for his glory and if it be not for his glory then certainely the power of God must not bee brought downe for the working of it And as it is against his glory so it is against his wisdome for the Lord doth nothing to no purpose hee doth nothing in vaine hee never wrought miracles when they might be spared where the thing might be done without a miracle Since this might be done without a miracle all that we have by Christ all that is represented in the Sacrament what necessity is there and if there be no necessity it beseemes not the wisedome of God to doe it Againe would not the smallest miracle really and visibly exposed to sense helpe more than such a miracle as this Besides all this I say it is not possible make your owne senses judges you see nothing but bread now this is a sure rule that of all demonstrations of reason that we have to prove things nothing is so firme as that which is taken from sense to prove the fire is hot we feele it hot or honey to be sweet when we taste it to be sweet There is no reason in the world makes it so firme as sense As it is true in these cases so it is an undoubted truth in Divinity that in all matters of sense sense is a competent judge Indeed if it be a matter of reason there sense is not able to judge the eye is able to judge of his owne sense of sounds it cannot judge but I say objects proper to sense peculiar to sense in these sense is a competent judge And therefore Christ himselfe in this very businesse when he would prove that he had a true bodie he sends them to their senses A spirit hath not flesh and bloud as you see me have And Thomas he bids Put thy hand into my side and feele c. He sends them to their senses Looke thorow the Scriptures and see if there be one miracle there if sense be not a competent judge according to that part of the miracle that concernes the sense would you not thinke it strange if Christ should have come to the master of the feast when he wrought the miracle and have said Sir you must beleeve that this is wine though you see nothing though you taste nothing but water yet you must beleeve that it is turned into wine And if GOD should have said unto Moses Though you see nothing but a Rod thou must beleeve it is turned into a Serpent If there had beene no change indeed and such as sense might see we would think it a ridiculous thing and next doore to an Imposture And therefore certainly in matters of sense sense is a competent judge and therefore when all the senses tell us that it is bread when we taste when the eye and the touch when every thing makes it evident that it is bread why should wee say there is any thing else but bread Besides if we will adde to sense reason it is against reason as well as against sense It is against reason that Christ should be in heaven and yet have ten thousand bodies on earth and yet Christ hath but one body and a body can be but in one place And againe this body must be without all circumscription and qualities and properties of a bodie And again that the bread that we see should be no bread say they there is the whitenesse of bread there is the taste of bread there is the quantitie of bread and that is all I would but aske them one thing when this bread is eaten since there is nothing there but these accidents there is nothing but the meere quantity and the like I would aske whether it nourish the body or no they must needs answer no if they follow their principles because the body of Christ is not there they say it is removed as soone as the bread is destroyed when it begins to turne into flesh it loseth these accidents well the bread returnes not againe there is nothing but accidents of the bread and yet certainly it doth nourish for it is reported by credible Authors that some have beene so holy that they would feed upon nothing else but the Eucharist for a Priest may consecrate a Cellar of wine and as much bread as he will and may feed upon this and with these he may be nourished and yet there is nothing but accidents of bread In a word the Schooles that traverse this so accutely are not satisfied at all in this but they leave it as a wonder as a thing that cannot be explained So it is against reason as it is against sense But you will say faith is beyond sense and reason it is true it is beyond both but it is not contrary to both faith teacheth nothing contrary to reason for sense and reason are Gods workes as well as grace now one worke of God doth not destroy another if they should there must be an imperfection in the workeman and therefore grace and faith contrary not sense and reason indeed it elevateth reason and makes it higher it makes it see further than reason could it is contrary indeed to corrupt reason but to reason that is right reason it is not contrary only it raiseth it higher And therefore faith teacheth nothing contrary to sense and reason But besides these if we shew them Scripture too what will they have then to say when we say it is against sense and reason say they the Scriptures affirme it if it do we will yeeld Let us examine the words if the Scripture affirme it Yes say they the Scripture saith This is my body they are Christs words but if the Scriptures say so yet the Scripture saith no where that that bread is turned into the bodie that no where saith that there is such a Transubstantiation onely those words used which as you heard may have a metaphoricall tropicall figurative sense But besides this what if the Scripture say the contrary you shall finde this in the next Chapter five times called Bread and after it is consecrated too as the Apostle saith The Cup of Blessing that we blesse and the bread that we breake After he had blessed the bread then he tooke it and after hee had tooke it then hee brake it hee thus tooke that which is called Bread Againe they say the body of Christ is not broken but that is broken which is alwayes after the words of Consecration but it is the bread that we breake Againe if it could be understood otherwise you see what a Tautologie would be in the words The Bread that wee breake it is the Communion of the body of Christ if the meaning was that it is the body here the words must be thus rendred The body that we breake is it not the communion of the body But I say five times you shall finde it in this next Chapter that it is Bread after the words of Consecration and you know it is said to
much you shall have a kingdome you shall have riches you shall have a feast I will adde but one You shall have gorgeous apparell a thing that we prize to be somewhat out of the weakenesse of our flesh so trifling as that yet because we prize it it pleaseth God to set out the glorious condition we have by Christ under this notion In the second of the Revelation I will cloath you with white raiment and Rev. 3.2 To him that overcommeth will I give the morning-starre Buy of me white garments to cover your nakednesse So I say if you will come into Christ you shall have gorgeous apparell now every man naturally seekes some excellency in one kinde or other Now what is so excellent as this To have the image of God renewed in us that excels all others as the beauty of the morning-starre excels others This you shall have by Christ you shall have your soules cloathed with beauty you shall have them adorned with Rubies and Saphires that is with all the shining graces of the Spirit you shall be justified that is you shall be washed you shall bee sanctified so shall all the Saints be clad so shall all the Saints be cloathed that will come home to Christ. But you will say tell us in plainer tearmes what this cloathing is This white array partly is a signe of the dignity which you have by Christ as Kings in ancient time were wont to be cloathed with white apparell on solemne times which was a signe that they were Kings Againe as Tertullian reports Servants were wont to weare white array when they were set at liberty in token of manu-mission so it is a token of the freedome you have by Christ. Againe Christians as Tertullian reports were wont to weare white array all Easter weeke in token of the sincerity that Paul bids us keepe the Passover with 1 Cor. 5. So when he saith you shal be cloathed with white array the meaning is you shall have the dignity of Kings the freedome of Servants that are set at liberty you shall have sincerity given you you shall have in a word whatsoever may adorne the soule I will not hold you long This cloathing of the soule stands in two things In Iustification And Sanctification There is a cloathing of Iustification that you shall have if you will come into Christ. First we are said to put on the Lord Iesus that is you shall come cloathed with him and when you come cloathed with Christ come and welcome as you know Iacob got the blessing when hee came in his brothers cloathes In Rev. 12. there is mention of a woman cloathed with the Sunne what is that every man by nature is vile and base and miserable but when he is cloathed with Christ hee is like one cloathed with the Sunne Now you know the Sunne is a most glorious creature of all the creatures that God hath made that when hee would chuse a creature that was the most glorious that our eyes have seene hee pitcheth on that and such are we when we are cloathed with Christ that is God lookes on us as on men that are as glorious as the Sunne in his brightnesse and this you shall have by Christ. But is this all No although it were all it were much because by this you may bee admitted to the presence of the Lord without it you cannot But this is not all you shall be cloathed likewise with the graces of sanctification that is when you come to Christ that shall be purified which David saith of Saul Oh you daughters of Ierusalem weepe for Saul he cloatheth you with Scarlet and hung ornaments of gold on your apparell I say Christ cloathes the soule with Scarlet Psal. 45. The soule goeth cloathed in imbroidered gold in garments of needleworke that is when the Lord comes to a soule he comes as a King of glory other Kings bring their glory with them and when they goe they take it with them but when Christ comes to the soule hee makes it a glorious house for himselfe to dwell there the materiall Temple that was so stately and so glorious the Temple of the Iewes you know it was but a type of the Temple of the Holy Ghost that is of the soule of a Christian for indeed those are the Temples wherein the Lord delights to dwell it is certaine that Salomon in all his royalty was not cloathed like one of these for shall Christs power be lesse in grace than it was in nature Hee that cloathes the Lilies shall hee not cloathe his servants with beauty and consider this that this is not a small matter to be thus cloathed The great God of heaven and earth and not God onely but holy and wise Men that are able to see through these trappings regard not what cloathing the body hath but they looke how mens soules goe apparelled I say Christ will thus apparell the soules of all that come in to him that as Aaron had all variety of precious Pearles of gorgeous apparell such Priests will Christ make every one to God his Father and therefore if you will come in to Christ this wee can promise you you shall put on the Lord Iesus you shall put on the Sunne Againe you shall be cloathed with Diamonds that is with all the shining graces of the Spirit And now what will you doe when you come to a rich Wardrobe for such is Christs to us there you may sute your selves from top to toe You reckon it undecent for a man to weare some part of his apparell rich and precious when other parts are base and old and ragged why doe you not doe this with your soules Why doe you suffer your soules to goe ragged as it were to be so unequally so unreverently clad It may be thou hast the grace of bounty but not of chastity it may be thou hast the grace of governing thy hands but not of governing thy tongue it may bee thou hast the grace to speake well but not to pray fervently there is some unevennesse in the cloathing of thy soule What wilt thou doe then Goe to Christ there is change of raiment that is there is garments of all sorts to cover thy nakednesse and to adorne thy soule all these things you shall have by Christ you shall have a Kingdome you shall have Riches you shall have a Feast you shall be cloathed with white array So you have seene now the second consectary that riseth from this Doctrine wherein wee are exhorted to take Christ to invite us to it we have shewed you your misery out of him and the happinesse you shall have by him Now there remaines no more but that you be content to come in and take him and serve him for the future so you may have him therefore what should hinder you why doe you not come in and take Christ. Onely you must know this that you must take him for your Master so as to serve no other
in the world what outward imployment soever wee exercise our selves in yet our maine businesse is in heaven we be ready on all occasions to look to the face of the Ruler of the Physition of men and creatures but we forget that the swaying of the ballance this way or that way is from the Lord When Iacob had prayed earnestly to be delivered from Esau God answers him thou hast prevailed with God and thou shalt prevaile with men so whatsoever businesse you have on earth if you will bring your enterprize to passe prevaile with God and you shall be sure to prevaile with men turne him and all is turned with him for all depends upon him Whatsoever is done on earth is first done in heaven and concluded there and then we feele and taste the fruit of it here From this generall we may descend to particulars and from hence you may learne That it is not our Army by Land nor our Navy at Sea that shall secure us at home or prevaile abroad though it bee well that these things bee done and therefore you doe well in contributing cheerefully to his Majesty for the maintenance thereof for the common good yet still remember that all your businesse is in heaven and that you must trust more to your faithfull prayers then to your preparations for successe in all enterprises It is not our woodden wals that will guard us it is not the Sea wherewith you are invironed nor our policy counsell and strength that will secure us and defend us but it is turning to the Lord and cleansing the Land from the sinnes wherewith he is provoked that will doe the deed Turne to him and then he will turne to you that shall bee a blessing on us and all our enterprises This is to see God in all things this is to sanctifie and exalt him for God in our hearts and without this all is nothing I will end this point with this briefe direction you know there is in every man I speake now of every man that is holy and not of others who are strangers from God the flesh and the spirit there is faith and sense and one of these two every man sets on worke to take a view of the things that are before them If you set faith and the spirit on worke to looke on things they will tell you it matters not what outward things are what the Creature is for it is God that doth all set the flesh on worke set sense and carnall reason on worke and they will bring quite contrary newes like the wicked Spies that were sent into the Land of Canaan who when they did but cast their eye on the state of things there they were first discouraged themselves and then discouraged the hearts of the people Oh there bee Gyants and wals reaching up to heaven Whereas the good Spies that looked on things with another eye brought another kinde of message Iust thus it is with us in sending out our Spies to looke upon the state of things before us if we send forth the Flesh Sense and Reason they bring report of terrible Wals and cruel Giants their power is so great their forces so strong that there is no medling with them but send Faith and the Spirit and the Will like good Spies looke on things with a right Iudgement and indeed that is all the difference betweene an holy man and another the one lookes on things with another eye hee sees a vanity in the Creature which the other doth not he sees an All-sufficiencie in God which the other cannot And therefore he hath onely an eye to the Lord all his care is to serve him and please him in all things So he hath no ill newes from heaven he cares for nothing on earth The other cares not how matters stand betwixt God and him so all things bee well below so his Mountaine stands strong and therefore that we may judge of things with a righteous judgement we must be carefull to see them in their true nature which onely Faith and the Spirit will present And so much shall serve for that point You see then that it is the wrath of God that doth all hurt and the favour of the Lord that doth all the good We come now to the second point which will come in well upon the former That it is sinne that causes wrath sin and wrath are knit together they are inseparable So that as Elisha said when Iehoram sent a messenger unto him to take away his life when he was sitting in the house with the rest of the Elders Shut the doore upon him and hold him fast for is not the sound of his Masters feet behind him So I say to every man If sinne and wrath come together then first shut the doore of sin which is the Messenger suffer it not to come in give it no entertainment for is not the sound of his Masters feet behinde him Doth not the wrath of God follow And shall not that wrath take away our head as Elisha said Therefore if you will keepe out GODS anger keepe out sinne But you will say I feele no such thing I have committed sinne and yet have no experience of his wrath following so close upon it I answer you must know this that as diseases must have a time of ripening so must sinne You know the poison of a disease enters not into the heart at first Sin hath certaine Vestigia which are set downe Iames 1.14 When Lust is conceived it brings forth sinne and when sinne is ripened and perfected it brings forth death The reason why it brings not death presently is because it is not perfect because it is not ripe The sinnes of the Amorites saith God are not yet full Ahab had committed a sinne he had got the Vineyard and slaine Naboth and yet heard nothing of it but when he had killed and taken possession too then came the Messenger of wrath and execution followed God let Iudas goe on till he had made the match taken recompence and betrayed his Master but than wrath came in upon him God stayed a great while till the sinne of Pharaoh was perfected till his hardnesse of heart was come to a ripenesse and then he was drown'd in the Red-sea Therefore in the second to the Romans it is said There is a Treasure of wrath Now in a Treasure there are three things First when a man is once able to treasure up any thing he is still adding to it and by degrees it growes and in that sense the Lord hath a Treasure of wrath as we adde sinnes he addes drops to the viall of his wrath till it be full Secondly it is a Treasure for a Time it lies still a while for else it were not Treasure And thirdly when the time of expence comes then it is opened And so it is with the wrath of the Lord it is gathered by
