gone but now how will you helpe this man and bring him to himselfe againe the onely way is this wee use to chafe his body and put in some Aquavitae into his mouth and so at last he gathers heate lookes up and speakes and in the end he walkes thus a weake body may bee strong for a time Just so it is with our old man which we have all in us Suppose a man before his conversion were given to drunkennesse or uncleannesse and howsoever God hath been pleased to draw him to himselfe one would thinke hee should never bee uncleane or drunke more yet notwithstanding the old man is not wholly dead hee is almost going away hee lyes even a dying and it were a blessed thing for that person if the old man were utterly dead in him But woe unto us what paines doe we daily take that this old man may live within us wee chafe him and keep him warme we quicken up that cursed disposition that is in us by Meditation we stirre up that wickednesse that is in our hearts and bestow our mindes upon it As the drunkard oft thinks of his wonted daliances how sweet and pleasant they have beene unto him and so he that hath beene an adulterer by meanes whereof the old man begins to gather life againe hee stands up and walkes in so much that the poore soule begins to feare and is forced to say Good Lord was I ever truly wrought upon was my heart ever throughly broken for these sinnes Alas brethren it is no wonder you make too much of the old man you powre life into him and are still contriving for him and ever thinking how pleasing this way these fleshly meanes and sinfull courses were the ground is here you give strength and ability to corruption to prevaile against you As it is with fire if a man have plenty of wood though there were but a little coale of fire every man would say that by blowing it will bee a great flame in the end So there is still a coale of corruption in us all there is a coale of pride and peevishnesse idlenesse and untowardnesse a cursed body of death remaining in the best of us wil be whilst we carry these houses of clay about us But a man by Meditation and Consultation kindles this coale they bring the wood and blow up the fire and make a man fall in love with his parts and his place and if he be not regarded then hee is all on a flame with anger and the fire burnes abundantly and then he cryes out of his misery Why doe you blow the fire then When an enemy lyes in the field to besiege a City if hee have neither meate nor any munition hee will not tarry long but if the people within send him provision it is no wonder though they be overthrowne by him so this Meditation makes provision and Consultation sends it to the enemy The second part of this Reason is this as we adde strength to our corruptions so meditation is as an invitation of the devill to come and tempt us thereby we give money to the devill and subject our selves and our soules to the powers of temptations as occasions are offered to us so that wee must either be captivated or overtaken by them When wee conceive highly of our owne abilities wee wish pride to come and exalt us and Consultation of the means to accomplish our lusts is as it were the setting open the doores for the devill to come and welcome Looke what ever the Meditations are set upon the heart is under the power and strength of that sinne and looke how farre a man meditates on it so farre it prevailes with him and domineers over him As it is with a paire of flood-gates when they are set open it lets in the Streame amaine that carries all before it so Meditation upon any base occasion sets open the flood-gate that it carryes the soule amaine to the practice of any sinne hee as it were invites the devill to come and supp with him Iudas that covetous wretch when hee saw the boxe of oyntment broken said What need all this waste But alas hee did it not because he cared for the poore but because he was a theefe and had the bagge Where wee may observe this by the way Hee that is a covetous man indeed that is under the power of that lust give him opportunity and he will theeve more or lesse The devill full well saw Iudas his covetous heart oh thought hee if I had this hundred pence in my pocket I were made for ever therfore in another place the Text saith The devill entred into Iudas How is that The devill cast into the minde of Iudas to betray his Master Goe thy wayes saith hee betray thy Master and thou maist have so much money and thy Master will escape wel enough Thus Sathan tooke possession of him and prevailed with him to doe that for which hee had formerly consulted about And hee went out and betrayed his Master By giving way to the devill at last hee was overcome by him The Reason is this If by Meditation and Consultation of our corruptions we give strength to corruption and yeeld to the flesh then the devill will overcome us but so it is that by this provision we give force and put more power into our lusts and make way for them and submit our selves to them and therfore shall bee overcome by them The second Reason is Reas 2. taken from the hinderance of the worke of grace whereby we might bee fortified against our corruptions and that we doe these two wayes 1. By daily musing of our sinnes and corruptions wee dead the worke of grace in our hearts in so much that it is either dead and will not work or else it is crowded that it cannot worke This Meditation and Consultation so take up the soul that the heart hath no liberty to worke there is no roome for faith and patience and heavenly mindednesse As it is in some great places when there is some great provision to be made then every man is busied one man is sent one way and another man another and the Noble-man is without attendance and he wonders what is become of all his men when as they are all gone to make provision for his guests so it is with the soule when a man lets out all his minde and thoughts his reason affections and desires after his lusts it is no wonder such a one cannot beleeve why what is become of faith and hope and patience in him They are all making provision for the flesh and there is no attendance for faith that sits alone in the soule because all the whole streame of the heart and minde is imployed in hunting after vanities Now in this extremity aske the poore soule if he have any assurance of Gods love or any stirrings of grace he will answer no no the reason is they have spent all their thoughts
