard things which they did know before and which happily they had forgotten 2 Pet. 1.12 13. I thought it necessary to put you in remembrance Practise 3 And in verse 13. there is a third benefit of them To stir them up to do such things which though they wel knew should be done yet they were dul and slow of heart and stood in need to be stirred up to them 4 Another end of their writings was this Humiliation That sometimes they might Humble and bring low the spirits of those that wer puffed up had not repented of the sin which they had committed 2 Cor. 7.8 I was sorry at the first that I made you sorry but now I am not sorry for it was a godly sorrow so that it seemes the writings of the Apostles did much prevaile with the faithfull people of God and wrought in them such godly sorrow that it was a comfort to the Apostle that he had sometimes grieved them Confirmation in the faith 5 Another end was that so by this meanes they might be strengthened in the faith according to what you read in the words of the Text to them that did beleeve he wrote that they might beleeve meaning that they might be confirmed and established in beleeving Consolation 6 Also to the intent that they might fil the hearts of Gods people with joy in beleeving 1 Iohn 4. according to what you read was effected Act. 15.31 So that see how much help the Church of God hath had by these writings so that they have found much comfort in them And these writings have been the foundation of the faith of Gods people from that time to the worlds end they have ever yeelded matter to the Ministers of the Gospel to preach and expound to the people that by preaching they might bring on men to salvation so that the holy ghost would not have Ministers nor any other to be wise above what is written 2 Tim. 4 16 17. That when these are put into the hand of a faithful Scribe taught unto the Kingdome of God he may be able to
use this two-edged sword of the spirit to all those ends by which we come to be made perfect unto salvation and this is the scope of the spirit of God in Scripture Reason 1. Why they are written to such as beleeve As they serve for those benefits so also for those ends It is taken from the little use which unbeleevers will make of these writings till they come on to beleeving so little that were it not for some beleevers among them whom God had respect unto none of all the Apostles would have vouchsafed to have written any one Epistle to any unbeleever of any Town or Assembly none of them all writes to any but to such as beleeve on the name of the son of God had there been any benefit likely to be expected from unbeleeving Nations some or other would have written to them but from first to last look over them all and observe them whether they be written to particular persons or to particular Congregations or to Churches or Nations they are all written to such as beleeve on the name of the Lord Jesus For it is with the Apostles writings as the Apostle sometimes speakes of prophesie or miracles miracles are for them that beleeve not but prophesie for them that beleeve he doth not deny but prophesie is for them that beleeve not but he speaks by way of opposition to miracles miracles are rather for them that beleeve not and he would have beleevers know it is rather for them to attend unto prophesie then unto miracles so that this is the poynt Observe it as a just ground of the Apostles dealing in these writings Because of the little use that unbeleevers will make of them Take you men that beleeve not and let them read the Word of God over again and againe and yet they receive little instruction from what they read little admonition little stirred up to any goodnesse And you shal not at all find any blessing no saving gift of God can be wrought in the heart without faith and because faith comes not by reading but by hearing therefore the Apostle writes not to them that beleeve not but to such as are beleevers If ever God had intended that the reading of these writings had been effectual to the begetting of faith surely he would have followed them with mighty works as he blessed the preaching of the Gospel in the primitive times with miraculous workes but you shal not read in any Scripture that ever God so farre blessed the Word read to any man or that he ever wrought a miracle to confirme the Word read where the word hath been taught God magnified it much in the first publishers of it til the whole world was convicted And had God been pleased at any time to thinke that these writings should be effectual to convert men to grace surely it had been a notable meanes for the Apostles to have sent sundry Epistles to many Churches to whom they should never personally come But this was their care to goe all over the world to preach here and there all the world over round about the world as much as in them lay which they needed not to have don in case the sending of an Epistle would have served the turne Notable is that speech and famous in this kind Rom. 10.14 to 17. Faith comes by hearing c. So that in very truth because the Apostles did not see of what use their writings might bee to any unbeleevers because all the work that reading could reach unto could not reach to beget and worke saving faith which is the principall scope of preaching therefore they did never addresse themselves to write any of their Epistles to any unbeleever but onely to such as beleeve on the name of the Lord Jesus Object You say But sometimes God hath been pleased to blesse in old time the reading of the Word to the conversion of soules and therefore why may we not expect the like blessing upon the reading of the Gospell in these dayes as well as the Law in former times in Deut. 31.11 12 13. A place much stood upon in this case it was commanded there that the people should come up to Jerusalem and there the Law should be read before them vers 11. that they may heare and learne and feare verse 12. and their children that knew not the Lord may learne to feare the Lord their God Where you see God blessed the reading of the Law not only for the benefit of them that knew it before but their children also that knew not any thing may learn to feare the Lord And if God did so blesse the reading of the Law in former times as a notable instrument to bring on them to beleeve that never knew any thing of Gods word before Surely one would expect that the Gospel which of the two is rather the ministration of the spirit then of the letter or then the Law that it should be as mighty this way for the begetting of Gods fear in men as ever the Law was Answ You shal not read that this was the benefit or blessing that God did accompany the Law withal in ordinary reading of the same But this was a solemn reading once in seven yeares and no oftener or once in fifty years It was a reading at the feast of Tabernacles in the yeare of solemnity as verse 10 11 to 13. In a time of solemne release that was once every seven yeares And what was the reason that then it should have such a more then ordinary blessing Why this year of Release was the acceptable year of