is fallen into sinne continues in it the guilt and power of it remaines upon his soule and he excuses himselfe with the smalnesse of it This is a common fault and therefore I will presse it the more Consider that which Christ saith Heaven and earth shall passe but the least jot of this Law shall not passe What is the meaning of that It is as if he had said somethings in the Law of God you may thinke small which are but ïotas though other things be greater but take you heed that you keepe every particular for there is not a jot of it but the Lord will have all his servants regard it exactly they shall have respect to every Commandement and to every part of that Commandement the least particular in his Law shall not passe away For consider if it were not so it would bee a prejudice to the Lords wisdome for there would bee something that hee commands which wee might slight But the Lord that hath commanded all both great and small knowes that it is best that all shall bee kept and therefore though heaven and earth shall passe yet the least jot of that Law shall not passe that this is the meaning of the place you may see by Christs exposition of the Law The Pharisies said Adultery must not be committed but I say saith CHRIST He that lusts hath committed adultery in his heart They said You must not sweare by the Temple but I say Sweare â—ot at all they said An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth but I say You must forgive your brethren Thus we must labour to resist sin in every even the least particular and reforme our selves in the omission of the least particle of the Law And so much likewise for the second point Thirdly we come now to consider what it is that turnes away his wrath and that is Zeale Phineas hath turned away my wrath while hee was zealous for my sake so that Zeale turnes away the Lords wrath You shall see it exemplefied in Elijah's answer to the Lords demand 1 Kings 19.4 What dost thou here Elijah As if he had said what hast thou done abroad in the world Sayes hee I have beene zealous for the Lord of Hosts because the children of Israel have broke thy covenants throwne downe thine Altars and killed thy Prophets and I onely am escaped As if he had said I have done the most I could for the safety of the Church I have beene zealous for the Lord and therefore hee prevailed with God for his owne deliverance You may see it likewise in Iehu who being zealous not in word onely but in deed also turned away the wrath of the Lord. And you may know it by the contrary that it is zeale that turnes away the Lords wrath because it is coldnesse and luke-warmenesse that brings on his wrath Rev. 3.16 consider there what is the reason why the Lord will spue out the Church of Laodicea and cast it away Because it was luke-warme and therefore the meanes to continue or procure his favour is it not heate and zeale Againe Rev. 2.4 The Church of Ephesus fell from her first love what then Therefore I will come against thee shortly and remove thy Candlestick Then to abound in love so that our workes may be more at last than at first to bee zealous for the LORD is the way to stay the Lord among us and to continue his Gospell of peace Therefore by the way it is not only the great sinnes of the Land that are causes of Gods wrath but the coldnesse of them that are otherwise good that causeth the Lord to remove the Candlesticke The very coldnesse of the Church of Ephesus in falling from her first love the luke-warmenesse of the Laodiceans the LORD would not endure in them Let every man consider this is his zeale now as much as it hath beene if not let us know that it is reckoned coldnesse and luke-warmenesse the falling from our first love is the cause of bringing Gods judgements on a Nation But what is this zeale Zeale is nothing else but the intention of all holy affections and actions I will goe no further than this Text to shew the nature of it Phineas was zealous that is he not onely did the thing but his heart burned within him with zeale for GOD. So as First there must be a stirring up of affection Secondly it must be holy it must bee for the Lord and this is it that discovers true zeale to looke onely to the Lord to have no by-respects as there may be zeale that makes a great deale of heaâ—e and yet it comes from the earth although it makes as great a show as the best Againe there must bee intention not only of affections but also of action Therefore it is said while hee was zealous for my sake among them as if he had said this zeale of Phineas was not kept smothered in his owne brest but it brakâ— forth into action hee did something for the Lord. And indeed it is action that glorifies GOD and that benefits men onely actions stand on our reckoning for you know God judgeth every man according to his workes It is action that doth our selves good that makes us usefull and serviceable to men and the Church that makes us instruments of Gods glory Therefore adde action to affection and know that zeale stands in both for it is the intention of holy actions and affections I will adde no more in the explication but will briefly apply it And first if it bee zeale that turnes away the Lords wrath then why should wee discourage zeale by it I dare bee bold to say the Citie stands Why doe wicked men cry downe all religion and zeale under the name of precisenesse and overmuch strictnesse of life walking bouldly in the streets and reckoning it their glory to wound God through the sides of men So that they make those that beare the name of Christ ready to reckon that their shame which is their glory to hang downe the wing and to seeke corners to hide their heads in whence it is that the servants of Christ follow their Master a far off as if they were halfe ashamed of his service when as they should weare his Livery in open view as accounting that their greatest honour It were well if some meanes were used to prevent this If it be zeale that turnes away the wrath of God wee should doe well then to nourish and cherish them that are zealous Are not religion and zeale the two which hold all up Are they not the pillars that beare up the Church and Common-wealth Are not they the rescues that deliver the Citie Yet doe not wicked men with them as those that to lop the Tree are still hacking at the boughes But the Lord still holds them up and the world for their sakes For why is this heape
off but if it be the changing of a Black-moores skin how wilt thou doe that Can the Black-moore change his skinne Therefore seeing it is a change of Nature bee not too secure Thinke not thus for it is the onely thing that keepes men from comming to God I will come in but it shall be hereafter I will goe yet a little further this is a very dangerous case because it is a changing of Nature that is required and no Creature in Heaven and Earth is able to doe this Therefore when thou commest to die or when any crosse comes thou mayest be willing to change and thou mayest take purposes to thy selfe but doe we not see by experience in such cases the Nature is not altered doe not all returne to their byas there is not one of a thousand but doth it because it is a forced action Now a stone forced upward returnes againe so there be many forced actions in times of Temptation and the houre of death but still the nature is the same therefore men returne againe Therefore know this very heart of thine the very nature of it must bee altered it must bee changed into a light ayrie vapour that may ascend else it will not hold out and thou shalt have no comfort from it and when it is turned into an ayrie vapour it must be done by a light and heat that comes from heaven So must thy heart it is the Holy Ghost that must doe it it is onely the Author of Nature that can change Nature hee that made it can renue it And as only fire begets fire so onely the Spirit begets the qualities called the Spirit the Holy Ghost must breathe this breath of life in thee This is a thing not considered therefore you are bold to put it off if the Holy Ghost were at thy command if hee would breathe when thou listest it were another case but hee breathes when and where he listeth nothing is so free as the wil of the Spirit he breathes where he lists That it is no more in thee to alter him than the winds when they blow to the East canst thou cause it to blow to the West no more canst thou alter the will of the Spirit Therefore take heed of refusing the offer when the Lord will offer it is a dangerous thing to refuse What the Lord bade them in the Gospell to doe he is ready to doe himselfe When you come into a Citie offer peace if they will receive it so it 〈◊〉 let it come on them but if they will not stay not there let them goe shake off the dust off your feet against them such a people shall perish Consider that and see if the Lord be not ready to doe it himselfe If hee make an offer as hee did when hee gave his Disciples this command take heed that he goe not away in anger he knocks at thy heart againe and againe take heed that hee goe not away in wrath It is the Lords manner no man knowes the time of his offer sometimes at the third sometimes at the fifth and sometimes at the last houre the time is not in thy hand but whensoever he offers take heed off refusing for if he growes angry he returnes no more When he shall sweare in his wrath c. Psal. 95. ult that is a place worth considering The Apostle perswades them not to deferre Repentance but to come while it is to day put it not off and he gives them two reasons Lest you be hardned through the deceitfulnesse of sinne that is you will not be able to come in sin will harden you againe lest the Lord sweare in his wrath as he did to the Israelites Now you must marke they offended him once twice and thrice still the Lord bore with them they were rebellious at the Red-sea and presently after yet this the Lord bore with but there was a time when the Lord will beare with them no longer yet they lived many yeares after then he sware in his wrath and then they were destroyed It is true the Lord is not so angry for every refusing and sin which thou committest but when he comes to sweare there is no retracting of it then wheresoever you finde an oath in the Scripture there is no reservation when he sware he never returned againe Therefore take heed of angring the Lord Iesus though he be the Saviour of the world yet kisse the Son lest hee bee angry Take heed of deferring for a change of Nature is required which is a thing that thou canst not doe but the LORD must doe it Againe if it be a change of Nature I will but urge this a little Then we may learne hence to know that all the desires that come from Nature are nothing for that is not to have another Nature they are Flowers that have a beautie in them but they are the Flowers of the grasse subject to corruption as well as the stalke on which they grow therefore GOD accepts them not Againe it is not Morall Vertues for that is not changing of Nature for they may bee got and lost againe Againe it is not the Transient acts of Holinesse which the Holy Ghost workes in the heart when hee comes as a Passenger for a night or as a Sojourner for a moneth or two but he must come to be an Inhabitant and so as the Soule is in the body to make the Nature another Nature Last of all it is not any good Intentions any good Desires any good Purposes but another Nature Therefore take heed that you doe not deceive your selves and that is a thing we are exceeding apt to be deceived in because we have other purposes wee thinke all is well this wee must looke to for there be many times when men are very prodigall of good purposes as when they come to receive the Sacrament or in time of apprehension of death or it may bee you will purpose to leave sinne when you have smarted for some sinne you have committed you then meane to alter all and you thinke you are well because you have other desires and purposes in you but it is not so there must bee another Nature that is these purposes God regards as nothing for indeed they are worth nothing when there are new purposes and the old Nature continues still they come to the birth and when they have done so There is no strength to bring forth that is when the purposes are new and the nature old they are not able to dwell there but it is like a new peece in an old garment that is old nature is not able to sute with new purposes but the peece breaks forth and the rent is greater than it was So usually it is when we have the old nature and take new purposes there is not a sutablenesse and the rent is made greater than it was A man returnes againe to sin and is worse than hee was but when there
conditions Take all other things that please thy nature it is but when thou hast such a lust such an humour in such a time it is not so at all times it is not a continuall feast But you will say I find it not so I find that since I began this new course I have more trouble and perplexity of mind than I had before I was quiet before and all at rest I answer it may be so but stay a while till the Sonne of Grace hath got higher till it hath got more strength and thou shalt find it able to disperse those vapours and to scatter all those clouds It is true at the beginning there is but strength enough to move them to raise them a little but when it hath more strength they are scattered and dispersed therefore though there be a little hardnesse at the first yet goe on and thou shalt finde it pleasant The Heathen man could say Elige vitam optimam consuetudo faciet jucundam Chuse the good way and though it be hard at the first afterwards it will be the more easie If we appointed you a new worke without a new heart it were another case but you must know what we said before you shall have a new Nature and being so it will be pleasant because the wayes of God will be sutable to it So much likewise for this Last of all if we must be made New Creatures then give God the praise of that great worke of changing old men into new men I say give him the praise of it for he lookes for that at your hands Will you magnifie him for healing a lame man a blind man for they were true maladies and he was worthy of praise for them and is he not worthy to be magnified for changing the whole Nature for altering the whole frame of it Are the cures of the soule lesse than the cures of the body What if Christ should now make the lame to walke the blinde to see to take away the blindnesse of the mind to heale the sicknesse of the soule to make a man a New Creature Is not this a worke of an higher Nature When the Centurion saw the Veile of the Temple rent he said Surely this was the Sonne of God So when thou shalt see the Course of Nature turned that old Nature of thine rent to peeces be ready to say Surely this was the Sonne of God Shall we say Christ was God for turning water into wâ—ne and shall we not give him the praise of his power when we see him turne one Creature into another making Lions Lambes making you New Creatures This is a turning of the course of Nature is not your Nature carried as violently to sinne as the Sunne in his course And to turne it is as much as to stay the Sunne in his course It is no lesse to make you New Creatures No man considers it therefore let me put you in minde what it is for this is a thing you should marke Therefore Iohn Baptist gives this signe of Christ by which he might be distinguished from himselfe and all men I baptize you with water but when he comes he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire that is when that is done be assured that the Sonne of God is come in the flesh This is the great miracle that Iohn will have them attend unto and is not this daily done Doth not Christ baptize us with fire and with the Holy Ghost Therefore you shall see what answer he gives to Iohn Bapt. when he would know Art thou he or looke we for another Goe and tell Iohn the blinde see the lame walke and the poore receive the Gospell that is I have made them New Creatures This is put with the other miracles of healing the blinde and lame It is true we that live see not this done the blind to see or the lame to goe yet we see men receive the Gospell that is are regenerate by the Gospell are made New Creatures This is a thing we should hearken to as it was a great sinne in them in Christs time to neglect the miracles he did so it is with us when wee neglect this Therefore Christ takes up Nichodemus when he tells him that men must be made New Creatures he wondering at it saith what dost thou meane by that Christ saith what wilt thou doe when I tell thee of things in heaven if thou wilt not beleeve when I tell thee of earthly things The meaning is this Regeneration is a thing done on earth that is the meaning of the place this you see before your eyes this you have experience of if you will not beleeve this how will you beleeve things that are remote from your eyes that are shut up from you which you have no experience of but only that I tell you and therefore you ought to beleeve me Therefore when you see New Creatures argue thus with your selves Certainly there is a renewing God and a renewing Spirit that is there is a Redeemer for as by the common creatures which you see you know there is a Creator as opus monstrat efficientem if you see a creature then you know there is a Creator then why should not that renewing of Christ his exercising that act of renewing among the sonnes of men put you in minde of glorifying Goâ— and of giving you the praise of it When Câ—â—â—t wrought miracles you shall finde what different successe they had saith the Text in more places than one therefore I need not quote it some of the people glorified God when they saw such a thing done others envied some glorified God others went and told the Pharisies You shall see when Lazarus was raised from the dead some beleeved and glorified God others went to the Pharisies Now I say when you see this done for this is the greatest miracle and all the miracles that is now left that men are made New Creatures and it is done before your eyes if you will see it as Christ said Hee that hath eares let him heare Take heed how you looke on it consider with what eye God never makes a New Creature but when men looke on it there is a different judgement some there are that magnifie it and desire to be made so likewise that make this use of it and so you ought to doe surely there is vertue in the Spirit a vertue in Grace an efficacie in the Word surely these be the ministers and servants of the most high God This you ought to doe but on the other side how many hundreds and thousands are there that doe as they did when they saw the miracles they envied Yea as they did with Lazarus When the Iewes saw that for Lazarus sake many went away and beleeved on him they consulted how to put Lazarus to death That is the fashion of the world when they see New Creatures men regenerate that holinesse and purity of godlinesse shines forth
