of chaffe preserv'd from burning Is it not because there is some Corne some Wheate mixed therewith If the Corne be once out will not the Lord as men use to doe after winnowing set the chaffe on fire As women with childe are grieved to be delivered so the Lord stayes till the world be delivered as it were of all his Elect ones of all the Saints of all his holy and zealous ones and then shall be brought forth the Iudgement of the great day The World may cast out these men as the Sea doth Pearles among mire and dirt but they are Pearles notwithstanding God knowes them to be so and wise-men know them to be so yea Pearles excelling other men as much as Iewels doe common stones as much as Lilies and Roses doe Thornes and Bryers among which they grow What 's the reason that Elijah is called the Chariot of Israel and the Horsemen thereof but because hee was an holy man that did much for Gods glory that did more advantage the State at home and did more prevaile abroad than all the Chariots and Horsemen And may not we apply this to the zealous among us Therefore when we injury any of them doe not wee cut off the haire from Sampsons head wherein the strength of every Countrey and Nation and every Citie and Towne consists Yea the cutting off of them is like the cutting off of his lockes which the more the grow the more strength a Kingdome hath I say no more but commend it to every man in his place wishing that you would let it be your generall care to encourage true Religion and Zeale the omitting whereof I am perswaded is one of those things which causeth the Lords hand to be stretched forth against us Secondly if it be Zeale that turnes away the LORDS wrath then where is the Zeale that should be among us Are wee not rather fallen into those later times the Apostle speakes of which should have a forme of Religion without the Zeale and Power and Life of it And if Zeale turnes away Gods wrath certainly then this formalitie this overlinesse of Religion this coldnesse without Zeale and Power is it that brings on his wrath It is true and we cannot deny but knowledge abounds amongst us as the waters in the Sea But where is the Salt That is where is that Zeale and holinesse that should season all our knowledge Where is the Fire that should adde practice to our knowledge and make it an acceptable sacrifice to GOD Wee have the light of former Times but not their heat As he complaines Ignis qui in Parentibus fuit calidus in nobis lucidus The Fire which in ancient Times was hot is now onely light We thinke it enough to goe to Church to receive the Sacrament and so to keepe a round as it were to doe as most doe being carried about with the generall course of the World as the Planets are with the rest of the Spheres contrary to that which should bee their proper motion But I beseech you consider it Is this Religion Is this the Power of Godlinesse is this to be Baptized with the Holy Ghost which is as Fire Surely Religion stands not in these outward formalities but in changing the heart in making us New Creatures in mortifying our Lusts and thorowly purging out the love of every corruption Therefore if you will turne away Gods wrath turne your formality into Zeale that is content not your selves with the performance of the duties of Religion externally but get that wherein the power of godlinesse consists else the outside of Duties will not divert Wrath. Againe did Zeale turne away the wrath of the Lord then where are our zealous affections Why are we not zealous for the Lord and zealous against sinne You know Christ died for this end that hee might purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes Titus 2.14 Men doe good actions as a Taske they are glad when they be over but doe you them with much intention much fâ—rvencie much desire be you a people zealous of good workes Therefore in Rom. 12.11 They are put together be fervent in spirit and serving the Lord implying that the Lord respects no service but as it is joyned with fervencie Therefore know that it is not enough to serve the Lord in an ordinary Tract you must mend your pace to heaven it is not enough to goe but you must runne the way of Gods Commandements And as you must be zealous for him so you must be zealous against evill For you must know this and marke it well it is not enough to abstaine from sinne it is not that alone that God will accept but he lookes that you should hate sinne As it is said of Lot his righteous soule was vexed with the uncleane conversation of the Sodomites that is his heart rose against them there was an inward distaste against them the like you shall see in David and Moses You will say I hope I detest sinne and am angry with it It may be so perhaps you are angry with sinne but Zeale you know is an intention of the affection of hatred and it is required that you hate sinne Revel 2.6 This thou hast that thou hatest the worke of the Nicolaitans which I also hate You will say How doe they differ You shall know hatred by this First it is a constant affection it abides with us Anger goes away as all passions doe it is but for a fit for a flash on some occasion Againe hatred is alwayes of generals the sheepe hates all Wolves we hate all Toads all Serpents I say wheresoever there is hatred it turnes to the whole Species Now doe you hate all sinne all kindes of sinne one as well as another Doe you not only abstaine from them but also hate them of what sort soever they bee Lastly Hatred seekes the utter destruction of the thing hated Anger would have but a proportion of Iustice as Aristotle sayes Now is it so with you Doe you seeke the utter destruction of sinne abstaining not onely from grosse sinnes but from all dalliances from the least touch of sinne cleansing your selves from all pollusions of the flesh and spirit If you will be zealous for the Lord then know that this is required that you not onely doe things but that you doe them zealously that you not onely abstaine from sinne but that you hate it Againe if it be Zeale that turnes away the wrath of the Lord then where is our boldnesse our courage our forwardnesse for the Truth Why are we so fearefull and shie of doing the thing that otherwise we thinke meet to bee done For Zeale hath that prâ—pertie among the rest it makes men bold the Zeale of the Apostles was knowne by their boldnesse But you will say A man may be too bold It is very true when the horse runnes up and downe and is at libertie
take the right course they goe not the right way to worke This is the cause many continue in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity they know not the right way to come out I say you shall finde this in other places Observe Deut. 8.2 3. you shall find there how God deales with his people hee carries them thorow the wildernesse and to what end to humble them And how doth he humble them Two wayes First by shewing them the sinfulnesse of their hearts letting them know their rebellions and startings aside when he led them along saith he I have carried thee these forty yeares in the wildernesse to humble thee and prove thee All thy sinne and corruption was there before but thou knowest it not But that is not enough for if men saw never so much sinne in themselves yet if they have a bottome to stand on if they have health and strength they regard it not therefore he addes further I humbled thee I made thee hungry and then I fed thee with Mannah that thou mightest see thou had'st nothing without me And this I did that when I bring thee into the good Land ye may know it was not for your owne righteousnesse but for the Covenant I made with your Fathers Abraham Isaac and Iacob This is nothing but a resemblance of the same God doth now Carrying men thorow this world he first humbles them he lets them fall into sin that they may know themselves and withall afflicts them suffering them to fall into other necessities that they may know what they are that they may see their miserable condition and that God brings them not to heaven for their righteousnesse but for his Covenants sake with Abraham and Isaac that is for his mercy sake in Christ. So Zechar. 12. and 13. Chap. You shall find first God powres on them the Spirit of compunction that they shall mourne for their sinnes as a man mourneth for his only sonne and when they are humbled then and not before I will open a fountaine to Iudah and Ierusalem for sinne and for uncleannesse that is it is shut before they be humbled but when that is done the fountaine is opened So you shall see Paul when he had to doe with Felix a place worth your marking Act. 24.26 you shall finde that when Felix and his wife Drusilla a Iewesse called Paul before them it is said They heard him of the faith of Christ But how began he Hee began saith the Text with preaching of Temperance Righteousnesse and the Iudgement to come He told Felix what Righteousnesse and what Temperance the Law of God required and likewise the Iudgement to come for those two things must bee in Humiliation An Endictment to shew how farre short we be of the Righteousnesse and Temperance that the Law of God requires and withall a pronouncing of the Sentence a declaration of the Iudgement to come And this course made Felix to tremble So Iohn the Baptist that came to prepare the way of the Lord to make way for Christ How did he make way He came as with the Spirit and power of Elias so with much Terrour calling them a Generation of Vipers told them of their miserable condition as much as he could to humble them And that was the way to prepare them So when Christ went about to convert any this was his Method as in Ioh. 4. when he had that discourse with the woman of Samaria meeting her by Accident first hee tels her of her sinne The man whom thou hast is not thy husband thou hast committed adultery whereby hee amazed her and made her looke into her selfe and then he tells her he was the Messiah and that in him there was hope So he deales with Nichodemus he tells him he was flesh that all that was in him was nought and not any thing good and then he preaches the Gospell telling him he must be borne againe But of all places you shall find the clearest to be that in Ioh. 16. where Christ promises that he would send His Spirit into the world and three great workes the Spirit should doe which were wrought by the ministery of the Apostles he should Convince the world of Sinne and of Righteousnesse and of Iudgement First he saith of Sinne Because they have not beleeved in mee marke that there were many other sinnes that the Holy Ghost convinced them of but the contempt of the Gospell the not taking of Christ offered that is the maine sinne And the Holy Ghost shall convince men of this sinne All the men of the world cannot doe it Wee may tell you long enough of particular sinnes you have done these and these sinnes sworne such oaths defiled your selves with such abominations and yet all will come to nothing but when the Spirit sets in and makes a man sensible of sin that workes to purpose Then it followes in the Method He shall convince the world of righteousnesse because I am risen againe and gone to the Father he should teach that there is another Righteousnesse in me by which you must be justified when you see no righteousnesse in your selves then the