the Lord which typed out to them the year of release by the Lord Jesus Christ For he was crucified in one of these seventh years Note this In the year of Jubilee And to make it a type and shadow of what benefit we should have by reading the Word when we should be released from our sinnes by faith in his blood In that solemne reading God gave a more then ordinary blessing to little children those poore ignorant things that usually come to the Congregation and heare much but learn little yet even they in the year of Release when the time comes that God would shadow out to them their release by Christ even then little children that know not any thing shal get some knowledge and fear of God by hearing of those words then read so that it was such a reading as was upon such a solemne year of release as typed out Christs Redemption to shew you that men that are come to a yeare of release from all their sins by Christ they shall heare and know and though they know nothing before now they shall never read but with some profit and some growth in Gods feare And another answer may be this That when he there speakes of reading he speakes not of bare reading reading is some times put for all that expounding and applying that did ordinarily accompany their reading at such a time
a man may pray and never observe what answer God makes to his prayers all the day long but God requires that you should get knowledge by reading and that not of small matters but of your possession of everlasting life and therefore you read to purpose when you thereby come to know that you have eternall life and your joy is increased and you are brought on to beleeve and trust in the name of Christ more and more and unlesse you so read you have taken this blessed Ordinance of God in vaine and therefore be diligent and conversant in reading these Epistles and as you would search for treasure so be diligent and laborious herein that you may know you have eternall life SERMON XIII 1 JOHN 5.13 That you may beleeve on the Name of the Son of God NOw we come to speak of the other end of the Apostles writing of these Epistles and that is that you may beleeve on the name of the Son of God Doct. It is an holy end of the holy scriptures that beleevers may beleeve John when he writes the Gospel he speakes as wel to beleevers as to others but cheifly to beleevers John 20.31 These things are written that you may beleeve Say not what is this but to make the worke that is already wrought for though faith and beleeving bee wrought in the hearts of Gods people yet such as doe beleeve had need to be helped to beleeve more and better Rom. 1.17 It is not onely the power of God to worke faith in such as beleeve but to lead them on from faith to faith from one measure of faith to another and the Gospel is revealed from heaven for that end that such as beleeve not might be brought on to beleeve And such as do beleeve may be carried an end in beleeving such as are faithful had need be yet more faithful you read also Phil. 1.25 I shall abide with you for your furtherance and joy of faith such a furtherance as is for the increasing and augmentation of your faith so that there is not only faith but increase and growth of faith too as furthered by the Gospel 1 Thess 3.10 That I might supply the defects of your faith to supply what is wanting in your faith there is not any of the servants of God no not those that receive the word with much joy in the holy ghost in much affliction and tribulation no not those that give good pledges and evidences of their grace as 1 Thess 1.4 5 6 7. yet there is something wanting or lacking in your faith not any no not the most exemplary Christians v. 7. but there is something wanting in their faith and therefore to this end he desires to come to them Note this as vers 10. he is pressed exceedingly night and day stirred up unto that duty with much vehemency and in earnestnesse of spirit desires exceedingly to see your faith and to perfect what is wanting in it A marvellous thing that the best Christians should yet have something wanting in their faith so that this is not a needlesse work he undertakes in writing to them that beleeve on Christ that yet they may beleeve better Quest Now what is that which they had need grow unto Answ First they had need to grow unto the beleife of some further principles of Gods truth some further Articles of faith which yet they know not Some have need to grow in the object of their faith to beleeve more then they yet doe beleeve Some of the Apostles did not beleeve the resurrection of Christ Thomas said he would not beleeve unlesse he might see and feele John 20.25 he was wanting in the beleefe of one Article of faith the resurrection of the dead and 1. Cor. 15. the whole Church was wanting in this and in many other Articles of their Christian faith they doubted not but that their bodies should rise but they wanted that before And the Thessalonians they wanted this in their faith they could not tell what to make of the long delay of the second comming of Christ they did expect a suddaine comming and therefore many of them were troubled in their minds so as that they neglected their callings and minded not their outward businesse in the world expecting a suddaine dissolution of all And therefore the Apostle supplies what was wanting in their faith by acquainting them further of the councel of God That Christ must not come to Judgement till Antichrist have first come with all deceiveablenesse and lying wonders and till the Church have made an Apostacy and the Galathians they were ignorant of the Doctrine of Justification for supply of which and satisfying them therein that whole Epistle is spent so in all other Churches the Apostles labours to supply what was wanting in the object of their faith Secondly there is something wanting in their approvednesse of the habit of faith something wanting in the gift and grace of faith The Apostle prayes for the Colossians That as they have received Christ they would so walke and that they might be rooted and established in him Many of them were not so rooted and established in Christ as they stood in need to be not able to exclude and banish those doubts and feares and cares of spirit that sometimes accompany beleevers even those that beleeve already on the name of Christ yet there is something wanting in the root of their faith for looke as you see it is with a Plant that is grafted into a Stock it doth not forthwith take root but a little matter will soone unsettle it so is it in this case a man may in some measure be implanted into Christ and yet for a time be marvellously unsetled and farre off from that rootednesse which God lookes our faith should grow unto and so in a building it at the first framing may be so greene as that yet it is not setled upon the foundation but it would have a time to be dryed and withered that it may stand the firmer on the foundation without shrinking and be more fit for a mans dwelling so is it sometimes with the faith of a Christian man he may be knit to Christ and may have a place in Christ but his morter may yet be green and may be easily shaken with wind and weather of temptation and not be yet rooted and established there may want such holy confidence and assured perswasion of fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ as we had need to be lifted up unto a further increase of faith which this Epistle and such other Doctrines as these be are wont to work in them Thirdly It may be increased in the comfort of it in the sence and feeling of it for it may so fall out that many a good soule may come to a large measure of a lively faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as that they may cleave to him and seeke him early and doe and suffer any thing for the name of Christ and yet
