a shew of piety with a colour of zeal and tenderness in Gods cause and then the very devilishest part of the Devil his malice and uncharitableness shall go down smoothly with him And that this stratagem may not be thought proper to the Meridian only where the Pharisee liv'd Leo within 500. years after Christ and other of the Fathers have observed the same frequently practised by the Devil among the Primitive Christians ut quos vincere flammâ ferroque non poterat ambitione inflaret virus invidiae infunderet sub falsâ Christiani nominis professione corrumperet That they whom persecution could not affright ambition may puff up envy poyson and a false opinion of their own Christian purity betray to all the malice in the world Thus have Hereticks and Sectaries in all ages by appropriating to themselves those titles that are common to all the children of God left none for any other but of contumely and contempt as soon as they fancy to themselves a part of the spirit of God taken upon them the monopoly of it also Thus could not the Valentinians be content to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 themselves but all the world beside must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animal and earthly 'T were long to reckon up to you the Idioms and characters that Hereticks have usurped to themselves in opposition and reproach and even defiance of all others the Pharisees separati Sadducees justi Novatians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 puri Messalians precantes As if these several vertues separation from the world love of justice purity daily exercise of prayer were no where to be found but amongst them Even that judicious learned eloquent yea and godly Father Tertullian is caught in this pit-fall as soon as he began to relish Montanus his heresie he straight changeth his style Nos spirituales and all other Orthodox Christians Psychyci animal carnal men The Devil could not be content that he had gain'd him to Montanism an heresie which 't is confest only a superlative care of Chastity abstinence and martyrdom brought him to but he must rob him of his charity too as well as his religion Not to keep any longer on the wing in pursuit of this censorious humour in the Pharisee and Primitive hereticks the present temper and constitution of the Church of God will afford us plenty of observation to this purpose amongst other crimes with which the reformation charge the Romanists what is there that we so importunately require of them as their charity that seeing with the Apostolical seat they have seiz'd upon the Keys of Heaven also they would not use this power of theirs so intemperately as to admit none but their own proselytes into those gates which Christ hath opened to all believers For this cause saith Eulogius in Photius were the Keys given to Peter not to John or any other because Christ foresaw Peter would deny him that so by the memory of his own failings he might learn humanity to sinners and be more free of opening the gates of Heaven because he himself had it not been for special mercy had been excluded other Apostles sfaith he having never faln so foully 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 migkt like enough have used sinners more sharply but 't was not probable that Peter would be such a severe Cato and yet there is not a more unmerciful man under Heaven than he that now tyrannizeth in his chair Spalatensis indeed after his revolt from us could ingenuously confess that he could have expected comfortably and perhaps have been better pleased to have been saved in the Church of England with a 1000. l. a year as in the Roman with 500. l. But do not all others of them count this no less than heresie in him thus to hope Cudsemius the Jesuit denies the English Nation to be Hereticks because they remain under a continual succession of Bishops But alas how few be there of them which have so much charity to afford us What fulminations and clattering of clouds is there to be heard in that Horizon What Anathematizing of hereticks i. e. Protestants what excommunicating them without any mercy 1. out of the Church then out of the book of life and lastly where they have power out of the Land of the living And yet would they be as liberal to us poor Protestants as they are to their own Stews and Seminaries of all uncleanness then should we be stor'd with indulgences But 't was Tertullian's of old that there is no mercy from them to be expected who have no crime to lay against us but that we are true Christians If they would but allow one corner of Heaven to receive penitent humble Protestants labouring for good works but depending on Christ's merit if they would not think us past hopes or prayers there might be possibly hoped some means of uniting us all in one fold But this precious Christian grace of Charity being now so quite perish't from off the earth what means have we left us but our prayers to prepare or mature this reconciliation Shall we then take heart also and bring in our action of trespass Shall we sit and pen our railing accusation in the form that Christ uses against the Pharisees Matth. 23. 13. Wo unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for you shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men for you neither go in your selves neither suffer ye them that are entring to go in This we might do upon better grounds were we so revengefully disposed but we fear to incur our Saviours censure Luke 9. 55. And he turn'd and rebuk'd them saying Ye know not what manner of spirits ye are of We should much mistake our Christian spirit if we should not in return to their curses intercede with God in prayer for them First that he will bestow on them the grace of meekness or charity then sincerity and uprightness without wilful blindness and partiality and lastly to intercede for the salvation of all our souls together And this is the only way St. Paul hath left us Rom. 12. 