to raise them againe to preach Remission of sinnes Thirdly to teach the doctrine of Sanctification These three Humiliation Iustification and Sanctification are the three maine things wherein our condition to God consists Therefore my Intent is to goe thorow these three And we will do it briefly beginning with this Text which wee have in hand The occasion whereof is this Paul tels the Romans that his intent was To come to them But what should he doe there He would preach the Gospell yea but it was an ignominious thing to be a Christian a thing that would expose him to much persecution and shame It is no matter saith he I am not ashamed of the Gospell for it is the power of God to salvation But how doth hee prove that it is the power of God to salvation Wee see that in the Gospell the righteousnesse of God is revealed that is there is no way in the world for men to be justified to be counted righteous before God but to have a righteousnesse revealed from heaven even another kind of Righteousnesse than any man hath in himselfe a righteousnesse of Christ a righteousnesse that is to be imputed to men and this saith he is revealed in the Gospell and therefore the Gospell only is the power of God to salvation But here comes the great question Why is it needful that there should be a new kind of righteousnesse revealed a righteousnesse wrought by another and made ours only but by Imputation saith he It must be so else no flesh can be saved every man must needs be condemned for all men are unrighteous every man is full of all impiety and wickednesse which he delivers in this verse thence concluding that it is needfull to have the Gospell revealed for that is it that reveales the righteousnesse of Christ. A righteousnesse of Christ which is onely wrought by Christ and will onely stand out before the Iudgement-seat of God So that the end of the words is to convince men to shew unto them that they have no righteousnesse of their owne to assure them that if they stand in the condition they are in by nature they remaine in condemnation for he that beleeves not is condemned already there needs no new condemnation if he have not the Sonne the wrath of God abides on him So that the maine thing in these words is this assertion That mans nature is full of ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse Two things are charged upon mans nature First a fulnesse of all kind of sins against God Secondly of all injustice and unrighteousnesse to men one touching the first Table the other the second Now when hee saith All ungodlinesse and all unrighteousnesse of men The meaning is That in mans nature there is all kind of ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of all sorts And againe that is to be marked unrighteousnesse of men he sets it down in generall because he speakes it of all men none excepted so you must take both in Every man none excepted is full of all unrighteousnesse all impietie all parts of impietie all kinds of unrighteousnesse are found in him But how will this be proved He proves it by two Arguments First because the wrath of God is revealed against every man and God being a just Iudge his wrath would not be kindled against men except there were just cause and that is one Argument But how shall we know that God is angry with men saith hee It is revealed from heaven Whence three things may be noted For thence you may see the evidence of his wrath It is revealed And secondly the surenesse of it it comes from heaven and God will be as good as his word And thirdly the Terriblenesse of it it is revealed from heaven For when God is said to sit in heaven and to laugh them to scorne And 2 Cor. 6. to sit in heaven it argues he doth things powerfully But you will aske how is the wrath of God revealed from heaven It is revealed by the light of nature Every man hath so much light in him as to know that hee deserves wrath and judgement and punishment And partly it is revealed by the Scripture and partly by continuall experience God is ever and anon executing his wrath and Iudgement on sinners And that is the first Argument The second argument to prove their unrighteousnesse is because they With-hold the truth in unrighteousnesse And here is a secret objection answered For it may be objected There be many excellent things in men as your morall Philosophers had they not much light in their understandings much rectitude in their lives Did they not practice many morall vertues That is all one it will but encrease their condemnation It was Gods worke to put so much light so many excellent things in them which had they used as they should and might those Principles would have shed themselves into their whole soule and conversation but they imprisoned them shutting them up within the walls of their Conscience men doe not use the light they have nor improve it they doe not bring it out in their lives and conversations but With-hold it in unrighteousnesse So that in the words there are three points laid downe all which will helpe exceedingly to humble us First That mans Nature is full of all impietie and unrighteousnesse The second is The wrath of God will surely fall on men for this If sinne went alone it would not so much amaze men but when the wrath of God comes too accompanied with the fruits of his wrath men out of selfe-love will be moved therewith The third That all the good in a man before his regeneration serves only to helpe forward his condemnation But before I come to the handling of these points one point we must needs observe out of the method of the Apostle This that hee saith here in few words is amplified to the middle of the third Chapter All which time he spends in expressing particularly how mans nature is full of impietie and unrighteousnesse and when he hath done that he urges Iustification by Christ and after that he comes to Sanctification Wherein the Apostles method is very observable and therefore from his method before we come to the maine we will briefly deliver this point That Humiliation must goe before Iustification You may observe it from the method used Men must first be convinced of their impietie and unrighteousnesse before they can be fit to receive the Gospell As the Physitians have their method in curing first to purge and cleanse the body and then to give Cordials so it is a rule in Divinitie you must be humbled before you can be justified or Humiliation goes before Iustification Which may be gathered not only from this but likewise from many other places You shall finde it is the course God takes every where with men and it is a very necessary thing to be knowne for by reason of the ignorance of this method men doe not
suddenly which is enough to awake a man out of his sleepe of security for let him thus reason If GOD meant to save mee hee would give mee no rest in sinne for whom he intends to save hee afflicts before-hand that they may not perish with the world but those that will goe with the world he suffers to goe That is a terrible saying in the first Booke of Samuel the third Chapter and eleventh verse speaking of Hophni and Phinees saith GOD When I begin I will make an end and this is the sentence of all the wicked It is small comfort that you are free it being with you as with them that be seldome sicke that when they be sicke for the most part die for it When all things goe well with the wicked then the wrath of GOD comes like an Earth-quake which by reason of the winds being inclosed in the bowels of the earth hath a calme preceding it and so there is a calme in mens spirits before the Earth-quake of Gods wrath comes and then it is as a theefe in the night who comes when they be in a dead sleepe and least looke for him After this manner comes the wrath of God on the wicked as it is threatned Prov. 1.27 There shall come on them sudden desolation and destruction shall over-take them as a whirlewind it shall surprize them on a sudden and this may make men to tremble when they consider that sinne is attended with destruction when they sinne either GOD punishes them presently and then there is small cause of joy for the bitternesse is more then the pleasure or else he lets them alone and there is nothing in the world worse than to thrive in sin for then destruction will come suddenly The use then you are to make of it is First to teach you to see what sinne is in that it hath the wrath of God for its Concomitant Wee are apt to make a mocke of sinne we are ready to slight sin and to lay it in the light ballance of Common opinion and not in the ballance of the Sanctuary and so we come to be deceived Therefore this word Revealed must bee marked it intimates that we are backward to take notice of it except the LORD reveales his wrath from heaven and take us in hand to convince us of sin to shew us our corruption in its owne colours for we look on these things by a false light Thinke with your selves therefore what that must be which God punishes with eternall punishment See what it is in the punishment of CHRIT our Surety thinke what that is that brought CHRIST from heaven what that is that cast those Angels into hell to bee bound in chaines of everlasting darknesse Againe see it as you use to see it in the day of Death for then men are commonly awake see how it is then presented if it be not then terrible Againe judge of sin as men enlightned doe look to holy men how they judge of sin And which is without exception see how the Scripture presents sinne with this Concomitant the wrath of God as an evill and bitter thing See the Prophet Ieremie the second Chapter and it is certaine that the judgement of the Scripture is right And let all this humble you Secondly make this use of it learne to adde this to your humiliation As you must labour to see your state to have that corruption of nature which is in you discovered So you must labour for a sense of the wrath of God which if you get not you will never be humbled Labour to see God himselfe in his wrath looke not nakedly on an affliction but see God in it If a man hath a sight of him the Creator it will wholly amaze and humble the Creature Eliah was not moved with the wind that tare the rockes nor with the Earthquake though terrible but when God came though in a soft voice yet the presence of GOD humbled him that made him cover his face with his Mantle There be two kindes of Affliction one is that which the Creature is able to beare the other sort is when GODS hand is in it when they are mingled with his wrath These bee like Arrowes dipped in venome that make a deeper wound and such an one as is incurable when you feele the wrath God in any affliction let it be but a light apprehension in it selfe yet when the LORD shall set it on and mingle it with his wrath it will grow insupportable Iudas before his Treason thought thirtie peeces of silver to be a great matter and that he had got much by it but when God did manifest himselfe and revealed his wrath a little so that he saw God and had a feeling of him as every man shall have sooner or later you see what a condition he was in So it was with Belshazzer It was his feare of GOD when hee saw the Hand it was not the hand but the apprehension of GODS wrath that raised his thoughts and loosed his loynes and made his knees knocke one against the other So Paul when he heard the Word of GOD by false Samuel it cast him on his face he cared not for any thing that men did to him you know how David described his valour but when GOD comes to him that humbles him Consider what it is to have the mighty GOD of Heaven and Earth to be thine Enemie who hath all things at his Command and if hee bee thine Enemie all things shall worke together for thine hurt as every thing shall be for thy good if thou be in favour and covenant with him If thou say But I feele nothing for the present Remember though thou feelest it not for the present yet there is wrath laid up for thee God hath it in store Remember Gods dealing with them that sinned against him Shimei had committed a sinne that in Gods sight deserved Death so did Adonijah so did Saul and his seven sonnes that were hanged for breaking their oath with the Gibeonites You see how long these lay as if God had forgotten them but at length he brings them all to death Hee doth not powre out his wrath on the sudden perhaps thou shalt feele nothing of a long time but thou art condemned and when the Gaole-delivery comes thou shalt be executed for God remembers thy sins Cains sin lay at his doore though he saw it not it was not taken away but continued and it not onely continued and kept awake but it cried day and night unto him untill the crie entered into the eares of the Lord. The crie of sinne is like the crie of an Hireling to whom the just Master when the day is finished payes such wages as hee deserves So a sinner when his time comes is remembred before God though wrath hath beene restrained for a time yet now it shall seize on him Wee should learne by this to humble our selves And lastly if wee finde the wrath of God
may goe and yet how farre they fall short And now have I done with those three things that the good things that carnall men have doe them no good Secondly that they doe them hurt Thirdly that they may goe farre and yet that you may not be deceived in apprehending what men they are and what Condition we speake of that they fall short of that which is proper to the Saints and so much for the second use Thirdly if this be the Condition of men to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse then this will likewise follow that commonly men sin not out of mistake not out of want of Information and conviction but out of the very love of unrighteousnesse And this serves to take away the Common excuse whereby men doe usually mitigate and extenuate their sins as if they were committed by accident out of incogitation or want of due consideration you see it is not so but that is the case of every man out of the state of Regeneration to commit sin out of love to unrighteousnesse And this is a point that needs much to bee urged because men are not humbled you know the scope of this Text is to humble men to convince them of their sins to shew them the Circumstances by which their sins are justly to be aggravated now because men will pretend they sin out of Infirmity and their meaning is good and they intend not to doe such and such evils or if they doe them it is not with an ill minde I advise you take heed you deceive not your selves you know it was Ionas his case when he had no minde to goe to Niniveh he pretends faire reasons God that searches the heart knowes your hearts howsoever you defend and dispute for your sins and there is a Truth within that tels you such and such things ought not to be done Therefore learne from hence to know your sins and the quality of them And if you object we doe not resist this Truth we obey it in many things Let me aske you Doe you obey it in those things that crosse that particular unrighteousnesse wherein you are delighted for there is the proofe there be some personall sins to which a mans nature is most enclined examine if out of love to them you doe not withhold the Truth for it fares commonly with Truth in this case as it did with Iohn Baptist all the while he preached Herod heard him willingly yea gladly but when he came to touch upon Herodias then he tooke away his head and as he dealt with Iohn so doe we with Truth so long as it suggests nothing to us that crosses our desires we are willing to obey it in all things that it shall dictate to us but when it tels us of sins that we are unwilling to heare of we first imprison it and then extinguish it as there be degrees in restraining of it first in one degree then in a greater degree and at last we put it quite out Therefore take heed to it labour to know your sins to see those which are most naturall to you whether in these you doe not with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse which is done after this manner When a man shall have his heart set upon any particular thing which he is not willing to part with and the Truth shal tell him something that is contrary thereto now let him trie himselfe Pilate the Text saith knew that the Pharisees had delivered CHRIST for Envie this he knew but yet to content the people sayes one Evangelist and out of feare of Caesar sayes the other he delivered him to them Out of those two respects because he would not part with his love of the people nor with the good-will of Caesar he would part with CHRIST Now here is the Triall Suppose thou esteemest credit and applause with men the Truth comes and tels thee thou art to doe a thing that crosses this marke what thou art ready to doe in this case you shall see an instance in Iohn 12.42 There were many among the chiefe Rulers which beleeved on CHRIST but for feare lest the Pharisees should cast them out of the Synagogue they durst not confesse him for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God They beleeved on him the Truth did its part they were thereby informed well enough what they were to doe but because they loved the praise of men they resisted this Truth out of love to unrighteousnesse So put case thy minde be set upon wealth and in that thou wilt not be crost This truth tels thee thou must doe one thing but it will crosse thee in matter of thy estate as the Young-man had that Triall put on him Goe and sell all thou hast and thou shalt have Treasure in heaven Compare thine owne with the Young-mans behaviour hee went away sorrowfull Whence we may gather that he was enlightned to see the Truth he knew it was best to follow CHRIST the Truth was thus farre revealed to him for otherwise why should he goe away sorrowfull If he had not beleeved him to be the Messiah he needed not to have sorrowed but in that sorrow was left in his heart it manifested what his minde was set upon Is it thus with thee Learne hence to humble your selves to judge aright of your sins and of your Condition by them And if all this will not perswade you take this one instance which I will give you Take a view of thy selfe as thou art affected at some apprehension of Death in some dangerous sicknesse in some good mood after some quickning of the Spirit in thee after some great trouble into which thou art cast and see what thou wilt doe in such a case See what libertie this Truth hath at such a time how ready thou art to obey it in all things how ready will the Truth be to informe thee these and these things thou oughtest not to doe and thou hast neglected these and these duties how imminent this Truth is to dictate to thee what thou oughtest to doe Consider againe what thy behaviour is in time of health and strength in time of Peace when thou livest in abundance of all things See how farre short thou art of performing what in those times thou wouldest doe and in the same measure thou with-holdest the Truth in unrighteousnesse in such measure thou imprisonest it for that declares what light is in thee Take a survey of one or two dayes goe through the actions that passe by thee in the same see what evill thou hast done and what good thou hast omitted and say thus Might not I have forborne this evill if I would have set my selfe to doe it Might not I have performed this duty if I would have gone about it and let this humble thee For this cause I have chosen this Text that you might be driven out of your selves and why should you be backward in it seeing it is the first