and to make us beleeve more 5. Meditation on the Word Fifthly the Word also meditated upon when a man hath heard it and searched it and beleeved it read and conferred about it or say none of these for the present but whether these have gone before or no for the present the very meditation of Gods Word which a man now takes into his minde as he is riding or working there is a mighty power in the Word pondering upon it and chewing of it to make a man more rooted in it more fruitfull and more comfortable in beleeving This truth you see in Psal 1.1 2 3. when a man meditates upon the Law of God day and night he growes to more delight in it one of these helps another and what will be the fruit of it He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of waters planted and rooted and well watered there and he brings forth his fruit in due season and whatsoever he doth shall prosper not as planted in a dry Wildernesse but by the rivers of water and that makes him not only well rooted and growne tall but it inables him to bring forth fruit in due season and as for his leafe it withers not neither Summers heat nor Winters Frosts makes it to fall but he still holds his greennesse and his fruitfulnesse and he growes in all the graces of God which tend to the praise and glory of his grace and this is by reason of his delighting and meditating in the Word of God and thus you see the point opened Vse 1. First then you may from hence gather a signe of tryall of your owne faith for if this be the Spirit of a godly Teacher to draw on those that are beleevers to beleeve it is a good signe as of a faithfull Minister so of a faithfull Hearer when he desires to supply the defects of his owne and others faith you see Iohn a faithfull Minister to those Christians to whom he writes he when he had brought them on to beleeve and found faith wrought in their hearts it was his care not there to leave them he doth not say as some would well there is now truth of grace in them and truth of faith such faith as accompanies salvation and now he that begun this worke in them will finish it and so leave them and you say now you need take no further care about them but now they will doe well enough no this is not the spirit of a faithfull Minister of Jesus Christ and it will be but uncomfortable to such Ministers as thinke now they may be left to the wide world Property of a faithfull Minister they wil shift any where but where we see any seeds of faith begun we must be desirous to increase it in our selves and ours the Apostles themselves pray Lord increase our faith Luke 17.5 and so they desire to increase other mens faith wee had need grow fast this way if we would have a true signe of a lively faith true and lively faith always desires to grow in it selfe and it would cause the like faith also to grow in others and therefore as you see faithfull Ministers are thus desirous to grow themselves and to cause others to grow as Paul prayes exceedingly night and day to come to those whom he had taken pains withall that he might make a supply of what was wanting in their faith and as faithfull Ministers must cloathe themselves with this earnest desire to be calling yet more and more upon beleevers that such as doe beleeve may beleeve yet more and grow from faith to faith Truly so godly Christians looke as Ministers are desirous to grow in their owne faith and to helpe on others so in Christians it is a true signe of faith not to content our selves in truth of faith but to desire earnestly after growth in faith had not they cause to pray that Paul might come among them againe and helpe them And therefore doubtlesse this is that which every true beleever hath respect unto every faithfull Christian prayes for himselfe Lord increase my faith Lord helpe my unbeleefe this is the prayer of every soule that comes to Christ that though we have some measure of faith already yet mixed with so much unfruitfulnesse and unsetlednesse and so many defects that every Christian hath cause to pray Lord helpe my unbeleefe sometimes a man is hindred with offences and they are to be avoyded in which a man will not be able to put forth love unlesse hee have a strong faith and that was the reason why the Apostles prayed so earnestly Lord increase our faith Luk. 17.5 for it was upon this occasion our Saviour had been exhorting them how to carry themselves in respect of offences if thy brother trespasse against thee rebuke him and if he repent forgive him c. Now they apprehended it was a great work they saw it was a great worke to rebuke him he had need have much faith before he can do that but suppose upon that a man doe humble himselfe and repent then for a man to forgive him Note this it requires a great faith to forgive a wrong or an injury offered to us but what if he come and offend me againe and againe seventy times seven times why if he doe and say it repents me thou shalt forgive him Now when they heare this that a man must bee so free-hearted in forgiving wrongs and injuries done to themselves they had need have a strong love and strong love stands in need of a strong faith to shew you that a man that shal have occasion to trade with his faith and to live and walke by his faith he shall have much need of the growth and increase of it if it be but for the healing of offences many occasions and temptations may meet with us in the world temptations from Satan as well as from the world 1 John 2.14 And if a man have strong enemies he will stand in need of a strong faith to cut asunder all the fiery darts of the Devill Ephes 6.16 Above all take the shield of faith There is no man willing to go to the field with weak armour he would if he could have armour of proofe such as might repulse a weapon or a dart cast against him so a Christian he hath to fight against many enemies And a sheild covers his whole body and so differs from a buckler that covers but one part but a shield covers the whole man stands upon the ground and covers him all over and now faith being such a sheild it is of mighty force and is able to repulse all the fiery darts of the Devill and all the rest of the enemies of their salvation so that the servants of God that know what use they have of their faith they know they have need of the growth and increase of it And so againe in regard of their daily imployments the just man lives by his faith Rom.