20. by returning them good to melt them hoping and praying in the words of Solomon that by long forbearing this great Prince of the West will be perswaded and that our soft tongues may in time break the bone But whilst we preach charity to them shall we not betray partiality in our selves by passing over that uncharitable fire that is breaking out in our own chimnies 'T were to be wished that this Christian grace which is liberal enough of it self would be entertain'd as gratefully as it is preacht we should not then have so many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sons of fire amongst us as we have who being inflam'd some with faction others with ignorant prejudice others with doting on their own abilities fall out into all manner of intemperate censures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 words of the sword all sharp contumelious invectives
never so great enemies of God until it appear as demonstrably to us as it did to those Israelites that it was the will of God they should be so dealt with and he that thinks it necessary to shed the blood of every enemy of God whom his censorious faculty hath found guilty of that charge that is all for the fire from Heaven though it be upon the Samaritans the not receivers of Christ is but as the Rabbies call him sometimes one of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sons of blouds in the plural number and sons of fire yea and like the Disciples in my Text Boanerges sons of thunder far enough from the soft temper that Christ left them Ye know not what kind of spirit ye are of In the next place Elias Spirit was a Prophetick Spirit whose dictates were not the issue of discourse and reason but impulsions from Heaven The Prophetick writings were not saith S. Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I conceive in an agonistick sense of their own starting or incitation as they were moved or prompted by themselves but as it follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they were carried by the Holy Ghost not as they were led but carried when the Lord speaks who can but Prophecy And so likewise are the actions Prophetick many things that are recorded to be done by Prophets in Scripture they proceed from some peculiar incitations of God I mean not from the ordinary or extraordinary general or special direction or influence of his grace cooperating with the Word as in the breast of every regenerate man for the Spirit of Sanctification and the Spirit of Prophecy are very distant things but from the extraordinary revelation of God's Will many times against the setled rule of duty acted and animated not as a living creature by a Soul but mov'd as an outward impellent a sphear by an intelligence and that frequently into eccentrical and planetary motions so that they were no further justifiable than that prophetick calling to that particular enterprize will avow Consequent to which is that because the prophetick office was not beyond the Apostles time to continue constantly in the Church any further than to interpret and superstruct upon what the Canon of the Scripture hath setled among Christians Christ and his Word in the New Testament being that Bath-Col which the Jews tell us was alone to survive all the other ways of Prophecy he that shall now pretend to that Prophetick Spirit to some Vision to teach what the Word of God will not own to some incitation to do what the New Testament Law will not allow of he that with the late Fryar in France pretends to ecstatical revelations with the Enthusiasts of the last age and Phanaticks now with us to ecstatical motions that with Mahomet pretends a dialogue with God when he is in an Epileptick fit sets off the most ghastly diseases I shall add most horrid sins by undertaking more particular acquaintance and commerce with the Spirit of God a call from God's Providence and extraordinary Commission from Heaven for those things which if the New Testament be Canonical are evaporate from Hell and so first leads captive silly women as Mahomet did his Wife and then a whole Army of Janizaries into a War to justifie and propagate such delusions and put all to death that will not be their Proselytes is far enough from the Gospel Spirit that lies visible in the New Testament verbum vehiculum spiritûs and the preaching of the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is not infused by dream or whisper nor authorized by a melancholy or phanatick phansie and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 knows not what kind c. In the third place Elias was the great precedent and example of sharp unjudiciary procedure with Malefactors which from the common ordinary awards on Criminals in that execution proceeded Trial and the Malefactor suffered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without attending the formalities of Law Of this kind two Examples are by Mattathias cited 1 Macab ii one of Phinees 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that zeal'd a zeal and in that run through Zimri and Cozbi and so as the Captain once answered for the killing the drowsie Sentinel reliquit quos invenit found them in unclean embraces and so left them And the variety of our interpretations in rendring of that passage in the Psalm Then stood up Phinehas and prayed in the Old and then stood up Phinehas and executed judgment in the New Translations may perhaps give some account of that action of his that upon Phinehas Prayer for Gods direction what should be done in that matter God raised