meanes whereby Christ may bee put on 2 is this when the soul is once made naked then Faith takes the Robe this glorious Robe of Gods grace and brings it home to the heart for faith is not onely a hand that layes hold on Christ for justification but it is a shield also that receives vertue from Christ for our farther sanctification Christ is the fountaine of all grace and faith is the Conduit which conveyes grace from Christ to the soule How faith puts on Christ Now faith helpes us in these three particular actions First 1 it is Faith that closes with the spirit of grace in every promise of God there is the spirit of grace truly and constantly accompanying the same My Word and my Spirit both goe together as our Saviour said The words that I speak are spirit and life Now when the soule of a Christian can close with the promise it closeth also with the grace in the promise They that are in Christ are one spirit with him Rom. 8.10 If the Spirit of Christ bee in you the body is dead because of sin but the Spirit is life for righteousnesse sake saith the Apostle Wee have most great and precious promises given to us that by them wee should be partakers of the Divine nature Where we see that the Spirit of Christ accompanies the promises therefore laying hold upon the promises we close with the Spirit and hereby come to bee partakers of the Divine nature I compare the Spirit of grace to the Seale and the soule to the Waxe and Faith is the hand which sets on this Seale By faith we cause the spirit to worke and fit its particular aide and reliefe for the leaving of any impression of grace upon the soule The next worke of Faith is this 2 it not onely closeth with Gods Spirit in the promise but it looks at that particular grace in Christ which we stand in need of that it may bee wrought in our hearts as if a man want patience or love wisdome humilitie or the like Faith closeth with the promise and brings the same stampe into the soule which is in the promise as in those two places Iohn 1.16 Of his fulnesse have wee all received grace for grace Ioh. 1.16 that is whatsoever grace is in Christ we doe receive the same from him As hee was patient he makes us so as he was wise and meeke and holy he makes us so as in a Seale looke how many letters be upon the Seale so many stampes will be left upon the waxe Faith lookes at all the particular graces that are in Christ As the same power that is in the head is also in the eare and eye and hand So the same Holy GHOST which wrought grace in the humanity of Christ workes patience in adversity and courage to beare persecution and in ignorance it enlightens a mans eyes and makes him looke to Heaven That is a notable place 2 Cor. 3. where the Apostle saith 2 Cor. 3.18 We all behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord with open face and are changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord. The glory of the Lord is nothing else but the glorious grace of God and beholding it is when we see the glorious grace given to Christ and againe the same Spirit that made Christ meeke and wise and holy the same Spirit makes us poore in spirit and meeke-hearted like to him Therefore looke not onely on Christ for grace in generall but for particular strength and assistance in every performance 3. The last act of Faith is 3 it not onely closeth with the promise and the Spirit in the same it not onely lookes at that particular grace which is in Christ but faith drawes vertue from the Lord Jesus that so grace may be imprinted in and conveyed into the soule therefore saith the Prophet With joy shall yee draw water from the Well of salvation Esay 12.3 He doth not onely say there is water therein but we may draw water from thence and faith doth it thus when a sinner with full perswasion settles himself with what God hath promised it shall be done to the soule for the good therof as in Ezech. 36. A new heart will I give you Ezech. 36.26 27. and I will put my Spirit into your hearts and cause you to walk in my wayes He doth not onely give grace but quickens that grace and causes men to walke holily and sweetly Nay further if Faith findes the heart dejected and unfit to pray see how it gripes and layes hold on the promises saying Lord I finde my soule dead in the performance of duty and marvellous untoward and awke to a holy life Lord thou hast said thou wilt cause thy people to walke boldly in thy way oh give mee courage and life and quickening As that poore woman by touching the Hemme of Christs garment drew vertue from him so faith layes hold upon the hemme of Christs garment and gaines refreshment 3. The third and last meanes to put on Christ 3 is this having thus denyed our selves our owne lusts and sufficiency and having closed with the promise and the spirit of grace in the same the last meanes is meditation that is when the soule turned it selfe wholly to that grace which is in Christ it pores not altogether upon sinne and corruption for then you goe of from Christ This meditation keepes the soule upon the streame as faith casts it upon the streame As the branch cannot bring forth any fruit Ioh. 15.4 except it abide in the Vine no more can yee except yee abide in me Now wee abide in Christ when the eye is set upon Christ when the tongue talkes of Christ and the minde museth of him and the affections are setled towards him but when the minde is taken off the promise and the comforts that are therein and wholy puzzels it selfe by thinking of temptations or inward corruptions then men are soone prevailed against and overcome If the Devill can pluck your mindes from the promise and cast your thoughts wholy upon your corruptions hee hath enough Suppose there be two fountaines the one full of puddle water and the other full of cleare water and there are two cocks for these fountaines if a man bee alwayes turning the cocke that comes from the puddle fountaine can hee looke for any other than foule water So there is a fountaine of grace in Christ and in the promise and there is a fountaine of corruption in our selves and meditations is as the cockes comming from these Now if we be ever meditating what wee are and what we have and what we doe and what we deserve there is nothing but feare and horror and discouragement and the puddle water comes amaine The nature of meditation is excellent in this kinde and it shewes it selfe in these three particulars First hereby we bring Christ and
grace neare unto us and wee put on our communion upon every occasion 1 it makes the promise to be within a mans reach as I may say David saith Psal 119.98 99. Thou through thy Commandements hast made mee wiser than mine enemies for they are ever with me and I have more understanding than all my teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation Meditation makes the Commandements to bee ever with a man when troubles and temptation come Meditation brings Christ neare and the promise close to the soule If pride be neare us then meditation brings neare the humility of Christ and makes that to be ever with a man If covetousnesse be neare then meditation brings neare the heavenly mindednesse of Christ and that is ever with a man to aide him and so in all other things You poore people of God of whatsoever condition you are hold fast a cōstant meditation of the promise and at last you shall see that grace will come from heaven into your soules Secondly meditation gathers up all the power that is in the promise and daily findes a great deale of sweetnesse and power to come from the same as Heb. 13. He hath said Heb. 13.6 I will not faile thee nor forsake thee Now Meditation workes thus Hath God said so there is infinite mercy and wisedome compassion and goodnesse in him Will the Lord never leave me will he never forsake me It is enough it is a free gracious constant and faithfull promise I may safely rest upon it Thus the soule is fully contented and quieted though all other comforts in the world faile This is the reason why wee are taken aside so much and discouraged with every little crosse and trouble because wee consider not the freedome and excellency of