saith Matth. 26.39 He asked that which was a lawfull thing and yet because he would not trench upon that which might crosse the will of his Father he would not put forth any the least affection of his soule to the over-ruling the Counsell of God and therefore he expresseth himselfe thus Neverthelesse not my will but thy will be done So that whensoever we aske any thing that is lawfull it must be with subjection of our owne wils to the will of God But for more full clearing of this point see it thus inlarged First a man is said to pray according to Gods will either partly as his will is expressed in his Word and partly the will of God expressing the worke of the Spirit in the heart of a Childe of God for both these are effectuall in every prayer that is made according to Gods will First according to his will expressed in his Word 1. Aske things lawfull therein God requires that we should pray only for such things as are lawfull and such as therein he hath commanded us to aske that we may doe them Notable is that example in Psal 119.4 5. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy Commandements diligently and in the next verse see what is his request O that my wayes were directed to keep thy Statutes looke whatsoever God commands us to doe we have warrant to pray for that we must pray for things lawfull and only for such Secondly 2. Aske in Christs name Whatsoever we pray for we must pray in the name of Christ Iohn 16.22 23. he makes a large promise to such as so aske in his name vers 23 24. Whatsoever you shall aske the Father in my name he will give it you This God requires that we should put up all our petitions in the name of Christ Now to aske in the name of Christ doth require the exercise of two graces First He that shall aske in the name of Christ implyes the asking of it in humility 1 To aske in Christs name requireth humility whatsoever we aske in humility and lowlinesse of spirit that is to aske in the name of Christ and that will evidence and put forth it selfe in three or foure severall acts in every prayer that is made according to Gods will and put up in the name of Christ First act of humility First A prayer made in the name of Christ is made with this humility whereby we acknowledge our selves lesse then the least of all Gods mercies as Iacob doth acknowledge Gen. 32.10 He was lesse then the least of all the mercies he had already received And therefore if God should never grant him more mercy he could not but acknowledge he had done abundantly more for him already then he had deserved he prayes not in his owne name but in the name of another and no man can pray in the name of Christ but he must pray in humility he must have no confidence in his owne worth Act. 2 Secondly he must pray in the sence of his owne insufficiency so much as to thinke a good thought much lesse to make a good prayer 2 Cor. 3.5 Rom. 8.26 This is humility and selfe-deniall when a man comes before God and acknowledgeth his owne unworthinesse to aske any mercy of God and confesseth his owne unablenesse to aske any blessing according to Gods will Act. 3 Thirdly A man askes in humility when he puts up his petitions with submission to Gods will he desires not that God would satisfie him in any lust but only grant him the things that are expedient for him so farre as may stand with the good pleasure of his heavenly Father and no further Matth. 26.39 Act. 4 Fourthly There is another act of humility to bend the heart of a man to make use of no mediation in prayer but only the mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ you read of a pretended humility a voluntary humility consisting in the worship of Angels Col. 2.18 They thought themselves not worthy immediatly to rush into Christs presence but rather intreat the Angels to intercede the Father for them but it is counterfeit humility and such men are puffed up with a fleshly minde in their voluntary humility it shewes that it is a vaine pride of heart to expresse more basenesse and meannesse of spirit then God requires and is but a counterfeit humility Now to pray in the name of Christ is not only to pray in humility but also to pray in faith and these acts of faith you have in all the prayers that you put up to God according to his will First Faith directs you to pray only unto him First act of faith in prayer upon whom you have beleeved Rom. 10.14 We only beleeve on God the Father and on his Son Jesus Christ and the blessed Spirit and therefore upon the Lord Faith only directs us to call he teacheth us not to pray to our Mother as the Papists doe nor to our Brethren and Sisters as the Papists doe to the Saints and Angels but only to the Father that is the voyce of faith Gal 4.5 6. Rom. 8.15 The Spirit helps us to cry Abba father Act. 2 Secondly It is the nature and worke of faith in every prayer it doth guide the heart of a man to looke unto God with some kinde of childe-like confidence repairing to him as a Father such as by faith beleeve on the name of the Son of God they come to God in their prayers as to their Father John 20.17 And it is the nature of faith to cry out as Thomas did My Lord and my God John 20.28 So that this is another worke of faith that when ever you come into Gods presence to aske any thing at his hand you come to him as to your Father he knowes what you want better then you can aske and is more willing to grant whatever is meet for you then your selves can desire to come to God as our heavenly Father through Jesus Christ is an act of faith he is so wel acquainted with us in him that himself loves us Joh. 16.26 27. So that to pray in faith is to come to God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and through him a Father also to us abundant in goodnesse and in truth a Father that is great in counsell and excellent in worke that hath compassion of his owne Children and wil therefore performe that which seemes good in his sight Act. 3 Thirdly Another act of faith and that is for a man to come truly cleaving to the Lord Jesus Christ not to stand upon demurs and disputes whether we had best cleave to God and whether we had best doe such or such things and so be almost Christians for if we so come we cannot receive any thing at the hands of God Iam. 1.5 6 7 8. A wavering minded man is unstable c. This is one and a principall part of the meaning of it he speakes of such a kinde of wavering faith