him up in an extraordinary manner to execute judgment on those offenders And the other of Elias in the Text and he with some addition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In zealing the zeal of the Law called fire from Heaven upon those that were sent out from Ahazai to bring him to him And this fact of his by God's answering his call and the coming down of the fire upon them was demonstrated to come from God also as much as the prediction of the Kings death which was confirm'd by this means It may very probably be guest by Matathias his words in that place that there were no precedents of the zelotick spirit in the Old Testament but those two for among all the Catalogue of examples mentioned to his sons to enflame their zeal to the Law he produceth no other and 't is observable that though there be practises of this nature mentioned in the story of the New Testament the stoning of S. Stephen of St. Paul at Iconium c. yet all of them practised by the Jews and not one that can seem to be blameless but that of Christ who sure had extraordinary power upon the buyers and sellers in the Temple upon which the Apostles remembred the Psalmists Prophecy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the zeal of Gods house carried him to that act of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of indignation and punishment upon the transgressors And what mischief was done among the Jews by those of that sect in Josephus that call'd themselves by that name of Zealots and withal took upon them to be the saviours and preservers of the City but as it prov'd the hastners precipitators of the destruction of that Kingdom by casting out killing the High-Priests first and then the Nobles and chief men of the Nation and so embasing and intimidating and dejecting the hearts of the people that all was at length given up to their fury Josephus and any of the learned that have conversed with the Jewish Writers will instruct the enquirer And ever since no very honourable notion had of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the New Testament one of the fruits of the flesh Gal. v. of the Wisdom that comes not from Heaven Jam. iii. and in the same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a bitter zeal a gall that
will imbitter all that come near it The short of it is the putting any man to death or inflicting other punishment upon any terms but that of legal perfectly legal process is the importance of a zelotick Spirit as I remember in Maimonides him that curses God in the name of an Idol the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that meet him kill him i. e. the zealots permitted it seems if not authorized to do so And this is the Spirit of Elias that is of all others most evidently reprehended and renounced by Christ The Samaritans no very sacred persons added to their habitual constant guilts at that time to deny common civility of entertainment to Christ himself and the Disciples asked whether they might not do what Elias had done call for fire from Heaven upon them in that case Christ tells them that the Gospel-Spirit was of another complexion from that of Elias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 turn'd to them as he did to Peter when he said Get thee behind me Satan as to so many fiery Satanical-spirited men and checkt them for that their furious zeal with an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The least I can conclude from hence is this that they that put any to death by any but perfectly legal process that draw the sword upon any but by the supreme Magistrates command are far enough from the Gospel-Spirit whatever precedent they can produce to countenance them And so if they be really what they pretend Christians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are in a prodigious mistake or ignorance They know not what Spirit they are of Yet farther is it observable of Elias that he did execrate and curse call for judgments from Heaven upon mens persons and that temper of mind in the parallel you may distribute into two sorts First in passing judgments upon mens future estates the censorious reprobating Spirit which though we find it not in Elias at this time yet is a consequent of the Prophetick Office and part of the burthen received from the Lord and layed upon those guilty persons concerning whom it hath pleased Almighty God to reveal that secret of his Cabinet but then this rigor cannot without sin be pretended to by any else for in the blackest instances charity believes all things hopes all things and even in this sence covers the multitudes of sins Now this so culpable an insolent humour rashly to pass a condemning sentence was discernible in the Pharisees this Publican whose profession and trade is forbidden by that Law and this people that know not that Law is cursed so likewise in the Montanists nos spirituales and all others animals and Psychici so in the Romanists who condemn all but themselves and in all those generally whose pride and malice conjoyned most directly contrary to the Gospel-Spirit of humility and charity doth prepare them one and the other inflame them to triumph and glut themselves in this spiritual assassinacy this deepest dye of blood the murthering of Souls which because they cannot do it really they endeavour in effigie anathematize and slaughter them here in this other Calvary the place for the crucifying of reputations turning them out of the Communion of their charity though not of bliss and I am confident reject many whom the Angels entertain more hospitably Another part of this cursing Spirit there is more peculiarly Elias's that of praying and so calling for curses on mens persons and that being upon the enemies of