sinne As David in the one and fiftieth Psalme saith Against thee against thee onely have I sinned repeating it twice in that place he composed that Psalme to set forth his sin but that which wounded his conscience that made him see the hainousnesse of his sinne was this Against thee I have sinned So the Prodigall sonne this is the circumstance by which he aggravates his sin Against heaven and against thee I have offended So learne to know that your sinnes are against god and therefore to presse this Truth a little more Consider well with your selves what is the reason that God hath required such a vast punishment against sinne that is eternall death thinke what eternity is it is that which swallowes up your thoughts it is a punishment the length and depth and breadth whereof you cannto comprehend Thinke why God hath appointed such a vast punishment and you shall find it is because you sinne against an Immense a great and Almighty God the length and breadth and depth of whose greatnesse you cannot comprehend Againe what is the reason God should appoint such a Mediatour to take away the sins of the world that the Son of God must needs take flesh which the Angels themselves wonder at it is such a wonderfull action that they cannot but admire and in heaven we shall stand amazed at it which evidences the greatnesse of sinne Learne to know this put al these foure together and see how these doe hold correspondencie one with another and you shall finde out the nature of your sinne First consider the greatnesse of God his infinitenesse the greatnesse of his Authority the wonderfull vast Soveraignty he hath over all creatures from this greatnesse of God comes the second the greatnesse of sinne I have made knowne this Truth but thou hast with-holden it thence it comes that sinne is so great that the least sinne which thou makest nothing of is a thing of so great moment That is the second which followes on the greatnesse of God Thirdly upon the greatnesse of sinne you see the greatnesse of the punishment if such an one as Aristotle or a stranger from the Truth should heare of this punishment the greatnesse whereof appeares herein that the worme dieth not and the fire is not quenched how would he wonder at it but knitting these together it will not seeme strange Last of all the greatnesse of the punishment causeth the greatnesse of such a Mediatour to take away this punishment and sin So there is a correspondencie in them come from God to sin from sinne to the punishment from punishment to the Mediation or redemption by which this sinne is taken away Learne therefore to know what sin is I know not a truth of greater moment And to all adde that 1 Cor. 15.56 The sting of death is sinne If you look on death it is the most terrible thing in the world You know what the Philosopher said of it of all terrible things it is the most terrible the most fearfull but sin is the sting of death As if he had said Death is a small thing in comparison of sin let a man want sin and death is nothing it is but sleepe it is nothing to have the body and soule separated Againe suppose there were no death but let body and soule remaine together yet sin is a terrible thing it is above all the Terrours in the world as in Iudas see his Terrours though there was no death on him see Adam when he was not in Hell but in Paradise yet how was he Tormented with his sin Therefore weigh not sin in a wrong ballance looke not on it with a wrong light take heed of being deceived for in this of all other things men are most apt to be deceived That is the corruption of Nature that strange darknesse is brought on men by Adam that in the thing that most concerneth him which is sin in that he is most ignorant most apt to be deceived Therefore when the Apostle speaks of sin he comes in still with this caution Be not deceived 1 Cor. 6.9 Be not deceived neither Fornicatour nor Idolaters nor adulterers c. shall inherit the kingdome of God as if men in that were most apt to be deceived So Ephes. 5.6 Be not deceived for for such things the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience And observe when Christ goeth about to show to any man or to any Church what their sins are or what their danger is he addes this Let him that hath an eare heare what the Spirit saith to the Churches his end being to tell them of their sin still that comes in He that hath an eare to heare let him heare As if he had said when I come to speake of matter of sin there be many here that can tell what I say that can understand me well but few have eares to understand indeed As when the Prophet came to Ieroboam he heard the Prophet so as it anger'd him he knew what his sin was but he heard it not to purpose So when Christ pronounceth a woe to the Scribes and Pharisees they heard it well enough but they had not an eare to heare it to purpose Men may heare what flesh and common reason and common men say of sin but not what the Spirit saith of it there is another kinde of sinfulnesse in sin which is the spirituall evill of sin and what the Spirit saith of this they doe not heare Therefore you must even be brought to Christ as the deafe man was who being both deafe and dumbe was brought to Christ that he might lay his hands on him now Christ put his finger into his eares and saith Ephata be thou opened and then the man heard and spake so of all men that heare this Word there is not a man but he is deafe according to this inward kinde of hearing therefore you must be brought to Christ and beseech him to give you eares to heare for few hath eares to heare what the Spirit saith unto the Churches when it discovers their sin and misery Therefore let not this Doctrine be in vain to you but learne from hence to humble your selves to come to God and say to him Lord I am now amazed and confounded I thought before losses and crosses were great matters but now I see they are but flea-bitings to sin I was heretofore troubled at a small crosse but little or nothing at sin Lord I confesse this was my case but I see now sinne is another thing Thus we should learne to humble our selves before God But if any object This is the way to discourage men to make them desperate to make them fly from Religion by telling them sin is so terrible I answer it is not the way to discourage men from comming to Christ but to encourage them and drive them to him This is the way to Salvation Indeed if there were no remedy for sin it were a desperate case but
there is a remedy if you will but see this sinne of yours and mourne for it for all that mourne in Sion and are broken hearted shall be comforted Therefore you must know there is a passive sorrow for sin when God shall affright a man with the Terrour of his wrath and that is a flash of hell fire if our end were only to kindle these sparks it were indeed to breed Torture in the soule but there is an active humiliation when a man labours to be convinced of his sin to know all hee can against himselfe and this is it which leads to life for this is the end of our preaching the end of our discovering of sin And this use you may make of the hainousnesse of sinne and so much shall serve for the first use Secondly if there be such a truth such a knowledge made evident by God himselfe then men should learne hence to be thankful to God for it for whereas all men might have perished as the Devils did as the Angels that fell did yet God hath shewed this mercy to mankinde he hath given them Secundam Tabulam post naufragium and that is this light which is the thing which you have cause to be thankfull for for this light is worth all the world beside nothing is so precious because it shewes the way to escape Hell and damnation therfore you ought to be thankfull to God for it You specially that live under the Sun-shine of the Gospell you must thinke you might have beene borne in other ages when darknesse covered the world or in another Nation and not in Goshen where the light shines and if in the Church you might have been ignorant as many of our Countrey people are even almost as ignorant as Turkes and Iewes but when God hath discovered light in great measure and hath given a great portion thereof to you you must know all this is not come to passe by accident but by Gods providence you are to take notice of it and learne to be thankfull not in show only but indeed and in truth that is by practising according to the knowledge you have for it is a thing most precious Mat. 7.6 An Admonition is compared to a pearle whereas the admonition is but one part of this light and what is said of a part may be said of the whole Salomon could not finde a fit thing to compare this Wisdome to It is more precious than pearles nay all that can be named or desired cannot be compared with it Therefore seeing it is a precious thing trample not these pearles under your feet know that God hath put a price into thine hand and that is thy light and it is a price that will buy heaven it will bring thee to salvation but if thou wantest an heart as the foole hath a price but he wants an heart it will do thee no good take heed thou doe not neglect it doe not abuse it take not the grace of God in vain but see thou use this light When the great promise of Christ his comming was made what was it but this that they should have a new light that the people that sate in darknesse and in the shadow of death should see a light they never saw before you that live in this light that enjoy that which was so many yeares ago promised to the Gentiles and is now fulfilled take heed of abusing it use it to the purpose for which it is given that is to guide your feet into the way of peace Againe thirdly to joyne that with it As you must be thankful so in the third place you must take heed of doing any thing contrary to this Truth it is a very dangerous thing to neglect it There is not a sparke of it not a beame of this light which is conveyed to you by the ministery of the Gospell which shall be in vaine Though you doe not prize it it shall set you a steppe nearer heaven or hell even every sparke and beame of this and this is it which may make men afraid and looke about them seeing that when this light is made knowne it is so dangerous to neglect it Therefore thinke this when God hath sent a right Ministery Consider who hath sent this light God hath done it and will GOD send a vaine mâ—ssage A wise man will not doe so if then God send it not in vaine it is to some purpose to doe either good or hurt Now suppose that this light have done you no good that you have lived long under this light but have attained no good you have knowne much but practised little then know this shall exceedingly encrease your condemnation Paul saith We thanke God that he hath caused us to triumph in IESUS CHRIST in making manifest the savour of his knowledge in every place What is the reason he should rejoyce that this was made manifest seeing to some it did no good Yes saith he it shall encrease their condemnation it shall be the sweet savour of God in them that are saved and in them that perish So when wee preach if the light doe you no good it doth you hurt As Isaiah his Commission was Goe preach to this people and shut their eyes lest they should see with their eyes and heare with their eares If we are not sent to enlighten men we are sent to make their hearts fat and their eares heavie Thou shalt doe no good by thy ministery yet I have sent thee that they may know there was a Prophet among them Therefore take heed you to whom this is sent that it be not sent onely to this end that it may be knowne there hath beene a Prophet among you Those to whom God hath revealed much let them know it shall not be in vaine If the King send a Message and men will obey it so it is if not if they make his authority worth nothing he will elevate his Authority and will inflict a Penalty So God sends not in vaine if you will not obey him God will not suffer any to sleight his Authority but he will be surely revenged Therefore take heed how you detaine this Truth in unrighteousnesse that when GOD hath discovered this knowledge you doe not practice it But every man will be apt to say and indeed they that are most guilty but I hope we doe practise it and not detaine it Therefore I will set downe though not all yet many of the Cases wherein they detaine this Truth and with-hold it in unrighteousnesse wherein they doe not practise according to this knowledge and these are seven in number First in the Commission of all knowne sins there you detaine this Truth there you imprison it whensoever you finde this to be your Case that you commit any knowne sinne therein you are a detainer of the Truth an imprisoner of it As for example when a man shall know that these duties ought to bee done I
the worke is so farre accepted as it hath an operation on our hearts and affections It is so in every duty as in Prayer when you call on God in private doth God regard the words of a prayer No but ' its working on your hearts ' it s humbling of them ' it s bringing of them into frame and making them perfect with God every day by a thorow renewing of your repentance and this is the doing of the thing Amongst your selves if a servant doth onely make a show of doing a thing it is not regarded but hee that brings the thing to passe is accepted of you and that is it which the Lord requires and accepts in our performances Now we shall see that this Text will helpe us to all that is required in a Fast as will appeare in the particulars Phineas the sonne of Eleazar c. In the former part of the Chapter the disease is set downe and that is Sinne which is indeed the onely disease of the soule illustrated from two consequents First from the wrath of God who as the Text saith was very angry with Israel for they had committed whoredome and joyned with Baal-Peor That was the disease the sin for which they had brought on them Gods wrath And secondly from an effect of that wrath the Plague God struck them with pestilence that is the punishment In this verse is set downe the remedy and that is the turning away of Gods wrath For as the Physitian sayes Morbi curantur contrarijs so it is true in Divinity as the wrath of God was the cause of the Plague so the turning away thereof is the remedy This turning away of his wrath is set forth by the cause of its turning away and that was the zeale of Phineas while hee was zealous for my sake and that is made good by two reasons One is in the latter end of my Text therefore have I not consumed them in my jealousie As if hee had said If Phineas had not beene zealous my jealouâ— should have burned more and more and the jealousie of that should have beene utter destruction The second is Gods owne Testimony set downe before my Text. The Lord himselfe said unto Moses that his wrath was turned away I will say no more for opening the words but in them you shall see these five points lye evidently before you First in that the removall of the Plague is attributed to God and to the turning away of his anger this is clearely deduced That it is God only that doth good and evill for you see his anger brought the Plague on them and the turning away of his anger healed them againe Secondly it is sin that causes Gods anger anger in God hath alway relation to sinne for sinne is the cause of it Thirdly the way to turne away the Lords anger is zeale for his sake Fourthly if there be want of this zeale among us his jealousie shall grow hotter and hotter it shall encrease upon us more and more Fifthly and lastly the issue of this jealousie of his will be utter destruction Wee will begin with the first which is That it is God onely that doth good and evill to every Nation to every Church and Kingdome yea to every particular person As you see here it was not the corruption of the Aire that brought the Plague nor the clearing of it with fâ—ost and wind that turned it away but the cloud of the Lords wrath shed this storme on them and when he was appeased with them there followed health and peace The Lord wounds and the Lord heales For what is the Plague but a sword in the hand of an Angell who drawes it out and puts it into its sheath againe at his Masters appointment And is not there the same reason of all other evils Warre you know is a terrible thing when Enemies come as Bees on a Land but doth not the Lord hisse for them And againe they are driven away as with a breath at his appointment Famine is a leane devouring evill which causes the Land to eate up the inhabitants thereof but is not the Lord the onely cause of it Doth not he make the Heaven as Brasse and the Earth as Iron Doth not he when he will open the windowes of Heaven and unstop the bottels of the clouds and powre outraine unseasonably And is not hee the cause of death which is the journeys end of both the former To which every one of us is subject yet wee consider it not Though we see men fall from the Tree of Life every moment yet wee regard it not This the Lord takes onely to himselfe Psal. 68.20 To the Lord belong the issues from death and therefore let us give to the Lord this great Prerogative of his That he onely doth good and evill and let no man question it You will say who doth question it It is very true we doe not question it in words but if we question it in our deeds it is an argument that our hearts make a doubt of it though our tongues doe not question it Therefore let us examine the matter If wee thinke the Lord onely doth good and evill why then will not we obey him and serve him and please him in all things But provoke him to anger by our words and by our workes as the Prophet speakes Perhaps you will say to me as Saul answered Samuel when he came from the warre of the Amalekites Oh thou blessed of the Lord I have fully kept the Commandement of the Lord but saith Samuel If thou hast done so What meanes the bleating of the Sheepe and the lowing of the Oxen So I say to you if you obey the Lord what meanes so many sinnes amongst us What meanes Fornication and Whoredome which is so frequent What meane those Oathes amongst us for which the Land mournes Not onely greater oathes but smaller oathes which exceed the greater for frequency though the greater exceed them in that they take the Name of God in vaine Againe what meanes the breaches of the Sabbath Of which I will speake a word by the way and that you may know that I doe not blame you for that as a sinne which is no sinne I will make this digression Doe you not think that Sabbaths are to be kept and to be kept holy I will name but two reasons to make it good you shall finde them in Esay 57.30 It is My Holy Day First it is a Holy Day and if it be holy you may doe nothing thereon that is common A Vessell that is sanctified and made holy may not bee imployed to take up common water or used in common services for it is holy So the time of the Sabbath is holy therefore you must not spend it about common actions for if you doe you prophane that which is holy Seeondly it is My Day and if it be My Day rob mee