Holy Ghost shall shew you the righteousnesse that I have wrought But how will this appeare In that I am dead and risen again and gone to my Father whereby it is declared that i am righteous that I have overcome death satisfied my Fathers justice And then when that is done he shal convince the world of Iudgement that is of holinesse for so the word is there used that is then the Prince of this world shall be judged Satan reignes in the hearts of men in the children of disobedience till they bee justified and engrafted into Christ but when they be once justified then Christ shall cast him out you shall see him fall like lightning out of the hearts of men and this is that which was before prophesied Hee shall bring forth Iudgement unto victory that is hee shall overcome the Prince of the world take away sinne and enable men to serve him in holinesse And this is the method you must observe in turning to God labour to be convinced of Sinne then of Righteousnesse and then of Iudgement And to shew the necessitie of this take that one place Gal. 3.24 a place you all know The Law must be a Schoole-master to bring us to Christ. No man living can come to Christ till the Law be his Schoole-master Now how is the Law a Schoole-master It gives lessons that we cannot goe through with thereby is such a Rectitude required as we are not able to reach like the Schoole-masters taske to the scholler which he is not able to performe and is therefore faine to goe to another to doe his exercise for him So the Lord tells men you must be exactly holy perfect righteousnesse must runne through the whole course of your life when we see we cannot doe it it makes us runne to Christ to have his righteousnesse
than stockes and stones Now the scope of all this being to bring us to Christ. I will run over a few things which may from hence be observed I say There is a revelation of wrath from heaven against all unrighteousnesse Wherein marke two things First the certainety of this wrath It shall come on all that are unrighteous And secondly what this wrath is I will but briefly name the heads and dispatch the point First I say there is a certainty in it for God hath revealed it from heaven Rom. 2.15 They had Thoughts accusing and excusing them the light of Nature told them that they deserved wrath Iudgement strucke them with feare Secondly It appears by experience there bee many steppes many prints and Vestigia of the wrath of GOD in the world continually Lastly by the Scriptures Cursed bee every one that continues not in the whole Law to doe it And as the Law so the Gospell reveales it CHRIST shall come to judge the secrets of mens hearts according to my Gospell Nay it is an old Truth delivered before the Scriptures As in Iudes Epistle Enoch preached Behold the Lord shall come with ten thousands of Angels c. And if this will not perswade wee will reason with you a little for it is not needlesse to strengthen these common truths with reason because we are not convinced of them enough which is the cause men live without God in the world Therefore consider if there be a God he is not a negligent an idle or unactive God for should hee be such a God hee must either be dead or asleepe But God is a living God and if so then the administration of the things of this world is in his hands now in that the maine businesse is to punish and restraine them that bee evill and to reward them that bee good Againe if there be a God he will be feared and worshipped by men but if hee would not punish men for sinne if his wrath could not bee kindled against them for their provocations of him he should doe neither good nor hurt and it is naturall to men to condemne that that can neither hurt nor profit them and so hee should not be feared Againe if there be any God hee must needs be delighted in goodnesse he must needs have a certaine inclination to that which is holy and right and if so then he must needs hate that that is evill If he love light he must needs hate darknesse if he loves life he must needs hate death and indeed love of goodnesse proceeds from hatred of evill and hatred of evill arises from love of goodnesse and if it be so why should not hatred be active as well as love Therefore it is certaine there shall wrath come against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men Secondly what kinde of wrath is this In this Wrath you shall observe three things First there is a treasure of this Wrath Rom. 2.5 Thou according to the hardnesse of thy heart that cannot repent treasurest up wrath Now in a Treasure you shall finde three things First it is an heape and there is still an addition thereto a man growes richer and richer saving shillings and pence and they still adde to the heape So GOD addes to the heape of his wrath as men adde sins he addes drops to his Violl and when the measure of our sins is full then the Violl of his wrath is full it is still increasing Let not a man thinke that when he is over the shooes he can goe no further for wrath receives addition Secondly Treasures are close and covered there being no use of them for the present It is therefore said Wrath is â—owne for the wicked as joy is sowen for the righteous it lyes under the ground for a time Therefore doe not say God is slacke because you finde not his wrath presently powred forth It is not slacknesse but patience And if you doe of negligence sin and God markes it not but is patient towards you and suffers you know that hee will not suffer that patience of his to be abused but for every houre that you spend after the commission of a sin without returning to God you shall fare the worse Revel 2.20 I gave her space to repent and shee did not What then Therefore I will cast her into great Tribulation So that as God is angry and as his wrath encreases so it lyes hid for a time Thirdly there is an expence of Treasures in time of need they bring them forth and use them so doth God partly in this life when he shall smite a man with destruction that shall quite sweepe him away as he did Saul and Iudas partly and specially in the life to come which is called the declaration of the just judgement of God that shall then be declared which is now for a time hid Secondly as there is a Treasure of his wrath so there is a power of his wrath Psal. 90.11 Who knowes the power of thine anger That is it is not a wrath like the wrath of men but a wrath that hath much power it it so that looke how much God is stronger than man so much doth his wrath exceed the wrath of men God shewes all his power in executing his Iustice on the wicked Therefore it is said Rom. 9.22 What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne endure with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction That is he will shew his mighty power in punishing them as he shewes the great riches of the glory of his mercy on the Saints God is knowne by executing Iudgement and the greatnesse of God is knowne by the greatnesse of the punishment inflicted and you shall know him to be an Almighty God aswell in punishment as in mercy there is a transcendent power exercised in one aswell as in the other Therefore it is said Who knowes the power of his wrath You know the wrath of a King is great because hee is powerfull and how much the power of God exceeds the power of a King so much his wrath exceeds the wrath of a King It is therefore compared to a consuming fire that devoures all to the wind that breakes the rock in sunder and to an over-flowing River that carries all away with it Consider God therefore in the greatnesse of his power for such is hee in his wrath Thirdly consider the suddennesse of it it comes suddenly on men and that makes it the more fearefull If God gave warning it were another case but he surprizes men before they be aware It is true that Damnation sleepes not but travels as fast as thy selfe and will meet with thee at thy journeyes end but men know it not Therefore when you see this to be your case What makes you secure you feele it not you have no sense of evill you live by sense and not by faith But consider wrath comes
therefore since the wrath of God shall in such a manner be revealed against such as with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse You need no other Argument to shew that the sin is great Againe One Evidence more is in this very Chapter that is from the kinde of punishment for punishments you know where the Iudge is just are according to the measure of the sinne Now marke God punishes this with giving them up to a reprobate sense For this cause saith the Apostle Rom. 1.26 God gave them up unto vile affections And afterwards in the eight and twentieth verse As they regarded not to know God even so or therefore God delivered them up to a reprobate minde that is a minde without knowledge an injudicious minde that cannot judge of things And looke in all the booke of God among all the Armies of sorrow there is not any like this to be given up to vile affections to lusts to an injudicious mind in matters of God and things belonging to their Salvation This punishment shewes the greatnesse of the sin but men slight this as it is the greatest judgement so it is the least felt men lye at rest they are cast into a dead sleepe but it is like the sleepe of them that have crazie braines they wake in a frenzie so these shall wake in an horrible astonishment their sleepe is such a calme as will end in a tempest and such a tempest as shall never be blowne over Therefore let no man blesse himselfe in this I feele none of these things for thou hast the greatest judgement on thee when thou feelest it least And so much for the three things I propounded to you what this Truth is how it is with-holden and the greatnesse of the sin now wee will come to make use of it And the first use we are to make of it is that which is the maine scope of the Apostle here and that for which we pitched on these words and that is to humble us to learne to know our selves to know in what Condition we are for the Truth is revealed to us but we with-hold it in unrighteousnesse This Truth that should rule in the hearts of men that should be as the supreme governour in the soule of which it may be said as it is said of the Peace of God let it rule in your soules that where by men should be acted is by men imprisoned Therefore Rom. 2.9 the Apostle denounceth Tribulation and anguish upon every one that disobeyes the Truth Intimating that Truth is our King that should governe and rule in our hearts now when men disobey it nay goe further imprison this Truth it is as when men imprison their lawfull King or servants their Master and they run riot and at liberty in the meane time And this is our case we doe with it as children doe with their Masters we desire to be rid of it because it watches over us and so we grow enemies to it And this is no small sinne for if we consider whence this comes who puts it into our hearts it will appeare hainous by the Law of man it is death to kill children that are begot by man but this Truth is begot by the Holy Ghost it is put in by the Spirit of God and to extinguish this Truth not to suffer it to live not to nourish it not to bring it forth is the great sin of all Even the Heathen shall rise in judgement against Christians