as whereby a man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a heart and an heart he hath a minde to draw near to Christ and to become a servant of Christ and yet withal a mind to be hankering after some sinfull lust or other which takes up his minde and which his soule lusteth after and therefore he is unstable in all his wayes sometimes he is for God and sometimes for himselfe ever halting between God and the World but let such men thinke they shall not receive any thing at the hands of God this should have been in the second place Act. 4 Fourthly Faith hath respect unto this to beleeve that what we have asked according to Gods will he will undoubtedly give it us Mark 11.24 Beleeve that you shall receive and you shall receive it meaning so farre as you have commended your Petitions to God in the name of Christ with subjection to the will of your heavenly Father beleeve it that God hath respect to your poore estate and he will doe for you what you desire yea even in those things wherein he seemes to delay an answer but in the meane time for your part make account your prayers are heard in that very blessing you desire for God doth wisely ponder not onely the hearts of the sons of men but all the words of their lips and he knowes the meaning of the spirit in the hearts of his children And though wee must expresse our selves in words in our desire of this and that blessing yet God lookes principally at the grounds of our desires and wherefore we desire to obtain the blessing What it is that moves us to have a desire after such and such a mercy and observing well the byas of our hearts in such requests he doth in this respect constantly hearken to his servants and failes not to grant us the things we aske even when he seems to deny us Heb. 5.7 he speakes of the prayer of Christ he was heard in what he desired What was hee heard in why hee prayed that if it were possible the cup might passe from him And was he heard in this did not he drink it to the very dregs did he not taste of Gods deepest displeasure and how is he then said to be heard why the Father did consider what it was that his Sonne did desire which was principally that Gods will might be done and not his own And Gods will being done Christs desire being that Gods will might be done he was heard in the thing he desired And againe he was heard in the thing so far as it concerned himselfe as to be saved from that which hee feared that though he did drink of the cup yet he should be saved from being overwhelmed by those feares which his soule trembled at and groaned under and prest him heavily even unto the very death though not from tasting of them yet from being overwhelmed of them and he was supported in them so that Christs main end being the doing of his fathers wil and the redemption of mankind in these things he was graciously heard And so Moses he prayed that if it might be Gods will he might goe over Jordan and see that good land his end was to see that good land Well God said in displeasure he should not go over and yet in mercy he answers his request for his desire was to see that good land Now God could make him see that good land never carry him over Jordan and he shewes him all the land of Canaan all the coasts of Israel from the one end thereof to another God so strengthened his sight this way as one would not have thought it credible but that God was able to grant him his desire and strengthened him beyond what he desired so shall you observe Gods manner of dealing with his servants if we be content to pray according to the will of God and bow our spirits to aske nothing but what is lawfull and with submission to Gods will and run to God as our heavenly father in the name of Jesus Christ and look at him as one more ready to give then we to aske then make account God will ponder all the petitions of your soules and weigh well what you have said and he knowes what you aime at in asking this and that blessing and though he may seeme to deferre it he better knowes your need of it then your selves doe and when he seemes most to crosse it then doth he most abundantly answer it Moses said the Lord was angry with him and would not heare him and yet he did heare him he limited God to a means to shew him that good land but he need not appoint God a course Moses knew hot how he should see it unlesse he went over but God knew how he should see it So that even those prayers with which God seems to be angry in regard of some infirmity that God may see in our prayers yet this we are to make account of that even then when God is displeased with our poor petitions even then doth he answer them most graciously Deut. 3.23 25 26. God was wroth with me and would not heare me And he said speake no more to me of that matter It was a marvellous strange kind of expression of Gods fatherly counsell to Moses that when he is angry with some weaknesse in our prayers and some unworthinesse in us to desire or have this or that see his carriage Moses his words provoked God and therefore because he desires to go over Iordan to see that good land God was wroth and God would not have him goe and yet he should see it he should have as much as he desired but into the Land he should not goe so that come with that confidence in prayer that though our prayers be such as for which God may be angry with us yet many times God heares those prayers and answers them in mercy farre beyond what we could have thought for Moses saw as much of it as could be seene and he could not have seene so much of it if he had gone over Iordan as he did then see Consider therefore God markes the very bent of my soule and desire in every petition I put up and therefore observing what I desire he will accordingly grant either the thing I desire according to my desire or that which I ayme at in my desire and this is a glory to the name of Christ whatsoever we should aske in our owne names would be thrust out of heaven yet this magnifies the name of Christ that a Christian soule beleeving on his name and laying hold upon him and cleaving to him and shall come to God as beleeving that God is more ready and able and willing to grant then we to aske and that he will grant us the very petition that we desire this doth magnifie the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and this is to pray according to Gods will as expressed in his Word But now