little and little as you heape up sinne by little and little then it lies covered for a Time but in due Season there shall be an expence of it if you sow to the flesh the seed must lye covered a time and then it must have a Time of ripening but at length comes reaping Therefore be not deceived in this though you feele not the wrath presently yet thinke not that it will not follow No be assured this linke betweene sinne and wrath cannot be dissolved You shall finde a phrase in 2 Pet. 2.3 Whose damnation sleepeth not What is the meaning of that That is they bring on themselves swift Destruction though they thinke Damnation sleepes yet it doth not so it goes as fast as we and will be sure to meet us in the journeyes end So Moses useth this phrase Your sinne shall finde you out And David in the Psalme saith Evill shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him that is Sinne when it is committed is like a Bloud-hound which though a man be got far from the place where a thing is acted yet followes the Tract he pursues and gives not over till he hath found So God sets sinne upon the Sent as it were and it will be sure to finde us out And for the most part when we thinke our selves safest it destroyes us suddenliest Doe not thinke therefore that these two linkes of sinne and wrath can be severed That which deceives us is this we see all is quiet and heare no more of sinne but you must know that all that while sinne is sending its cries to heaven for vengeance which are like unto the Vapours in the middle Region that are sent up insensibly we see them not we heare them not but they come downe in a Storme As God said to David Thou offendedst in secret but thy punishment shall be before this Sunne We thinke sinne a small thing A great body when we are past a mile or two from it we thinke very little which proceeds from the weaknesse of the eye The same imbesillity is in our mindes when sinne is past a great while since wee looke not on it as the same thing whereas the sinne is the same in it selfe the same in Gods Account and shall have the same punishment But you will say Is this the case of every man who then shall bee saved I answer there is a difference in sins Sinne doth not alway bring the same thing to passe in all though in some cases it may both godly men and evill men doe sin Pearles and Pibbles may both fal into the mire but one is a Pearle the other a Pibble And there is this difference in the punishment if a sonne offend his father will chastise and admonish him but not cast him off the father will spare his son in whom he delighteth but if a servant offends him he turnes him out of doores and will no more have to doe with him if you be servants of sinne eternall wrath shall come on you hee will turne you out of doores and utterly cast you off We will apply this And first it showes you that if sinne still drawes on wrath then if you cannot see sin in it selfe yet see it in its Effects in its Concomitants as it is attended on by the wrath of God though you care not for the blacknesse of the cole yet care for the burning of the cole though you care not for the foulenesse of sinne which holinesse should teach you to regard yet let the fire that is in it move you specially considering it is the wrath of God which feare and selfe-love should perswade you to decline Psa. 90.11 saith the Psalmist there Who knowes the power of his wrath As if he had said no man knowes it but those that have felt it I say it is a thing we doe not know Rom. 9.22 saith the Apostle there What if God to show his wrath and to make his power knowne suffer with much patience the vessels of wrath fitted to Destruction Marke it the meaning is when the Lord comes to execute his wrath he will show his Almightie Power therein As hee showes the Riches of his glory in his mercy to others so his very Power yea the transcendent greatnesse of his Power shall be declared in his Wrath. But alas wherefore doe I goe about to enlarge my expressions of this Wrath The Truth is you will never understand it by the speaking of others it must bee the LORDS worke If hee will manifest himselfe to you that is if hee will open a crevise to let in to your soule the least Glimpse of him in his wrath and anger it will amaze and confound the stoutest hearted of you all Saul was a stout man Achitophel was a wise man but when God manifested himselfe to them as he did to Saul the day before hee died when GOD would not answer him when hee apprehended God in his wrath hee fell downe to the ground If God bee set against us let but an imagination an apprehension yea the least thing come as a Messenger of his displeasure as an Arrow dipped in the venome of his wrath it shall be insupportable But you will say I never felt it to be so terrible I but if once the Lord shall mingle the least troublesome thought with his wrath so that you shall see him in it I say that will amaze and confound you as the hand-writing did Belshazzar It was not the hand-writing that did so distemper him but the apprehension of an angry God that was able to take away his life from him When God came to Elijah 1 King 19.11 he first of all sent a wind that broke the Mountaines and rent the Rockes then he sent an Earthquake and then a Fire to let him know what a God he is And thus shall every man finde him that meets him not by repentance Therefore doe not trust to this that the sinnes you committed are long agoe past I will for that purpose commend unto your remembrance Ioabs case and Shimei's case Ioab had committed a sinne long agoe but he was never a whit the better for that his pardon being not sued out God so ordered it in his providence that his Gray-haires should bee brought to the grave in bloud So Shimei seemed to be quiet a great while but at last the Lord met with him I may also tell you of Sauls sinne in wronging the Gibeonites though it rested a while yet it was brought home to him at the end But you will say I feele nothing But let not that deceive you remember that terrible saying in 1 Sam. 3. Samuel threatned from God a great judgement on the house of Ely but the house of Ely flourished still It is no matter for that sayes Samuel I would have you know this that when the Lord begins he will also make an end that is the greatest
but think with your selves doe you thinke he lesse pities the diseases of the Soule than he did the diseases of the Body Doe you thinke that he hath lesse compassion now he is in Heaven than hee had when he was on Earth Or doe you think that His Arme is shortned that he cannot doe as much now to heale the running sores that are on thy soule as he did on earth to heale bodily diseases My Brethren if you doe but seeke to him if you can get but a word from him if he say but to you Be whole if hee doe but rebuke thy sinfull lusts as he rebuked the Feaver it shall presently obey him Hee that was able to calme the sea and that hath the strong winds in his power is he not able to dissolve a strong inordinate apprehension a strong lust a strong unruly affection and so set them at liberty certainly he is able You know the woman that had spent so many yeares and all that she had upon Physitians and could doe her selfe no good by all yet when shee comes to Christ once you see it was done in an instant So I say a strong lust an old lust which is contrary to this New Creature which it may be thou hast been contending with many yeares and cannot get the victory over it yet if thou canst come in this manner to him and contend with him and knocke at the doore and never give over till thou hast awaked him certainly hee will give thee the holy Ghost he will change and renue thy heart he will set thee at full libertie This he hath confirmed with an oath and whatsoever God hath sworn he will performe it without all reservation where hee is said to doe a thing without an oath there may be a reservation left therefore we never finde an oath to the old Covenant but he hath sworne to performe the new Covenant and you know this is a great part of the new Covenant to give a new heart to make a man a new Creature therefore where the new Covenant is made there this is repeated in Ier. 31. and Heb. 8. I will make a covenant with my people and what is that I will put my Law into their minds and in their hearts will I write them that is I will make them New Creatures Therefore I say this is a matter of much use to you If you goe to Christ and labour to have this done My Brethren there is nothing left for us to be assured nor any other experiment that wee need have that there is another life that Iesus Christ hath done these great things for us and that the Gospel is true I say there is nothing else left for us no other experiment in comparison of this that we see wee are made New Creatures This is all the miracles that we have nay I dare be bold to say more It was the greatest miracle that they had in that time when all the miracles were wrought And therefore you shall find that Paul gives this as the maine argument among the rest That they shall be raised againe at the last day that they were in Christ that the Gospel is real and true For saith he We have received the Spirit we have had the Spirit which is the earnest the pledge the annointing you shall finde it every where scattered in his Epistles the receiving of the Spirit is the maine ground that hee builds on as in the 2 Cor. 1.23 Hee hath established us together with you and hath annointed us and sealed us by giving the Spirit as an earnest into our hearts As if he should say this is the Argument we have that we shall be saved not for all the miracles so much as this that we have received the Spirit for that is the true annointing wee feele it in our selves that sealeth and confirmeth us wee cannot doubt having had experience of such a mighty worke in us that is the earnest and the pledge we have and therefore Ephes. 1.19 He prayes that they might see the exceeding greatnesse of his power working in those that beleeve as if that would bee a great confirmation to them if once they should finde an experiment of the greatnesse of his power And so Phil. 3.10 I care not for all the world on this condition that I might know him and the vertue of his resurrection that is that I might know him by the power of his Spirit changing my heart killing my sinnes raising me againe and in a word making me a New Creature that I might know this experiment I looke upon all the world as drosse and dung as things not to be named So I say seeing there is nothing else left in comparison of this and when miracles were wrought there was nothing like this that wee might have this experiment in our selves we should goe to God and not give him over till the worke be wrought in us that we might be made New Creatures That which keepes men off from religious courses for the most part is discouragement they think they shall not be able to go thorow it when they heare they must bee made new men in all things that there must be nothing that is old left but all the old leaven must bee purged out it discourageth men because they thinke they shall never bee able to reach it whereas this is an assurance to thee that if you go about it you shall not faile of your purpose but you shall certainly bring it to passe because if you seeke it at Gods hands he cannot deny you only I told you you must pray It may be for this purpose God will not heale thee altogether but suffer many lusts to grapple and to contend with thee that thou mayest be taught to doe this duty and therefore wee should learne to goe to Christ wee should feed on him every day and by that meanes we shall be renewed we shall get new strength otherwise what is the meaning of that In this mount hee will make a feast of fined wines and of fatlings of fat things full of marrow of wines fined and purified Esay 25.6 The meaning is this when you come to Christ to renue your Communion and your Covenant with him which is done through faith and prayer you draw neerer to him and that strengthneth the soule as Mannah strengthned them in the wildernesse that you live by it for every day there growes new distances betweene Christ and us we let goe our hold as it were in some measure and begin to fall off from him a little therefore every day we should renue this Covenant especially when we come to the Sacrament As Ionathan and David they renued the Covenant of God againe that was between them as if there were a new Solemnity of marriage if it were often to be renued to make the parties joyned more united make no question of it we should renue our match with Christ we should come neerer to him
carried the matter fairly but like the Eagle hee had his eye upon the prey this secret eye marres all Doe not thinke that this is but a notion doe not say who is it but doth sinne and we may goe to heaven although we be not so exact as the Preacher saith we should be No it is more than so we may see good reason for it if we observe it well It is a good argument which we have in Philosophie A cup or a dish that is boared thorow is no dish yet there is but one hole in it because it is now of no use which makes it none because it is as good as none Take a dish boared thorow powre water into it it will hold none so take a mans heart for the reason will hold good in that and let there be but some secret leake in it or some secret evill disposition although Saul doth well in every thing else yet if he harbour any sinne or although Balaam doth well in all things else yet if there be respect unto the wages of Iniquity they are both but like a dish with an hole boared thorow that take up any thing there will be an issuing out Therefore deceive not thy selfe thou art no New Creature except thy heart be perfect in all things This which wee deliver unto you take it no otherwise than what with reason you shall finde grounded upon a sure word in Ier. 2. They sought mee not with their whole heart but fainedly When a man seekes God but not with his whole heart God reckons it but a counterfeit seeking of him Therefore I beseech you looke unto your selves see whether you be holy in all manner of conversation I cannot goe thorow particulars but I must leave this to every mans brest who must reflect upon his owne heart Consider with thy selfe if sometimes thou givest libertie to thy selfe in ill or in the duties of new obedience to performe them slightly as good never a whit as never the better if thou doest any duty which thou knowest to be a duty and not truly know it is not accepted If you continue in sinne and will not know it to be a sin as in your inordinate gaming and the vanity of your speeches although thou thinkest them small yet they are able to kill thee the biting of a Viper is as small a thing yet it will bring death with it so if any sin be allowed in thee thou art not a New Creature thou wantest this new moulding thou art not yet cast into a new frame So much for the First part The second thing which we observed in this description of a New Creature is that A man must be cast into a new mould by the infusion of a new quality of Grace A mans heart is not put into a new frame by the transient Acts of the Holy Ghost as in building of an house there is no more for a man to doe but with his hands to joyne one thing with another but it is done by the infusion of a new quality As in Adam there was not onely a defect of weaknesse but of wickednesse so there must be a new quality infused into thy heart else thou art no New Creature In all things in the world that have actions there is a quality as the fire moves upward and there is a quality of heat in it as our Saviour Christ saith of the tree it must be good before it can bring forth good fruit and as in the Heb. 12.28 Wherefore seeing we receive a Kingdome that cannot be shaken let us have grace whereby wee may so serve God that wee may please him with reverence and feare that is there must bee a new quality wrought in the heart whereby we may be enabled to serve the Lord with reverence and feare The question you will aske me will be what is that new quality Not to stand upon generals for it is not that which profits but to pitch upon it I will shew you what it is by two places of Scripture Gal. 6.15 For in Christ Iesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but a New Creature Compare this with Gal. 5.6 For in Christ Iesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but Faith which worketh by love Would you know what this new quality which is infused is It is faith and love that is when this is once wrought in thy heart that thy heart is humble and broken which makes thee to know what sin is and what the wrath of God is for sinne and thou desirest Christ and thou hast thy heart calmed againe through beleeving thou doest beleeve that God offers his Son unto thee and thou art willing to take him not as a Saviour only but as a Lord also to obey him not as a Priest only but as a King to bee subject to him not as a friend only but as an husband if this be done it is properly faith Againe consider whether it be done out of love or out of fear lest thy Creditours should come upon thee and cast thee into that eternall prison where thou shalt pay every farthing this is not out of love Againe doest thou take him for his kingdom and his wealth only That is the disposition of an harlot who takes her husband for his wealth and not because shee loves him but thou must take him for love The Virgins love thee Cant. 1.2 The harlots doe not so but the Virgins love thy goodly person Againe thou must not take him in a good mood but till death doe part you thou must love him for ever No man loves a man truely but he is rooted and grounded in his love when thou doest find thy heart so humbled that thou doest reckon sinne the greatest evill and doest hunger after Christ and doest keepe him as thy life when thou doest all this from a love unto him thou art a New Creatures when thou takest Christ with love and such an one as is a working love now be assured that thou art a New Creature for this is that wherein it consists I observe this by the way for those that thinke they never have beene humbled enough the New Creature consists not in that but in faith and love Hast thou faith and love Then thou hast the thing it selfe and if thou hast that thou hast the preparation That is the first expression Another is in Ephes. 4.22 23 24. That yee cast off concerning the conversation in times past the old man which is corrupt through deceiveable lusts and be renued in the Spirit of your minde and put on the new man which after God is created in Righteousnesse and holinesse proceeding from truth There you have the thing named what it is to be a New Creature and what it is to be the old man still To be the old Creature or the old man is nothing else but to bee guided by lust which comes from errour in judgement and understanding But