for this who maintained the Vestall fire because they conceived it to come from heaven they for that cause never suffered it to go out But this Truth is a fire which came from heaven a sparke put into the brests of men to guide their feet into the way of Peace when men shall extinguish this Truth let it goe out and not maintaine it the Heathen shall rise against them in judgement as the men of Niniveh should rise up against the men of that Generation among whom Christ lived We were wont to take care of precious things consider the preciousnesse of this Truth what is precious we wil not be willing to destroy as the Prophet said of the bunch of Grapes Destroy it not for there is a blessing in it And what doe you thinke of this Truth is it not a precious thing Yea it is the chiefe thing in a man In a ship a wise man will have an eye to the rudder for that turnes all the rest of the body of the ship Of all things in our selves wee looke to our eye the guide of the body so we should learne to watch and be tender over this Truth as over our eye for the one is the light but of this life the other is the light of the soule to eternall life In Micah 3.5 It is threatned as a great Iudgement when God shal turne their Visions into night and their Divinations into darknesse when the Sunne shall goe downe on their Prophets and the day shall be darke on them and will you bring this Iudgement on your selves They that are guilty of this that have not used this Truth but imprisoned it and laboured as much as they can to cause the Sun to goe downe and rise no more to turne the day into night let them consider what the sin is when you reade the story of the Kings and heare them saying to the Prophets prophesie not imprisoning them as Ahab did Micaiah and slaying them as Ioash did Zecharial you will little thinke you are guilty of the same sinne but when this Truth comes as a Prophet from God and tels you such and such things ought to be done and such and such evils ought to be abstained from and you shall desire it to be silent and shall say Prophesie not when you shall not suffer it to speake freely I say your sins shall be as great as theirs therefore learne to consider of it and be humbled for it men are wont to thinke their Condition better because they know more than others but it is quite contrary for nothing aggravates sin more than that It is an extreme folly in men when they cannot deny the fact they slight the fault and will not acknowledge it It was Adams fault when God came towards him he fled and hides his sinne and it is the fault of all Adams posterity But let men know that the quite contrary way is the way to Salvation It is not with God as it is with men among whom confession makes way for condemnation for with God confession is the way to salvation Therefore be not unwilling to examine your selves consider how much you have knowne what truths have been revealed to you Do this with one eye with another eye looke on your lives and see how short your practise hath beene of your knowledge come willingly and if you confesse you shal be forgiven This wil drive you out of your selves it will be your Schoole-master to bring you to Christ. They that carry this
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
are in he is able to furnish you if you need any service from any Creature in heaven or earth he will give command to all the Creatures to wait on you In a word every man that comes to Christ shall be like a Spouse whom her husband hath placed in aâ— house well stored with abundance of all things that her heart can wish and all this you shall have if you will come in But because Generals move not so much we will come a little to Particulars and will insist upon these two as the only things that can move us to come in First the miseries hurts and inconveniences you are exposed to out of him And secondly the happinesse you shall have by being ingrafted in him and married to him If you were to perswade a woman to marry such a man you know these are the two Arguments which must winne her If you marry noâ— you will bee undone you know you are in debt and the debts bee debts which you are not able to pay and if you cannot pay them you are sure to be cast into Prison and to lye in that Prison till you have paid the utmost farthing this is your condition if you will refuse Againe on the other side if you will take him you shall have a husband that shall make you rich that will pay all your debts for you and make you honourable you shall want nothing If you will take an husband whom you may love take Christ for whatsoever is amiable is in him These two serious considerations will make her come in and be willing to marry and to take him for her husband And so it is with us if we consider what we are out of Christ and what we shall have by him it will move us to take him You know it moved the Prodigall sonne he saw that if he lived out from his Fathers house he must needs perish hee could not get huskes to live by Againe if he would goe home there was bread enough his fathers servants living there in plenty and these two moved him to resolve to come home You will say what are those evils in particulars that we must needs fall into if we come not in to Christ and what good shall wee get by him To this end I will name such arguments as are used in Scripture for this purpose for you know that the businesse of Christ himselfe and his Apostles was onely to bring men unto him and therefore we will open such arguments as we finde there as briefly as we can And first you have this for one maine motive to bring men in Marke 16 16. If you will beleeve and be baptized you shall be saved if you will not beleeve you shall be damned Goe saith Christ into all the world preach the Gospell to every Creature What shall we say when thou hast given us commission saith he no more but this Goe to all the world Tell them if they will come in and be united to mee if they will take me for their husband Lore they shall be saved use that for a motive on the one side and on the other side tell them if they will not come in they shall be damned And this you shall finde was practised Matth. 3. Iohn tels them If you will come in and repent you shall have the Kingdome That is if you will leave your sinnes if you will be married to the Lord if you will be divorced from all other husbands and turne from all your evill wayes you shall have a kingdom that is you shall be saved but if you will not what then The Axe is laid to the root of the tree and you shall be cut downe So we see when the Apostle Paul came to do this businesse with Felix to have brought him to Christ if he could what course takes he he tels him of his miseries out of Christ Reasoning of Temperance Righteousnesse and Iudgement to come he told him what Sobriety and Righteousnesse and Temperance was in another manner than ever any Morallist had done Now the Endictment being not enough without the Sentence hee addes the Iudgement to come And it is as if he had said Thou seest how short thou art of that Temperance and Righteousnesse that even naturall conscience requires of every man and thou must know there is a Iudgement to come though thou perhaps feelest it not for the present yet there is a damnation and wrath reserved for thee thereby shewing the misery he was in if he came not home to Christ and that is partly set downe and is probable the other was not omitted though it be not expressed there And so Peter dealt with them Act. 2. He shewed them their misery and so the Lord dealt with the Gaoler he teacheth him to see what case he was in and upon the sight of thaâ— to enquire after salvation As indeed the thing that brings men into Christ is to make them sensible of salvation and damnation and when the Gaoler came to this to thinke of salvation Sirs what shall I doe to be saved That was it that made him willing to doe any thing whatsoever Paul appointed him to doe for now he had a sense of the wrath of God a sense of those terrours he began to see the Almighty Power of God he began to have his heart smitten with the apprehension of Iudgement and when he was smitten with that he began to enquire after salvation and his heart thus prepared with these two motives the feare of salvation and damnation he was fit to come in then saith the Apostle Beleeve and thou shalt be saved So I say that is one motive if you will not come in you shall be damned if you will you shall be saved But now we have another businesse to make men regard these One would thinke that men should not need much perswasion to tell them of damnation that great evill and of salvation to be a thing that much concernes them but there is that deadnesse in the heart of man that it regards neither Therefore let me say a word or two to shew that these two bee matters of great moment First this Salvation and Damnation chiefly concernes you all other things are but trifles in comparison thereof because Salvation and Damnation belong to the Soule It is the Soule that is to be saved or to be damned Now the Soule of man is a mans owne selfe other things are but the out-side as it were and that is the reason that Christ saith What matters it if you win the whole world and lose your owne soule As if he should have said Thy Soule is thy selfe therefore to win other things and to lose that it is great folly what is it to save the ship and lose the fraught To save the shooe and lose the foot to save the cloaths and to have the body destroyed So what is it to thee to have thy body
false grounds may be as secure as another that hath peace on the best grounds and this imitates true faith So a man that is naturally meeke may carry it better than one that hath true meeknesse therefore it is hard to finde the difference But if you looke to the principles whence they come the masters whom they serve you shall finde they may be good all the way but not at the journeyes end they have an ill scope they ayme at a wrong marke Let them have what they will Circumcision nor Vncircumcision availes nothing unlesse they be New Creatures else God regards them not And so much shall serve for Excuses Now adde this to the rest labour to aggravate your sin by removing the Excuses which the nature of man is witty to invent use the ordinance of God which hee hath appointed to humble you and to worke these things on your hearts and that is his Word Ier. 23.29 Is not my Word as fire and as the hammer that breaketh the stones The scope of the place is to shew the power of preaching the Word purely what is the chaffe to the Wheat you shall know my Word and distinguish it from the word of men my Word when it is right is as a fire which melts and thawes the hearts of men and as an hammer to break their strong and stony hearts Come to the Word powerfully preached as it is in its owne nature delivered in the Evidence of the Spirit as it should bee and it will bee a meanes to soften the heart and breake thy stubborne spirit as an hammer and fire not suffering thee to be at rest untill thou commest under the power of it And if with this thou art not satisfied goe one step further to the Spirit of God thou must have a spirit of Bondage else thou canst expect no power All that we have said in drawing this mappe of sin