the promise if we aske a poore soule whether this bee his promise or no and will you part with this promise in this cold blood he can say Yes I thank God it is mine and I would not be without it for any thing it is farre more sweet than any riches pleasures or profits whatsoever Oh brethren why should this trash delude us and why are wee so much dismayed at the losse of these things here below Sure it is because wee weigh not the excellency of the promise and the things are above When the devil saith Thou wilt be poore and the times are hard and thou and thine will come to great misery then Meditation goes to the promise and seeing the excellency of it saith If I be poore Christ is rich and hee is mine if I be a wretched creature in my self Christ is blessed and beloved of his Father hee is mine The earth is all the Lords and the fulnesse thereof and he hath said he will deny me nothing that is good If GOD bee mine in conclusion all is mine Looke as it is with a garment the more full it is the more comely it is so when Meditation brings all the promises home it is full I want power saith the soule there is abundance of power in the Lord Jesus saith Meditation I want mercy saith the soule then Meditation steps in and saith There is mercy enough in Christ and all his goodnesse from everlasting to everlasting is thine hereupon the soule goes away wonderfully contented and cheared See how comfortably the Martyrs passed through the very flames in consideration hereof Ps 16.8 I have set God ever before my eyes and because hee is at my right hand I cannot be moved That is God will give mee sufficient aide and assistance in all extremities When a man continually sets God before his eies and thinks talkes of nothing but Christ how joyous may such a one be but when the heart of a man is dazled and his minde either looking for some sufficiency frō within or some glory from without this withdrawes the power of the promise from him as if a Preacher did see nothing but the Lord and ayme at him onely and give himselfe wholy to his disposall and receive all his strength onely for him what need hee care what men thinke or say of him If you would do thus you should finde a bundance of peace and comfort from the Almighty The third worke of Meditation is this 3 It fastens the promise more strongly upon the soule and as it were rivets the soule to the promise and even fastens the promise into the heart as if a man doe alwayes meditate of some injury done to him and saith thus and thus he hath wronged me but I will requite him and as he hath done to me so I will deale by him againe such a man is even drowned in his misery he cannot sleep or speake eat or drink nor doe any thing but his minde is ever upon his injury This spirituall Meditation will as it were drowne a man in the promise so that at last hee thinkes and talkes of nothing but the promise still the Lord Jesus Christ is neare him and hee is so fastened to him that he walkes on chearily in all estates if any misery or temptation comes the promise is so chear full to him that hee regards them not That is the phrase of the Wiseman Pro. 4.14 Take hold fast of instruction let her not goe for she is thy life The devill the world and our sinnes would pluck away Christ and grace from us but let not the promise goe thinke and talke still of it pray and strive for the continuance of the same Now to worke this a little into your hearts Vse the Apostle saith Col. 2.6 that as you have received Christ so walke you in him I beseech you walke in the power and spirit of Christ and let the vertue received from him appeare in your lives and conversations It is a strange passage in the 2 Corinth 2 Cor. 13.3 13. If any man require a Testimony of Christ speaking in me c. The Lord Jesus indited all the words of S. Paul and Christ himself spake by all his faithfull servants Oh what a comfort would this bee to a poore childe of GOD that it may be hath not a ragge to cover his body withall yet he is cloathed with the robe of Jesus Christ Oh how holy our conversation would bee if Christ would speake in us and for us that when any temptation comes wee may have recourse to the Lord for succour If the soule bee troubled with pride and the heart begins to bubble up with revenge and malice against a man that hath done him wrong and men lye against all sense and reason and this begins to stirre a man how wil you help your selves Thus looke up to heaven and say Now I see the thing I must labour for is a humble soule Truth Lord it is not in mee to pull downe and tame mine owne heart Lord doe thou worke this grace in me It is a shame to pride our selves and say These are my parts and gifts I will know my
went home sick of covetousnesse and his wife comes to him and said Oh foole art thou a King in Israel and standest sweating here for the Vineyard of a base slave thy subject Arise eate bread and lot thy heart be merry I will devise such a course that it shall bee thine See what provision this whorish woman makes as all such people are marvellous cunning that way Shee writes letters in Ahabs name and sends them to the Rulers of the City and bids them proclaime a fast and set Naboth on high among the people and then Knights of the post must bee suborned to beare false witnesse against him and to say that he did blaspheme God and the King thus the poore man lost his life 3 The last worke of provision is the putting in practice those cursed meanes which the heart hath plotted and attained unto this is that which I observe Pro. 7. by that adulterous woman verse 16. I have deckt my bed with Coverings and Tapestry come therefore let us take our fill with love the good man is not at home he is gone a long journey he hath taken a bagge of money with him and will not come againe untill the time appointed Thus she beguiles the innocent carrying him on not knowing that he is going to the chamber of destruction therefore wee must not bestow our thoughts on our corruptions nor advise with them Wee use to say Such a one is very painfull but he is not provident hee never thinkes on his businesse how then can hee effect it so when wee doe not meditate upon our lusts when wee consult not of them and practise no meanes to fulfill the same it cannot bee said that wee make provision for the flesh 1 This doth condemne Vse first them whose care paines and diligence is wholy spent to give their carnall cursed hearts content Some there be of whom the Wise-man speakes Pro. 4.15 16. Enter not into the path of the wicked for they sleep not except they have done mischiefe As if hee had said They are in commons with the devill they cannot bee content to be drunken themselves and unclean themselves but they must draw others to it thus they make provision for the devill nay they keep house with him and sit at the same Table and their hands are in the same dish with him it is their meat and drinke to practise whatsoever may give Sathan and their owne cursed hearts content Ier. 4.22 My people is foolish saith the Lord they have not knowne me they are sottish children they are wise to doe evill but to doe good they have no understanding at all A man that knowes nothing of his peace that after many instructions is not informed and his minde is not enlightned