the radicall grace in a Christians soule is this beleeving this trusting in God reconciled in Christ this relying upon Christ a convincing perswasion that God and Christ are mine this is the radicall grace of all other let us water and cherish this by all meanes whatsover And to this end let us labour to encrease in knowledge I know whom I have beleeved sayth the Apostle for all grace comes into the soule by the light of knowledge whatsoever is good is conveyed by light into the heart Faith especially is the bent of the will to Christ receiving him but this comes by a supernaturall light discovering Christ. Therefore let us desire to heare much of Christ of his Priviledges and Promises the more of Christ we know the more we shall beleeve and say with the Apostle I know whom I have beleeved It is a fond and wicked Tenent of the Papists to say That Ignorance is the Mother of Devotion and Bellarmines Tenent is That Faith is better defined by Ignorance then by any thing else a fond and unlearned conceit For how soever the reason and depth of the things of Faith cannot be searched yet we may know the things that are revealed in the Scriptures The more I know the things that are revealed concerning Christ and know that they are Gods Truths the more I know the more I shall beleeve Faith of necessity requires knowledge therefore knowledge is put for all other graces This is eternall life to know thee and whom thou hast sent because it is an ingredient in all graces it is a maine ingredient in Faith the more we know the more we shall beleeve They that know thy Name will trust in thee It is not so in mens matters the more we know a man to be able and loving and faithfull of his word the more we shall trust him Is it not so in divine things the more we know of Christ and of his Riches and Truth the more experimentall knowledge we have of him that we find him to be so the more we shall trust him Therefore by the knowledge that is gotten by the meanes let us labour for an experimentall knowledge that so we may trust and beleeve in him more and more Let us looke to the passages of our lives in former times how gracious God hath been towards us and take in trust the time to come that he will be so to the end He is the Author and Finisher of our Faith And let us search into the depth of our owne wants and weaknesses and this will force us to grow in Faith more and more this will be a meanes to encrease our Faith the more we see of our owne nothingnesse and inabilitie without Christ that we are nothing nay that we are miserable without him the more we shall cleave to him and cast our selves upon him Those that have the deepest apprehensions of their owne wants and weakenesse usually they have the deepest apprehensions of Christ and grow more and more rooted in him The searching of our owne corruptions every day is a notable meanes to grow in Faith to consider what we are if it were not for Gods mercy in Christ and this will make us to make out of our selves to Christ it will make us flye to the Citie of Refuge Ioab when he was pursued he fled to the Hornes of the Altar when conscience pursues us it will make us flye to the Hornes of the Altar to the Citie of Refuge a search into our owne conscience and wayes will force us to live by Faith and to exercise Faith every day in Christ Iesus And this is to feed on Christ daily to flye to Christ when we are stung with sinne and hunger in the want of grace and strength to flye to him for supply and so to keepe and encrease Faith by this excellent meanes Christ is all in all to those that hope to be saved by him Christ is the ground of our life and comfort and our happinesse Therefore we should make out to him upon all occasions to cleave to him in life and death We cannot presse this point of Faith too much Why are Christians called beleevers because beleeving is all if we can prove the Truth of our Faith and beleefe we prove all if we be faulty in that all is rotten Whatsoever is without faith is sinne All mens naturall morality and civility it is as it were but Copper graces but counterfeits they are but for the outwarp appearance and not in truth they are not enlivened and quickned by Faith in Christ. But I leave this and come to the last Clause Received up in glory This is the last Branch of this Divine Mysterie of Godlinesse but it is none of the least Christ ascended if we respect himselfe he was received if we looke to his Father himselfe ascended his Father received him the Scripture hath both words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he ascended up that is for himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was received up that is he was assumpted there is no difficulty in the words he ascendâ—d up as well as he was received up positively as well as passively In his death he was â—ot onely crucified by others and delivered by his Father but he gave himselfe to death so he was not onely received up in glory but he ascended up into glory This shewes the exaltation of Christ. The Apostle begins with God manifest in the flesh there is the descent a great Mysterie for the great God to descend into the Wombe of a Vigin to descend to the lowest parts of the Earth and then he ends with this Received up in Glory The ascent is from whence the descent was Christ ascended and was received as high as the place was whence he came downe God manifest in the flesh that is the beginning of all Received up in Glory that is the consumutation and shutting up of all It implyes all his Exaltation his Resurrection his Ascension his sitting at the right hand of God and his comming to judge the quick and the dead especially is meant his Glory after his Resurrection his Ascension and sitting at the right hand of God yet supposing his Resurrection Received up to Glory Glory implyes three things It is an exemption from that which is opposite and a conquering over the contrarie base condition It implyes some great eminencie and excellencie as the foundation of it and then a manifestation of that excellencie and it implyes victorie over all opposition Though there be excellency if there be not a manifestation of that excellencie it is not glory Christ was inwardly glorious while he was on Earth in the state of abasement he had true glory as he was God and man but there was not a manifestation of it and therefore it is not properly called glory there was not a victorie and subduing of all that was contrarie to his glory for he was abased and suffered in the Garden and
