his As in the Canticles the Church saith I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine that is because hee is my husband and I am his spouse therefore I will labour to be like him in holinesse and our Saviour prayeth for this holinesse for his Disciples Iohn 17. 17. Sanctifie them through thy truth thy Word is truth the Word is the meanes to worke holinesse in them when the Word comes then comes holinesse but when profit or pleasure comes to take place then the Spirit of holinesse is as it were pluckt from them but when they have the Spirit then they see the vanity of these earthly things and therefore it is that men are deceived with false and counterfeit wares because they want the Spirit of discerning but when the Spirit of God comes into the heart of a Christian then it showes him the vanity of these things and this he doth by enlightning the mind and therefore it is that they are kept from playing the adulteresses with these things because they have the Spirit of discerning Now examine what strength above nature what conjunction of holinesse have you with it what Spirit of discerning have you are not these things in you then you have not the Spirit The third signe whereby you shall knowne whether you have the Spirit or no is this examine when and by what meanes it came into the heart this is the signe that the Apostle makes in Gal. 3. 2. Did you saith hee receive the Spirit by the workes of the Law or else by faith Preached that is if you have the Spirit then tell me how came you by it when and by what meanes came hee first into the heart But here all the question is how a man may know whether the Spirit be come into the heart in the right manner or no. To this I answer that this you must know that the onely meanes to receive the Spirit into the heart the right conveyance of the Spirit into the heart is by the Word purely preached when it comes in the evidence of the Spirit purely without the mixture of any thing of mans with it and further you shall know whether you have received the Spirit by the preaching of the Word by these two things by the antecedent and by the consequent First you shall know it by that which went before if the Spirit hath beene wrought by the Word then there will bee a deepe humiliation wrought in the soule for sinne and then Christ and the Spirit comes into the heart and begins to cheere up the dejected soule and strengthens the inward man and then thereupon there will be a thorow change wrought in the whole man and it must needs be so because the nature of the Spirit is first to pull downe what mans corruption hath built and then to lay downe the foundation of the spirituall building humilitie and then after to reare the building of grace in the soule as for example if you would know whether the plants receive vertue from the Olive or no then you must know that first they must be cut off and then they must be ingrafted in and then see whether they have the fatnesse of the Olive and then whether they beare the Olive leaves so a man that hath not received the Spirit by the word hee shall see it by the ripenesse of sinnes the corrupt branches the bitter fruite that comes and is brought forth by him but on the contrary if the Word by the Spirit hath cut you down and humbled you throughly in the sight of sinne and then ingrafted you into Christ by working in you a saving justifying faith and if it hath then made you fat and well liking in grace that you have brought forth better fruit then you could before then certainly the Spirit came into the heart the right way and workes in the right manner but as I said it will first humble you by the Word as in Iohn 16. 8. the Spirit shall reproove the world of sinne of righteousnesse and of judgement First he will reproove them of sinne to humble them Secondly of righteousnesse because they have not beleeved the all-sufficiency of Christ. Thirdly of judgement that they might change their opinions that they might doe these things and bring forth such fruit as is agreeable unto God Will. Secondly consider the consequence that is looke to the thing that followes the Spirit where it comes for where the Spirit comes it workes a thorow change in the soule I call it not a bare change but a thorow change for as there may be a glistering shew of something that is like gold and yet no gold so there may be a cessation from sinne and a change from sinne but not truly or thorowly and so not at all for what will it availe Herod to forsake some sinne and like Iohn well in some things if he will not forsake all and like Iohn in the reproofe of all in like manner what if you change your opinions of some sinnes what if you esteeme some sinnes to be sinnes indeed if you have not the like opinion of all whatsoever you thinke of your selves as yet you never had the Spirit therefore if you would know whether you have the sanctifying Spirit or no in you then examine whether there be a thorow change wrought in you that is whether you doe not onely esteeme every sinne to be sinne but also what spirituall life you find in you I say you shall know whether the holy Spirit be in you by this if you find your owne spirit dead in you and Christs Spirit quicke and lively in you and this you shall know also by your affections if you have other affections both to God and Christ to holinesse to the Saints than you had before it is certaine you have the Spirit for this is that which followes the Spirit for when the sanctifying Spirit comes into the heart of a Christian it works another kinde of love in a man then a man naturally hath and again it makes a man to live another kinde of life then he did before thus it was with Paul in Galath 2. 20. Thus I live yet not I but Christ in mee that is there is a proportion and likenesse betweene the life of a Christian and Christ that is when the Spirit enters into the heart then it begins to put off the old man and to put on the new man it will put off its owne spirit and strength to good and put on Christs wholly yet mistake mee not I say not that the substance of the soule is changed for the soule in substance is the same as it was before but here is the difference when the Spirit comes it puts new qualities and habits into it alters and changes the disposition of it gives it that sense which before it felt not and that sight which before it saw not Hence it is throughly changed in