and knowes nothing of God or Christ yet marvellous witty he is to doe evill hee will undermine any mans practice and many secret fetches he hath to procure his carnall will what is this but to provide for the flesh Secondly such are here reproved also who howsoever they can curbe their tongues and their hands and refraine some grosse sinnes yet they make no bones of bad thoughts and their provision is within they thinke thought is free and if a man can bridle himself in some outward evils he may muse of his injuries and of his lusts and he may give his wild heart liberty to thinke what he will the case is cleare meditation is the hold of Sathan and it is as it were the sinewes of all corruptions the mind is as I may so say the very Shopp Ware-house of all wickednesse and from hence comes drunkennesse adultery and every worke of darknesse yea this meditation is as the Anvile where all base speeches and sinfull actions are forged all our sinfull devises are first framed here inwardly and then wee bring them forth into practice outwardly It is suspitious whether there is not a greater power of corruption to bee seene by Meditation than by any meanes of the world besides I compare Meditation to the distilling of waters The cunning Alchymists will fetch a spirit out of any thing almost Meditation is as it were a distillation of our corruptions and drawes out the heart and life of them as a man may eate a thing and get no hurt by it but if he takes the Oyle that comes from it it is present death so we play the Alchymists and suck out the very life of our corruptions Thus a base adulterer commits a thousand abominations in his minde when as in regard of the weaknesse of his body and want of opportunity hee cannot doe one See how a man distils covetousnesse and draws the life and power of it every thing that hee seeth is his owne and he wisheth all his friends dead that he might enjoy all their goods Ier 4.14 GOD complaines marvellously of Ierusalem in this very particular not onely for the sinnes of their lives but of their hearts hee doth not say How long shall your adulteries or drunkennesses remaine but How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee wash thine heart from wickednesse that thou maist be saved Some will say What if a man cannot get power against them what danger is there The Lord tels me what danger there is Oh Ierusalem saith hee Wash thy heart from wickednesse Not onely wipe thy mouth as the Harlot doth no wash thy heart that thou maist bee saved As if he had said This heart and thought of wickednesse will deprive thee of Heaven So the Lord saith to you Oh wash your hearts you adulterous and wash your hearts you drunkards and you covetous wretches it s as much as your soules are worth if you continue in it howsoever I confesse the best of Gods children are taken aside by this sinfull distemper yet it is the greatest burden of their soules and they are never quiet till they get victory over it in some good measure but when a mans meditations are wholly carryed away in this kinde and he is content with it this is a manifest brand of one that never had the power of grace in his heart The Lord by the Wise-man Prov. 12.2 saith A man of wicked devices will hee condemne hee hath enough to sinke his soule for ever Hee doth not say A man that hath practised wickednesse outwardly but hee that is a man of wicked meditations and is alwayes thinking of his lusts and of his corruptions the Lord saith hee will condemne him for it it is a brand of one that is yet in the gall of bitternesse I beseech you brethren for Christ his sake take notice of it and not onely make conscience of sinne outwardly but even of every sinfull imagination and the contemplative wickednesse of your soule and let me say to you as the Lord said to this people How long shall your wicked thoughts lodge within you Secondly Vse here is a point of instruction whence wee may know how to judge of
upon feare and doubting and discouragement and were all making provision for them and in the meane time faith lay as dead in the soule This is very considerable in reason though faith work in the soule yet it must use the soule and all the affections of it as the memory understanding and desires and cannot worke without these The soule of a man being a finite creature cannot settle its affections upon many objects at once if he bestow his minde upon sin and the occasions thereof hee cannot meditate upon Christ and the promise he cannot have a Streame running fully in two Channels all at once when a man lets out the streame of his desire judgement and endeavour wholy for the flesh and the world there is nothing left for Christ and grace and the cause of God David was a wise man and yet when Nabal had wronged him 1 Sam 25.21 22. see what wronged him see what provision hee made for his anger Surely in vaine have I kept this fellow and all that hee had in the wildernesse saith hee So and more also doe God unto the enemies of David if I leave of all that pertaines to him by the Mornings light any that pisseth against the wall I will requite the old churle and slay him and all his Well Abigal meets him and saith Let not my Lord I pray thee regard this man of Belial even Nabal for as his name is so is hee Nabal is his name and folly is with him And thus shee pacified the King in so much that David said to her Blessed be God and blessed be thou and blessed be thy counsell to me Why may some say Object was not David as able to counsell himselfe as shee was to doe it I answer yes Answ hee was a marvellous wise man and understood the law of God and the Law of Nations but hee had so given over his heart to wrath that hee had no roome for any worke of wisdome or patience to take place and therefore now stood in need of a counsellor And as the worke of grace is dead in the soule because the strength of all is imployed another way 2 so secondly we deprive our selves of the comfort and vertue of the promise that were might enjoy The Spirit and promise of God is that which must helpe a Christian in all his straights Now the work of the Spirit of grace dies in the heart by meditatioÌ„ of sinne our forgetting of Gods promise stops the streame of his goodnesse so as we receive not that grace that we might doe for the strengthening of us In common reason we know this GOD doth communicate grace to us from his promise but we must looke up to it and turne our minde and thoughts towards it Now when a man hath turned his meditations upon the world and the occasions thereof hee is gone cleane off from the promise and not meditating upon the promise and the meanes of grace hee can receive no strength nor comfort from the same Heb. 12.3 the Text saith Consider him that endured such contradictions of sinners against himselfe lest ye be wearied and faint in your mindes Here are two passages observeable First the Lord Jesus Christ is able to make us strong and resolute in minde that wee shall not faint at the opposition of sinners Secondly we must consider him that is set our hearts and our affections upon him as if he had said You are unable to bee patient and to put up injuries but consider him that did it and then you shall receive strength and power to suffer patiently Thus much of the