we looke forward it is a sight as it were in a Mysterie even that little that we doe know wee doe not know it as we shall know it in Heaven But is the Doctrine of the Gospel it selfe onely a Mysterie No All the Graces are Mysteries every Grace Let a man once know it and hee shall find that there is a Mysterie in Faith that the earthly soule of man should be carryed above it selfe to beleeve supernaturall Truths and to depend upon that he sees not to sway the life by reasons spirituall That the heart of man should beleeve that a man in trouble should carry himselfe quietly and patiently from supernaturall supports and grounds it is a Mysterie That a man should be as a Rocke in the middest of a storme to stand unmoveable it is a Mysterie That the carriage of the soule should be turned universally another way that the judgement and affections should be turned backward as it were that hee that was proud before should now be humble that hee that was ambitious before should now despise the vaine World that hee that was given to his lusts and vanities before should now on the contrary be serious and heavenly minded here is a Mysterie indeed when all is turned backward Therefore wee see how Nicodemus as wise as hee was it was a Riddle to him when our blessed Saviour spake to him of the New-Birth that a man should be wholly changed and new-molded that a man should be the same and not the same the same man for soule and body yet not the same in regard of a supernaturall life and being put into him carrying him another way leading him in another manner by other rules and respects as much different from other men as a man differs from a beast A strange Mysterie that rayseth a man above other men as much as another man is above other creatures For a man to be content with his condition in all changes and varieties when he is cast and tossed up and downe in the world to have a mind unmoveable it is a Mysterie Therefore S. Paul saith Philip 4. I have entred into Religion as it were I have consecrated my selfe the word is wondrous significant I have learned this Mysterie to be content It is a Mysterie for a man to be tossed up and downe and yet to have a contented mind I can want and I can abound I can doe all through Christ that strengtheneth me Why I have consecrate my selfe to Christ and Religion and from them I have learned this point to be content Therefore in the Text here as we shall see afterwards not onely Divine Truths are a Mysterie Great is the Mysterie of Godlinesse but he insists in particular Graces Preached to the Gentiles Beleeved on in the World these are Mysteries In Christ all is Mysteries two natures God and man in one person mortall and immortall greatnesse and basenesse infinitenesse and finitenesse in one person The Church it selfe is a mysticall thing For under basenesse under the scorne of the world what is hid A glorious people The state of the Church in this world it is like a Tree that is weather-beaten the leaves and fruit are gone but there is life in the root So what is the Church A companie of men that are in the world without glory without comelinesse and beautie yet notwithstanding they have life in the root a hidden life Our life is hid with Christ in God Coloss. 3. The Church hath a life but it is a hidden mysticall life a life under death they seeme to die to the world but they are alive This is excellently and rhetorically followed by S. Paul As dying and yet we live as poore yet making many rich A strange kind of people poore and rich living and dying glorious and base yet this is the state of the Church here in this world they are an excellent people but they are veiled under infirmities of their owne and the disgraces and persecutions of the world So we see both the Doctrine it selfe and the Graces and the Head of the Church and the Church it selfe are nothing but Mysteries Is it so that Religion is a Mysterie Then first of all doe not wonder that it is not knowne in the world and that it is not onely not knowne but persecuted and hated Alas it is a hidden thing men know not the excellencie of it As great mens sonnes in a forraine Countrey they find not entertainment answerable to their worth but as they are apprehended to be by strangers so these Divine Truths they find little acceptance in the world because they are mysteries not onely Mysteries in the Tenent but in the practise therefore the practise finds such opposition in the world Father forgive them saith our blessed Saviour they know not what they doe The world knowes not what they doe when they hate and persecute Religion and religious persons The Church is a mysticall thing and Religion is a Mysterie it is hid from them Shall we be mooved with the disgracefull speeches of carnall men They speake they know not what the thing they speake against is a Mysterie Therefore what should we regard the speeches of the world or follow the example of the world in embracing Religion Religion is a Mysterie Let the world be never so great it is not the knowledge of great men or of rich men it is the knowledge of godly men it is a Mysterie of Godlinesse Shall we follow the example of the world in Religion when it is a Mysterie and a Mysterie of Godlinesse that onely godly men know and embrace Looke not therefore to the greatnesse of place or parts c. it is a Mysterie Againe if it be a Mysterie then it should teach us to carry our selves sutable to it Nature taught even the Heathens to carry themselves reverently in their Mysteries procul este profani away be gone all prophane Let us carry our selves therefore reverently toward the Truth of God towards all Truths though they be never so contrarie to our reason they are Mysteries altogether above Nature There are some seeds of the Law in Nature but there are no seeds in Nature of the Gospel therfore we should come to it with a great deale of reverence S. Paul teacheth us an excellent Lesson Rom. 11. When he entred into a depth that he could not fathome doth he cavill at it No Oh the depth Oh the depth So in all the Truths of God when we cannot comprehend them let us with silence reverence them and say with him Oh the depth Divine things are Mysteries the Sacraments are Mysteries let us carry our selves towards them with reverence What is the reason that there is one word in the Greeke and in other Languages to signifie both common and prophane Because those that come with common affections and common carriage to holy things they prophane them
so Truth eates up all opposite errours whatsoever See but in experience wheresoever Truth is planted the Gospel and Ordinances and Religion of God how Satan falls downe like Lightning and Antichrist falls But this by the way to give a lustre to the other There are many other Mysteries besides the Mysterie of iniquitie in Poperie every Trade hath its Mysterie and there are Mysteries and secrets of State But this is the Mysterie of all Mysteries that we should give our selves most of all to understand therefore it is sayd to be a Great Mysterie That is the adjunct It is a Great Mysterie And here I might be endlesse for it is not onely great as a Mysterie that is there is much of it concealed but it is a great and excellent Mysterie if we regard whence it came from the Bosome of God from the Wisedome of God If we regard all that had any hand in it God the Father Sonne and Holy-Ghost the Angels attending upon the Church the Apostles the Pen-men Preachers and Ministers the publishers of it it is a great Mysterie If we regard the end of it to bring together God and man man that was fallen to bring him backe againe to God to bring him from the depth of miserie to the height of all happinesse a great Mysterie in this respect Againe it is great for the manifold wisedome that God discovered in the publishing of it by certaine degrees first in Types then after he came to Truths first in Promises and then performances First the Iewes were the Church of God and then comes in the Gentiles a sweet manifold and deepe wisedome it was a great Mysterie in the manner of conveying of it from time to time from the beginning of the world Againe it is a great Mysterie for that it workes for it is such a Mysterie as is not onely a discoverie of secrets but it transformes those that know it and beleeve it We are transformed by it to the likenesse of Christ of whom it is a Mysterie to be as he is full of grace It hath a transforming changing power it gives spirituall sight to the blind and spirituall eares to the deafe and spirituall