are wicked men well spoken of in this life but onely because that men dare not speake their minds but then when both envie and feare shall be removed then shall Paul be Paul and Iudas shall be Iudas Now the Vses are these three First If mens names shall be according to their hearts in their life times then take heed that thou keepe not an evill heart in secret for God who sees thy sinnes in secret will reward thee openly God sees thy secret prophanenesse thy secret covetousnesse surely without thou doest speedily amend God in the end will give thee a name accordingly on the contrary art thou secretly upright holy c. God certainly who seeth it will in the end plentifully reward thee for if we have not credit with God surely all glosses and shifts will doe no good so that this is true both as well for the evill as the good Let every man therefore looke to his owne conscience and see how the case standeth with him Art thou an hypocrite God will even set a brand upon thee as he did upon Cain which shall never be seperated from thee no more then the shadow from the body thou shalt never have a good name with men yea and rather then thy wickednesse shall be hidden the very birds of the ayre shall disclose it and although it may be thou thinkest that thy power or authority wil shield thee from an ill report yet I tell thee thy expectation will much be frustrated Secondly This should teach us daily to renew our repentance for our sinnes for although it may be our sinnes be remitted yet unlesse we doe daily by repentance cleanse our hearts God at the length will bring us to shame and as Iosephs brethren who because they did not repent them of their sinne against their brother were many yeeres after grieved and troubled for the same Therefore as you love your names by daily repentance make up the breaches of your heart and life for thus did the Prophet David Who would ever in the least manner have immagined that he after his great sinnes of murder and adulterie would have recovered his name yet because that he unfeinedly even from the bottome of his heart repented behold at the last he recovers againe his name and in the end dieth both full of riches and honours So likewise Iob though he was in his life time very impatient yet because that he repented him of it truly afterward he is honoured for his patience and hence is it that Saint Iames saith Remember the patience of Iob. A good name cannot but must follow grace and vertue no lesse then a sweet smell will needes follow flowers and sweet oyntments If then thou hast committed any sinne either in secret or openly wilt thou have thy good name recovered before thou dye be sure to make thy heart sure by repentance Thirdly Let not good men be discouraged for evill reports that they may here have for a time nor let not evill men be encouraged for the good reports for a time they may have for at the last all evill reports that are cast on the godly shall vanish away and all the good report that the wicked have had shall quite forsake them and every one then shall plainly appeare what he is the reason of this is because the reports of the wicked have no sure rooting Indeede certaine it is that the godly often have an ill name yet most sure is it that at the last God will make their goodnesse to breake forth as the Sunne when it hath beene long darkened Yet here must be one caution premised that our hearts be substantially good I denie not but a man may have some blemishes but we must daily labour to keepe our hearts unspotted of the world We must behave our selves blamelesly but how not by stopping the mouthes of men but we must keepe our selves unspotted of the world and arme our selves against it by abstaining from sinne If paper be well oyled cast inke upon it and it will soone returne off againe but if it be not oyled it will stay on so if our hearts be well oyled against the world by our innocent carriage then if they have ill reports cast upon them they will not remaine qut off againe presently and so againe on the contrary side And thus much for the first part of my Text. 2. The time When he saw he was condemned Hence learne againe That sinnes are commonly covered and glosses put upon them untill they becommitted but after they becommitted they seeme most vile and odious This is plaine here in Iudas before he committed this sinne it seemed a matter of nothing unto him but after behold how hainous it is Sathan herein is very readie to deceive us as wee may see in manie examples Thus delt he with Dauid when he went to number the people when Ioab represented the sinne to him well enough yet it seemed nothing to him but he must needs have it done then afterwards see how hainous it was to him insomuch that it made him cry out saying I have done exceeding foolishly