they never lye so long when they fall into a sinne they are not well and they shew it by resisting againe they cannot continue in it for there is a certaine reluctance against it that raises them againe they fall sometimes into ill company sometimes into wayes of wickednesse sometimes into deadnesse of spirit but they are not content with this they are like men out of their owne element Another man for the fits of his religion is out of his element and is never well till he be setled in his owne Center againe you see it by Saul Saul had very good fits when he persecuted David surely he was in good earnest when he said he would do it no more and David was more righteous than he he wept and his heart melted but he was sicke of it he was out of his element The Saints have certaine fits but they are sicke of sinne the other are sicke of the goodnesse and godlinesse which they have and are never well till they bee set at liberty againe that they may walke againe in their old wayes so there is great difference in their degrees Againe such a man saith Saint Iames is unstable in all his wayes that is a man whose heart is upright there is some inequability to be found in his life some unevennesse yet it is but now and then and by accident as it were because the graces hee hath bee true and good and though sometimes he falls it is but by accident Take a true drugge and a false and counterfeit drugge when ever you will put a false drug to triall it will not worke Take a drugge that the Apothecary gives you it may have the colour and smell of a true one it may be you cannot tell how to find it out but in working you may if it be false it workes not So take a Bow that is rotten draw an arrow to the head and it is sure to breake this similitude the Scripture useth They started aside like a broken Bow that is when I put you to triall you fly backe for you are rotten So those that are not sound it is not their stability that makes them goe on in the wayes of God for a time but want of temptation to put them to it Put Iudas to it put Saul to it and you shall quickly find them But take a true drugge ordinarily it workes well but by accident it may not worke A good Bow may be broken by accident so a grace that is true and right may sometimes faile of working I cannot better expresse it than by this similitude Take a ship bound to a certaine Haven it pitches there the Compasse is set the right way but it may bee carried away by crosse winds yet there is a certaine Haven which it tends to So there is a certaine Haven which all the Saints of God goe to howsoever they are transported by temptations and lusts yet the Compasse stands the right way Another is carried aside by uncertaine winds for that is a Scripture similitude that is there is the wind of a good mood carrying them towards God let them bee turned they goe another way they are not bound to a certaine Haven they are not pitcht the others are carried aside by accident sometimes they mistake the way sometimes they fall and slip in the way but that is their journey they travell to heaven Last of all those that are uneven out of falsenesse of heart and not weaknesse of grace they never bring forth fruit I finde that to be the Scriptures Rule in the eight Chapter of Saint Luke in the Parable of the Seed you shall see it is said of the three grounds which went furthest of the three that it brought not forth fruit for the thornes grew up that is the world and the pleasures of divers lusts and choaked it so these men bring not forth fruit But you will say they doe bring forth fruit doe they not do many actions in good moods may not an hypocrite goe farre may he not have many blossomes Yes but they are but blossomes there is something greene but they are but blades the corne never comes to earing that is they are never ripe now a thing must be ripe before it can be called good fruit they never bring forth ripe fruit that is fruit indeed they bring forth sowre grapes Esay 5. I did thus and thus to my Vineyard and it brought forth wilde grapes it may be to mens seeming they be as good as any they may looke as well as the best but taste them and they are sowrest there is not any fruit that is only the property of the last ground to bring forth fruit with patience Now it is true of all the Saints though they bee weake yet they bring forth fruit and true and ripe and pleasant fruit such as God delights to eat of Come let us walke in the Garden and gather some fruit as in Cant. The other bring not forth fruit Take the best action they doe being rightly examined it is not good there is something there that marres it and God sees this they may be very faire in the eye of man but they are abominable in Gods sight Therefore if thou have a New nature be not discouraged for thy unevennesse which the best of the Saints are liable to Againe this is another Consectary from this point and we may put these two together because they are two Branches comming from the same Root If there be another new Nature put into us then expect a combate for certainly new and old will not agree together you cannot put two contraries together but there must needs be a fighting there must be a contention therefore expect that and know you are not right there is no new Nature there except you finde such a controversie within But you will say this is not so sure a signe for before this I found many a combate and doe not Heathen men expresse what reluctance they have had Have not civill men carnall men and men ignorant of the wayes of God a great conflict many times betweene the conscience checking them within and the actions they doe I answer It is true but there is a great difference betweene the Combate that is betweene the New Nature and the remainders of the old and betweene the naturall conscience those glimmerings those sparkes those good desires which even they may have that are not sanctified for you shall finde all these differences First in them that are sound there is alia sedes belli there is another seat of the warre for where before it was in the conscience it is now throughout the whole soule there is a difference in the Subject every faculty is set against it selfe because before the light was shut up within the walls of conscience but it was not shed into the whole soule it lay glowing as a Sparke there but it was imprisoned you imprisoned the
this may make you feare and tremble So you may see there is an end of this doctrine now we will make a little use of it and so end First if it be Christs worke if it be he that must begin it for it is a creature then you see what businesse we have in hand that are Preachers of the Gospell our businesse is to make men other Creatures which is a transcendent worke it is the worke of God and not of man this is the errand we are sent about and the work we are taught to doe every Sabbath and every Sermon which we preach to you to turne Lions into Lambes to transforme the heart of man and to make you New Creatures This I speake of not for our sakes but for yours that you may make use of it you must learne to know when you heare the Word what action you have in hand and whom you have to doe with that is with the Almighty God and not with man for alas my Brethren what are we able to doe Ephes. 2.10 You are Gods workmanship in Iesus Christ created to good workes that you should walke in them It is true we are the Instruments but ye are Gods workmanship Take the best Instrument wherewith we make any artificiall thing an Axe or a Chisell or whatsoever it is you know if there be not an influence from the Artificer it will make no artificiall thing it will strike when you use it but it will not make any artificiall thing if there be not an influence from the Artificer So we are Instruments and the Word is an Instrument but if there be not an influence from God the worke will not be done you will never be made New Creatures Therefore you are Gods workmanship created to good workes he doth it and remember you have to doe with him You have an elegant expression of it in 2 Cor. 3.2 You are Christs Epistle administred by us and written not with Inke but with the Spirit of the living God That is the Law of God is written in your hearts You know Regeneration is in many other places of Scripture A writing the Law of God in their hearts then there is a writing and in this sense the Saints are called an Epistle but they are Christs Epistle we are the pen and he is the Writer he handles the pen and what shal the pen do when there is paper and no Inke will there be any Epistle written Now what is that you are Christs Epistle not written with Inke but by the Spirit of God We doe but apply the pen to the paper but if God put not Inke into the pen that is the Spirit of the living God nothing will be written in your hearts Therefore remember what you have to doe and with whom not with us for we are able to doe nothing not Paul or Apollo mighty in Scriptures We are the Ministers by whom you beleeve It is God that doth it we are but those by whom you beleeve Peter if that ever any man was able so to doe it he was that had his tongue set on fire by the Holy Ghost yet he was not able to doe it Galath 2.8 He that was mightie by Peter over the Circumcision God was mighty by Peter but the work was none of his we are the Rams hornes but who throwes downe the walls of Iericho Are we able to doe it No my Brethren no more than Peter was able to open the Iron-gates It is true when Peter came to them they opened and not before but it was the Angell that did it So when we preach the Gospell there be everlasting doores can we open the Iron-gates No more than any man can open Iron-doores Therefore Lidia's heart was opened else Paul might have preached long enough in vaine in Luke the last Chapter He opened their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures If he had not opened their understandings as he was God he had done them no good when he preached to them as man Therefore it is God that doth it But you will say of what use is this to us that God doth it It is of much use therefore when you come to this place every Sabbath day to heare the Word when you see you have to doe with the mighty God we are the Pen it is God that doth it learne to come with reverence and feare learne to say of this place as Iacob did when he saw God when he saw the Ladder and Angels ascending and descending Surely this is a fearefull place and no other than the gate of Heaven and the House of God it may be you thought of it before You come to heare Sermons as Lectures and Declamations to have your understanding bettered but you doe not remember that it is the gate of Heaven and the House of God you see not God standing over us you should over-looke us it is the gate of Heaven that is you shall never come to Heaven ordinarily if you goe not thorow this gate it is the House of God And indeed when you come hither your eye must be upon him more than upon us expect and wait what God will doe on you hearts in such a time if you come and heare and God hath done nothing observe that and say it is because God hath with-holden his hand therefore my heart is not quickned at this Sermon if any thing hath been done know it is a Sparkle kindled from Heaven therefore cherish it looke well to it for it is a sparke kindled from heaven therefore doe as they did in the Law see what David did on the Altar which he built on Mount Moriah when the Altar was built they laid the wood and Sacrifice and looked to God when hee would send fire from heaven So we are the wood looke to God for fire if you can get a Sparke be sure to maintaine it for that was the manner of the Priests when they had a little fire from heaven they alway gave fewell they never let it goe out againe Looke to it diligently if you have got a sparke from heaven let it not goe out againe as it is the case of many thousands to doe there may be sparkes and you may heat your selves by them and it may be but fire from earht When a Sacrifice was kindled by common fire God accepted it not though it burnt as other fire yet it was no sacrifice to God Morall reason and naturall wisdome may kindle a fire that may be very like true fire but it is not from heaven Therefore come with much feare to this place like men that have your eyes on GOD seeke him not for fashion and know it is to no purpose if God send not his Spirit from heaven Againe you will say what use is there of this that it is God that doth it and not man I say therefore give the praise and glory of it to God give it not to us but to him
in those two things doth the Kingdome of God consist it is the ground of all the priviledges we have we have them therefore because we be in Christ It is the ground of all the graces we have because we are in Christ therefore wee are New Creatures therefore wee have the Image of God repaired in us which is nothing but the bundle of all graces as the old man is the bundle and heape of all corruption and sinne Now we will shew what it is to be in Christ and of what moment it is then we will make use of it The two first are so neere conjoyned that we will handle them together what it is to be in Christ and of what moment it is to be in Christ that is to be united to Christ. A man then is said to be united to him when he may truly say that which is in the Canticles My Beloved is mine and I am his When a man can say Christ is mine and I am Christs then we are in Christ for then we are his Now that this may be done there must be a mutuall act of giving and receiving that is it is God that gives his Sonne and Christ that gives himselfe as the Apostle speakes He loved me and gave himselfe for me When this is done on Gods part and we have taken him that makes Christ ours So there must be a giving and taking to unite us unto Christ there must be a giving that is the Father must give Christ now giving is nothing else but Quod meum est efficere tuum nullo jure cogente This definition the Civill Lawyers give of it and it is a true one So the Lord gives Christ to us he makes him ours nothing compels him to it for if it were by law it were not by gift but by debt I say he gives Christ and freely and to give him is nothing else but to make him ours But to give him is nothing it is not enough except we take him likewise for giving and taking are Relatives remove one and the other is taken away Though God give his Sonne freely yet except we take him that gift is no gift therefore there must be a taking on our part and when these two are done when God hath given Christ and we have taken him then we are united to Christ and we are in Christ and he in us as in marriage the husband gives himselfe to the wife and she takes him againe the wife gives her selfe to the husband and he takes her and when this is once done and done really they are united together And such a match is made betweene Christ and us there is a mutuall giving and taking on both sides and when this match is made Christ is said properly to be in us and we in him Yea to goe a little further Marriage is a neere union yet but a Relative union but there is something more in this Christ hath taken our Nature He is bone of our bone and flesh of our fâ—esh And againe he hath given us his Spirit that the very same Spirit dwels in us as doth in him that we may be said to be spirit of his Spirit This is more than is in marriage this is a neerer union therefore the Scripture useth a neerer expression we are as members of the same Body he the Head we the members we have the same Spirit that he hath we are flesh of the same flesh and bone of the same bone so neere an union there is betweene us So then there is more than a Relation in our being in Christ he indeed comes in to us as the Sun is said to come into the house You know the Sunne is in the heaven but when the light comes in we say the Sun comes into the house for there comes a reall light which is an effect of the Sunne So the Sonne of God IESUS CHRIST though he be in heaven yet he comes into the heart by his Spirit as the Sunne doth by the light which revives us and quickens us and workes a change in us Againe we grow into Christ as the branches grow into the Vine into the Root into the Stocke so that we are one in another and we grow one in another as the branches grow in the Vine and the Vine groweth in the branches Such a mutual union there is between us And thence comes all the benefits which is the second thing I will shew you that is of what moment it is I say hence come all the benefits we have by him in that we are united to him after this manner that we are in him as the branches in the Vine thence it is that we are made New Creatures that is there is a new Sap shed into the branches which weares out the old Sap the old man originall sinne which was there before and changeth it by the ingredience of the new Sap. So doth Christ Therefore we are said to be ingrafted into the similitude of his Death and Resurrection that is the old nature in us is worne out by the comming in of the new now as Christ did die but revived againe so we put on another nature so we have this benefit by this union we are made New Creatures Besides this we have an hundred others when we are in Christ we are under covert he hath interest in all our debts and we have interest in all his riches as the husband is bound to pay all the debts of the wife when he hath married her she is under covert she hath interest in all her husbands riches So we have interest in all the wealth of Christ and that is a very large wealth as you have it expressed in 1 Cor. the last Chapter Paul and Apollo c. and the world is yours it is a wealth beyond all that men can give you The world is yours no man in the world can goe so farre Princes may reach thorow their owne Kingdomes but the World is yours that is Christ who hath the command of it causeth every thing there to serve your turne even every Creature that man cannot command the wind and the seas obey him for your good for you have interest in all his riches there is nothing in the world but is yours Things present and things to come are ours If men can helpe you to things present yet things to come are beyond their reach If the things of this life be theirs yet death is not theirs but herein Christ likewise furnisheth you In a word you have interest in all his wealth looke how farre he can goe beyond a man so farre are you advantaged by him and have interest in all his riches he hath interest in all your debts you are under covert and nothing can hurt you the gates of Hell Men Devils Sinne and all the Creatures in heaven and earth are not able to hurt you because you are in him you are as Coneyes in their Burrowes he covers you