life to the dead whatsoever Christ did in the dayes of his flesh to the outward man that he doth by his Spirit to the inward man even by the publicaâ—ion of this Mysterie wonders are wrought by it daily If we consider any part of it Christ or his Church or any thing it is a Mysterie and a great Mysterie it must needs be great that the very Angels desire to prie into If we regard those that could not prie into it as it is 1 Cor. 2. that the wise men of the world understood nothing of it Where is the Philosopher c. There are no parts in the world that could ever enter into this it is above the sharpest wit the deepest judgement the reachingest head they are all nothing here it is a great Mysterie it is a depth above all depths of naturall parts whatsoever it is a wondrous depth it hath all dimensions the depth and height of the love of God in Christ and the unsearchable riches of Christ sayth the Apostle Paul Againe it is a great Mysterie because it makes us great it makes Times great and the persons great that live in those times What made Iohn Baptist greater then all the Prophets and others in those times Because he saw Christ come in the flesh What made those after Iohn Baptist greater then he They saw Christ ascend gloriously that Iohn Baptist did not So persons and Times are more or lesse glorious as they have greater or lesse manifestation of this Mysterie Great is that Mysterie it selfe that makes all things great that makes Times and persons great What made the Times of Christ so great Happie are the eyes that see that that your eyes see and the eares that heare that that your eares heare Why Because the Messias was come What made the second Temple greater then the first The first which was Salomons Temple was more magnificent then the other Oh it was because Christ came in the time of the second Temple and taught there So it is the manifestation of Christs Truth that makes Times and places glorious Will he not make the soule glorious then where he is Certainely he doth What makes these Times glorious but that we have unthankfull darke hearts or else we would acknowledge they are blessed times that all of us have in under the Gospel what makes them so glorious the glorious Gospel that shines in these Times out of Aegyptian darkenesse of Poperie Little thankfull are we for it and that threatneth a remoovall of the Gospel for being great things and dis-esteemed and under-valued men living under the Gospel as bad as under Paganisme will God continue these great things among us to be thus vilified and dis-esteemed Let us take heed therefore that we set a higher price on Religion it is a Mysterie and a Great Mysterie therefore it must have great esteeme it brings great comfort and great priviledges It is the Word of the Kingdome it is a glorious Gospel not onely because it promiseth Glory but it makes the soule glorious more excellent then other persons Let us rayse a greater esteeme in our hearts of this excellent Truth it is a great Mysterie Againe it is a great Mysterie oif compared to all other Mysteries Creation was a great Mysterie for all things to be made out of nothing order out of confusion for God to make man a glorious creature of the dust of the earth it was a great matter but what is this in comparison for God to be made man It was a great and wondrous thing for Israel to be delivered out of Aegypt and Babylon but what are those to the deliverance out of Hell and damnation by the Gospel What are the Mysteries of Nature the Miracles of Nature the Loadstone c. to these supernaturall Mysteries There are Mysteries in the providence of God in governing the World Mysteries of Satan Mysteries of iniquity that deceive the World the wise men of the World all wonder at the Beast a Great Mysterie but what are all Mysteries either of Nature or Hell to this Great Mysterie I might be endlesse in the point First of all learne hence from blessed S. Paul how to be affected when we speake and thinke of the glorious Truth of God that we should work upon our hearts to have large thoughts large expressions of it S. Paul thought it not sufficient to call it a Mysterie but a Great Mysterie he doth not onely call it Riches but unsearcheable Riches So when he speakes of the fruits of the Gospel what strange words the Scripture hath Peace of Conscience that passeth understanding and â—oy unspeakable and glorious Wee are brought out of Darknesse into marvellous Light As if all things were
then any other Truth as the worke in Redemption is more glorious so the Divine grace and vertue in the soule that makes use of this which is Faith it must be more excellent then all other Graces whatsoever And as it must be God that must save and redeeme us so it must be God that must peswade the heart of this as Christ who is God must performe the worke of Redemption so it must be God the Holy-Ghost that must perswade the heart that God loves it so much and raise the heart to apprehend it and make use of it no lesse power will doe it Let us I say have great conceits of this excellent grace of Faith All men have not Faith it is a rare grace a rare jewell When Christ comes shall he find Faith in the world Certainely it is a Mysterie for a man to beleeve in Christ for a naturall man to be brought to rely upon Christ To you it is given to beleeve sayth the Apostle he might well say it is given it is no ordinarie gift neyther Therefore let us pray with the Disciples Lord increase our Faith and with the poore man in the Gospel Lord I beleeve helpe my unbeleefe The next thing I will touch shall be this That Faith is put here for all graces Here in these six Clauses of this great Mysterie of Godlinesse there is onely this one that is within us God manifest in the flesh justified in the Spirit seene of Angels preached to the Gentiles received up in glory these are all without us but this one beleeved on in the world that is onely within us and it is set downe in stead of all and indeed so it is for it drawes all other graces after it it enlivens and quickens the soule it is the spriâ—g of spirituall life in us it is the first grace of all There are some degrees of the Spirit perhaps before it but all graces have their quickening from Faith it infuseth supernaturall vigour into all the parts and powers of the soule and into all graces whatsoever Where Christ is beleeved on in the world all followes love and patience and courage and fortitude whatsoever as we see in Heb. 11. By Faith they had a good report they had a good report for patience and for courage and other good workes but all these came from Faith therefore by Faith they had a good report Therefore the acting of all other Graces it comes from Faith By Faith Enoch walked with God by Faâ—th Noah and Moses did so and so signifying that Faith is the ground of all Faith it fetcheth spirituall life from Christ for all whatsoever is good it knits us to the spring of life Christ it is the grace of union Even as Satan by unbeleefe did infuse all his poyson at the first for by making our first Parents stagger in the Word of God came sinne so by Faith all obedience comes all have their rising and beginning from Faith As it drawes spirituall life from Christ so the encouragements are by Faith to all other graces whatsoever for patience and love c. Faith must set before them the object and the reasons from the glory to come from the love of God in Christ when Faith propounds all this then it stirres and quickens all graces Faith yeelds strong reasons and discourse to