pour out our souls to God in any spirituall affection then we know we have this unction the Holy Ghost came and opened our mouthes and healed our lips and made us pray affectionately and feelingly and that is a great light to the hearing of our petitions for a prayer well made is never ill heard and therefore you know what is said Psalm 10.17 Thou preparest the heart to pray and thou hast heard the desire of the poor How shall a poor Christian know that his desire is heard Why thou hast prepared the heart to pray If God prepare our hearts then he will cause his eare to heare these alwaies accompany one another That is something that this unction doth it works in all our hearts to pray according to Gods will and to pray in the name of Christ and so satisfies us Secondly This Spirit of God that we receive from the holy one it is also a spirit of faith that inwardly perswades us that God hath indeed heard us and that he will doe for us whatsoever we desire and will sometimes evidently beare witnesse of it to the heart of a man Maâ— 11.24 What thing soever ye desire when ye pray beleeve that ye shall receive them and ye shall have them We must beleeve that what we have said to God he will certainly doe it and the spirit of faith will come and say to the heart God in heaven saith Amen to it he gives out a fâ—at let it be done Psal 6.8 David was in a grievous affliction both in bodily affliction and spirituall desertion as in the beginning of the Psalme He cryed out day and night God had forsaken him and his soule was sore vexed but thou O Lord how long c. And now away from me all ye mine enemies for the Lord hath heard my petition and he will accept me so that even while he is in bitter complaints and grievous mourning while he is yet speaking this unction comes and reveales to him Gods acceptance of him and therefore now he encourages himselfe and casts a defiance upon all the troubles of his soule he lookes at them all as vanishing away like snow before the Sun and now he comforts himselfe therein And this oftentimes and usuall when the soule makes use of Gods Ordinances and Priviledges which himselfe hath granted that surely God hath heard our requests he never refuseth to grant that prayer which he stands to heare for this purpose is that you read of the good woman Hannah 1 Sam. 1.15 to 18. Ely suspected she was in some distemper but saith she I have poured out my soule before the Lord. She prayed feelingly and fervently and faithfully not words but her soule before the Lord she had prayed with her whole heart and her soule did raise up it selfe heaven-ward the strength of her desire was set upon that and he then said The Lord give thee favour in his eyes and grant thy request which was as if this answer had come from heaven for God doth reveale himself in his Ordinances She looked at him as the high Priest and so a Type of the Messiah and she tooke it as a voyce from heaven and the text saith She went home and looked no more sad God hath set it on and spoken comfort to her heart so as that her faith was established she saw the voyce of God in it and went home resolved upon it and takes such encouragement to her selfe from thence as to feare no more in that kinde When Gods spirit gives us to pray affectionately and to beleeve confidently then we know we have our petitions we are perswaded of it But besides this cofident perswasion this followes there is another worke of faith and that is a constant wrastling against all discouragements that falls between our requests and the accomplishment of our petitions Famous is that story of the woman of Syrophenicia Matth. 15. from 23. to 29 you know the manifold discouragements she met with she prayes and at first God gives her no audience answers her not a word she prayes againe and then he gives her a deniall to grant her any such request and tells her plainly It is not sutable to his calling and therefore he may not apply himselfe unto her yet she is not discouraged with this which is very much but she followes him still and though yet reproached and called a dogge yet she is not discouraged but out of the word of reproach gathers some hope of comfort if she be a dogge why then let her have that which belongs to doggs let her have but the crums that fall from the childrens table Shee is not discouraged with all the difficulties that lay in her way nothing shall cut her off from importunity and when he could forbeare no longer he then tells her O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt To shew you that if the Holy Ghost doe but give a Christian soule so much resolution and confidence as not to give over praying till God be pleased to give over answering It is a good signe this spirit of faith will certainly prevaile at length All things are possible to them that beleeve and not only possible but certaine Thirdly There is a third worke of this Spirit and that is this it workes as it is a spirit of hope and that moves a man to waite upon God that though God should tarry long and he should pray heartily for such and such requests to be granted in such a case as this our spirits would be sad and uncomfortable and give over and be ready to say Wherefore should I waite on the Lord any longer as that prophane Prince said 1 King 6. last having been long prest with Famine he in the end burst forth with this This evill is of the Lord why should we waite on him any longer our foolish hearts soone grow impatient and we cannot dance after attendance upon God and therefore in this case though flesh and bloud be short winded and soone weary yet the truth is this unction when it workes in us a spirit of hope it still waites upon God it sets it selfe to waite upon him and is very well contented to stay Gods leisure though he should tarry very long Psal 62.1 Psal 130.4 5. and 2 last he sets both morning and evening watch for him and he is well contented to waite for him and Psal 123.1 2 3. Our eyes waite upon the Lord our God so that when God gives us a spirit of waiting then doth he certainly seale up unto us the granting of our petitions for when a man attends at the Court for an answer upon his petition if the King bid him attend it is a good signe he meanes to grant him his request else he would have rejected it but a wise Prince if he see a man come in good sort and desire a reasonable request of him that such a thing is according to his Princely will and he bids