in adding these aggravations and removing these excuses is nothing if God give not a spirit of Bondage to cause you to feare for it is that that makes the Law effectuall as the Spirit of Adoption makes the Gospel no man without it can see sin with a saving and feeling sight But how doth it worke this effect in a mans heart Not by making him feare God as a slave for that the Holy Ghost will not doe therefore that is not an Act we can attribute to him but my meaning is The Holy Ghost by the spirit of bondage enlightens a man to see his sin and the sentence of the Law against it and to judge of his estate with a righteous Iudgement and when he sees things as they are hee knowes and feeles the bondage he was in before though before he felt it not I say the Holy Ghost enlightens us which enlightning discovers to us and convinceth us of sin and then we looke on the Law and there finde Cursed is hee that continues not in all these Commandements to doe them Then observing our hearts and seeing how farre wee are from that rectitude the Law requires our spirits begin to feare like a man in bondage that is shut up in prison and in danger of his life therefore as for the Word so labour for this Spirit the Word is a sharp sword but how can it wound us without an Arme to handle it And when you have done that you will easily doe the thing I have exhorted you to do that is you will then come to Christ you will not stand to cheapen the Kingdome of God but you will buy it though you give all you have for it and yet will thinke you have a good bargaine you will not seeke the Kingdome of God in such a lazie and laxe and remisse manner as you were wont to doe but will take it violently And if you come to God after this manner if you be driven out of your selves and see what your owne righteousnesse is that it will not serve your turne and therefore seeke for a righteousnesse at his hands you may be sure he will not deny you You may see what Paul saith Galat. 3.8 That you may be assured that seeking you shall obtaine saith he If an Angell from heaven preach another Gospell or if I my selfe should doe it beleeve not the Angell and let me accurst As if he had said I have made this Truth knowne that you shall be justified by meere Grace without workes that you are to come to Christ with an empty hand bringing nothing with you If any man now should question this Gospell and thinke to bring something of his owne and will not sticke to this cleare promise nay if an Angell come from heaven and contradict it let him be accursed This is the true Gospell and you may beleeve it If you can therefore doe as Paul did Philip. 3.9 That reckoned all as drosse and dung that he might be found in Christ not having his own righteousnesse of the Law but that which is through faith in Christ. That when you came to see your condition you desire the righteousnesse of Christ with that earnestnesse that he did when he reckoned all as drosse and dung even his own righteousnesse which he knew would not serve the turne If I say thou canst thus goe to Christ knowing that no antecedent condition is required but onely thirsting for him being fully perswaded that thine owne righteousnesse is unsufficient and having a saving and firme knowledge That mans nature is full of all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse Christ cannot deny thee he will receive the to mercy We will now briefly come to the next point and that is this There is a revelation of wrath against all unrighteousnesse of men And that is another thing that will humble us for there must be two things to doe it one is to see our sins to know that there is no worth no excellencie no worthinesse at all in us And the second is to have an apprehension of wrath due for sin and so his misery under the same Though a man be never so miserable yet if he have a bottome to stand on he will not goe to Christ but when hee sees his owne nothingnesse and withall that the wrath of God hangs over him so that he must sinke utterly and that there is no way to helpe him when both these concurre a man is humbled Men may have one without the other As the Scribes and Pharisees O yee Generation of vipers who hath warned you to flie from the wrath to come they were sensible of wrath and had so much to humble them but they did not see that viperous serpentine evill disposition that was in themselves Againe many men may see their sins and acknowledge the insufficiencie of all they have but they are not sensible of wrath God hath not charged sin upon their consciences nor revealed his wrath and therefore they goe on in a senselesse manner and are no more moved with the other
the Truth and therefore they hate it Now what a man hates he keeps off as much as he can it must not come neare him for he counts it his enemy and therefore will not suffer it to diffuse it selfe into the rest of the faculties of the soule Another reason which goes hand in hand with this is they love darknesse rather than light and therefore they are not every way enlightned for what a man loves he desires to preserve to hedge about and to keepe safe thus men cannot abide to have darknesse taken away by any Information or Admonition for they desire to preserve it Rom. 1.21 Their foolish heart was full of darknesse they knew God but they glorified him not as God Though there was light yet their heart was ful of darknesse and because they loved this darknesse therefore they would not have it expelled As a man commits a filthy act or unseemly thing he desires to have the light put out because it is contrary to that which should cover and cloake his action thus men imprison and shut up the light not suffering it to disperse it selfe into their soule But in this imprisoning of this light you must know all goe not the same way to worke for there be these foure different wayes of doing it First some there are which imprison this light meerely by laying it aside meerely by forgetting it by suffering it to lye still and not awaking it when men remember not what they have to doe they are so busied about other things so transported with pleasures and lusts so occupied in cares and things of the world that this comes not into their mindes they consider it not Secondly Others with-hold it out of perversnesse of opinion their judgements are not right they doe not think that such things ought to be done they are not perswaded that such an exact strictnesse of holinesse is required they thinke men may live after another manner and thus they doe imprison the light so doe all heretikes that beleeve lyes and so with-hold the Truth Thirdly There be some that faile in neither of these they remember the Truth wel enough and they have no false opinions concerning it but they resist the Truth as Stephen Act. 7.51 speakes of some that resisted the Holy Ghost that is when their opinion's right and they remembred it too but they suppresse it they keepe it downe they suffer it not to come forth out of their love to unrighteousnesse to some lust wherein they are resolved to please themselves Lastly there bee some that imprison the Truth not out of any of these three respects but because they mis-apply it men that know it that have no perverse hereticall opinions that likewise doe not resist it that make not warre against it that doe not rise in rebellion against it but yet when they come to the point out of false distinctions and evasions which they have iuvented they wrest the rule of Truth they bend it too much to their owne particular affections and practise though they know the Truth in generall yet in particulars they seeke to evade it and faile in applying it As for example Men doe not thinke Sabbath-breaking good but now the question is whether the action I doe at such a time be Sabbath-breaking or no here they finde a distinction to put it off so vaine Company I know is to be avoided but whether this be ill Company is all the question All these wayes men are said to imprison the Truth And so much for the second particular The third thing we propounded was to shew how great a sin it is to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse and that will appeare from hence It is that which brings the greatest Condemnation of any thing else This is the condemnation Ioh. 3. that light is come into the world and men loved darknesse better than light As if he had said there be other things for which God will punish men but this above all the rest deserves condemnation it brings great and swift Condemnation that light is come into the world but men c. that is when men shall be informed when God shall reveale his Truth so that his light glares in their eyes and they cannot but see it and yet they love darknesse more than light this puts men into farre worse condition than if they were altogether ignorant of the Truth Else why should Peter say It had beene better they had never knowne the way of righteousnesse They shall perish that be ignorant of these Truths and of the degree of them but at the day of Iudgement it shall be a great deale harder with them that know and do not practise them As Ier. 5.4 Surely sayes the Prophet they are a poore and foolish people they know not the wayes of the Lord nor the Iudgement of their God They shall therefore perish but then there is another Generation that know God I will get me to the great men that have knowne the wayes of God but these have altogether broken the yoke and burst the bonds That is these be the men with whom God is most angry upon whom this condemnation shall fall heavie that know the Iudgement of their God and yet breake his bonds that know and doe not practice Secondly to go no further than this place The wrath of God is revealed from heaven but against whom against them that with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse That for which God is angry for which his wrath is revealed against men in a speciall manner must be a sinne It is true he will punish other sins but these words are not here used in vaine for they that doe thus sin out of contempt and amongst men a sin out of contempt kindles wrath so they that know Gods will but practise not according to knowledge provoke Gods wrath against them An excellent place for this is Heb. 3. you shall finde this the case of the people when they knew not God at all or but a little number of them God blessed them all that time but when he had revealed himselfe fully to them and had endured them forty yeares when they tempted him proved him and saw his workes then he sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest His wrath was then kindled and that in such a measure that he entred into such an oath Now when God takes an oath the decree is peremptory and never to be reversed and that is the Condition of them that with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse The wrath of God abides on them Ioh. 3. ult God may be angry with his owne children as a father is with his sonne but his wrath abides not on them he takes them to favour againe but they are in a miserable Condition on whom the wrath of God remaines And consider what his wrath is The violence of a Lion is terrible the wrath of a King is great but who knowes the power of Gods wrath And
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