stirre us up to whatsoever is necessarie Why do I hope for the glory to come I beleeve it first Why doe I love God I beleeve he is my Father in Christ all have strength from Love and that from Faith unlesse I beleeve that God loves me in Christ I cannot love him unlesse I love him I can expresse no vertue for him no patience no good worke so it puts life into all therefore it is here put for all beleeved on in the World It should stirre us up to make much of this Faith above all graces to desire it And being a Mystery and so excellent a grace we had need to discerne whether we have it or no therefore I will touch a few evidences some of them out of the Text. First if you beleeve it comes usually after Preaching We see here Preached to the Gentiles and then Beleeved on in the World Whence came thy Faith If not by the Ordinance of God thou mayest expect it to be a bastard Faith it hath not a right beginning especially if it be joyned with contempt of Gods Ordinance it is no Faith but a presumptuous conceit Preaching and Beleeving here goe one after another Therefore examine how thy Faith was wrought in thy heart Againe as I sayd Faith being a Mysterie in regard of such a world of opposition betweene the heart of man and Christ Satan helping the unbeleeving heart here must needs be a strife and conflict with Faith Therefore those men that never had conflict with their owne unbeleeving heart that never had conflict with Satans temptations they never had Faith for it is a Mystery to have Faith it is with opposition and conflict no grace hath the like conflict and opposition from Satan for Satan aymes in all sinnes to shake our Faith and affiance in Gods love As God aymes at the strengthening of Faith above all so the Devill hates it above all and in all temptations whatsoever he aymes to shake our Faith at the last Therefore there must needs be opposition to our selves and our owne doubting nature and to Satans temptations and to the course of things that sometimes are cleane opposite to a man for a sinner to beleeve the forgivenesse of sinnes for a miserable man to beleeve glory in the world to come for a dying man to beleeve life eternall for a man tumbled into the Grave to beleeve that he shall rise from the dead if there be no conflict with these things so opposite to Faith there is no Faith Then againe in the third place it is the spring of all obedience the Apostle calls it the obedience of Faith Rom. 1. All preaching is for the obedience of Faith obedience of Faith brings obedience of life and conversation Examine thy selfe therefore by the course of thy obedience by that that comes from Faith see what it workes in thy soule in thy life and conversation And here I might be very large for where Faith is First of all after it hath beene a meanes to justifie to lay hold upon the all-sufficient righteousnesse of Christ to stand betweene God and us to cloath and cover our soules then it pacifieth the conscience Being justified by Faith we have peace with God through Iesus Christ our Lord. Faith hath a quieting power it quiets the soule because it propounds to the soule a sufficient satisfaction in God-man it propounds to the soule Christ sealed by God the Father having done all that is necessary to salvation it sets downe the soule for he was God and therefore able and man and therefore willing to save Faith
that have dispositions like them will study how this blessed truth may be promoted and propagated and spread even over the world therefore wee should labour every one to spread the glorious Gospell of Christ especially those that are Ministers whose office it is to unfold and open the unsearchable riches of Christ. Againe we glorifie God in Christ when wee see such glory and mercy of Christ as it doth transforme us and change us and from an inward change we have alway a blessed disposition to glorifie God as I shewed out of 1 Cor. 3. This is the difference betweene the glasse of the Gospell and the glasse of the Law and of the creatures In the Law we see the beames of the Justice of God Cursed is every one that continueth not in all c. and the beames of his power and goodnesse in the creature but it doth not change and transforme us to be good and gracious but when wee see the glory of God of his goodnesse and infinite mercy shining in the face of Iesus Christ for wee dare not looke upon God immediatly it changeth the soule to be gracious like unto Christ therefore if wee find that the knowledge of God in Christ hath changed our dispositions it is a signe then we give glory to God indeed for to glorifie God is an action that cannot proceed but from a disposition of nature that is altered and changed the instrument must be set in tune before it can yeeld this excellent Musicke to glorifie God as the Angels doe that is all the powers of the soule must be set in order with grace by the Spirit of God if the meditations and thoughts of the Gospell have altered our dispositions to love God and that that pleaseth God to doe good to men to delight in goodnesse it is a signe we are instruments in tune to glorifie God and that we have an apprehension of the love and mercy of God in Christ as we should for it hath a transforming power to worke this The grace of God will teach us to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live holily When the grace of God that is the free love of God in Christ in the forgiving our sinnes and advancing us to heaven hath this effect in our soules it is a signe wee have a true notion and apprehension of the excellency and eminency of Gods grace otherwise if we turne the grace of God into wantonnesse to make the benefits by Christ a pretence and covering for our wicked and loose lives we know not what it is to glorifie God but though in words we say Glory be to God yet in our lives we denie it as the Apostle saith The Hypocrites in Isay 66.5 they had good speeches in their mouthes saith God heare the Word of the Lord ye that tremble at his Word your brethren that hated you and cast you out for my name sake said Let the Lord be glorified so you shall find those that are opposers and persecutors and haters of sinceritie will sing Gloria Patri God be glorified but what good will this doe them if they have diabolicall satanicall dispositions if they be like the Devill in opposing the truth and hating that that is good The Devils in the Gospell could glorifie God for their owne ends We know that thou art the Sonne of God so Devils incarnate can come to Church and receive the Sacraments and seeme to praise God oh but there must be a change for to glorifie God is a work of the whole man especially of the Spirit All that is within me praise his holy name It came from the heart roote of a sanctified judgement out of grounds why we doe it The wish of the Angels here Glory to God on high it came from a good ground because they knew God is to be glorified in Christ for judicious phrases are founded upon truths so there must be a sanctified judgement to be the ground of it and the affections must be in tune answerable to those truths then we are sit to glorifie God and all this is by the power of the Gospell transforming us Againe we glorifie God when we take to heart any thing that may hinder or stoppe or eclipse Gods truth and obscure it when it workes zeale in us in our places as farre as we can when it affects us deepely to see the cause of Religion hindred any way if there be any desire of glorifying God there will be zeale the heart will move with a kind