God and those appearing to Elias a Prophet to be such might be then lawful to him and others like him David perhaps c. in the Old Testament but is wholly disliked and renounced by Christ under this state of higher Discipline to which Christians are designed by him in the New I say not only for that which concerns our own enemies for that is clear When thine enemy hungreth feed him and somewhat like that in the Old Testament When thine enemies Ox c. But I extend it even to the enemies of God himself and that I need not do upon other evidence than is afforded from the Text the Samaritans were enemies of Christ himself and were barbarous and inhumane to his person and they must not be curst by Disciples And he that can now curse even wicked men who are more distantly the enemies of God can call for I say not discomfiture upon their devices for that is charity to them to keep them from being such unhappy Creatures as they would be contrivers of so much mischief to the world but Plagues and Ruine upon their persons which is absolutely the voice of Revenge that sulphur-vapor of Hell he that delighteth in the misery of any part of Gods Image and so usurps upon that wretched quality of which we had thought the Devil had gotten the Monopoly that of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 joying in the Brother's misery but now see with horror is got loose out of that pit to rave among us he that would mischief if it were in his power and now it is not by unprofitable wishes of execration shews his good will toward it is quite contrary to the Gospel-spirit and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he knows not c. Lastly Elias was not only rapt to Heaven but moved on Earth in a Fiery Chariot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Author of the Book of Macchabees his zeal had fire and fire again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 comes from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an excessive fervency and agreeable to his temper is his appetite he desires nothing but fire upon his adversaries calls for fire and fire and fire as you may see it in the story And the Gospel-Spirit is directly contrary to this an allaying quenching spirit a gentle lambent flame that sits on the Apostles heads to enlighten and adorn by its vital warmth expelling partial hectick heats and burning Feverish distempers that spiritual 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned in the Gospel and putting in the place a cool sedate and equable temper to have peace with all men and chiefly with our selves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an admirable phrase in St. Paul to use as much diligence to restore the Earth to peace again as all the wind or air or perhaps fire in its bowels I mean ambitious contentious men do to set it a shaking and he that will not contribute his utmost to quench those flames that will not joyfully do any thing that may not directly or by consequence include sin toward the extinguishing a fire thus miserably gotten into the veins and bowels of a calamitous Kingdom is far enough from the Gospel-Spirit and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he knows not c. I shall not clearly give you the Gospel-Spirit unless I proceed from its opposition to Elias his act to that other the opposition to the motion of those Disciples considered in the particular circumstances The case stood thus Christ was going up to Jerusalem thereupon the Samaritans receive him not
Gentiles is here meant by Gods commanding them we are to rank the commands of God into two sorts 1. common Catholick commands and these extend as far as the visible Church 2. peculiar commands inward operations of the spirit these are both priviledges and characters and properties of the invisible Church i. e the Elect and in both these respects doth he vouchsafe his commands to the Gentiles In the first respect God hath his louder trumpets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. xxiv 31. Mat. XXIV 31 which all acknowledge who are in the noise of it and that is the sound of the Gospel the hearing of which constitutes a visible Church And thus at the preaching of the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the Heathens had knowledge of his Laws Acts l. 25. and so were offered the Covenant if they would accept the condition For however that place Acts i. 25. be by one of our writers of the Church wrested by changing that I say not by falsifying the punctuation to witness this truth I think we need not such shifts to prove that God took some course by the means of the Ministery and Apostleship to make known to all nations under Heaven i. e. to some of all nations both his Gospel and commands Rom. X. 18. the sound of it went through all the earth Rom. x. 18. Psal XIX 4. cited out the xix Psal verse 4. though with some change of a word their sound in the Romans for their line in the Psalmist caused by the Greek Translators who either read and rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or else laid hold of the Arabick notion of the word the loud noise and clamor which hunters make in their pursuit and chase Mar. XIV 9. So Mark xiv 9. This Gospel shall be preached througthout the world Mar. XVI 15. So Mark xvi 15. To every creature Matth. xxiv 14. in all the world Mat. XXIV 14 and many the like as belongs to our last particular to demonstrate Besides this God had in the second respect his vocem pedissequam which the Prophet mentions a voice attending us to tell us of our duty to shew us the way and accompany us therein And this I say sounds in the heart not in the Ear and they only hear and understand the voice who are partakers as well of the effect as of the news