the more mettle the worse but under the bridle and in the way there cannot be too much keepe the streame within the bankes and let it runne in a right Channell and then the stronger the better It is good therefore in this case to come to a disjunction which is the thing that Elijah advised If Baal be God follow him but if God be God follow him and follow him to purpose And as Luther wrote to Melancthon when he began to faint Why Melancthon if this be the Cause of God why should we be discouraged why should we goe coldly about it If it be not the Cause of God why doe not wee desist altogether This Disjunction put life into him I but discretion and moderation must bee used It is true but doth this crosse your zeale Doth one Grace crosse another Prudence doth not abate diligence but guides it in its worke It teaches not to do lesse but to doe better Therefore as for Moderation you must know it stands in avoiding the Rock in declining the extreme but Moderation in a right course is not moderation but lukewarmenesse and coldnesse Last of all to conclude this point and only to name the rest If Zeale turne away the wrath of God then where is our zeale for the Church of God Why doe not we take its case to heart why have not we the bowels of compassion to lament over its condition as if it were our own It was a most commendable thing in old Ely when he heard the newes that the battell was lost that his sons were slaine that moved him not so much but when he heard that the Arke of God was taken that amazed him so that hee fell from his seat and brake his necke Consider this and know that it is required that you be zealous for the Church Let our Gallants consider this that care not how things goe And those that will have the Church negligently regarded let them coÌ„sider that a curse abides him Who doth the worke of the Lord negligenâ—ly And know that though the Lord be angry with his Church as many times he is yet your zealâ— on its behalfe your prayers for it your cost upon it your labour about if yea whatsoever you doe for it is acceptable to God even then when he is angry with it when he afflicts i. David was angry with Absolom Ioab makes a suit to â—iâ— to call home his banished though David was angry with Absolom yet Ioabs suite to David was very acceptable he could not have come of a better message So you cannot doe a more acceptable worke than to seeke for the Churches good and to pray for its prosperity It is true indeed the Lord will take care of his Church and they that be enemies to it shall not be gainers as Zach. 12.6 They that seeke to hurt the Church of God shall be as a company of sheaves that goe about to suppresse a cole of fire which shall consume them all And they that goe about to devoure the Church shal be like a man that thinks to devoure a cup of poison but by it is killed himselfe or like a man that goes about to throw up a stone that is too heavie for him which fals backe and crushes him to powder All these expressions there be in that Chapter It is true he will not cast away the care of his Church he will defend it against them that oppose it but in the meane time if you doe not your part you shall lose your glory nay you shall be guilty of Negligence which will bring a Curse with it upon you But you will say What would you have us to doe for it I answer Wee must consider the Church abroad and at home For the Churches abroad we will not prescribe unto you any particular direction only wee will commend to you this generall That you seeke their safety and preservation and the propagation of Religion among them with all care and intention as you shall see occasions and circumstances to require But for the Church at home you see the Lord hath begunne to make a breach upon us And as it is in Ezek. 22.30 Hee seekes for a man among us that may stand in the Gappe It is well done that you have gone so farre as you have but remember that it is a thing that the Lord desires And know withall that the Lord markes what every man doth for his Church he observes who is zealous and who sits still hee takes notice who doth nothing who doth somthing and how much every man doth As in Malach. 3.16 The Lord harkened and heard and a Booke of Remembrance was written The Lord harkens and heares what every man speakes what every man doth yea to what end with what heart how his Church is thought upon Consider this therefore that you may be stirred up to doe more You will say What would you have us to doe more I will commend these three things unto you and so conclude this point First doe as Phineas is in the Text said to doe the thing he did to turne away the wrath of the Lord was executing of judgement in the punishment of Zâ—mri and Cosby that had committed that greaâ— siâ—ne And marke this when Phineas began to stirre the Lord ceased to strive And know that the Lord regards not so much what the particular sins of a Nation or Church are as what the action the behaviour the cariage of the Sâ—ate towâ—â—â—s them is Doubtlesse the action of both thâ— Houses of Parliament declaring thâ—ir zeal both â—â—w and heretofore hath â—â—â—ne a great meaâ—es of turning away the Lords wrath and will â—e more and more if you doe so more and more This is a thing I cannot bâ—â—lke seeing the Text casts me on it that this zeale of Phineas this act of his in punishing sinne turnd away the Lords wrath You will say what things should we punish Three things First Whoredome you see here â—he people committed whoredome as it is plainely mentioned by the Apostle Be not yee fornicators as some of them were and fell in one day so many thousands Another sin was Idolatry they joynd themselves with Baal-peor And there is a third sinne not mentioned here but is as frequently mentioned by the Prophets to have a hand in common judgements as any other and that is Injustice when righteousnessâ— is turned into Hemlocke and judgement into worme-wood that is a thing that must bee remembred among the rest Indeed there may be mistakes in the administration of Iustice which through ignorance and the not perfect knowledge of a cause may be fallen into but the Injustice that turnes righteousnesse into wormewood as I said before must be remembred and that is either Briberie or that respecting of persons in Iudgement which is equivalent thereunto and will come in among the rest These bee sinnes the punishment whereof
that can never be revoked because it is the Sentence of the Gospel therefore you must know this that al the judgements that are pronounced in the Gospel they are without all reservation there is no more revoking of them therefore Paul saith Rom. 2.16 He shall judge the secrets of mens hearts according to my Gospell So that you must know that the Gospell hath a judgement and a terrible judgement as wel as the Law There is a judging by the Law that is men that have lived without the knowing of Christ they shall be judged by the Law but when we come to Christ to live under the Gospell as we all doe wee shall be judged by the Gospell What is that those that receive not Christ shall be damned that is one part of the Gospell you know therefore you see that there is a judgement there He that beleeves shall be saved but he that beleeves not shall be damned Well as it is true concerning the point of Iustification hee that beleeves not and takes not Christ shall bee damned for it So it is as true in the point of Sanctification he that is not a New Creature hee that is not borne againe he shall not enter into the Kingdome of God Iohn 3.3 There is a peremptory judgement therefore consider with thy selfe when thou commest to die what thou wilt say then Satan will then come and lay thy sinnes to thy charge thou must then thinke what thou hast to answer thou hast nothing to say but I am in Christ well but how dost thou prove that he will aske thee that question Art thou a New Creature If thou doe finde that thou art not a New Creature thou art not in Christ and thou needest not a new condemâ—ation but thou art condemned already For Christ found all the world in a state of condemnation and if thou be not in him thou art in the same estate and therefore if you should but heare these words if wee should bee silent and should but reade these words Whosoever is in Christ let him be a New Creature it may make a man tremble and looke about him and consider his state and take heed of disjoyning these things that the Lord hath joyned together if being in Christ and being a New Creature be inseparable think not that thou canst take Christ divided that thou canst take him halfe and leave the other part that thou canst take him as a Saviour and not take him as a Prophet and a King thinke not to have Iustification and to want Sanctification and therefore you see when the Gospell was preached this was the maine thing that was urged Marke 6.13 when the seventie were sent out saith the Text this was their preaching it sets downe the summe that men should amend their lives When Christ himselfe was to preach Matth. 4.17 this was the summe of his Doctrine Amend your lives for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand Paul when he would tell them what was the summe of his preaching Act. 20.21 saith hee Wee goe about preaching witnessing to Iewes and Grecians repentance towards God and faith towards Christ. So that this Repentance that makes a man a New Creature it was pressed as a thing of absolute necessity as well as the taking of Christ. You know when Iohn Baptist came what he called for Fruits worthy of amendment of life Deceive not your selves apply not the promises of the Gospell except you finde this Symptome of being in CHRIST that you are made New Creatures This distinguisheth betweene a Temporary Beleever and another both goe thus far both have an insition into the Root but the Temporary Beleever partakes not of the fatnesse of the Root he receives not life from the Root It may be thou hast taken Christ in thy sense but hast thou tasted of the fatnesse of the Root hast thou drawne life from him art thou made a New Creature as a graft that is put into a new stocke when wee are ingrafted into Christ there is an inversion of the order there the stocke changeth the graft in the other the graft changeth the stocke into its Nature Againe when thou takest Christ without this it is as putting stones one upon another when there is nothing to sement them and to glew them together whosoever is in Christ is built upon him as upon the corner-stone now an Hypocrite may be built on him as well as a true Professour but here is the difference they are living stones their Nature is altered they differ as much from themselves what they were before as living things differ from dead stones so it may be thou hast had an adhesion to the Body of Christ thou hast stucke to it as it were but if thou be a true member then thou art knit to it by ligaments and sinewes thou hast communion with the head there is an influence of bloud and spirits into thee therefore consider that with thy selfe it may be thou livest in the Church and art such a member of it as a glasse-eye is of the body but hast thou communion with the head art thou made a New Creature by being in Christ Is thy heart changed and sanctified by being in him If it be so then conclude thou art in Christ For if any be in Christ he is a New Creature Examine thy selfe in this deceive not thy selfe to whomsoever he is made Righteousnesse he is made Sanctification It is impossible they should be disjoyned as I told you in the morning his bloud hath not onely a vertue to cleanse thee from the guilt of thy sinnes but a power to purge thy conscience from dead workes to serve the living God Hebr. 9.14 And wheresoever it is a plaister to cover thy sinnes it doth likewise heale and cure them therefore thinke not that thou art in Christ except thou finde this to be thy condition Yea but you will say Is there such a condition in the world who is it that findes himselfe such a New Creature this I find that my old lusts returne the same Inclinations I had I finde them still and this experiment of being all new that all old things are passed away I have not yet had what shall we say to this Wee will answer it very briefely Though thou hast it not already yet thou must not bee discouraged thou must not say there is nothing done because al is not done for motions are denominated from the termes they tend to not from that they are already when a thing is a little white though it bee not perfectly white we say it is white when the Lord begins new qualities if it be in sincerity it is properly said to be a New Creature for in time it will come to that that will be the issue of it therefore that which stands you in hand is to consider whether you be so or no for indeed it is a difficult thing to discerne and needfull for you to consider it therefore I