of indignation when God is dishonoured and his truth eclipsed with false doctrine or by ill practice it cannot be otherwise it is out of the nature of the thing it selfe therefore those that either are instruments of stopping or obscuring the truth or causing it to be reproached by their wicked lives or if they be not instruments yet they doe not take it to heart when they see God dishonoured surely they can speake little comfort to themselves they have neither Angelicall nor Evangelicall dispositions for if they had the knowledge of the Gospell it would worke this is in them Againe if we apprehend this glorious Mysterie of Christ in the Gospel aright it will work in us a glorious joy for joy is a disposition especially that fits us to glorifie God then we are fit to glorifie God when our hearts are enlarged with joy when we thinke of God in Christ when we thinke of the Day of Judgement when we thinke of heaven when we can thinke of hell with joy as being subdued and blesse God for Christ when we can thinke of all that is opposite as conquered in Christ so that our joy is enlarged in the apprehension of our owne blessed condition it is a good signe we are in a disposition to glorifie God but I will not enlarge my selfe further in this point This being so excellent a duty to which wee are stirred by the Angels Glory to God on high c. what are the maine hindrances of it that we give not God more Glory The maine hindrances are a double vayle of Ignorance and Unbeleefe that we doe not see the glorious light of God shining in Iesus Christ or else if we doe know it we doe not beleeve it and thereupon instead of that blessed disposition that should be in the soule there comes an admiration of carnall excellencies a delighting in base things This Ignorance is partly from the darknesse of our owne hearts being overcast sometimes that such great things are too good to be true our hearts have a hell of unbeleefe in them And sometimes the policy of Satan who casts dust in our eyes and labours that wee may not see the glory of God in the Gospell 2 Cor. 4. The God of this world hath blinded their eyes c. Ignorance arising from within or without is a great cause why we do not see the excellencies of God therefore no wonder if where the Gospell is not
Christ doth hide himselfe under the person of the poore the poore man reacheth out his hand indeed but Christ receives that that we give and â—hey are Christs exchangers for they take from us and Christ rewards us with grace and increase of our substance here with glory hereafter they receive it instead of Christ and Christ begs in the person of the poore in all joyntly and in every one particularly Think of the grace of Christ to us and then think Christ comes to me in the person of this or that poore man and it will stir us up to this duty But some will say if Christ were on Earth himselfe I should be ready to doe it to him Certainly thou wouldst not you know the place Matth. 25. In as much as you have not relieved these you have denied it to me saith Christ let us not deceive our selves for even as we would do â—o Christ if he were on earth we will doe to his poore members he hath made them his receivers But I shall want my selfe I have a family and children It is the best way to provide for thy children Psalme 112. God provides for the posterity of the righteous bounteous man A man is not the poorer for discreet mercy It is seed as I said before a poore man labours to have his seed sowne because it returnes plentifully Let us be sober and abate of our superfluous expences pride is an expender and superfluous lusts let us cut off from them that we may have somewhat for seed let us labour in an honest calling that we may have somewhat to give Oh it is a blessed thing to give It is a thing that must be gotten by use our soules must be exercised to it and when we have gotten it learne an art of giving we must exercise faith in it And when we come to dye it will make us dye wondrous sweetly for when a man hath depended by faith and trust upon Gods promise that He that gives to the poore lends to the Lord and other like promises I have exercised liberality and now I come to give up my soule to God I beleeve that God will make good the promise of life everlasting I have beleeved his other promises before and though I have cast my seed into the ground that I saw it not yet I have found that God hath blessed me the better in a way that I know not and now I depend upon the same gracious God in the promise of life everlasting We should labour to doe this that we may die with comfort What is it that troubles many when they come to dye Oh they have not wrought out their salvation with feare and trembling they have neglected this duty and that duty they have bene carelesse in the workes of mercy c. The time will come that that which wee have given will comfort us more then that we have we shall alway have that which we give for that goes in bâ—nck many prayers are made for us we have the comfort of it here and when we dye what we leave we know not what becomes of it Therefore let us labour to be discreetly large and bountifull as we desire to dye with comfort as we would make it good that we know The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ with interest in it and as we would make it good to our soules that the example of Christ is a thing that hath any efficacy with us or else wee shew that wee have no interrest in the grace of Christ and then how miserable are we We shall wish ere long that wee had part in this grace and love of Christ that he would speak comfortably to us at the latter day Come ye blessed of my Father inherit a kingdome Our life is short and uncertaine as we shall desire it then so labour to be assured of it now and let us bee stirred up from this Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ who though he were rich became poore for our sakes that we through his poverty might be made rich FINIS THE RICH POVERTY OR THE POORE MANS RICHES By the late Learned and Reverend Divine RICHARD SIBBS Dr. in Divinity Master of Katharine-Hall in Cambridge and sometimes Preacher at GRAIES-INNE Matth. 5.3 Blessed are the poore in spirit Iames 2.5 Hath not God chosen the poore of this world rich in faith LONDON Printed by R. Badger for N. Bourne at the Royall Exchange and R. Harford at the gilt Bible in Queenes-head Alley in Pater-Noster Row 1638. THE RICH POVERTY OR The Poore-mans Riches ZEPH. 3.12 â— will also leave in the middest of thee an afflicted and poore people and they shaâ—â— trust in the name of the LORD BEfore the Captivity in Babylon God sent Prophets to his people as Ieremiah and among the rest Zephaniah likewise who lived in the time of Iosias to forewarne and fore-arme them against worse times And as the Contents of all other Prophesies are for the most part these three so of this They are either such expressions and prophesies as set forth the sins of the people or secondly the judgments of God thirdly comfort to the remnant to Gods people so these be the parts of this prophesie A laying open of the sins of the time under so good a Prince as Iosias was and likewise the jâ—dgments of God denounced and then in this third Chapter especially here is comfort set downe for the good people that then lived the comfort begins at the ninth verse This particular verse is a branch of the comfort that how ever God dealt with the world he would be sure to have a care of his owne I will leave in the middest of thee an afflicted and poore people and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The whole Scripture is for consolation and comfort when God pulls downe it is that he may build up when he purgeth it is that he may cure and heale he is the father of comfort whatsoever he doth it is for comfort therefore he hath a speciall care in his Prophets and Ministers and Ambassadours that those that belong to him may be raised up with comfort and not be overmuch dejected and cast downe but to come to the words I will also leave in the middest of thâ—e c. In the words these three generall heads First Gods dealing with his poore Church when he comes to visit the world I will leave in the middest of thee Secondly their condition and 〈…〉 they are an afflicted and poore people Thirdly their practise and carriage towards God they shall trust in the name of the Lord. From the first Gods dealing with his people in the worst times we may observe first that There is a difference of the people both in regard of providence in this world and in regard of that love that tends to the world to come for God hath a more speciall care as we