proofe and reasons of the point now I come to the Uses which are of great waight and therfore read them carefully It is a point of marvellous use Vse and of great power and excellency to reforme us in things that are amisse to guide us in the way to happinesse Is it so that whosoever makes provision for the flesh shall certainly be overcome by it TheÌ„ this is a ground of direction whereby a man may perceive what his owne and the practices of other men are and what will become of himselfe and others judge it thus see what provisioÌ„ they make and what course commonly they undertake If a man use meanes that tend to his lusts it is a heavy suspition he will be overtaken by his lusts If wee see a man eate ill meats excessively wee use to say questionlesse he will surfet would any man have done so except he did provide for sicknesse So if our meditations doe runne upon any sinfull courses or base lusts a man may almost conclude wee will surfet upon the same If a man will provide for the world the world will overtake him and if hee provide for his pleasures they wil certainly insnare him Doe you finde a man that hath a secret kinde of dislike at the purenesse and truth of God and that doth despise good counsell and the spirit of grace his provision will tell you what guests will come to his house If wee see what provision is in a mans house we may easily conjecture what his guests will bee As it is in house-keeping just so it is in heart-keeping when wee see what provision a man makes for his lusts wee may know what his course will bee Rom. 12 8 The Apostle saith When men did not like to retain God in their knowledge God gave them to a reprobate mind to doe those things which are good in their owne eyes That soule that sets it selfe against the spirit of grace would if he could pluck God from heaven Oh wretched man what dost thou despight the Spirit if thou hast no spirit then thou art a damned man and as thou dost not like to approve of God in thy knowledge God will ere-long give thee up to a reprobate sense It is a signe that a man is devoted to destruction and even sealed unto condemnation that undervalues the knowledge wayes of God and hath no delight in Jesus Christ but despights the Spirit and the meanes of grace it is just that thou should'st be ridde of this holinesse and blessed presence for ever and therefore God gave them up saith the Text As if hee should say take him a mind that shall never know God that shal never taste grace and goodnesse harden that mans heart hee shall never receive vertue nor comfort thereby provision was made before hand and therefore the Guests come accordingly And so it is Heb. 10.28 If hee that despised Moses Law dyed without mercy of how much sorer punishment is he worthy which treadeth under foot the Sonne of God There are two things to be noted in these words 1. Hee that knowes Gods Law and breakes the same wilfully dies without mercy 2. What will become of him saith the Apostle that opposeth the mercy of Jâ—sus Christ and tramples his blood under his feet and makes a mock at sanctification Brethren for the Lord Christs sake
take notice of it you account the blood of Christ as an unholy thing and make a mocke at sanctification you care not though you be never sanctified I tel thee then thou shalt receive judgement without mercy nay you doe despight the Spirit the Spirit saith the Apostle makes request for us with groanes that cannot bee uttered and it teacheth the Saints to pray and wretch that thou art thou wilt never pray at all If you have any of these bublings in your hearts then you may conclude what your course wil be You would not know the Lord nay you despited the Spirit of grace when you saw him praying in the Saints certainly you shall perish this is the next step to the sinne against the Holy Ghost Doe you see a man that is not able to endure the power of the Gospell in the plainnesse and efficacy of it but still hee is snarling and catching against the truth and carping against the man that delivers it and if hee can heare any false tale of the Minister he will bee sure to blaze it Doth this man now provide for the love of the truth or for the profession of the Gospel no no he provideth for persecution he hath a malicious and envious heart and is full of venome and violence against God his grace and if opportunity come he will prove a fierce and devilish persecutor Doe you see a light-headed and a wanton-hearted womā wandring out of he owne house at nine or tenne a clocke at night using unseasonable houres like Toades that alwayes crawle frō their holes when it is darke what doth this woman provide for doth shee provide for holinesse modesty mercy Nay that would make her stay at home in her owne house if it were for Religion she would not be abroad at that time she provides for nothing else but whoredome and drunkennesse for a prophane light heart and therefore these guests will come afterward If there bee any such here the God of heaven speake to their hearts Shall people hate holinesse and scoffe at the exactnesse of a blessed course and scarre such as feare God and labour to draw weake beginners from grace What say they will you turne a tame foole Will you bee ruled by these precise fellowes and have your head under their girdle Well I hope your guests are come by this time the case is cleare hee that doth thus provide for sinne will surely bee overcome of sinne You that are the Saints of God doe not wonder though you bee despised and hated by these wicked worldlings let these dogges bark and the Lyons roare and let these wretches hate you still they provided not for you but for their lusts and corruptions and malice and therefore they are overcome by them Thus you see the danger of hearkening to fleshly inticements how it inthralled us in Sathans bondage and hinders the worke of grace in our hearts nothing more How then might I get my heart divorced from sinne Object so as to abhorre every deed of darknesse Labour for a teachable spirit Ans 1 An honest heart gladly embraceth the least notice of any evill it hearkens to any information of what is amisse in him by any person or meanes whatsoever It is a signe a man begins to dislike his courses when hee is ready to heare any thing against them A gracious heart desires to be freed not onely from the dominion of sinne but from the presence of it and is ready to take the least inckling from any occasion or speech of the meanest Saint of GOD to that purpose when any one tels him such a course is sinfull such a practice is unlawfull hee is very carefull to attend thereunto and be advised thereof Nay if an enemy out of malice and spleene shall cast any thing as a matter of scandall upon him that will make his heart shake within him and hee begins to consider whether such an action bee warrantable yea or no and he thinkes with himself Such a man dares not doe it if it bee sinne why should not I reforme it as well as another and if it be not sin why should hee abridge himselfe of that liberty which is lawfull and the soule is never quieted till it is throughly informed what is good and may bee performed and what is evill and must bee abandoned What I know not Iob 6.24 teach thou mee saith Iob and I will hold my tongue Hee doth not