But should we trace the whole Bible we can findeno better example then this of Iudas Christ had given him so manie warnings saying One of you shall betray me And againe I have chosen twelue and behold one of you is a divell And againe It were better for that man by whom the Sonne of man shall be betrayed that he had never beene borne yet all this would not serve but the luster of the thirtie silver peeces had so blinded his eyes that he could not see Now for the Reasons The first Reason is taken from a mans selfe our lusts within us are so strong that we cannot see the sinne as was that in Cain for the properties of these lusts are to cast a mist before our eyes and to blinde-fold us thereby As when a man doth any thing in his anger while his anger lasts he thinketh that he doth it with reason but afterward he judgeth himselfe for it and considers the thing as it is in itselfe so is it when a man is blinded with his lusts he goes on in sinne perit enim judicium cum res transit in effectum The second Reason is from the Divell who covers our sinnes before they are committed with some bairs for hee knowes no fish will bite at a bare hooke so sinne at the first is covered with profit pleasures c. or else he laboureth to minse it with distinctions but when it s committed then he sets it forth in its owne proper colours The third Reason is from God himselfe who giueth men up oftentimes in his just judgement and then use all the perswasions and reasons in the world and you cannot move them from it hence is it that the Apostle speakes Rom. 1. 28. As they regarded not to know God so God gave them over to
receive his mercy I answer you know not what mercy is It may be thou thinkest if thou hadst more repētance or more humiliation then thou wert fit for mercy but thou art deceived for the more thy heart is out of order the fitter thou art for mercy for the greates thy sin hath bin the more will his mercy be seen in the forgivenes therof And therfore never look what your sinnes have been in time past but see what your purpose resolutiō is for the time to come and which is the hardest thing to do labor to beleeve in Christ for the pardon of thy sins and apply the promises to thy self for a sin is never soundly healed until we apply the promises for unlesse we apply the promises we cannot truly delight in God untill we do truly delightin God we cannot hate sin thinke well of God goodnes And therfore to conclude all let us here be exhorted to labour for faith above al things which daily will increase grace in us FINIS THE SAINTS SPIRITVALL STRENGTH Excellently and Amply set forth in three Doctrines drawne from EPHES. 3. 16. That he would grant you c. By the late Reverend and learned Preacher IOHN PRESTON Dr. in Divinity Chaplaine in Ordinary to his Maiesty Master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher of Lincolnes-Inne LONDON Printed for Andrew Crooke 1634. The Contents of the Saints Spirituall Strength DOCTRINE I. STrength in the inward man is to be desired above all things of every good Christian page 66 A twofold strength Naturall strength in mind p. 67 Supernaturall body  Supernaturall strength proceeds 1. From the evill spirit to worke evill ibid. 2. From the sanctifying Spirit to doe good p. 68 Spirituall strength consists in 1 Bearing wrong patiently ibid. 2 Thriving under afflections  3 Beleeving against Reason  The description of Spirituall strength p. 69 Of weakenesse two kinds 1. Of Grace p. 70 2. Of Relapse ibid. Of weakenesse two degrees 1. Sensible in the will and affections p. 71 2. In the change of the heart 1 Generall in all parts of the soule p. 72 2 Particular in some parts weake though generally strong ibid. Reasons of the Doctrine I. Strength in the inward man fits us for many imployments ibid. REAS. II. It brings most comfort for 1 It makes us d ee all things with facility p. 73 2 It makes the soule healthy ibid. 3 It brings cheerefulnesse into the heart p. 74 4 It brings plenty of all good to the soule ibid. 5 It strengthens against temptations ibid. USE I. To reprove such as care not to get this spiritual strength p. 75 Let them consider 1 The excellency of the inward man fitting for great imployments p. 76 2 By it they are made like unto the Image of God p. 77 3 By it they are inabled to doe things Honorable to God p. 78.  Profitable to men  4 It is an immortall soule they labour for p. 79 Differences betweene the naturall and spiritual strength 1. The spirituall strength goes further than the naturall p. 80 It inables a man 1 To see more p. 81 82. 2 To doe more  3 To judge better  4 To increase in all parts  II. It hath another beginning Gods Spirit another end Gods glory p. 83 III. It hath a strong faith p. 85 A double worke of faith 1 To empty a man of all his owne righteousnesse 87 2 To stir up a desire after God in Christ. ibid. IV. It leads a man to the power of Godlinesse p. 92 V. It is alwayes joyn'd with reluctancy of will p. 93 USE II. To exhort all men to labor for strength in the inward man p. 95 Motives to perswade hereto are 1 Comfort lyes most in the inward man p. 96 2 It is pleasing to God p. 99 3 It prospers the outward strength p. 101 4 It is the being of a man p. 102 VSE III. To direct a man how he should get his inward man strengthened p. 105 Meanes to strengthen the inward man are 1. Abounding in spirituall knowledge p. 107 2. Diligence in the use of the Meanes p. 110 Rules to be observed in using the Meanes 1. To use all the meanes p. 111 2. To performe holy duties strongly p. 112 3. To be constant in the use of the Meanes p. 113 