of the covenant Thus in these two respects doth he command by his word in the Ears of the Gentiles by giving every man every where knowledge of his laws Just l. 24. and so in some Latin Authors mandare signifies to give notice to express ones will to declare or proclaim And thus secondly doth he command by his spirit in the spirits of the elect Gentiles by giving them the benefit of adoption and in both these respects he enters a covenant with the Gentiles which was the thing to be demonstrated with the whole name of them at large with some choice vessels of them more nearly and peculiarly and this was the thing which by way of doctrine we collected out of these words but now commands Now that we may not let such a precious truth pass by unrespected that such an important speculation may not float only in our brains we must by way of Application press it down to the heart and fill our spirits with the comfort of that doctrine which hath matter for our practice as well as our contemplation For if we do but lay to our thoughts 1. the miracle of the Gentiles calling as hath been heretofore and now insisted on and 2. mark how nearly the receiving of them into covenant concerns us their successors we shall find real motives to provoke us to a strain and key above ordinary thanksgiving For as Peter spake of Gods promise so it is in the like nature of Gods command which is also virtually a promise it belonged not to them only but it is to you and your children and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call Acts II. 39. Acts ii 39. From the first the miracle of their calling our gratitude may take occasion much to enlarge it self Pag. 158. 'T is storied of Brasidas in the fourth of Thucidides that imputing the victory which was somewhat miraculous to some more then ordinary humane cause he went presently to the Temple loaded with offerings and would not suffer the gods to bestow such an unexpected favour on him unrewarded and can we pass by such a mercy of our God without a spiritual sacrifice without a daily Anthem of Magnificats and Hallelujah's Herodotus observes it is as a Proverb of Greece 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pag. 59 that if God would not send them rain they were to famish for they had said he no natural fountains or any other help of waters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but what God from above sent Pag. 130. So faith Thucidides in the fourth of his History there was but one fountain within a great compass and that none of the biggest So also was Aegypt another part of the Heathen world to be watered only by Nilus Herod p. 62 and that being drawn by the Sua did often succour them and fatten the Land for which all the neighbours fared the worse for when Nilus flowed Pag. 61 the neighbouring Rivers were left dry saith Herodotus You need not the mythology the Philosophers as well as soyl of Greece had not moisture enough to sustain them from nature if God had not sent them water from Heaven they and all we Gentiles had for ever suffered a spiritual thirst Aegypt and all the Nations had for ever gasped for drought if the sun-shine of the Gospel had not by its beams call'd out of the Well which had no bucket 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 living or enlivening water John 4. 6. But by this attraction of the Sun these living waters did so break out upon the Gentiles that all the waters of Jury were left dry as once the dew was on Gideons fleece and drought on all the earth besides Judg. vi 37. Judg. VI 37. And is it reasonable for us to observe this miracle of mercy and not return even a miracle of thanksgiving Can we think upon it without some rapture of our souls Can we insist on it and not feel a holy tempest within us a fsorm and disquiet till we have some way disburthened and eased our selves with a powring out of thanksgiving That spirit is too calm that I say not stupid which can bear and be loaded with mercies of this kind and not take notice of its burthen for besides those peculiar favours bestowed on us in particular we are as faith Chrysostome Tom. 4. P. 824. in our audit of thanksgiving to reckon up all the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all those common benefactions of which others partake with us
can be required of a Christian they look no farther then the outward work observe not what heart is under this outside but resolve their estate is safe they have as much interest in Heaven as any one Such men as these the Apostle begins to character and censure in the 12. verse of the Chapter As many as desire to make a fair shew in the flesh c. They that stand only on a fair specious out-side and think all the sap and life of Religion lies in the bark they do this and this these will have you circumcised and constrain you to a many burthensome ceremonies measuring out Religion to you by the weight thus much is required of you to do as Popish Confessors set their deluded votaries their task of Ave Maries and Pater nosters by tale and thus you may be sure to be saved In brief the Apostle here shews the unprofitableness of all these and sets up the inward sanctity and renewedness of heart against them all as the only thing that will stand us in stead and appear to be of any weight in the balance of the sanctuary If you observe all the commands and submit your selves to all the burden of both Law and Gospel and bear it upon your shoulders never so valiantly if you be content to be circumcised as Christ was or because he hath now abrogated that make use of Christian liberty and remain uncircumcised notwithstanding all inducements to the contrary In brief be you outwardly never so severe a Jew or Christian all that is nothing worth