quarrell with the man that counsels him or wrangle with the man that adviseth him but teach thou mee and I will heare readily If I have done iniquity I will doe so no more Hee is willing to understand of any failing and will not put off a godly reproofe with matter of scorne saying I know as well as you let every tubbe stand upon his owne bottome and the like A gracious heart is suspicious of himselfe and seekes direction from God that hee may more clearly perceive his miscariages and avoid them He lookes up to heaven and saith Lord thou know'st the secrets of my heart let me know it too thou knowest the winding of the soule of man let mee understand the frame of my owne spirit that I may not sinne against thee 2 In the second place thou must begge of God a submissive minde to his will so as to sit downe convinced and yeeld quietly to the authority of the power of the truth A gracious heart will not invent tricks to defeate the Word of Life when it is evidently and plainely brought home to the conscience Happily it may a little quarrel at the first but when he sees the Reasons are sound and Scriptures undenyable when it sees that it cannot answere the argument it will bee content to bee framed thereunto When the Lord came to schoole Iob Iob 40 4. and had informed him of his own Majesty and excellency together with his vilenesse and misery he presently yeeld up the Bucklers saying Once have I spoken but I will hold my peace yea twice but I will proceed no further As who should say I have spoken foolishly but I will say it no more Famous is that example of the Canaanitish woman when Christ was hot upon her and said shee was a dogge Truth Lord saith shee but the dogges may eate of the crummes that fall from their Masters table As who should say I confesse I am as bad as thou speakest I deny not what I am I am a dogg I yeeld it yet the dogges may lie under the table that is all I crave and aske that I may but lie under the table for a crumme of mercy You know how it was with Peter when hee denyed our Saviour hee wrangles it out and thinks to colour the matter but the very looke of Christ made him goe out and weepe bitterly So a gracious soule rejects no light to discover his wayes he doth not winke with the eye and stoppe the eare or gainsay the truth but
easily submits to every good word of God Thirdly 3 addresse thy selfe to reforme what ever is amisse doe thy uttermost endeavour to amend the evill committed and performe this good duties thou hast formerly omitted doe what thou canst in the particular and labour for ability from Christ to doe that which of thy selfe thou art not able It was a hard taske which God enjoyned Abraham to sacrifice his beloved and darling Isaack yet when the thing appeared plaine to be Gods command though it were never so hard there is no resisting it Abraham therefore rose betimes in the morning and hee and the child went immediately to discharge his duty he prevents all occasions that might hinder him his wife was not acquainted with it and his servants knew nothing of the matter So if a man be the son of faithfull Abraham whatsoever the Lord enjoynes though it be the killing of a darling secret beloved lust if the Lord say it must bee done this sin must be avoided this course must be amended bee it never so profitable and full of content the soule of a gracious man will rise early in the morning that is he wil forthwith set upon the means to accomplish the same As for instance Let this be the case that comes to the scanning of a poore ignorant Christian Imagine the Lord informes him and his conscience perswades him that hee must pray in his Family Now happily a poore soule at the first is not able to pray his understanding is weake and his abilities meane hee cannot of himself frame a prayer to God yet hee will set upon the duty he will take the booke and reade a prayer though hee cannot conceive a prayer being a novice and a young Christian yet hee will use the stilts till he get his legs follow him home to his closet and you shall finde him bemoane his basenesse and hee prayes that hee may pray he beseecheth the Lord hee may know what to aske that he may see his sins and confesse them he will begge for the Spirit that hee may bee able to cry Abba Father I beseech you remember this one thing it is a marvellous distemper in many people that say I confesse such courses ought to be avoyded the Word forbids it and my conscience goeth against it but what shall I doe I cannot set to the worke I shall never overcome it why then lay all religion aside for how can it stand with sincerity of heart that I should bee informed and convinced that the Lord requires a service at my hands and I yet never set upon the performance thereof I deny not but a good Christian may be unable to doe as hee ought but he will strive to doe what God requires Alas Object saith the Gallant I confesse the fashions are fooleries and it is a madnesse to follow every vanity but what should I doe a man had as good bee out of the world as out of the fashion Fashion not your selves after the world Ans saith the Text. But I know not how to get out of it saith the gallant The custome is so usuall that I cannot leave it Doest thou know a duty and is thy heart perswaded of it and yet wilt thou not submit to it Where is grace now in thy soule Certainly thou art still in the gall of bitternesse even reason and common civility wil make a man reforme some things me thinkes grace should prevaile much more If a man will not part with a lock with a feather a fashion a foolery for Christ how will hee lose his credit liberty and life for him how can hee leave all sinne that will not part with the shadow and appearance the haire and nayle of sinne Fourthly a gracious heart is content to take up the hardest means the sharpest medicines that God hath appointed for the killing and slaying of his corruptions If there bee any weapon in the world more keene than other for wounding of his lusts the soule gladly imbraces the same that reformation may bee made Take an arme or a legge that hath the Gangrene the nature of which disease is to infect spread over the whole man when the Chirurgeon comes and tels the patient Either you must lose your legge or your life you must have your arme cut off or else bee cut off your selfe one of the two must speedily bee done If the patient say I will rather abide the worst than part with a limbe every man will conclude he cannot live long If hee did purpose to maintaine life sure hee he would part with that which takes away life So is it here with some kinde of baser sinnes I meane grosse and notorious crimes which are scandalously vile there is no way to bee ridd of these without some corrosive bee applyed the soule will never be separated from them unlesse some bitter Pill be taken which if a man refuse to use it is an evident signe hee hath no purpose to part with his sinne Suppose a man hath got an estate by theevery and cozenage and the like when the Word of God comes home to his conscience and tels him he must make satisfaction or bee damned This man may bee dejected in spirit and bemoan himselfe with teares but that will not serve the turne nothing will cure but satisfaction peace will not be attained without restitution