wherein consists the new man The new man consists in holinesse wrought in the will which proceeds from truth revealed unto the understanding so when the understanding and the judgement is rectified thou art made a New Creature Againe when the will is corrupt by lusts proceeding from errour in the understanding thou art in state of an old Creature The old man stands properly in lusts therefore saith Peter 2 Pet. 1.4 Fly the corruption which is in the world through lust All the corruption of mankind stands in these inordinate lusts Others wee may looke on as the fruit but this as the Root What are those lusts Iohn shewes them by three heads 1 Ioh. 2.16 The lusts of the flesh the lusts of the eye and the pride of life The old man stands in these three Take the first Lust even the lust of the Eye A man lookes upon wealth to make him happie in this life I meane no otherwise and looking upon this he lusts after it Doe but rectifie his judgement and let wealth be presented to him as it is in it selfe and hee will come to be affected with it as Paul was who accounted all but drosse and dung hee will say then why should I set my heart upon that which is nothing but vanity I say when the understanding is rectified you will looke upon wealth aright and as you shall see it at the day of death for then wee are as a man awakened out of a dreame we will looke on it then as it is Iam. 1.10 Let the Rich-man rejoyce that hee is made low for as a flower of the grasse so shall he vanish The meaning of this is when a man is made a New Creature he is brought downe in his conceit whereas before hee thought himselfe a great man because of his wealth Now Religion comes and that makes him low and let him be glad of it Why What reason hath a man to be glad of it Indeed if wealth were a thing of moment it were another matter but he was deceived Riches are but as the flower of grasse A wise man lookes on Riches as flowers of the Garden with children and the weakest doe much magnifie Indeed if they were of great moment he lost by it but as Iames saith They are but as flowers of the grasse worth little For the Lust of the flesh that is another thing whereby this old man is seene A man lookes on outward pleasures or delights as able to give satisfaction and as the greatest delights in the world let his Iudgement be rectified he looks upon them as Enemies that fight against the Soule as the workes of darknesse which he abhorres and so he comes to Lots disposition Whose righteous Soule was vexed to see the filthinesse of the Sodomites When his Iudgement is right hee lookes on them as base and vile things as Enemies unto his Soule that will be his destructioâ— For the Pride of life Man lookes on outward things as the onely excellencies which makes him admire them so but when his Iudgement is once rectified hee lookes upon them as the Apostle doth who accounted them but empty things as bubbles blowne up by Boyes To conclude when the Iudgement is rectified in stead of Errour and Deceit which is the Root of the old man whence comes these three great Lusts which are the maine and from which all the rest will follow then the lusts are dissolved and the new man comes from truth as the other is corrupted and comes from deceit So you see what it is to have this new quality to have the Iudgement rectified and the lust dissolved And not so onely but there must be new desires wrought in thee A carnall man over-values carnall things and in spirituall things hee comes farre too short like a man that lookes upon a banquet when his belly is full he hath no appetite unto it So a carnall man lookes upon Sinne and forgivenesse But when a man hath his Iudgement rectified he comes to have many holy desires and in this stands the New Creature Againe it comes from knowledge of the Spirit But you will say we have knowledge and if that would doe it then they that know most are best men But you must know what kinde of knowledge this is The new man must be renued in knowledge This is such a knowledge of holinesse as the Holy Ghost reveales unto us and except this knowledge be revealed unto you our revealing is nothing We preach Wisdome which the Princes of the world know not neither can know Take Aristotle or others which are the Princes of the world for wisdome they know not these things nay if they were taught them they could not learne them for they are revealed by the Spirit and if wee preach unto you never so oft if the Spirit doe not reveale them unto you it is nothing We see that by experiience that a man that can reason against these and these sinnes can speake of the vanity of these things can give twenty better reasons against them than another man yet hee seekes after them as much as any The wise-men and strongest wits which can say most against them yet have not their lusts dissolved when a poore man that is truly sanctified although he cannot say the hundreth part against sinne as another man yet he doth hunger after Iesus Christ. Therefore it must be the worke of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. ult But we all behold as in a mirrour the glory of the Lord with open face and are changed into the same Image from glory to glory as by the Spirit of the Lord that is when wee looke into the Word wee see the Image of God so may another man too but he doth not see the glory of it he doth not looke on it as a desirable thing as a thing he is in love withall God shewes Moses his glory hee never shewed his glory but to the Saints The greatest request that Moses desired was to see the glory of the Lord I will shew thee my glory saith God that is thou shalt see as much as shall be needfull for thee to see in this life God shewes himselfe unto us in his Word and when hee will shew a man his glory he makes him to have a love to it and then hee is transformed into his Image Another sees it but he is not transformed into such a knowledge as convinceth the minde of sinne when wee teach knowledge it is as the Sparkes in a darke roome or as the Starres in a darke night the roome is darke still so it is with all knowledge till the Holy Ghost doth teach it wee may beget a thousand sparkes in you but they will not turne the darknesse into light But when the Holy Ghost comes it doth not onely appeare there but it changeth us from darknesse into light You must know that when we preach only it is as when the light shines the windowes being shut against it there
is none shines into the house so when men thinke they understand most yet they want this light to shine into the house Luke 24.45 Then opened he their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures They had heard Christ before but they understood not his Word like those which sowed seed on ill ground and therefore received not the fruit of it but when the Holy Ghost comes into thy heart that will convince thee of evill it will expell darknesse and set right thy Iudgement otherwise though you heard Paul preach yea Christ himselfe were your Iudgements never so good yet it would not be done till the Holy Ghost teacheth you you will never know him never see him aright in his glory never see him so as to delight and long after him so as to desire nothing in the world so much as communion with him Thus it is when his Image is renewed in Knowledge and Truth and where this Knowledge and Truth is Holinesse instantly followes There are many that know and practice not and there are many which neither know nor practice but where this Image is what ever they know they practice Well let us apply this unto our selves briefly If to bee a New Creature there is required of us this Faith and Love Truth and Holinesse Knowledge and Righteousnesse then let us learne not to bee deceived to regard nothing else in comparison of this Doe as the Apostle Gal. 6.15 For in CHRIST IESVS neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but a New Creature that is it is no matter for any thing in a man Circumcision is no better than Vncircumcision Goe thorow all the duties of Religion you shall finde them nothing till you bee made a New Creature I know many doe many things they come to Church and give almes well saith the Apostle Circumcision and Vncircumcision is all one so say I Prayer and no Prayer is all one doing justly and unjustly it is all one untill a man bee a New Creature Therefore saith Paul 1 Cor. 13.3 Though I give all my goods to the poore which is a glorious action nay though I could be content to bee a Martyr though I give my body to bee burned and have not love it profiteth nothing So except you be New Creatures your labour is lost for Nature may doe much with the knowledge of the Gospel As the Earth brings forth grasse of it selfe and some flowers of the lowest sort but to bring forth a crop and flowers of the finest sort it must be tilled and there must bee seed put in Nature I say may doe much but this New Creature must come from an Immortall seed sowen in the heart by God himselfe Therefore looke whether thou hast that wrought in thee or no. For this is all the comfort we have when the body is decayed and waxen old yet let us not be discouraged though this outward man decay and perish there is a new youth springing up This is all the comfort we have that when the old house is going downe we have a new house setting up in stead of it Every man is glad to see an old house pulled downe and a new set up in stead of it but to see an old house going downe and no new one to bee set up the ruine of it is a most miserable Spectacle Take an Husband-man who hath taken great pains in plowing and sowing his ground when he sees his corne is rotten he is glad of it because he knowes