4. Not to depend on the meanes without God ibid. 3. Labouring to get rectifi'd Iudgements p. 114 Signes of a rectifi'd Iudgement 1 Constancy 2 Strong affections to good p. 115 3 Patience under the Crosse p. 116 4 Hardnesse to be deceiv'd with the things of the world p. 117 5 Strength in the time of try all p. 118 4. Removing excuses and hinderances p. 119 Hinderances are 1. The spending strength upon other things p. 121 2. Strong lusts and unmortifi'd affections ibid. 5. The getting spirituall courage and joy p. 122 6. The getting a lively faith p. 124 7. The getting of the Spirit p. 125 DOCT. II. ALL saving grace or strength of grace a man hath proceeds from the sanctifying spirit p. 126 The Spirit strengthens the inward man 1. By infusing into the soule an effectuall operative and powerfull faculty p. 128 2. By enabling the soule to doc more than it could by Nature ibid. 3. By putting new habits into the soule p. 129 4. By giving efficacy and power to the meanes of growth p. 131 USE I. To teach us hee that hath not the holy Ghost cannot have this strength in the inward man p. 132 Signes to know whether a man hath the Spirit or no 1. Fulnesse of zeale p. 134 2. Doing more than Nature can p. 141  Holinesse p. 143 3. Examination of the Meanes by which the Spirit came into the heart p. 144 You may know whether the Spirit was receiv'd by Preaching of the Word 1 By a deepe humiliation that went before p. 145 2 By a thorow change in the soule p. 146 4. Putting life into the soule p. 149 'T is no true life 1. If but the forme of godlinesse p. 150 2. If not in a feeling manner p. 151 3. If onely for a time ibid. 5. By trying whether it be the Spirit of adoption 153 6. Manner of working p. 154 7. Carriage of words and Actions a mans conversation p. 156 To doe evill of set purpose and to bee forc'd unto evill unwillingly is the maine difference betweene the wicked and holy man p. 157 USE II. To exhort us above all things to seeke the Spirit p. 159 Benefits that come by having the Spirit 1 A good frame of grace in the heart p. 160 2 An ability to beleeve things hee otherwise would not p. 161 3 The breeding heavenly and spirituall effects in the soule p. 163 Holy affections doe much advantage us 1. Because wee are the better men p. 165 2. Because they are the meanes of good p. 166 3. Because they enlarge the soule ibid. 4. Because they cleanse and change the heart DOCTR
worke and change in the soule and therefore the holy Ghost saith they suffered with patience the spoiling of their goods that is they let them willingly goe life and liberty and all shall goe ere Christ shall goe A noble Roman may doe something for his countrey and for himselfe but there is a by-end in it he doth it not in a right manner unto a right end but the spirituall strong man doth all things in a spirituall manner unto a saving end the one doth it for vain glory but the other in uprightnesse of heart for there is a double worke of faith First it empties a man as a man that hath his handfull cannot take another thing till hee let his handfull fall so when faith enters into the heart of a man it empties the heart of selfe love of selfe will it purgeth out the old rubbish that is naturally in every mans heart and lets all goe to get hold on Christ all shall goe then life and honour and profit and pleasure and hee is the truly spirituall man that can thus loose the world to cleave to Christ and miserable are they that cannot Secondly as it empties the heart of that which may keepe Christ out of the soule so in the second place he seekes all things in God and from God that is he first seekes Gods love and Gods blessing upon what he doth injoy and then he goes unto secondary meanes and uses them as helpes but a man that wanteth faith he will not let all goe for Christ hee will not seeke first unto God in any thing but unto secondary meanes and then if hee faile that is want power to supply then it may be he will seeke unto God and hence it is that he will not loose his life or liberty or honour for Christ because he sees more power and good in the creature then in God Againe this makes the difference betweene Christian and Christian namely faith and hence it is that some are weake and others are strong hence it is that some are more able then others for the greatest duties of Reiigion as for example Caleb and Ioshua can doe more then the rest of the people and what is the reason but because they were stronger in the faith then others and so Paul said of himselfe that he could doe more then they all because Paul had a stronger faith For the truth of a mans strength is knowne by his strength of faith that he hath whether he be naturally strong or spiritually strong for this is the first worke of the Spirit after the humiliation of him in the conversion of a sinner namely to worke faith in him and no sooner faith but as soone by degrees strength and then the promise followes faith He that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved but he that beleeveth not shall be damned Marke 16. 