this is the Gangrene that must bee cut off Happily hee will say most of his estate hath come in this way and if I should restore all that I have unjustly gained I should die a beggar Let me ask thee but this question What will it profit a man to get the whole world and lose his owne soule Is it not better to die in a poore estate than in a sinfull estate To depart a good man than a rich man Againe suppose a man lives in the bosome of the Church and be a great Professor and yet hath beene seen openly drunk or is knowne to have cōmitted adultery there is no cure for this man now but he must satisfie the congregation the Church of God which hath beene dishonoured and discredited by his sinne let him fast and pray and weepe in secret never so much I cannot see how this mans conscience can be quieted unlesse he make publike satisfaction as his offence was publike But to proceed 5. A sincere Christian wisheth and welcomes those truths that are most powerfull to prevaile with his sinnes 5 and most likely for the subduing of his corruptions when he cannot doe what hee would and master his sinnes as hee desires hee wisheth Oh that the Lord would send some truth that might plucke these corruptions out of my heart and that word is most pleasing to him that is most effectuall this way The soule makes its moane to God and complains as David did Yee are too hard for mee yee sonnes of Zerviah O Lord these corruptions sticke so close they are too mighty for mee I am not able
to master them take thou away the inquity of thy servant free my soule from the dominion of these lusts teare them from mee doe what thou wilt with mee onely slay this corruption in thy servant Thus a gracious heart seekes nothing so much as the death of sinne that there might be a new nature and through-change wrought in him therefore hee argues thus Lord thou hast said that thou wilt take away the heart of stone thou hast promised to subdue a stubborne spirit and master a malicious vaine minde I beseech thee let it be according to thy good Word take away these distempers as thou art faithfull say Amen to the desires of thy servant and help me against my strong corruptions When the truth of Christ layes battery against a good mans heart the soule willingly lies under the blow and closeth with the rebuke saying more of the Lord there againe good Lord. A man that is troubled with the tooth-ach when the Tooth-drawer comes to apply his Instrument and hee findes hee hath hold of him he saith that is it pull it out leave nothing behinde So when the soule is under the power of some violent lust when the Word comes home to the conscience and meets with that distemper the soule saith Lord pull it out all that I may never see that pride more nor that covetousnesse more leave not a stumpe remaining Lord but free me wholly from this vile accursed condition It is a fine passage Zach. 13. one meetes him and askes him Zach. 13.6 Where hadst thou that wound It was wounded in the house of my friend saith hee the messenger of God spake friendly to me he wounded my heart fully I saw the coare comming out and this is a speciall meanes of divorcing the heart from sinne when it closeth with such truths as tend to the awaking of it But this is not all 6. For as the soule wisheth and welcomes such powerfull truths 6 so is it restlesse till GOD be pleased to worke this till it see every corruption and the frame of every sinne tottered It is restlesly looking and waiting upon God Oh when shall this once be Such a mans heart is broken such a wretched liver is reclaimed and such a proud spirit is brought low Lord will nothing prevaile with me The Irish-man being malicious and fearfull never thinkes his enemy killed till he hath cut off his head he will bee sure to leave him past all hope of recovery So a gracious heart never thinkes sinne mastered till it see the very life and blood of his corruptions removed till it see the strēgth and power of sinne subdued more or lesse within him Therefore it is that the Apostle cries out O wretchedmā that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Marke the waight of his complaint he doth not say who shal deliver me from this action of sinne but who shall deliver me from this body of sinne There is a body of pride there is a body covetousnesse and a body of anger which cleaves unto us Now a gracious heart is not content to be delivered from a tongue of pride haughty speeches and the like but Lord free mee from the body of pride and selfe-love from the frame and bent of this distempered spirit 7. Lastly 7 as the soule welcomes the truth that it may worke and is restlesse before it doe work so it is content that the Lord should bee pleased to worke upon sinne and subdue it upon the hardest termes in the world I remember the speech of a wise man having a cause in law that was like to bee out-bidden hee comes to his Lawyer and asks May such a thing be done who answered the thing may be accomplished it is possible why then said he let me have it done what ever it costs me So say thou Lord though I had as much pride as the devill I may bee humbled though I bee over-spred with sin as with a leprosie I may bee purged from my filthinesse It may be done Lord let it be done what ever it cost me If a man be covetous and if nothing but beggery will loose his heart from the world he ought to pray for a low estate and contentednesse with his condition If a man be unable to subdue the pride of his spirit there is no other way sometime to cure a man of this Timpany but with a desperate extremity there is no way to cure a proud heart but to blow upon its excellencies and lay all its honour in the dust This is harsh yet a gracious heart is content though it bee never so sharpe and cost never so deare though I bee the off-scouring of the world slighted and trampled upon by every one though I lie in the dust all my dayes and goe to the bottomelesse pit for the while I care not any thing rather than a proud heart Though I lose my parts and abilities am never so much loaden with disgraces free me from a lofty spirit and I care not This man now meanes in good earnest to part with his corruptions But what shall wee thinke of those that are content rather to part with their blood and lives than with their base corruptions I mean the prophane wretches of this age that are so sarre from being divorced from their sins that they are not willing to heare thereof or to have the Minister meddle therewith they will not endure the least reproofe to come neare them or touch them no meanes can prevaile to tear their distempers from their soules to plucke the cup from the drunkard or the pleasure from the Adulterer or greedinesse of gaine from the covetous worldling but upon the opposition to their lusts they are up in armes presently A man must beware how hee meddles with these things they will take away a mans credit and his life many times rather than they will suffer their corruptions to be removed by the power of the Word Iohn Baptist must rather lose his head than Herod his incestuous adultery Nay the league betweene these men and their lusts is so firme that they will not heare of any breach When the Prophet came early and late admonishing the people This is the good way Ier. 18.12 walke in it marke how they resolve We will walke in our owne wayes and follow our owne devices and as they resolved so they did for when he enformed them of their wicked courses and would have pluckt away their beloved corruptiōs They tooke hold upon their deceits saith the Text the phrase is strange Here is all the quarrell in the world betweene Gods faithfull Ministers and the people we come to pluck away your sinnes wee would pull downe a proud heart and subdue an unclean lascivious spirit but you take hold of your lusts you cling unto pride and will not part with it you nourish malice and hypocrisic in your soules in despight of God and his Ministers and all admonitions and