because as the things are great so they require a sutable carrage not a common carriage We prophane the Sacrament if we take the Bread and Wine as a common Feast as S. Paul saith You discerne not the Lords Body We prophane Mysteries when we discerne not Beasts and beast-like men discerne not the relation of things that these outward elements have reference to great matters to the Body and bloud of Christ they doe not discerne them from common Bread and Wine though they be used to rayse up our soules to the Bread of Life So likewise when we come to the Word of God and looke not to our feet but come to the Church as if we went to a Play or some common place without prayer without preparation when wee come with common affections this is to come prophanely Here we come to Mysteries to high things to great matters Therefore when wee come to converse with God we must not come with common affections wee must carry our selves holily in holy businesse or else we offer to God strange fire God was in this place sayth Iacob and I was not aware of it So when we come to heare the Word when we goe to pray when we receive the Sacrament God is herâ— and Mysteries are here and we are not aware of it It is a shame for us not to labour to bring sutable dispositions It is a matter of that consequent life or death depends upon it You know what S. Paul sayth 1 Cor. 11. For this very cause some are sick and some weake and some sleep some die Why For comming with common affection for not discerning the Lords Body for not examining our selves for not having answerable dispositions to the greatnesse of the Mysteries we goe about Let us not thinke it enough to come to the Sacrament and then to let the reines loose to all kind of vanitie the very Heathens would be ashamed of that It is the bane and blemish of Religion and such a thing for which wee may feare that God will give whole Christendome a purge I meane for our excesse There is a lawfull use of Feasting and comely Recreations but to come with unjustifiable Vanities that are not fit at any time when wee should honour God for the greatest Gift that ever was for the Incarnation of his Sonne to be more prophanely disposed then and to give our selves to more loose courses then at other times how can it but provoke the Justice of God especially it being common Amongst other things we may justly looke for the Vengeance of God for this not onely upon this or that place for it is the fault of Christendome Shall we carry our selves thus prophanely at these times when we should walke in a holy disposition Is this the way to be thankefull to God Let us labour to entertaine and embrace these Mysteries of the Gospel as wee should with a sutable carriage to them for the Gospel will no longer tarry then it hath sutable love and affections to the greatnesse of the thing The Gospel may leave us we know not how soone and goe to people that are as barbarous as we were before the Gospel came to us The Romans thought they had Victory tyed to them but we have not these Mysteries of the Gospel tyed to us If we labour not for an answerable carriage as God hath removed the Gospel from the Easterne Churches of Asia that are under the tyrannie of the Turks now so he may and we know not how soone take away these blessed and glorious Mysteries Let us reverence these Mysteries and blesse God for them and labour to expresse our thankfulnesse in our lives and conversations that God may delight to continue with us and continue his blessed Truth among us Doe but conceive in your owne selves what equity is it that Truths should be obtruded to men that care not for them That live under the mysteries of the Gospell with as much liberty to the flesh as if they had never heard of it that their lives are not better then Pagans perhaps worse When these things grow generall will God continue these Mysteries to us when there is such a disproportion of affection and carriage Judge of these things God should deale justly with us if he should leave us to the darknesse of Gentilisme and Poperie and confusion and carry the Gospel further West still to a people that never heard of it where it should have better entertainment then it hath had of us I beseech you let us labour to carry our selves answerable to this blessed and great Mysterie if wee would have it continued longer among us Againe are these things Mysteries great Mysteries Let us blesse God that hath revealed them to us for the glorious Gospel Oh how doth S. Paul in every Epistle stirre up people to be thankfull for revealing these Mysteries What cause have the Gentiles that were in the shaddow of death before to be thankfull to God What kind of Nation were we in Iulius Caesars time As barbarous as the West Indians the Canibals were as good as we We that were so before not onely to be civillized by the Gospel but to have the meanes of salvation discovered what cause have we to be enlarged to thankfulnesse And shall we shew our thankefulnesse in provoking his Majestie There is nothing in the world that is a ground of that thankfulnesse as the glorious Gospel that brings such glorious things as it doth Men are thankfull to men for teaching and discovering the Mysteries of their Trades and shall God discover the great Mysteries of the Gospell of Christ and shall not we be thankfull Are there not thousands that sit in darknesse The Romish Church is it not under the Mysterie of Iniquitie And that we should have the glorious Mysteries of the Gospel revealed to us that the Veile should be taken off and we should see the face of God in Christ what a matter of thankfulnesse is it to all gracious hearts that ever felt comfort by it Againe it is a Mysterie Therefore it should teach us likewise not to set upon the knowledge of it with any wits or parts of our owne to thinke to search into it meerely by strength of wit and study of Bookes and all humane helpes that can be it is a Mysterie and it must be unveiled by God himselfe by his Spirit If we set upon this Mysterie onely with wits and parts of our owne then what our wits cannot pierce into we will judge it not to be true as if our wits were the measure of Divine Truth so much as we conceive is true and so much as we cannot conceive is not true What a pride is this in flesh in wormes of the Earth that will make their owne apprehensions and conceits of things the measure of Divine Truth as Heretikes heretofore have done It was the fault of the Schoolemen in later times they would come with their Logick