16. and this is the course that wee take in preaching first wee Preach the Law unto you and we doe it to this end to humble you and to breake the hard disposition of your hearts that so they may be fit to receive Christ and when we have throughly humbled you then wee preach unto you the Gospell beseeching and perswading you to beleeve in Christ for the pardon of sinnes past present and to come and to lay downe the armes of rebellion which you have taken up against Christ and you shall be saved but yet notwithstanding you are neither humbled by the one nor perswaded and provoked by the other but are as the Prophet saith You have eyes and see not you have eares but you heare not seeing you doe not see and hearing you doe not heare as for example when a man is showed a thing but yet hee minds it not when the eye of the minde is upon another object that man may be said to see and not to see because he doth not regard it or a man that hath a matter come before him he hears it but his minde being otherwayes employed he regards it not in which regard hee may be said to heare and not to heare because he minds it not And what is the reason that though wee preach the Law and the Iudgements of God so much unto you beseech and perswade you so often to come in and receive Christ and you shall be saved time after time day after day yet we see no reformation at all what is the reason that the word wants this effect in you as to humble you and that you are no more affrighted with the Iudgements of God then you are and that you remaine as ignorant and carelesse as ever you were the reason is because you doe not beleeve you want a true saving applying faith for if you had that the word would worke other effects in you then it doth If one should tell a man that such or such a benefit or legacie is befalne him that would raise him unto great honour though before hee lived but in a meane condition now if this man did but beleeve it then surely he would rejoyce Truly so if you did but beleeve that Christ and grace and salvation were so excellent and that holinesse and the strengthning of the inward man would bring you unto so happy a condition and estate as to be the heires of heaven you would rejoyce in Christ and grace only Againe if you did beleeve that the Word of God is true and that God is a just God if the drunkard did but beleeve that drunkards shall be damned or if the Adulterer did but beleeve that no adulterer should inherit the Kingdome of God Christ or if the prophane person and the gamester did but beleeve that they must give account for all their mis-spent time and idle words and vaine communication they would not sport themselves in their sinnes as they doe Againe if men did but beleeve that God calles whom and when he lists and that many are called but few are chosen that is here is a Church full but it may be but a few of you shall be saved I say if men did but beleeve this they would not surely deferre their repentance they would not put off the motions of the Spirit but they would strik whilest the iron is hot and grinde whilest the wind blowes but men will not beleeve and therefore it is that they goe on in sinne as they doe It is not so for earthly things men are easily brought to beleeve any promise of them as for example if one should come and tell a man of a commoditie which if he would but buy and lay by him it would in a short time yeeld a hundred for one oh how ready will men be to buy such a commoditie with the wise Merchant Mat. 8. 44. They wold sell al that ever they had to buy this oh that men would be but thus wise for their soules beloved I tell you this day of a commoditie the best the richest the profitablest commoditie that
deceived then the man in the judging betweene good and evill as for example a man that is weake in judgement is like a childe and you know that children will be wonne with Counters and feared with bug-beares so if you love the world and the things of the world and are wonne by them feared with the losse of them you are weake in judgement Againe in things that are good in themselves if you use them immoderately and then seeke to excuse this by putting a false glosse upon your doing you are weake in judgement as for example in studying the Law the thing in it selfe is good but if by studying of it you seeke to excuse you from strengthning of the inward man that you have no time and leisure you are weake in judgement because you are easie to bee deceived therefore as you are affected with these things and as they prevaile with you so you may judge of your selves The fifth signe whereby you shall know whether your judgements are rectified is this examine what you are in the times of tryall as you are in these times so you are either strong or weake and so God esteemes of you for God esteemes a man strong as he is in the time of tryall thus he approoved of Abraham Abraham in the time of tryall was strong and Paul in the time of tryall was strong and therefore God set a price upon them hee priseth them at a high rate Abraham is his friend and Paul is a chosen vessell and not only when the temptation is past but when the temptation is present then see your strength whether you have strength to master particular corruptions if in this time you start aside you have flawes and much weakenesse in you you are like a broken bow that will seeme for show as well as the best but when a man comes to draw it then it breakes so some men seeme to bee strong in Christ till they bee tryed but when they are drawne then they breake they have no strength to withstand sinne and therefore it is that God many times sends temptations and afflictions to this end to try men to see what is in them whether they are such as they seeme to be or no not that he knowes not before but because that by his tryall others may know what they are And here God makes a difference in tryalls some are tryed by small others by great tryalls partly because hypocrites may be knowne and partly because hee may stirre up the godly to get more strength as also to weane them from depending upon their owne strength therefore in Esa. 40. 