directions whatsoever Look as the Philistines dealt with the Arke so these carnall wretches deale with the Word of God when it comes to take away their distempers When the people of Israel brought the Arke of GOD into the Campe 1 Sam 4.8 they began to bee amazed and said There was never such a thing heard of therfore streng then your hands Oh Philistines lest wee become servants to the Hebrewes The Arke was a type of Christ if they would have beene ruled by Christ and received him they might have beene happy creatures but when the Arke comes to take away their sinnes presently they rebell and joyne hand in hand against him So it is with naughty deceitfull persons they crowd all together when the Word of God comes close and the Ministry of of the Gospell is keene and searcheth when a man doth not hover in generals supposing one may be a Christian and a prophane swearing lying person but pluckes away every corruption and cryes downe every lust then they arme themselves and Philistine-like bend their heads and hands together to overthrow that Word which crosseth their wickednes The resolution of these men is that of Ruth and Naomi nothing but death shall part us The contentious man will part with his estate rather than with his brangling so the covetous person bids adieu to conscience that hee may keepe his gold there is no dividing of them and their lusts Well if you will live in your sinnes here expect to be damned with them hereafter Some indeed will speak against their sinnes and confesse they doe evill and resolve to reforme all but how cold and faint are they in the worke ever and anon hankering after their distempers they have some secret haunts of heart which they still nourish they will desist a little but will not leave their corruptions they cannot endure to heare of an everlasting devorce betweene sinne and their soules Though sometimes the Word overpower him Conscience aweth him that he dare not bee with his lusts yet he will meet them as occasion serves and maintaine the old league and friendship stil As it is with servants in a family that intend marriage privately though their master separate them and put them out of the house that they cannot dwell together yet they will meet and conferre one with another sometimes So many that are tender over some old darling lust as privy pride secret selfe-love earthly mindednesse or the like hee is not able to part wholly with these but if reason force him and conscience presse him and of necessity hee must part with his profit and pleasure then with a sad heart hee layes them awhile aside and saith Away you must I must cozen no more nor over-reach no more but though he frownes thus and puts them from under his wings for the present yet hee will not endure them long out of his sight they shall not goe farre but hee must heare of them now and then and see them againe whatever comes of it When Pharaoh was battered by the hand of God and one judgement after another pursued him in so much that hee could not beare it out he was content at last to let the Children of Israel goe but goe not farre saith hee so say many in the world Sinne you and I must part pleasure and liberty I must needs leave you but goe not farre in the meane time let me heare from you as occasion serves Thus miserably doe men beguile their owne soules They will not deale throughly they will not deale keenly with their corruptions they doe but dally never intending that a totall separation should be made but onely some moderation or some connivence at sin though hee layeth some kinde of punishment upon it and snibb his corruption yet hee will not kill it he threatens his evils and strikes them in some measure but labors not to abandon them utterly so as never to have more society with them You shall commonly heare these men complaine of too hot preaching there is a reason in all things Oh they are afraid lest sinne should bee smitten too hard and the devill tormented too much you shall hardly heare of a good heart that is sensible of sinne and his soule is tyred with it but he saith More of that Lord and yet more sharply I am afraid the Word will not come home and the Minister will not meet with my lusts nor pluck away my corruptions When Absolom rebelled against David hee gave this charge Deale kindly with the young man for my sake as who should say Hee must bee suppressed I grant it hee must bee subdued I deny not but slay him not doe not kill him by any meanes so men deale with their pride and covetousnesse loth they are to destroy them quite because they cannot live without them I hope a man may dally though not commit adultery I hope a man may pot it though not bee drunke I beseech you take notice what God commandeth If thy brother or thy friend which thou lovest as thy owne soule shall intice thee to Idolatry thou shalt not pity him but kill him This is the frame of a gracious heart indeed he is not content to have his corruptions onely touched at a word or two and away but he wil shew no mercy to them he will not spare his pride or earthly mindednesse but desires to see the death of all sin Brethren dwell in your meditations a while upon these things and knocke at one anothers doores Aske your owne hearts whether sinne be a burthen to you Am I content to part with my bosome delight my darling corruption am I content to yeeld up my whole man to GOD to serve him chearfully singly and constantly throughout my course If so goe home in peace and the GOD of heaven goe with thee if there be a Saint in heaven thou art one But if I leave my sins Object what shall become of my riches and honours all pleasure and contentment must then depart from me Answ Oh no you shall not lose your comforts but exchange them for better what profit is it to bee proud and dogged and snarling at Gods truth what advantageth it to cheat and use indirect courses these are all but lying vanities wee catch at the shadow and lose the substance What are riches without grace there is a woe in all that wealth and poyson in all that prosperity the best things here are but temporary and mutable who would part with an eternall inheritance that fadeth not away for them What is it to enjoy the creature for a season and be deprived of the Creator for ever You lose nothing by imbracing Christ but rubbish and filth that defiles and oppresseth you Hee that leaves father or mother or houses or lands for my sake saith Christ shall have a hundred fold here and everlasting happinesse hereafter The purchase you see is propounded therefore bring out every sinne and iniquity produce