there is but one thing most peremptorily required of you and that you have omitted For neither circumcision availeth any thing neither uncircumcision but a new creature The particle but in the front of my Text is exclusive and restrictive it excludes every thing in the world from pretending to avail any thing from being believed to do us any good For by circumcision the Church of the Jews and by uncircumcision the whole profession of Christian Religion being understood when he saith neither of these availeth any thing he forcibly implies that all other means all professions all observances that men think or hope to get Heaven by are to no purpose and that by consequence it exactly restrains to the new creature there it is to be had and no where else thus doth he slight and undervalue and even reprobate all other wayes to Heaven that he may set the richer price and raise a greater estimation in us of this The substance of all the Apostles discourse and the ground-work of mine shall be this one Aphorism Nothing is efficaciously available to salvation but a renewed regenerated heart For the opening of which we will examine by way of doctrine wherein this new creature consists and then by way of use the necessity of that and unprofitableness of all other plausible pretending means and first of the first wherein this new creature consists 'T is observable that our state of nature and sin is in Scripture exprest ordinarily by old age the natural sinful man that is all our natural affections that are born and grow up with us are called the old man as if since Adams fall we were decrepit and feeble and aged as soon as born as a child begotten by a man in a consumption never comes to the strength of a man is alwayes weak and crazy and puling hath all the imperfections and corporal infirmities of age before he is out of his Infancy And according to this ground the whole Analogy of Scripture runs all that is opposite to the old decrepit state to the dotage of nature is phrased new The new Covenant Mark i. 27. The language of believers new tongues Mark xvi 17. A new commandment John xiii 34. A new man Ephes ii 15. In sum the state of grace is exprest by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all is become new 2 Cor. v. 17. So that old and new as it divides the Bible the whole state of things the world so it doth that to which all these serve man every natural man which hath nothing but nature in him is an old man be he never so young is full of years even before he is able to tell them Adam was a perfect man when he was but a minute old and all his children are old even in the cradle nay even dead with old age Eph. ii 5. And then consequently every spiritual man which hath somewhat elsé in him then he received from Adam he that is born from above John iii. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for it may be so rendred from the original as well as born again as our English read it he that is by Gods spirit quickned from the old death Ephes ii 5. he is contrary to the former a new man a new creature the old Eagle hath cast his beak and is grown young the man when old has entred the second time into his mothers womb and is born again all the gray hairs and wrinkles fall off from him as the scales from blind Tobits eyes and he comes forth a refin'd glorious beauteous new creature you would wonder to see the change So that you find in general that the Scripture presumes it that there is a renovation a casting away of the old coat a youth and spring again in many men from the old age and weak bed-rid estate of nature Now that you may conceive wherein it consists how this new man is brought forth in us by whom it is conceived and in what womb 't is carried I will require no more of you then to observe and understand with me what is meant by the ordinary phrase in our Divines a new principle or inward principle of life and that you shall do briefly thus A mans body is naturally a sluggish unactive motionless heavy thing not able to stir or move the least animal motion without a soul to enliven it without that 't is but a carcass as you see at death when the soul is separated from it it returns to be but a stock or lump of flesh the soul bestows all life and motion on it and enables it to perform any work of nature Again the body and soul together considered in relation to somewhat above their power and activity are as impotent and motionless as before the body without the soul Set a man to remove a mountain and he will heave perhaps to obey your command but in event will do no more towards the displacing of it then a stone in the street could do but now let an omnipotent power be annext to this man let a supernatural spirit be joyned to this soul and then will it be able to overcome the proudest stoutest difficulty in nature You have heard in the primitive Church of a grain of faith removing mountains and believe me all miracles are not yet out-dated The work of regeneration the bestowing of a spiritual life on one