Arts and Sciences whence is their knowledge but from their observation of many experiences Phisitians know it and they therefore set it downe in their bookes they know it is so Things that we gather from sence and experience we are said to have the knowledge of now this experience doth not only give us confidence but knowledge for by the unction that we have received we doe know the love of God that passeth knowledge Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith we come to know the love of God towards us Eph. 3.17.19 There is not any thing that concernes the love of God towards us but the Spirit of God dwelling in our hearts by faith it comes to passe that we are able to comprehend the height and depth length and breadth of the love of God towards us This Spirit of God in our hearts gives us sensible experience and knowledge of Gods love to us of his attonement and grace to us our Consciences that had hels in them before all such darksome evils are now vanisht and scattered and we know that sensibly we had power given us to pray and to beleeve that our prayers are granted and can wait upon God and feare God and make conscience of obeying his will Now this Spirit of prayer that discovers these things plainly to our inward man the sence and experience of it makes a Christian able to know what God hath done for him and makes him able to beleeve what God hath promised him and thus now when we aske any thing according to Gods will he doth not only say It is well said but he takes a course to answer our requests we have certaine grounds to move us in what we aske and the ends of our requests are right Now God considers not alwaies so much the letter of our prayers as the grounds and ends of them the scope we ayme at and God will so accordingly answer us Vse 1. Let it be first a ground of encouragement to every Christian soule that beleeves in the name of Jesus Christ trust not in your owne good parts and good gifts if any such things increase set not your hearts upon them trust not in any worldly blessing but beleeve on the name of Christ And therefore that you may beleeve humble your soules before him in regard of your sins and pray heartily in the faith of Christ And why so The ground is in the text you shall not only be confident and assured of your salvation which is a great mercy of God to my soule and a greater then all the whole Church of Rome would grant they may goe to Rome and from thence to Jerusalem and from one place to another to have sought for pardon of sin and yet not so much comfort promised them that after all this they shall finde it but in the end to Purgatory they must goe and that is as ill as Hell fire say they save only in durance and this is all the helpe they have they might whip and scourge themselves and give all their goods away to the poore and themselves goe in sackcloth and ashes all their dayes and when all comes to all they must not be sure of any mercy or favour from God which to beleeve would be Hereticall presumption but they must notwithstanding all this rest in Hell fire till the day of Judgement unlesse they will be at cost to purchase freedome from it and which is strange though they would not suffer them to beleeve a release by Christs pardon yet upon the Popes pardon they might have hope and so they take more pains for an uncertainty then we for certainty and knowledge but you shall not only attaine certainty of salvation but certainty of the granting of all your requests no peace to the peace of a Beleever and therefore lay aside all your confidence in the world but be confident in the name of the Lord Jesus and be certaine of Gods favour and goodnesse to you in him and then here is such blessings as will keep a mans heart warme in the worst houres Vse 2. To teach such as beleeve on the name of the Lord Jesus how you may come to be confident and certaine of the hearing and granting your petitions How may wee come to that Hast thou good evidence to thy soule of thy Adoption that God is thy Father then meditate well upon this point that Christ is thy Advocate to make intercession and Attonement for thee in case thou hast displeased thy heavenly Father These two things will much prevaile they be strong helps to a weake faith and then consider what unction thou hast received and look up to God that he would give thee a spirit of prayer to pray feelingly and fervently and humbly before him and then labour for a spirit of faith which if God give thee so much faith as to perswade thee thy requests are heard and to wrastle against discouragements and that the spirit of faith doth worke in thee grace to hope and waite upon God and withall an holy feare of his name and obedience to walke obediently in doing his will and patiently to suffer his will under his hand and observe how the Spirit speakes evidently in this and that kinde and it will be a notable means to helpe thee to grow confident and certaine that all thy prayers are heard Now many a Christian soule falls short of this he considers not the Attonement of Christ in his prayer but many times thus stands the case with them there is much desolutenesse in their lives and loosenesse and fearlesnesse in their hearts before God rejoyce not with trembling God sees his Servants loose in their obedience and when disobedient they seek not to Christ for Attonement whence it is that many times they are so full of doubts Vse 3. Of much consolation to all those that beleeve on the name of the Lord Jesus and make use of these blessed meanes this is our confidence that whatsoever petitions we aske he heareth us and we know it See how comfortable a Christians estate is he growes certaine not only of his owne salvation but he is certaine of the hearing and granting of all his petitions if he can but pray well he makes account all is well let his distresses be what they will be SERMON XVI 1 JOHN 5.16 17. If any man see his brother sinne a sinne which is not unto death he shall aske and he shall give him life for them that sinne not unto death There is a sinne unto death I doe not say that he shall pray for it THese words containe a third motive to encourage us unto that duty which is the maine scope of this Epistle to wit to beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God whereto the Apostle exhorts us vers 13. and propounds first this motive to wit A blessed confidence of the hearing of all our petitions Secondly a certaine knowledge verified that he not only heares but grants our desires Now he