30. it is said Even the youths shall faint and be weary that is he that thought himselfe to be strong in his owne apprehension shall proove weake And thus much for the third meanes The fourth meanes if you would grow strong in the inward man is this you must remoove the excuses and those hinderances which hinder the groweth of the inward man and these are especially two The first hinderance is this when you spend your strength upon other things and not in the strengthning of the inward man this makes you not to grow strong in the inward man therefore you must be wise to take away from these things and spend more time and take more paines in strengthning of the inward man for this is the reason that you grow not all your time and affections are after the things of the world and how you may grow strong in that that you cannot minde heavenly things Againe you hinder the growth of the inward man when you set your affections upon base and vile things this hindereth the growth of the inward man this man is a weak man in grace as for example a man that hath money to bestow at Market if when he shall come there he shall bestow it on bables and not on the things that he went to buy this man were a foolish man especially he knowing that he shall be called to an account for it how he hath laid it out even thus and much more foolish are men when they spend their time on their pleasures and lust which are base things and not on strengthning of the inward man they befoole themselves and this is that which the Wise man saith that there is a price in the hand of a foole but hee hath no heart When men neglect the strengthning of the inward man they forsake a great price that would enrich them but because they want knowledge because they are weake in the inward man they are not able to Iudge in the inward man of spirituall things therefore never bragge of your strength except it be the strength of the inward man and take heed of neglecting the time Paul would have the gathering for the poore to be before he came that that might not hinder him from strengthning of the inward man though that was a holy worke It was a good speech of one who after that he had spent much time in writing about Controversies at last concludes I have saith he spent a great deale of time but not in strengthning the inward man the divell hath beguiled me but he shall goe beyond mee no more that time that I have I will spend unto another end It were wisedome in you to doe the like you that have spent and doe spend your time about trifles and bables upon your lusts conclude that now for the time to come you will gather your strength and bend all your labour and paines to this end for the strengthning of the inward man and say in your selves we had a price in our hands that is wee had much time whereby wee might have strengthned the inward man but wee had no heart that is we were befooled because we did not know the excellency of the inward man but we will doe so no more the time now that wee have shall bee spent in this how wee may bee strengthned in the inward man and grow in favour with God The second hinderance that must be remooved which is contrary unto the growth of the inward man is strong lusts unmortified affections there are inward hinderances which must be remooved before the soule can grow strong in grace these venome the soule and keepe off the stroke of the Word it keepes the plaister from the sore as for example if a man be wounded by an arrow so long as the arrow head is in the wound no plaister will heale it now as it is in the outward man so it is with the inward man if you retaine any lust any beloved sinne and so come unto the ordinances of God you will come without profit because the arrow head is in the wound your lusts you keepe unmortified and so long you cannot be healed this keepes the plaister off the sore you know what paines the humours of the body will breed in a man when they gather into any part of the body and how they
great for he persecuted Christ for which he was strucken downe and it was inevitable he saw no way to escape it is hard for thee to kicke against the prickes that is it is in vaine for thee Paul to set thy selfe against me and prevaile there will bee no resisting without great danger thus when hee saw no way by no shift to escape then he was astonished I might note many doctrines from the words but least I should be prevented in the maine I will therefore omit them and come unto the proper point intended by the holy Ghost which is this That whosoever will receive Christ and be ingrafted into him and receive the Gospell as he ought to doe he must be first humbled I say it is necessary for the right receiving of Christ that a Christian bee humbled It is a necessary condition because no man will receive Christ till then till hee bee cast downe Christ will not bee prized grace will not be esteemed and then hee will see a necessity of Christ and holinesse Now that humiliation is of such necessity wee will prove by Scripture even by those phrases by which this humiliation is set forth First it is called a pricking of the heart Acts 2. 37. And when they heard it they were pricked in their hearts they had then broken hearts they were thorowly humbled and when it was thus with them then they can inquire after Christ what shall wee doe to be saved and on the contrary that which keepes men from Christ is the want of sound humiliation in Ezek. 36. 26. I will take away the stony heart out of you and I will give you a heart of flesh that is till I have made you sensible of sinne you will not prize mee that is you will not doe it till you be humbled Againe consider that Christ came to this end to revive the humble sinner Esa. 61. 