remission of sinnes or you shall have adoption but he saith Take this is my body By body is meant whole Christ by a Synecdoche we have Christ and all things else What use are we to make of this Surely it is of great use many wayes First we must make this use of it which is the maine end of the Sacrament to confirme our faith in the assurance of the forgivenesse of our sinnes as likewise to renew our Covenant and the Condition required on our part when God hath said he is willing to pardon our sinnes if he had but barely said it it had beene enough God cannot lye But lest it should not be enough he hath not only said it but he hath sworne it Hebr. 6. He hath sworne by himselfe that by two immutable things we might have strong consolation Being willing saith the Apostle to shew to the heires of Promise the stablenesse of his Councell he bound himselfe with an oath but yet lest that should not be enough he hath added seales to it he hath given the inward seale of the Spirit and the outward seale of the Sacrament as if he should say I have promised to forgive you your sinnes let the Sacrament witnesse against me if I performe it not Here by the way observe how difficult a thing it is for us to beleeve you may thinke it an easie thing when you are in health when you are well but when death comes when temptation comes when trouble of conscience comes I say you shall finde it a difficult thing you shall finde a need of all these helpes for certainly God sweares not in vaine he would not have bound himselfe with an oath to be ready to forgive sinnes if there were not exceeding need of such helpes to confirme us and therefore you have need to set your selves more diligently about it make this use of the Sacrament labour to confirme your selves in this assurance So that as the Apostle saith You may have strong consolation that is when the temptations of Satan shall assault you with objections to the contrary you may be strong and not shaken And why should you be doubtfull if we should a little reason with you that you may receive the fruit of this for why should you feare it For first the Lord professeth I would not the death of a sinner as I live And why will you die oh you house of Israel What is the meaning of this but to shew that the Lord hath an exceeding great desire earnestly longs to save the soules of men Indeed he saith not that he will give every one grace to come in but if he doe As I live saith the Lord I will not his death that is I am ready to forgive him Besides this consider what a man is ready to doe consider how tender-hearted fathers and mothers are to their children if we finde so much mercy there consider how much there is in God that mercy that is in us is but a drop to the Ocean it is but a beame to the fulnesse that is in him If you that are evill can give good things to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father doe it Againe consider if the Lord were not ready to shew mercy to you that Christ should not be of none effect that is the bloud of Christ should be shed in vaine And doe you thinke the Lord would send his Sonne to suffer death and to suffer it in vaine and that should be in vaine if he should not be ready to receive men to mercie when they come to seeke it at his hands besides if the Lord should not doe this no flesh should be saved Psal. 130.1 saith the Psalmist there If thou Lord shouldest marke all that is done amisse who could stand The meaning is this if the Lord should not be ready to doe this which he hath given to the Sacrament to confirme namely to forgive sinnes if he should not be ready to doe it if he should mark straitly what is done amisse who could stand that is who should be saved Now certainly the Lord hath made man for that purpose many shall be saved none were made for damnation Besides there is another argument There is mercy with thee that thou mightest be feared Feare is taken for the worship of God that is if the Lord should not receive men none would worship him none would serve him when there is no hope take away all hope take away all endeavour If this will not perswade you consider what the Lord hath done for others how many thousands of others have had their sinnes forgiven and then thinke had he mercy for such and such and hath he not mercy enough for me Hath not Christ taken thy nature as well as theirs If all this will not perswade you consider how mercifull Christ was in the dayes of his flesh he was exceeding gentle easie to be entreated you shall never finde that there was any that asked at his hands but he granted it And thinke you that he is lesse pitifull now to mens soules than he was to their bodies Doe you thinke that now he is in heaven he hath laid aside his mercifull disposition No Hebr. 4. We have a mercifull high Priest that is touched with our infirmities that is ready to forgive Oh but my sinnes are exceeding great what though they be is not the Lords mercy exceeding is it not like the mighty Sea that drownes mountaines aswell as mole-hils My sins are of divers sorts what if they be in the Lord there is multitudes of mercies as many as thou hast sinnes I but they have oft beene repeated I have oft fallen into them againe and againe What if thou hast Is not his mercies renewed every morning And Zachary 15.1 There is a fountaine opened for the house of Iudah and Ierusalem to wash in Not a cisterne but a fountaine that is as there is a spring of sinne in us so there is a spring of mercy in God there is no end of his mercy therefore doubt not in regard of that But againe I am unfit if I were fit and ready for this I might receive fruit from the Sacrament but I am unfit Why If thou thought's thy selfe fit thou shouldest not have it even therefore because thou feelest thy selfe unfit the rather thou shalt be received to mercy the Lord lookes for this aâ— thy hands that we find and feele such â—â—fiâ—resse in our selves the more we are humbled the lesse we find in our selves the more ready the Lord is to receive us to mercy Besides this very unfitnesse I would aske thee but what iâ— is Is it not sinne If all sinnes be forgiven if the pardon be generall then it is contained among the rest and shall not be any impediment And therefore make this use when you come to the Sacrament thinke not that God is backward to forgive that he will not be as good as his word certainly he will and know this
the Papists out of the sixth Chapter of Saint Iohn where Christ speakes so much of eating his flesh and drinking his bloud which say they must needs be understood of a corporall manducation of eating his body and drinking his bloud in the Sacrament we will speake one word of this First that this cannot be the meaning of that clause is evident because the Supper of the Lord was not then instituted and therefore it could not be he should have relation to that because Christ spake to those that might understand him the words were intelligible at the least Now it was impossible that those that heard him should understand him of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper because it was a thing that was not and if they say that was their dulnesse I answer it is not dulnesse not to conceive that which simply could not be knowne This that had no being could not be knowne and therefore this is certaine he had not relation to that Besides that if you marke the course of the words you shall finde he saith there that rather the flesh is turned into bread than the bread to flesh saith he I am the true bread that came downe from heaven he repeats that often in the Chapter vers 51. I am the living bread and my flesh is bread and I give life to the world So that you shall finde more reason if you reade that Chapter why the flesh should be turned to bread than the bread into flesh But besides that the eating of Christs flesh and the drinking of his bloud is alwayes taken in a good sense and it is alwayes peculiar to the Saints And therefore verse 53 54. you shall finde both expressed Except a man eat his flesh and drinke his bloud he hath no life in him Againe Whosoever without exception eats his flesh and drinkes his bloud he hath eternall life and Christ will raise him up at the last day So if you take the words generally as Christ expresseth them and so they must needs be understood Then it is impossible that his flesh should be eaten in the Sacrament and his bloud drunke because many that should eat his flesh there in a corporall manner shall not be saved which you know themselves grant Besides there are many that never eat his flesh nor drinke his bloud in the Sacrament that are saved and have life in them as you know the Theefe on the Crosse went immediately to Paradice though he never eat the flesh of Christ in the Sacrament nor dranke his bloud All the Patriarkes before Christ Did not they drinke the same spirituall drinke did they not eat the same spirituall meat as we doe but they never eat it in the Sacrament Mary Magdalene when she had never tasted of the Sacrament saith CHRIST Goe thy way thy sinnes are forgiven thee What need I give you instances of children that die It is the opinion of the Councell of Trent they set it downe in plaine termes That children that are baptized though they eat not the Sacrament and drinke of the bloud of Christ and eat his flesh are saved And therefore Christs owne words must be meant in this sense and cannot be understood of a corporall eating of his flesh and drinking of his bloud But because those words Vnlesse yee eat my flesh and drinke my bloud yee cannot have life are a place which the Papists doe much urge as if it were impossible to be answered and appeale herein to the Fathers We will shew you briefly that it was so interpreted by the Fathers that lived neare the Apostles times as by us now before there were any Popish Doctors to corrupt the Glosse as Origen that was very ancient upon the fifth of Matthew saith this That if it could be that he that remaines an ill man could eat the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloud then it could never be said Iohn 6. Whosoever eats my flesh and drinkes my bloud hath eternall life and I will raise him up at the last day Againe also Augustine in his 26. Tract upon the Gospell of Saint Iohn saith this Whosoever is not a member of Christ he eats not his flesh he drinkes not his bloud though visibly and corporally hee crush with his teeth the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ. Marke the words The Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ But it is vaine for me to insist upon the particular saying of Augustine because those that are acquainted with his sayings if they deale ingenuously they know they are every where scattered that he is very cleare and evident But I will name one that is exceeding perspicuous in his third booke De Doctrina Christiana cap. 13. he gives us this rule for the interpreting of Scripture If we finde that commanded that is flagitious and hurtfull and evill we must not interpret Scripture so that such a thing is to be done As for example he gives this instance Iohn 6. Christ speakes of eating his flesh and drinking his bloud saith he this is a flagitious an evill and an hainous thing that a man abhors when he thinkes of it and therefore the words are not so to be understood but you must understand them spiritually and figuratively you must when you heare those words remember that Christs flesh was crucified for you and that his bloud was shed and so the words are to be interpreted Ambrose upon the 118. Psal. having occasion to speake of the Sacrament hath reference to this Ioh. 6. saith he Christ is the bread of life he that eats life cannot die for how shall he saith he die Christ is the bread of life he that eats him therefore cannot die therefore saith hee none are said to eath the flesh of Christ and drinke his bloud but they must needs live for ever for he eats that which is life Athanasius hath speeches as plaine as these It is not saith he corporall but it is spirituall that which Christ speakes concerning eating of his flesh and drinking of his bloud saith he that small bodie of his could that feed so many saith he is reckoned the meat of the whole world And therefore saith he in the latter end of that Chapter Iohn 6. When Christ had finished his speech of eating his flesh and drinking his bloud he speakes of his Ascension into heaven that he might draw us from carnall conceits to raise our minde to understand the thing spiritually to ascend to him by faith and to know the spirituall nourishment of the soule and not corporall of the bodie Besides him Tertullian in his booke De resurrectione carnis Eusebius contra Marcellium not to name other particulars they all interpret the place thus And therefore let not our Adversaries say it is a new interpretation it is fastned on the words by Calvin and Beza as they doe it is the interpretation of the Fathers nay I will goe further it is the interpretation not of the Fathers onely but of some
of their owne Writers Cajetan upon the third part of Thomas the 80. Question saith plainly To eat the flesh of Christ is to beleeve in Christ. And Biel in the Canon of his Masse and Canisius upon the Corinthians and others of their owne Writers which is enough to make it cleare to them that this is the meaning of the words that we have said before So much shall serve for the answering of that Objection We shewed the last day in what manner Christ is in the Sacrament I will not stand to repeat it we came to draw some consectaries from the point that there is a reall Communion of the body and bloud of Christ in the Sacrament The first was for the strengthning of our faith If God had said it only it had beene enough God that cannot lye But I told you he had not only said it but sworne it and not only sworne it but hath put to his Seale And therefore we have reason to beleeve him only I told you what was required if we will partake of Christ First we must take him by faith Secondly that is not all we must take him in deed aswell as in word that is we must obey him and live by his Lawes we must lay downe the armes of rebellion and come in if we will have pardon Thirdly it is not enough to doe this but we must doe all out of love Now when a man heares of this that all this is required in taking of Christ here I told you all the world is at a stand there is no body will be content to take him when they heare these conditions that they must deny themselves in every thing in their profit in their pleasures in their credit and must take up every crosse and when they meet a crosse they must not balke the way but they must goe thorow when they heare they must follow him and serve him I say when men heare this they refuse Christ they will not come in to God Now what is our businesse but to invite men to come in to God and to compell them as he saith That my house may be full we are the Messengers of the Lord sent that we may invite men to this Banquet I meane not to this Sacrament but to the thing And therefore we will make it the second Consectary and so proceed If there be here a reall Communion of the body and of the bloud of Christ then here is the gift or offer of his body and bloud Consider therefore the greatnesse of Christs love that he should regard us so much as to take our Nature to cloath himselfe with our flesh and bloud that he might be crucified in that I say this is an extraordinary love Compare but our condition with the Angels that were fallen and we shall see the greatnesse of this love The Angels that were fallen and we were sunke in the same mire when God looked downe from heaven and saw the miserable condition of both saith the Author to the Hebrewes he had compassion on us but on the Angels he had not compassion Which difference shewes his liberty and magnifieth his mercy toward us as you shall finde in Malachy the Lord reasoning with Israel Thus have â—â—oved you and yet you say Wherein hast thou loved us saith he Was not Esau Iacobs Brother and yet Iacob have I loved and Esau have I hated So I say the Lord hath loved us in doing this for us in giving this body of his to be broken and his bloud to be shed he hath loved us and hated them And why hath he put this difference but because he loved us And therefore Paul as he is excellent when he comes to set forth this point Ephes. 2. he saith When wee were children of wrath when we were dead in trespasses and sinnes when we were enemies he that is rich in mercy according to the greatnesse of his love hath quickned us and set us together with Christ in heavenly places marke it when we were in this condition dead it was he that was rich in mercy according to the greatnesse of his love c. You shall finde that the Apostle whensoever he comes to this matter knowes not how to expresse himselfe but as a man that stood amazed at the greatnesse of Gods love he had his thoughts swallowed up with it Ephes 3. That you may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that you may comprehend the length and breadth and depth and height of the love of Christ c. which cannot be measured that is the love of Christ was exceeding great And this is that you are to doe now when you come to the Sacrament and not only then but at all times For it is profitable for us to doe this Doe that saith Christ in remembrance of me what is that we should remember His love And why his love to gaze upon it only to know it No but to be moved with it to love him againe to take him to feare him to serve him to obey him for that end you should remember it When Paul was going to Damascus you know the Loâ—â— met him by the way and when he had met hiâ— Paul saith he I am IESUS whom thou persecutest I am IESUS that was crucified for thee I am IESUS that gave my body for thee and as many as receive me You know when Paul heard this it melted it softned his heart and drawes from him that holy and good and humble expression Lord what wilt thou that I doe As if he should say I will doe whatsoever thou wilt have me I say it was this love I am IESUS whom thou persecutest that melted the heart of Paul So I may to every one that heares me at this time If there be any among you that live in any sinne whatsoever it is be it swearing be it drinking be it fornication be it Sabbath-breaking be it what it will I may say to him as if a voyce should come from heaven as it did to Paul It is Iesus whom thou provokest it is he whom thou offendest whom thou wrongest whom thou dishonourest it is Iesus that was crucified for thee that Iesus that gives his body and bloud for thee shall not this melt thee shall not this affright thee somewhat shall it not bring you on your knees and make you say I am a sinfull wretch not worthy to be received into the number of the Saints Lord what wilt thou that I doe I will doe it I will continue to doe this no more Surely this is a strong motive Paul thought so I beseech you by the mercies of God that you would come in Take it in the Prodigall sonne when he comes home and expects little as he had reason to expect little from his father when he had carried himselfe so rebelliously when his father used him in that manner when he provided a feast for him and put the robes upon him and rings upon his fingers how