him he hath so done both in offending God and his Brethren then thou shalt forgive him our Saviour said so Luke 17.4 and the like you read Eph. 4. so that when the Holy Ghost commends this as a property of love that it covers a multitude of sins he meanes not that it covers them in silence or forgetfulnesse or carelesnesse as if we never meant to meddle nor make with them in a carelesse silence and in an indifferent putting of the matter from us as if it nothing concerned us but cover them by wisdome faithfulnesse and compassion even such as God for Christs sake hath shewed to us Object But you say againe but if a man be thus willing to see and observe the failings of his brethren It may be he shall be counted a busie body in other mens matters a Bishop in another mans Diocesse meddling in matters that concerns him not and makes us to do there where we have nothing to doe Answ We may be so counted but it is not to be doing where we have nothing to doe for God would have us to take notice of one anothers failings God and Christian love requires it it is not out of our element and charge but God layes a charge upon us to keepe and looke to this and that mans soule As it was said to the King of Israel keep this man and if he be gone thy soule shall goe for his soule It is for us to keepe diligent watch and to consider one another and to take heede there bee not an evill heart of unbeleefe one in another and therefore wee must not onely have respect to the wayes and words of our brethren but to the healing of their hearts to see there be no deceitfulnes in the bottome God therefore requires that we should exhort one another daily while it is called to day If therfore you do but keep your selves within these termes not medling with other mens sinnes with an hypocriticall eye to condemne them and to justifie our selves nor with a sensorious envious malicious wanton eye but with an eye of wisdome faithfulnesse and compassion in such a case you do not go beyond your Commission Object But you say I shall be more busie then I shall have thanke for my labour I may bee worse and they never the better Answ It may be they will be the worse for the while and never the better but he that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour then he that flattereth with his tongue Prov 28.23 A man must sow this seed in patience It may be a winter wil follow upon it but at length he shall find the fruits of his labours even as the Husband-man waiteth with long patience til the season and time of harvest yeeld him a comfortable increase he that deales plainly with his neighbour shall find more favor at the length then he that flatters him If you loose his favour it is but for a season and if a man in this case have been more busie then for the present he gets thankes for yet God will blesse it and recompence it and God wil not let such a man go without finding favour with himselfe how ever he may from others Doct. Vpon the sight of a mans brothers sin a faithfull man is to pray for him If any man see his brother sin let him aske So did holy Moses Exod. 32.31 32 33. This was the first worke he had to doe upon their sin and he spent forty dayes and forty nights about that worke when he saw it was a sin and punished it as a Magistrate he satisfies not himselfe in so doing but he gets to God and wrastles with him about it and layes his owne soule to pawne to God either pardon that sinne or if he do condemn them condemn him with them The like did God direct Iob to doe he bids his three friends goe to Job and he shall pray for you him will I accept Job 42.7 8. God would have it so Iob must pray for them when he sees them in a sinne And Ieremiah speaks to the same purpose Chap. 13.17 My soule shall mourne and weep in secret for you and the patterne of our Saviour is without exception Luke 23.34 happy was he that could doe him a mischeife and all men cried out away with him crucifie him crucifie him that when one would thinke a mans heart should burst with indignation yet he prayes to his father Father forgive them they know not what they doe he prayes for pardon of their sin when they use him most wickedly one that had never done them wrong And so you read of Stephen the first Christian Martyr Act. 7 60. when they flung stones about his ears he kneeled down and cryed with a loud voyce Lord lay not this sinne to their charge Reas 1. It is first taken from the compassion which we owe to our brethrrn we ought to pray for them if they had been but sick Psal 35.13 When they were sick I mourned for them my prayer shall be for them in their misery Now if a man should pray for men in any calamity how much more in this the greatest of all the rest we ought most to pray for our Brethren when they sinne Reas 2. Taken from the duty that lyes upon a Christian to exhort his brethren Heb. 3.12 13. and Levit 19.17 and neither of these can prevaile without prayer for this as wel as any thing else is sanctified by the Word and prayer 1 Tim. 1.4 5. Reas 3. Taken from the desperate danger of sin and the helplesnesse of a man under sinne unlesse God put in and therefore in some case though if man be too weake he may call in others to help yet however amongst the rest call for Gods help for unlesse we doe so all helps without him are in vaine though good helpes are of speciall use God blessing them to save and lift up a poore soule out of sin but know this that it is a worke of an Almighty power to deliver a soule from sinne no lesse then the Redemption of the Lord Jesus Christ He redeemes Israel from all his iniquities Psal 1 30. last unlesse he put forth a redeeming hand there will be no good done there is such a deceitfulnesse in sin as that it will harden a man Sinne is of the nature of poyson it stiffens and hardens the body puts out the eyes and so inflames it with heate that it is not possible to quench it so when a man hath once sinned against God he presently looseth his eyes Satan and his Lusts having gotten him into sinne they first put out his eyes that he shall see no danger nor hurt in it and then he is so hardened with the sin he hath committed that no counsels or admonitions can recover him out of it but only the mighty hand of God and therefore prayer must be made to God for him Reas 4. Taken from the displeasure that God takes if he