1. the spirit of the Lord is come upon mee to preach glad tidings to the meeke to binde up the broken hearted hee that is not broken hearted and wounded with sinne will not seeke to the Physician to be healed Christ is no precious balme unto him He feeles himselfe not a prisoner to sinne and therefore cares not for the libertie that is in grace because he is not broken hearted but if he were thorowly humbled it would be farre otherwise with him Secondly it is called poore in spirit in Matth. 5. 3. those who are broken hearted and mourne for sinne will seeke to be inriched by Christ and therefore Christ promises to comfort these in Esa. 61. 2. to comfort those that mourne those that are are thus spiritually poore and mourne for the want of grace shall have comfort because I am come to this end the contrary to this you shall see in Revel 3. 17. the Laodiceans they thought themselves to be rich wanting nothing and therefore they sought not after Christ but thou art poore and blind and naked the way to make thee to come unto mee is to humble thee in the sight of thy spirituall povertie Thirdly it is called a melting heart that is such a heart as will take any impression of grace this we see in the 2. Chron. 34. 27. Because thy heart melted within thee and thou humbledst thy selfe before me that is because thou wast thorowly humbled and thy heart sensible of sinne and of the Iudgements that I would bring upon thy people therefore I have heard thy prayer if thou hadst not beene humbled thou couldest not have sought to have made thy peace with mee so in Ier. 31. 19. after that I turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed So that till a man bee humbled hee will not turne unto Christ but when hee is humbled then hee will seeke unto Christ and be ashamed of himselfe the contrary to this we see in Hosea 4. 16. Israel is like an untamed heiffer viz. because shee was not humbled Fourthly it is called a trembling at the Word Isai. 66. 2. and Iob 42. 5. 6. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the eare therefore I abhorre my selfe c. that is when I heard thee in thy Word it much humbled mee and caused mee basely to esteeme of my selfe and highly to esteeme of thy favour Prov. 28. 14. Blessed is the man that feareth alwayes the contrary to this is hardnesse of heart when the Word wants this effect to humble men they feare not at all Now that this humiliation is a necessary condition will appeare more apparantly and fully if we doe but consider Gods dealing with men in all ages I say it is the course that God himselfe takes first to humble sinners Thus he dealt with Adam Gen. 3. 8. When he heard the voyce of God he trembled and feared and thus hee dealt with the children of Israel hee showes unto them but a glimpse of his power at the delivering of the law and they were much cast downe Againe this was the course that the Prophets used when they came unto any people you shall see they first pronounce the judgements of God against them Thus and thus saith the Lord c. thorowly to humble them and then after they preach of mercy and the loving kindnesse of God of the readinesse of God to receive those unto mercy that are thorowly humbled Againe this was the course that Iohn Baptist tooke he came in the Spirit of Eliah with sharpe words pronouncing heavy judgements against those that remained impenitent and therefore Matth. 3. 7. he calles them O generation of Vipers who hath forewarned you to flye from the wrath to come c. And all this to humble them because hee knew they would never receive Christ nor prize grace till they were humbled Againe this was the course that our Saviour tooke in Ioh. 4. 31. with the woman of Samaria first hee humbles her and then he comforts her that is first he makes her confesse that shee was a sinner and then shee beleeved and therefore he saith I am not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance to wit to make them see their sinnes and be humbled for them that so they may flie unto God for mercy Againe this was the course that the Apostle Peter tooke Acts 2. 37. first he humbles them and then after comforts them so Paul Acts 24. 26. when hee preached of Iudgement Felix trembled and so likewise in the three first Chapters to the Romanes Paul preacheth matter of humiliation in the first Chapter hee taxeth them with their Idolatry bringing unto their remembrances particular Iudgements which the Lord inflicted upon them for it in the second Chapter hee brings them to the Law in which they so much boasted of and makes a comparison betwixt the Gentiles and them that howsoever they thought hardly of the Gentiles yet they were as bad