shall live for ever it is water that shall keep life in him for all eternity when she heard this she harkens to heare of water that could keepe life for ever When you reade the story in Genesis that the Angell was set with a sword shaken to keepe man from comming to taste of the tree of life you should thinke with your selves if the Angels were removed now or there were a man so happy that the Angell would give way to him that he might come and eat of the tree and when hee had eaten to live for ever you thinke that man in an happy condition Now the Lord doth say Revel 2. He that overcomes I will give to eat of the tree in the middest of the Paradice of God That is he shall eat of me and live for ever this is the great happinesse we have When Christ would use a compelling argument to move Revel 2.11 Hee that overcomes shall not be hurt of the second death Why is it so great a matter Oh that is all not to be hurt of the second death The first death is nothing the first death is but the doore it is but the gate that leads to the passing thorow the first death is but a going over the threshold the breadth of it is but a step and the length of it is but a moment of time or two But the second death there are the chambers of death as Solomon speakes where you shall be led from one misery to another and where you shall dwell for ever And therefore consider this if you take Christ you shall not be hurt of the second death I beseech you consider seriosuly reckon nothing so sweet if this life be sweet that is but a spanne long is not abundance of life much sweeter It is naturall to every man to desire immortility if you could but have this life continued let every man aske his owne brest what he would give that his life might be continued that he might be immortall If there were such a thing as the Alchymists speake of I could draw out the threed of this life to keepe it firme and even as they dreame of what would you give to obtaine And will you not regard this that will doe that indeed Will you not take Christ which is life indeed which will give you another life of immortality for you must know that it is not immortality simply that man desires The Naturalists were deceived in that for a man had rather not to be than to be in misery And the soule in hell are immortall and therefore it is not immortalitie that we desire simply for death is not the extinguishing of life but the misery of life And therefore where the Scripture speakes of the losse of the soule it is to be meant thus a mans finger or his joynt is lost when it is seized on by any incurable sore So when eternal misery is on the soule then the soule is lost and yet you have the joynt still you have the soule stil you have life still and therefore it is not immortality simply that we desire if we consider what it is but it is happinesse it is such a life as is not only immortall but happy withall this life Christ hath promise we shall live and an happy life such as S. Paul expresseth 2 Cor. 5. saith he We desire not to be unclothed but to be clothed upon that immortality might be swallowed up of life As if he should say consider with your selves you that love this life so well that you neglect that which is to come saith he we love our lives as well as you we are not weary of them no more than you are we desire not to be unclothed no but we desire that immortality may be swallowed up of life how swallowed up as we see a rude draught in a picture swallowed up with the picture when it is perfected as child-hood is swallowed up of manhood as the glimmering light is swallowed up of the perfect light so their immortality is swallowed up of life that is if there be a small poore glimpse of comfort here saith Paul we would not be rid of these we would be content to have these as well as you onely wee would have them swallowed up of perfect life we would have imperfection swallowed up of perfection And therefore Iob saith I will wait till my change shall come he saith not till my destruction come till my perishing come or till my death come but I will wait till my change come and he that changeth doth it for the better If you will take Christ you shall have this immortality and life perhaps you will say but I could be content to have this temporall life continued And haply my brethren if the Lord would make that promise that he would proclaime to men that they should have immortall life here it may be he shall have more followes than now he hath when hee promiseth immortall life in heaven but to take away that in a word I say it is a foolish choice if you might have it For what have you heere Here the body is tormented with diseases the spirit is wearied with vexation and the state is assualted with losses and crosses evill things wound us with sorrow and the good things we here doe but infect our affections and weary us still and yet they whet our tired appetites with a new edge In a word every condition here is pestred and troubled with businesse one invites and drawes on another we are hampred with succeeding fetters and makes this short life more short than it would be with carefull griefe with bitter feares and with corrupt joyes and at last all cut off and end as many men many times spread their branches and flourish their estate over-swallowes their wishes their suceesse excceds their desires now on a sudden this pompe is no where to bee found their desires vanish the floud of their wealth is dried up the owners and their goods perish together they will not see this by experience What is it in this life you would have if there were immortality But I say it cannot be so that is not so you cannot have immortality in this life but as evidently as you see the heavens roll about evey day so plainly we may see if wee will take it into consideration mankinde hurried along with an unwearied motion to the West of his dayes their posterity posting after them by an unrepealeable law of succession our fathers you know are gone before and we are passing and our children shall follow us at our heeles that as you see the billowes of the Sea one tumbe on the neck of another and in the end all are dashed upon the shoare so all generations and ages in the end are split on bankes of death and this is the condition of every man Is it not our wisdome then to provide for another life Certainly if there bee any wisdome in the world it
unrighteousnesse 1 126.179 Truth what 1 127.180 Truth the subject of it 1 128 Truth the Author of it 1 130 Truth the extent of it ibid. Truth how it is with-held 1 131 Truth why men imprison it 1 133 Truth imprisoned a great sinne 1 136 Truth how with-held 1 165 Truth should rule 1 169 Truth the danger of restraining it 1 170 Truth the benefit of giving it libertie 1 171 Truth manifested foure wayes 1 181 Truth the hainousnesse of sinnes against it 1 184 Truth to be thankfull for it 1 192 Truth to doe nothing against it 1 193 Seven cases of detaining the Truth 1 195 Truth should bee communicated to other 1 209 Happinesse and misery attend neglect or observing the Truth 1 215 Want of courage for the Truth shewes want of zeale 1 291 V Vaine GOds Name taken in Vaine how 1 186 Vanity Vanity of mans understanding 1 43 Violence Humbled men take Heaven by Violence 1 16 To take heaven by Violence what 1 17 Vnevennesse Vnevennesse in the best men 2 131 Vnevennesse in Saints and others different 2 132 Vnbeleefe Vnbeleefe keepes from Christ 1 11 Vngodlinesse See Nature Vniversality Vniversality of the new Creature 2 51 Vnion Vnion with Christ the nearenesse of it 2 172 Vnion with Christ of what moment 2 173 Vnion with Christ to be encreased 2 176 Vnion with Christ how encreased 2 177 Vnion with Christ to be sought after 2 185 Vnion with Christ the end of the Sacrament 3 5 Vnwearied That which is naturall is Vnwearied 2 111 Vnderstanding Vnderstanding in man corrupted 1 43 Vnderstanding the vanity of it ibid. Vnderstanding blinde 1 44 Vnderstanding unteachable 1 45 Vnderstanding the incredulitie of it ibid. Vnderstanding the enmitie of it 1 46 Vnderstanding wrought on by the Spirit 2 11 Vâ—teachable Vnderstanding of man Vnteachable 1 45 Vnrighteousnesse Wrath revealed against mens Vnrighteousnesse 1 111 See Truth Vowes Vowes broken aggravate sin 1 98 W Want RIches supply what we Want 2 210 Wearinesse Wearinesse in sinne what 3 69 Whoredome Whoredome to be punished 1 295 Will. Will the depravednesse of it 1 48 Will the contrarietie of it to God 1 49 Will the pride of it 1 50 Will the inconstancie of it ibid. Will the disobedience of it 1 51 Will of God our sanctification 2 19 Will free in men regenerate 2 154 Will of regenerate men how free 2 167 Willing Willingnesse to bee humbled for sinne 1 26 Christ willing to sanctifie us 2 31 Wisdome Wisdome of words not to be expected from Ministers 2 162 Transubstantiation against Gods Wisdome 3 10 Wonder The world Wonders at the Saints 2 124 Word Words corrupted 1 70 Importance of Words 1 71 Word of God a helpe against excuses of sinne 1 108 Workes Gods truth manifests his Workes 1 182 New workes discover a new Creature 2 57 Motives to good Workes 2 170 A Christian rich in good Workes 3 79 World World is a Christians how 3 83 See Disgrace Wrath. Wrath of God how revealed 1 5 Wrath revealed against unrighteousnesse 1 111 Two things in Gods Wrath 1 112 Wrath of God what 1 114 Wrath of God the certaintie of it 1 112 Wrath of God the power of it 1 115 Wrath the suddennesse of it 1 116 Wrath wee should be sensible of it 1 119 Wrath provoked by imprisoning the Truth 1 137 Wrath caused by sinne 1 271 Wrath encreased by our sinnes 1 273 Wrath why it is not felt 1 277 Wrath remedies against it 1 278.283.300 Z Zeale ZEale turnes away wrath 1 283 Zeale what 1 285 Zealous men not to be discouraged 1 286 Convictions of want of Zeale 1 288. FINIS Errata Part 1. PAge 12. line 14. Reade one p. 34. l. 18. r. aside from that p. 66. l. 17. r. not p. 74. l. 18. r. and a thing p. 98. in the margine r. what p. 110. l. 20. r. me be curst p. 113. l. 29. r. contemne p. 120. l. 17. r. Saul p. 131. l. 31. r. Iohn 1.5 p. 231. l. 15. r. condemned p. 296. l. 23. r. Iude. Part 2. PAge 5. l. 24. r. sent p. 19. l. 23. r but it is p. 21. l. 13. blot out to p. 24. l. 10. r. another p. 26. l. 8. r. forget p. 37. l. 24. r. as a grace p. 68. l. 30. r. hard p. 75. l. 5. r. which p. 91. l. 18. r. it as p. 95. l. 3. r. creature p. 121. l. 25. r. this new nature p. 124. l. 20. r. wait p. 136. l. 20. r. third ground p. 139. l. ult r. moats p. 143. l. 17. r. Sun p. 155. in the margine r not p. 163. l. 14. r. to set the word p 174. l. 22. r. 1 Cor. 3. ult p. 195. l. 21. r. such an house p. 197. l. 27. r. and Lord. p. 205. l. 24. r. slayes p. 211. l. 10. r. God Part 3. PAge 41. l. 20. r. may say p. 44. l. 12. r. your case p. 72. l. 25. r. goodly p. 87. l. 15. r. which Treatise 2 Treatise Iohn 3. ult Doct. 1. Mans nature is full of ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse Doct. Doct. 2. Two things keepe men from comming to Christ. 1 Vnbeleefe 2 Negligence which is two-fold 1 Totall 2 Partiall Two Reasons of it Reason 1. In reference to Iustification Reason 2. In reference to Sanctification Vse 1. Titus 2.14 Object Answ. Object Answ. Helps to humble and afflict the soule for sinne Object 2. Answ. Object Answ. Vse 2. Doctr. Object Answ. The corruption of the Faculties 1 The Vnderstanding 1 The Vanitie of it 2 The blindnesse of it 3 The Vâ—teâ—chablenesse of it 4 The Incredulity of it 5 The Enmitie of it 2 The Depravednesse of the Will 1 Of the Contrariety of the will to God 2 The Pride of the will 3 The Inconstancie of it 4 The Disobedience of it 3 The corruption of the Memory 1 In the things we are commanded to Remember 2 In things we are commanded to Forget 4 The corruption of the Conscience In three Acts. 1 As it is a Râ—membrancer 2 As it is an Instigatour to good or a Restrainer from evill Wherein three Vertues are required 1 Clearenesse 2 Sensiblenesse 3 Activenesse 3 As it is an Accuser or Excuser Object Answ. 5 The corruption of the sensitive Appetite Object Answ. 6 The corruption of the Affections 2 Actuall Sinnes 1 In Thoughts The importance of thoughts 2 In our Words The importance of our words 3 In our Actions 2 Siâ—â—es of Omission 1. Of 〈◊〉 2 Of Graces 3 Of time 4 Of Occasions 2 Rule the Gospell Sinnes against the Gospell Vnwillingnesse to take Christ. The greatnesse of this Sinne. Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Object Answ. To quicken our desires after Christ. Consider 1 The Circumstances that doe aggravate sinne 1 The Majesty offended 2 The affection wherewith it is committed 1 Hatred of God 2 Deniall of God Object Answ. 3 Despising of God 3 That it is against Knowledge 4
he keepes you safe If our eyes were opened to see this as the Apostle Pauls were we should magnifie it and stand amazed at it when he comes to expresse what we have by Christ he knowes not how to expresse it In him are all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge and they are ours he hath a Kingdome that is ours He is a Sonne so are we he is an Heire so are we nothing can hurt us but it hurts him Therefore make use of this when any thing is objected that is terrible and grievous answer it with this I am in Christ When thou wantest any thing know thou canst not be denied for thou art in CHRIST Set all your thoughâ—s on worke to looke to all the things mans nature is capable of that you desire to make you happy we have them all in him O the length and height and depth of his mercy Indeed it is such a depth that we cannot fadome and a height we cannot reach and a length we cannot measure all this we have by Christ If we had but Pauls spirit to apprehend it and a little crevise of light opened to us as there was to him that we might see into this unsearchable riches of Christ we would stand amazed I cannot stand to inlarge it any further you see what it is to be united to Christ and of what moment Now we will come to make some use of it If it be so glorious a condition to be united to Christ it should inflame us then with a desire to be in him with a desire to be in this condition for if you have the Sonne you have life 1 Iohn 5.12 He that hath the Sonne hath life and all things else pertaining to life godlinesse and happinesse He that hath not the Sonne hath not life that is he is yet in death and condemnation have Christ and have all things therefore it is an happy and glorious condition Therefore let those that have it desire to inlarge it more and more and those that want it let them seeke to get it First I say those that have it let them labour to inlarge it You will say If a man be in Christ how can he be more If he be united if he be married to him how can he be more Iustification admits of no degrees Therefore this is a point worth your consideration That you may bee more in Christ. It is true Iustification in this sense admits of no degrees but it is indivisible either you are married or not married either you are in him or not in him so farre indeed it admits of no degrees But now when a Spouse takes an Husband shee hath so much will as to resolve to make such an one her husband yet there may be degrees of willingnesse she may will it more there may be more desire of it there may be a greater approbation of it so though it be true that every man that is justified in Christ is within the Covenant within the doore yet he may goe in further or lesse farre when he is within So I say you may be within the Covenant but this taking of Christ this being in Christ this receiving of him admits of degrees because though one be married to an husband that there is so much will as to resolve to take him rather than refuse him yet this very wil of taking may be stronger as her affections to him are more the reasons are stronger and larger that invite her to take him So the union with Christ may be neerer yet the knot may be yet straiter and as that increaseth so all the effects and consequences of it increase Therefore the thing we would exhort you to is to be more in Christ to get yet neerer to him You will say How shall that be done Consider what it was that drawed you to him and to labour to intend all that that when you have taken him you may yet make the union neerer and better than it was And these five things will doe it First consider your misery without him you did consider it before which caused you to take him for your Husband when you saw you could not live without him but when you finde that misery to be yet more your resolutions wil be stronger you will more approve your action of taking him you will prize him more Therefore if you will be yet neerer Christ reflect often on your selves on your owne condition and see what you are without him Consider what your sinnes are how you should have perished if you had not taken him how miserable you are still how unable to helpe your selves and the more humble you are the poorer in spirit and the more greedily you will receive him the more degrees will be added to the taking of the Lord Iesus For that is one great meanes to teach us to prize Christ even to know our misery The Prodigall sonne was taught to prize his being in his fathers house by the extremity of want he was in the more he felt the want of it the more he prized it Labour therefore to know what you are out of Christ to feele the want of it to know that you cannot subsist you cannot be without him Againe secondly labour more to know the vertues and the excellencies of your husband for as they are more explicated and discovered to you so you will love him more As one that is married the more she sees in her husband the more she desires him the more glad she is that the match is made there is the greater degree of will to take her husband Labour to see this beauty in Christ to see what he hath done for you Was he not crucified for you Hee loved me saith Paul and gave himselfe for me he died for me Consider all that he hath done consider the great dowry the riches he brings with him all the benefits and priviledges he brings with him and you have by him looke well upon him consider the number of them and the waight of them thinke of all the advantages you get by him the more you see this the more those vertues and excellencies of Christ are explicated and unfolded and made manifest unto you the more you will love him and the nearer is the union betweene you Thirdly be perswaded of his love to you the more you are perswaded of your husbands love the nearer your hearts grow to him Think what it was that made Paul love the Lord Iesus so much it was the strength of his faith he knew the Lord loved him and that Christ had received him If wee could but once get into Pauls condition that we could see the unsearchable riches of Christ the beauties of our husband the advantages we have by him if we had Pauls faith to beleeve his love we should be able to doe as he did to reckon all as drosse and dung wee should prize nothing but CHRIST and