as motion beginning in the centre diffuses it self equally through the whole sphere and affecteth every part of the circumference and the flesh of the child waxed warm where the flesh indefinitely signifieth every part of it together and in the spiritual sense the whole soul and this is when the inward principle when the habit enters Then for acts of life one perhaps shews it self before another as the child first sneezed seven times a violent disburthening it self of some troublesom humors that tickle in the head to which may be answerable our spiritual clearing and purging our selves by Self-denial the laying aside every weight Heb. xii 1. then opened his eyes which in our spiritual creature is spiritual illumination or the eye of Faith these I say may first shew themselves as acts and yet sometimes others before them yet all alike in the habit all of one standing one conception one plantation in the heart though indeed ordinarily like Esay and Jacob the rougher come out first We begin our spiritual life in Repentance and contrition and with many harsh twinges of the Spirit and then comes Faith like Jacob at the heels smooth and soft applying all the cordial promises to our penitent souls In brief if any judgment be to be made which of these graces is first in the regenerate man and which rules in chief I conceive Self denial and Faith to be there first and most eminent according to that notable place Matth xvi 24. where Christ seems to set down the order of graces in true Disciples Let him deny himself and take up his cross that is forgo all his carnal delights and embrace all manner of punishments and miseries prepare himself even to go and be crucified and then follow me that is by a lively faith believe in Christ and prize him before all the world besides and indeed in effect these two are but one though they appear to us in several shapes for Faith is nothing without Self-denial it cannot work till our carnal affections be subjected to it Believe a man may and have flesh and fleshly lust in him but unless Faith have the pre-eminence Faith is no Faith The man may be divided betwixt the law of his members and the law of his mind so many degrees of flesh so many of spirit but if there be constantly but an even balance or more of flesh then spirit if 3 degrees of spirit and 5 of flesh then can there not be said to be any true Self-denial and consequently any Faith no more then that can be said to be hot which hath more degrees of cold then heat in it In brief 't is a good measure of Self-denial that sets his faith in his Throne and when by it faith hath conquered though not without continual resistance when it hath once got the upper hand then is the man said to be regenerate whereupon it is that the regenerate state is called the life of Faith Faith is become a principle of the greatest power and activity in the soul And so much for these 4 Queries from which I conceive every thing that is material and directly pertinent to instruct you and open the estate of a new creature may be resolved And for other niceties how far we may prepare our selves how co-operate and joyn issue with the spirit whether it work irresistibly by way of physical influence or moral perswasion whether being once had it may totally or finally be lost again and the like these I say if they are fit for any I am resolved are not necessary for a Countrey Auditory to be instructed in 'T will be more for your profit to have your hearts raised then your brains puft up to have your spirits and souls inwardly affected to an earnest desire and longing after it which will perhaps be somewhat performed if we proceed to shew you the necessity of it and unavailableness of all things else and that by way of Use and Application And for the necessity of renewedness of heart to demonstrate that I will only crave of you to grant me that the performance of any one duty towards God is necessary and then it will prove it self for it is certain no duty to God can be performed without it For 't is not a fair outside a slight performance a bare work done that is accepted by God if it were Cain would deserve as much thanks for his sacrifice as his brother Abel for in the outside of them there was no difference unless perhaps on Cain's side that he was forwardest in the duty and offered first Gen. iv 3. But it is the inside of the action the marrow and bowels of it that God judges by If a sum in gross or a bag sealed up would pass for payment in Gods audit every man would come and make his accounts duly enough with him and what he wanted in gold for his payment should be made up in counters But God goes more exactly to work when he comes to call thee to an account of thy stewardship he is a God of thoughts and a searcher of the heart and reins and 't will then be a harder business to be found just when he examines or clear when he will judge The least spot and blemish in the face of it the least maim or imperfection in the offering the least negligence or coldness in the performance nay the least corruption in the heart of him that doth it hath utterly spoiled the sacrifice Be the bulk and skin of the work never so large and beautiful to the eye if it come not from a sanctified renewed gracious heart it will find no acceptance but that in the Prophet Who hath required it at your hands This is not it that God is taken with or such as he commanded it may pass for a complement or a work of course but never be valued as a duty or real service Resolve thy self to dwell no where but in the Church and there like Simeon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Euseb plant thy self continually in a Pillar with thy eyes and words fixt and shot up perpetually towards Heaven If there be not a spirit within thee to give light to the eyes to add sighs and groans to the voice all this that thou hast done is nothing but as a blind mans pretensions to sight and a dumb mans claim to speech and so in like manner in all our duties which the world and carnal men set a price on And the reason is because every spiritual seeming work done by a natural man is not truly so 't is nothing less then that which it is said to be his prayers are not prayers lip-labour perhaps but not devotion his serving of God is formality not obedience his hope of Heaven not a hope but a phancy If God or Satan a judge or a tempter should come to reason with him about it he would soon be worsted never be able to maintain his title to it