new will come up in stead of it so when we see the body decaying and our day drawing towards evening when the Sunne of life is ready to bee set upon us when we shall grow no more this presents nothing but confusion yet here is hope for us There is light Sowen unto the righteous All the consolation and all the comfort wee have in these dayes of our vanity is that we have a New Creature that is not subject to vanitie The end of the Third Sermon THE FOVRTH SERMON VPON THE NEW CREATVRE 2 COR. 5.17 Therefore if any man be in Christ let him be a new Creature NOw we come to the last thing to be observed in the New Creature which is that there is not only an infusion of a new Quality but a weakning of the old Therefore we put that into the description A man is a New Creature when his heart is cast into another mould by the infusion of a new quality of grace and by a destroying of the old And this is specially to be observed because there bee two parts of the New Creature a mortification of sinne as well as a vivification For Common Nature is like a Bowle between two byasses Corruption is the wrong byas carrying us out of the way and Grace the good byas carrying us into the way So you must knocke off the old byas as well as put on a new one that is Common Nature lyes as an indifferent thing betweene Grace and Sin the Flesh and the Spirit Corruption and Holinesse so that as the body is betweene health and sicknesse so is Common Nature between originall sinne which is as the sicknesse or death of the Soule and Holinesse which is the health of it Now it is not only required that there be an infusion of the new Quality but likewise a weakning of this old both cannot stand together so farre as you strengthen one the other is weakned it is alwayes so where is contrariety where there is no contrariety two may stand together but when things be opposite the comming in of the one is the weakning of the other the comming of heat is a weakning of cold this is of speciall use And this use we are to make of it that hence then you see this will follow that if you finde much newnesse in your selves according to your owne opinion you finde you can doe many things you could never doe before you are able to doe these and these duties of new obedience well suppose it yet except there be a mortification of the old lusts if thou find that there be any lusts continue in thee in strength that in that regard thou art the same man still whatsoever addition there be it is no matter it is certaine thou art not yet a New Creature for a New Creature consists not in superinduction of the new Quality the old remaining but in a weakning of the old too It is not only a superaddition of the new but the death of the old also Therefore if thou findest any corruptions continuing in the fulnesse of their first strength not weakned at all though thou hast all signes of grace all parts of a New Creature to thy seeming yet thou art deceived because if thou wert new there would be a mortification of the old lusts So againe it is true on the other side Put case thou finde a great change in thy selfe such lusts as have been vigorous and lively thou findest to be
now dead except it be by the ingresse of this New Creature thou hast little cause to comfort thy selfe for those lusts are but covered and laid asleepe for a time and will wake and rise againe as Sampson when hee was tied with cords rose againe and was as strong as ever he was when the opportunity came And it was told him The Philistims are upon thee Sampson So lusts are laid asleepe till the opportunity comes when all the threed of good purposes breaks and they rise again in their strength therefore if there bee not a New Creature brought within thy soule thy lusts are but laid asleepe they will rise againe Or put case they be dead and rise no more yet except it be by the ingredience of this New Creature they are but dead of themselves and so long as they die of themselves God regards not that death for that which is required of us in Rom. 12.1 is that we sacrifice our selves Now two things are required in the Sacrifice one that it be slaine that it die not of it selfe for that is not a Sacrifice Secondly that it be offered to God and not to any other god Now this we oft finde that lusts die of themselves change of age experience operation of circumstances time place and many things may alter the desires for you must know The world passeth away and the lusts of it that is they are of a transitory Nature A man doth not desire that this yeare which he did the last Doe wee not see many have beene riotous and prodigall in youth yet there is a great change in them not for grace but age and use and experience and many things make alteration These are not slaine to the Lord but they die of themselves so God would not accept them Againe they may be slaine but not to the LORD thou mayest offer them to thy selfe which is the same as if thou offeredst them to another god that is a man may finde much evill and inconvenience much bitternesse in them it may be they have brought shame and misery on thee Againe thou mayst feare Gods judgements and therefore mayest restraine thy selfe In a word If thy selfe be thy end in abstaining from any sin what ever it be there is a Sacrifice thou hast slaine it but not offered it to the Lord it is not done to him It is not because thou lovest the Lord Iesus therefore it is not a fruit of the New Creature for till then every man makes himselfe his end in all he doth but when hee is made a New Creature hee makes the LORD his end This therefore is the use of this there must be two parts of this New Creature Vivification and Mortification an infusion of the new Quality and a weakning of the old Because this is a point of much moment I will presse it a little further and deliver this Rule I say this other Consectary may be gathered If it be so then thou must finde in thy selfe these two things Thou must find in thy selfe something more than Nature and againe thou must finde in thy selfe something lesse than Nature Thou must have lesse than what thy corrupt nature had in it and more than common nature hath in it or else thou wantest this third part of the New Creature this third thing wherein it consists the induction of a new Quality and a weakning of the old We will urge this a little First there must be a lessening and a weakening of that was there before for you must know every man hath some personall infirmities some sinnes more peculiar to his Nature than others something wherein hee is weake every man hath it one of one sort another of another sort every man hath a more inclination to this or that sinne which is bred and borne with him If thou findest that this continues with thee still that thou hast the same running-sore on thee that thou hadst that thou findest no alteration in that that there is no lessening no weakning no destroying and mortifying of that then thou art not a New Creature and consequently thy sins are not forgiven for Iustification and Sanctification are inseparable It thy sins were pardoned they would be healed that is the thing you must consider It is certaine therefore if you doe not find them healed you are not yet in Christ for if thou wert in Christ truly there would a vertue come out of him that would heale thy bloudy-issue for the vertue of his death is never disjoyned from the merit of his death where ever he forgives sin he cures sinne therefore if thou findest that hee hath not cured any sin know it is not forgiven You may see it every where Mary Magdalen as much was forgiven her so she had a great cure wrought in her shee was changed she became another woman you see how exceeding holy she was when Christ said Thy sinnes are forgiven she went away with another heart So it was with Paul when once his sins were forgiven when God sent word by Ananias that hee was a chosen vessell withall he was made a glorious Professour of a raging Persecutour there was a healing of sin as well as forgiving of it So David when his sinne was forgiven when God told him by Nathan so much his sin was cured hee did not commit adultery againe therfore in the one and fiftieth Psalme the cure stands on record that all the world may know that where God forgiveth he healeth likewise So Peter when God had forgiven him that sin of denying his Master he cured it too To adde a little more I say Sinne must be healed if it bee forgiven for it cannot bee otherwise if God take any man to beare his Name and his sins bee not healed his Name should be blasphemed it would redound to his dishonour Againe if he should forgive and not heale us we should have no comfort from him nor he no service from us we should have no comfort from him because of the rage and vexation of ruling lusts Againe he should have no service from us for how can we serve him when we are not healed Can a sicke man doe any service Hee must be healed and restored to health first Now doe you thinke God will put his children in a condition that neither they shall have comfort from him nor he service from them therefore it is of necessity wheresoever sin is forgiven it is healed Therefore in Hosea 14. When I take away your iniquities I will heale your rebellions So in Deut. 30.6 when he will have mercy upon them saith hee I will also circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your seed that you shall love mee with all your soule and with all your strength Hee never pardons but he likewise circumciseth So in Ier. 24.7 I will set mine eye upon you for good that is I will pardon you and receive you to mercy and also will give you an heart to know