done for us is enough to breake the heart of a regenerate man and make him to hate sinne The tenth motive to move you to hate sinne is because sinne makes you to breake your covenants with God and therefore the remembrance of our covenants with God is enough to confound us and give an edge unto our sorrowes for sinnes past and confirme us in our resolutions exceedingly for the time to come what shall wee mocke God saith the holy Man will hee hold him guiltlesse that taketh his name in vaine and will hee not surely require our vowes at our hands Yes certainely hee will and that speedily if wee use to breake our covenants often and begin to forget them and the Genealogy of them therefore let this move you to hate sinne that you may keepe your covenants with God and so escape those judgements which otherwise will light upon you The eleventh motive to move you to hate sin is because sinne is a theefe it will rob you of your pretiousest Iewell and best thing you have in the world which is your assurance of election for what is the reason that many have such heart-qualmes and pinches and doubts and feares whether they bee God's or no but because they let some lust or other enter into their hearts which stirres up the musty corners of the heart and so makes a foule smell in the soule which if they had beene carefull before they might have prevented Now how great a comfort it is to bee assured that hee is one of Gods elect hee that hath felt it knowes what it is though hee cannot expresse it but if you have not felt it you will not beleeve it though you should bee told it to bee assured of the love of God and that all the priviledges in Christ and that all the promises in Scripture belong unto a man it is such a joy as will raise the heart basely to esteeme of all earthly things and to walke in Paradice as it were and to rejoyce continually in the meditation and assurance of those things which are appointed unto the elect in the Booke of God besides not to feare death not to be moved with any Tyranny or evill tidings but to bee like a square stone that stands eeven upon his owne bottome in whatsoever estate hee is cast But all his assurance joy and comfort is lost if the heart bee but impure and unholy towards God Wherefore let this moove you to hate sinne The twelfth motive to move you to hate sinne is because sinne is the greatest tyrant that God hath The consideration what a tyrant lust is would make you affraid of sinne if you did but know what vexation it would put you unto from which tyranny you shall never bee freed till you come to give peremptory denialls unto it in every thing for when strong lusts possesse your hearts they lead you about distract you and weary you Now what greater enemy can any man have then hee that drawes away the heart of his spouse after him from her owne husband What greater enemy can any chaste woman have then hee that entises her to folly and to make her his whoore beloved sinne drawes away your hearts and affections from God you are or you ought to bee Christs Spouse then thinke with your selves whether sinne be not an enemy both unto Christ and unto your selves It is true it may be it will promise you to make satisfaction but performe nothing for while they are yet living and quicke in us wee are in this straight either wee resist them or not resist them if we resist them they paine us and weary us out with importunitie but if we resist them not then we put fewell unto the fire and so make it the greater and when the lust hath gotten more strength then it must have more satisfaction and when that is done yet more will be desired as the fire the bigger it growes the more fewell it requires to feed it and so there will bee no end but it will grow in infinitum infinitely till it hath drawne you into perdition therefore there is no way but to put it cleane out and to quench every sparke to give no fewell to it at all nor so much as to gaze upon unmeete objects else shall you never be free from the vexation and tyranny of it but rather sinke deeper and deeper like a man in a quick-sand Let this moove you to hate sinne The thirteenth motive to move you to hate sinne is because sinne will make you to come weeping home if ever you come but if you do not come home then as the Apostle saith your damnation sleepeth not the longer you goe the neerer you are to hell and further from God And therefore it is better for you to come weeping at last then not at all and who went ever out from God that sometimes had injoyed fellowship with him but they have come home by the weeping crosse for in this case God commonly drives them home with stormes if they bee such as belong unto him Hence the wayes of the Saints are said to bee hedged in with thornes if they keepe the right way it is smooth and plaine but if they step aside they will meete with thornes that will pricke and gall them the Scripture is full of examples in David in Salomon in Manasses in Paul in Peter Let this moove you to hate sinne The fourteenth Motive to moove you to hate sinne is because you can never have any true content so long as you love sinne and live in it as for example Let a man but looke backe unto former times before hee was called and see whether he ever found so much contentment in any thing as he doth now if his heart be perfect towards God when hee walkes more exactly with him Againe whether it hath not beene wearisome and restlesse to have his heart drawne forth to vanitie and led up and downe with divers lusts This was Davids practice I remembred my sorrowings in the night and in the times of old what joy I was wont to finde in thee every man would live a contented life and it is wearisome unto nature to live in discontent now that you may have true content hate sinne The fifteenth motive to move you to hate sinne is because sinne will at the last whether you will or no make you to confesse and say that you have done very foolishly I say never any man committed sinne but it brought him in the end to say as David said in 2 Sam. 24. 10. I have done very foolishly and to expresse this that speech of Salomon is most excellent Eccles. 7. 15. I set my selfe to know the wickednesse of folly and the foolishnesse of madnesse as if hee could not sufficiently or easily expresse it that sinne will make a man to see that there is nothing but folly in sinne at last and in 1 Tim. 6. 9.