beset of Devils then he triumphed when he was visibly overcome then invisibly he overcame he was an invisible Conqueror when he was visibly subdued For did he not on the Crosse satisfie the wrath of God and by enduring the wrath of God free us from it and from Satan Gods Gaoler and reconcile us by his bloud The chiefe workes of all were wrought in his chiefe abasement At length he died and was buried I but he that died rose againe gloriously therefore he was mightily declared to be the Sonne of God by raysing himselfe from the dead That was the greatest abasement when he lay in the Grave and especially then he was justified by his Resurrection from the dead and his Ascension in his state of Glorification especially So if we goe from Christs birth to his lowest degree of abasement there was alway some manifestation of his justification by the Spirit He was justified in a double regard In regard of God he was justified and cleared from our sinnes that he tooke upon him He bore our sinnes upon the Tree and bore them away that they should never appeare againe to our discomfort He was made a Curse for us How came Christ to be cleared of our sinnes that lay upon him When by the Spirit by his Divine Nature he raysed himselfe from the dead so he was justified from that that God layd upon him for he was our Suretie Now the Spirit raysing him from the dead shewed that the Debt was fully discharged because our Suretie was out of Prison All things are first in Christ and then in us he was acquitted and justified from our sinnes and then we And then he was justified by the Spirit from all imputations of men from the mis-conceits that the World had of him they thought him to be a meere man or a sinfull man No he was more then a meere man nay more then a holy man he was God-man Whence were his Miracles Were they not from his Divine Power He overcame the Devill in his temptations Who can overcome the Devill but he that is the Sonne of God He cast out the Devils and dispossest them with his Word All the enemies of Christ that ever were at length he conquered them and so declared himselfe mightily to be as he was the Sonne of God He healed the outward man and the inward man by his Divine Power he caused the spirituall as well as the bodily eyes to see the dead to live and the lame to goe c. Whatsoever he did in the bodie he did in the soule likewise in those excellent Miracles he was justified and declared to be the Sonne of God especially in his Resurrection and Ascension and daily converting of soules by his Ministerie all being done by his Spirit which is his Vicar in the World ruling his Church and subduing his enemies so that he was every way justified in the Spirit to be God to be the true Messias prophesied of and promised to the Church Therefore he was justified in his Truth that all the Promises were true of him and in his faithfulnesse that he was faithfull in performing the Promises he made he was justified in his goodnesse and mercy and all those attributes he was justified in the Spirit But you will say it seemes he was not justified in the Spirit There are many Heretikes that thinke not Christ to be God that take not Christ to be so glorious as he is I answer when we speake of the justifying of Christ it is meant to those that have eyes to see him to those that shut not their eyes hee was justified to be so great as he was to those whose eyes the god of the world had not blinded to all that were his as it is excellently set downe Iohn 1.14 The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glorie as the glorie of the onely begotten Sonne of the Father full of Grace and Truth We beheld his glorie we did others did not take notice but they were those whose eyes the god of this world hath blinded the malicious Scribes and Pharises that sinned against the Holy-Ghost and would never acknowledge Christ an ignorant people that had not Faith nor the Spirit of God He was justified by the Spirit of God to all that had spirituall eyes to see and take notice of his course as S. Iohn sayth in one of his Epistles What we have seene and heard and our hands have handled the Word of Life that we declare to you So that he was God manifest in the flesh and he shewed himselfe to be the Word of Life to those that were his Apostles and Disciples and those that were converted by him As we see S. Peter when he had felt his Divine Power upon his heart by his Preaching Lord sayth he thou hast the words of eternall life whither shall we goe He felt the Spirit in his preaching And so another time S. Peter in Matth. 16. he confessed him to be the Sonne of the living God You see to whom he was justified and declared to be the true Messias to be God as well as man by his Spirit The reason why he justified himselfe to be so it was the more to strengthen our Faith all his Miracles were but so many sparkles of his Divine Nature so many expressions of his Divine Power And after he was raysed from the dead at his Ascension and sending of the Holy-Ghost he shewed his Divine Power more gloriously and all to strengthen the Faith of the Elect and to stop the mouthes of all impudent rebellious persons For considering that he wrought such Miracles that he raysed men from the dead and raysed himselfe considering that he called the Gentiles and converted the World by the Ministerie of weake men he shewed that hee was more then a man Well to make some use of this that Christ was Iustified in the Spirit Then first of all Christ will at length justifie himselfe this is a ground of Faith How-ever he be now as a Signe set up that many speake against and contradict yet the time will come when he will gloriously justifie himselfe to all the World Now some shut their eyes willingly and the opposites of Christ seeme to flourish yet Christ will be justified by his Spirit to all his Elect in every Age especially in the Resurrection For when he shall come and appeare to be glorious in his Saints it will appeare who he is indeed Now he suffers many to tread upon his Church and he suffers many Heretikes to denie him sometimes in one nature sometimes in another and so to offend against him but the time will come that he will trample all his enemies under his feet he will be justified by his Spirit that is our comfort There are many Schismatikes and Heretikes and Persecutors but Christ will be justified at length the Kingdomes of the Earth