with us for the present yet we know not what may befall us Things present therefore and things to come saith he all this is yours and if all this will not content you I will adde one thing more the Lord himselfe is yours so that take God and looke on him in his greatnesse in his mighty power God that is Lord of Heaven and Earth I say he is yours all that he hath is yours all that hee can doe is yours And therefore when hee speakes to Abraham Abraham saith he I will bee thine if thou wilt be mine I will be to thee an exceeding great reward you shall have God himselfe for your portion You will say how can God be your portion Yes he himselfe is yours for you must know that finding Mee are the best riches Loving favour Prov. 22. is better than life he that is rich in friends is better than he that is rich in money and among friends who is like to God It was the speech of the heathen when he was asked where his treasure was saith hee Where Cyrus my friend is that is I reckon my friend my chiefe treasure I say God is your friend as hee was the friend of Abraham so hee is the friend of all the Saints you have him and all that he can doe for that we may truly say there is no end of a Christians riches Paul when hee considered this Eph. 3. saith This is a glorious priviledge that I should preach among the Gentiles The unsercheable riches of Christ the unsercheable riches of Christ hee could finde no bottome hee knew not the measure the length the breadth the height of these riches and unsercheable riches of Christ. Wee give you but a little glimpse if God open a crevise of light to you to see these riches you will be content to doe as the Merchant to fell all for the pearle for it is worth all that you can sell for it I say if you could see what it were if you could discerne and judge of it with righteous judgement you would regard nothing in thâ— world besides but you would then say I will goe and take Christ for there is riches indeed and hee is a happy man of whom God saith as he saith of that Church I know thy poverty but thou art rich So you see you shall have a kingdome by Christ and you shall have riches But is this all No for I tell you the Scriptures present them to us under sensible things things that wee can feele because that we are lead with senses in this life he saith if you will come into Christ he will make you a feast Esay saith 25.16 In the Mount of the Lord he will provide a Feast of fined Wines of fat Wines fined and purified of fatlings full of marrow and frequently it is repeated in Scripture that Christ wil make you a feast They were sent to come unto the feast of the King Mat. 22 His Wine was drawne his Fatlings was prepared that is any thing you shall have by Christ you shall have a Feast What is this Looke what meat doth meat is called a feast because it maintaines life and so doth this it breeds and maintaines life yea immortall life as the food is of an immortall nature it is the bread of life Againe meat breeds strength so this strengthens you in the inward man to doe holy and spirituall duties as the corporal meat strengthens the outward man to labour and exercise Againe a Feast breeds joy and cheerefulnesse So doth this As the corporall feast cheeres the heart and refreshes the spirit so if you would know what this feast is it is that which breeds and maintaines spirituall life and strength and cheerfulnesse You will say what is that By induction of particulars what it is not you shall finde what it is First it is not that which continues you in a being for that stones have and yet are farre from having this life Againe it is not that which gives you vegetation and motion and sense for that Beasts have and that have not this life Againe it is not the exercise of reason and understanding for that reprobates and divels may have yet dye the second death What is it then It is that which breeds and maintaines that holy and regenerate men live heare and with the Angels live in Heaven for all eternity that which breeds that life for you must know that the soule that is within us hath its food to feed on as well as the body The soule hath its food that is whersoever there is the hidden man where there is the new man the hidden man of the heart as Peter cals it it must be fed as well as the outward man it must have dinners and suppers and break-fasts if there be life there it must have all this otherwise what is Christs saying when he said Ioh. 4. I have other meat that you know not of and what is Davids meaning when he saith Thy word is sweeter to mee than the honey or the honey combe If it bee not that the soule the regenerate man within is fed with a kinde of foode And what is Iobs meaning when he said Hee found it better than his appointed meales that is he would let his body starve it should want at least rather than his soule should be deprived of the ordinary meat it should have In this sense Manna is said to bee the food of Angels why could Manna bee the food of Angels If these materiall and substantiall soules and the Angels had not somewhat else to feed on Manna was Angels foode Angels have not mouthes to eate Manna therefore it is not the corporall Manna that is said to be Angels foode What then It was Christ that was typified by Manna as he saith Iohn 6. I am the true Manna the true bread that came downe from heaven The Fatheâ—s eate the same spirituall meate so it was then the spirituatll Manna that was Angels foode and if Angels foode then the foode of our soules for our soules and Angels feede alike You will say yet cleare unto us further what this is If wee come to eate Angels foode you shall finde in Iohn 6. Seek not for the meat that perisheth but for the meat that endures for ever saith Christ which the sonne of man shall give you for him hath God the Father sealed Marke Seeke the meat that endures for ever so then there is another feast another meate and if you would know what it is this is one property it is meat that endures for ever That is other men when they eate the sweetnesse is gone as soone as they have eaten but the sweetnesse of this continues that is what profit you have had from hearinâ— the word what comfort you have had from praying to God from serving God with a perfect heart these comforts continue for ever As twenty yeares after a man may feele the
2 62 Our Hearts should melt at Christs love 3 41 See God Hell Out of Christ wee are subject to Helâ— 3 49 Aggravations of the misery of Hell 3 50 Hid. The state of Gods children Hid 2 41 Honour Sanctification stands with Gods Honour 2 89 House What kinde of House God is 2 195 Humbled Humiliation Humiliation must goe before Iustification 1 6 Israelites how God Humbled them 1 7 Humiliation two things in it 1 8 Humiliation to bee laboured for 1 18 Triall of true Humiliation 1 22 Helpes to Humiliation 1 26 Good men shoud desire Humiliation 1 30 Humiliation a remedie against Gods wrath 1 278 Hundred-fold Hundred-fold with persecution 2 223 Hunger Hunger out of Christ 2 215 I Iealousie IEalousie of God provoked by want of zeale 1 299 Idolatrie Idolatrie to attribute that to the Creature that belongs to God 1 265 Idolatrie a sinne of Israel 1 295 Impediment Impediments not removed suppresse the Truth 1 206 Impediments of two sorts 2 152 Impossible That which GOD requires of Christians not Impossible 2 255 Transubstantiation a doctrine Impossible 3 8 Imprison See Truth Inclination Inclination wrought by the Spirit 2 16 Inclination changed 2 63 Inclination changed how to bee Knowne 2 64 Independent Independent riches make men independent 2 212 Inconsideration Inconsideration keeps men in their old state 1 240 Infirmitie Men excuse sinne from their Infirmitie 1 232 Incredulity Incredulity of mans understanding 1 45 Instigate Conscience corrupted cannot Instigate to good 1 55 Inlightned Carnall men may be Inlightned 1 152 Inconstancie Inconstancie of mans will 1 50 Instrument Ministers and ordinances Instruments 2 158 Insensible Ill signe to be Insensible of Gods wrath 1 272 Inexcusable So much revealed as makes man Inexcusable 1 219 Ioy. Ioy mortifieth Lusts 1 18 Israelites See Humbled Iubile Iubile a resemblance of libertie in the Gospell 1 19 Iustifie Iustification Why we are Iustified by anothers righteousnesse 1 3 Iustification and sanctification inseparable 2 4 Iustification how it admits degrees 2 177 The clothing of the soule in Iustification 3 95 See Humiliation and Sanctification Iudge How to Iudge of things 1 270 Iudgement Sinne in time brings forth Iudgement 1 272 Execution of Iudgement commended 1 295 Iustice. What makes men acknowledge Gods Iustice 1 13 Iustice of God on whom it appeares most 1 147 Want of Iustice a cause of Iudgement 1 295 K Kinde NAture common to the whole Kinde 2 96 Kingdome Kingdome we have by Christ 3 72 Knowledge Knowledge an aggravation of sin 1 92 Knowledge in naturall men without rellish 1 155 Knowledge sinned against imprisoneth Truth 1 195 A sin of Knowledge what 1 197 Sinne excused for want of Knowledge 1 221 It is a sinne not to encrease Knowledge 1 198 Men might have more Knowledge 1 222 Knowledge of our estate at the first conversion 2 51 What kinde of Knowledge makes new Creatures 2 76 L Law THe Law shewes mans nature to be corrupted 1 34 Law how to be understood 1 35 Law the least breach of it punished 1 36 Law compared to Aegyptian Tasks-masters 1 37 Law against which men sin is exact 1 282 Law of God approved by natural men 2 104 See Schoole-master Leaven Sinne likened to Leaven 2 128 Liberty Benefits of setting the Truth at Libertie 1 171 Meanes to set Truth at Libertie 1 172 Libertie by Christ 3 73 Libertie what ibid. See Iubile Life Life promised to the taking of Christ 3 55 Life spirituall the excellencie of it 3 56 Exhortation to partake of this Life 3 57 Life how it is a Christians 3 83 Light Light imprisoned foure wayes 1 134 Aggravations of sinnes against Light 1 146 Naturall men defective in Light 1 154 The burden of Christ in bearing growes Light 2 141 Long-suffering Wee should give God the glory of his Long-suffering 1 237 Lord. Zeale for the Lord 1 285 Sacrifice offred to the Lord 2 86 Love Love mortifieth Lusts 1 13 Men sinne out of Love to evill 1 163 Love of Christ the greatnesse of it 2 39 Love cannot be counterfeit 2 92.3 29 Perwasion of Christs Love unites to him 2 179 To serve Christ in Love a part of the Covenant 3 26 Love constant 3 28 Lusts. Lusts detained keep men in their old state 1 241 Lusts why God suffers them in his children 2 35 Excellencie of the new Creature above Lusts 2 37 Old Lusts must be mortified 2 84 M Mannah MAnnah how it is Angels food 2 215 Manifest The Law of Mans judgement Manifest foure wayes 1 181 Marke Marke of Christ what 3 53 Meanes Meanes enjoyed aggravate sin 1 99 Sin excused from want of Means 1 228 Difference of feare in respect of Meanes 1 303 Meanes of Grace tend to Sanctification 2 21 Meaning Sin excused from good meaning 1 101 Mediator Why God hath appointed us such a Mediator as Christ 1 187 Memory Memory the corruption of it in two things 1 53 Mercy Mercy of God the greatnesse of it 3 22 Mercy to whom it is shewed 3 52 Metaphor Metaphors used in the Sacraments of the old Law 3 7 Ministery Ministery to be advanced 1 298 Misery Our Misery out of Christ 2 178 Forgivenesse of sinnes takes away the cause of Misery 2 18 See Apprehension Morall vertues Morall vertues nothing without change of nature 2 102 N Naked OVt of Christ we are Naked 2 209 To be Naked what 2 213 Nature Mans Nature full of ungodlinesse 1 4 33 All in mans Nature corrupt 1 41 Badnesse of Nature aggravates sinne 1 101 Men by Nature how far they may goe 1 151 How farre men by Nature fall short 1 153 God made manifest by the light of Nature 1 181 Sinne excused from corruption of Nature 1 226 What keepes men in the state of Nature 1 240 Conversion of men are turning the course of Nature 2 8 More than Nature required in the New Creature 2 91 Those that are in Christ have another Nature 2 95 Not to be content without a new Nature 2 101 Two things in a new Nature 2 112 Naturall When a thing is said to be Naturall 2 95 Good duties must bee Naturall to us 2 107 Necessitie No Necessitie of Transubstantiation 3 3 Need. Riches helpe in time of Need 2 211 Neglect Neglect keepes men from Christ 1 12 Neglect in serving of God 1 257 Net Gospell a Net 1 23 New Creature New Creature the excellencie of it 2 37 New Creature signes of it 2 49 New Creature what 2 61 New Creature the parts of it 2 84 New Creature required 2 122 Noblenesse The Spirit workes Noblenesse of spirit 2 15 Number Consideration of the Number of former sins helps humiliation 1 27 O Oath THE Covenant confirmed with an Oath 2 24 Object Faculties knowne by their Object 2 56 Objection Objection of Papists out of Iohn 6. concerning eating Christs flesh answered 3 33 Offices Offices of Christ goe together 2 20 Offices of Christ to be improved 2 183 Old Old