of all her children Let us justifie our Religion and profession by maintaining it and standing for it and expresse in our lives and conversations the power of it How shall this be The Text sayth by the Spirit For as Christ justified himselfe that is declared himselfe to be as he was by his Spirit so every Christian hath the Spirit of Christ or else he is none of his and by this Spirit of Christ he is able to justifie his profession not onely to justifie Christ to be the true Head c. but all things he doth must be done by the Spirit or not at all For as Christ when he became man and was in the World he did all by the direction of the Spirit He was led into the Wildernesse by the Spirit he taught by the Spirit the Spirit that sanctified him in the Wombe guided him in all his life so a Christian is guided by the Spirit God doth all to him by the Spirit he is comforted and directed and strengthned by the Spirit and he againe doth all to God by the Spirit he prayes in the Spirit and sighes and groanes to God in the Spirit he walkes in the Spirit he doth all by the Spirit Therefore by the Spirit let us justifie and declare our selves what we are that there is somewhat in us above nature that we have love above carnall men and patience and meekenesse above the abilitie and capacitie of other men We justifie our profession when we do somewhat more then nature or when we doe common ordinarie things in a spirituall holy manner Religion is not a matter of forme but of Spirit Let us not shew our Religion onely by word but by the fruits of the Spirit by love and mercie and meekenesse and zeale when occasion serves The whole life of a Christian as farre as he is a Christian it gives evidence that he is a Christian the whole life of a carnall formall man evidences that he is not a Christian because he hath nothing in him above other men as our Saviour Christ sayth What peculiar thing doe ye to distinguish your selves from other men So let us aske our selves We professe our selves to be the children of God the Heires of Heaven What peculiar thing doe we How doe we justifie our selves A true Christian can answer I can justifie it by the Spirit I finde I doe things from other Principles and motives and inducements then the World doth who onely respect tearmes of Civilitie and aymes of the World or to content the clamour of conscience but I finde I doe things out of assurance that I am the child of God and in obedience to him Let us see what peculiar thing we doe Alas I cannot but lament the poore profession of many How doe they justifie their profession How doe they make good that they have the Spirit of God raysing them above other men when they live no beâ—ter then Pagans nay not so well under the profession of the Gospel and Religion Would Pagans live as many men doe Did they not keepe their words better Were they so loose in their lives and conversations and so licentious Would they sweare by their gods idly Most of our ordinarie people are worse then Pagans Where is the justifying of Religion If Turks and Heathens should see them they would say You talke of Religion but where is the power of it If you had the power of it you would expresse it more in your fidelitie and honestie and mercie and love and sobrietie The Kingdome of God that is the manifestation of the Government of Christ it is not in word but in power Therefore let us labour to justifie that we are subjects of that Kingdome by the power of it Meere civill persons the Apostle sayth of them 2 Tim. 3. they are such as have a forme of Godlinesse but denie the power of it All that rabblement that he names there they have a forme A forme is easie but the power of it is not so easie Therefore let us justifie our Religion by our conversation Let us justifie the Ordinances of God the preaching and hearing of the Word of God by reverence in hearing it as the Word of God and labour to expresse it in our lives and conversations or else we thinke it nothing but the speech of man Let us justifie the Sacrament to be the Scale of God by comming reverently to it and by finding our Faith strengthened by it So labour to justifie everie Ordinance of God from some sweet comforts that wee feele by them and then we shew that wee are true members of CHRIST that we are like CHRIST who justified himselfe in the Spirit Beloved it is a great Power that must make a true Christian no lesse then the Power of the Spirit that raysed Christ from the dead as it is Ephes. 1. Saint Paul prayes that they might fâ—ele the Power that raysed Christ from the dead It is no lesse power for Christ to shine in our darke hearts then to make light to shine out of darknesse Now what power is in the lives of most men The power that raysed Christ from the dead Certainely no. What power is there in hearing the Word when many are so full of prophanenesse that they altogether neglect it What power is there now and then to speake a good word or now and then to doe a slight action Is this the power that raysed Christ from the dead when by the strength of nature men can doe it There must be somewhat above nature to justifie a sound spirituall Christian We must have something to shew that we have our spirits raysed up by the Spirit of Christ to justifie our profession in all estates In prosperitie to shew that we have a Spirit above prosperitie that we are not proud of it Then in adversitie then we justifie that we are Christians by a Spirit that is above adversitie that we doe not sinke under it as a meere naturall man would doe when we have learned Saint Pauls Lesson in all estates to be content In temptation we justifie our Christian profession by arming our selves with a Spirit of Faith to beat backe the fierie darts of Satan When all things seeme contrarie let us cast our selves by a Spirit of Faith upon Christ that argues a powerfull worke of the Spirit when we can in contraries beleeve contraries Thus let us shew that we are Christians that we have somewhat in us above nature that when the course of nature seemes to be contrary yet we can looke with the eye of Faith through all discouragements and clouds and can see God reconciled in Christ that will justifie us to be sound Christians Therefore let us labour not onely for slight outward performances that are easie for any to doe but by an inward frame of soule and by a carriage and conversation becomming our Profession that we may walke worthy of our Profession fruitfully
sets Christ as wooing us first in his Ministers inviting us alluring us commanding us removing objections from our unworthinesse Come unto me all ye that are wearie and havie laden and objections from our want of any goodnesse Come and buy without Money the all-sufficiency of Christ. Hereupon Faith comes to quiet the soule in the sweet course that Christ takes to bring the soule to him being so able and willing and shewing his willingnesse by all means that may procure love that the soule may rest without doubting Sayth the soule Surely Christ intends well to me being so able God in the flesh and setting up an Ordinance a Ministerie whereby he invites me and allures me and commands me and then also I have examples before me of wicked men that have beene converted hereupon the soule comes to be at rest Faith hath a quieting power And then againe there is presently an alteration of the course Iordan goes backward there is a turning of a man wholly for Faith is a turning of the soule cleane another way it turns the soule from the world to God and Christ from the present evill world to a better world We see as soone as Zacheus beleeved his thoughts were altered his esteeme of the things of this life was altered halfe my goods I give to the poore We see in the Acts of the Apostles as soone as they beleeved they burned their Bookes As soone as a man beleeves in Christ downe goes the esteeme of the world and all worldly things whatsoever because he sees a higher excellency in Christ. The poore Gaoler when he had mis-used the Apostles as soone as he beleeved we see how he neglects all and makes a Feast for them presently As soone as Faith enters into the soule there is a meane and base esteeme of all things and a high esteeme of Christ All is dung in comparison of Christ There is a change of the soule and an esteeme that goes before that change We worke as we esteeme as soone as we beleeve we esteeme Christ and the things of a better life above all other things And thereupon goes the whole soule and the bent of it that way though with some conflict We see in the Epistles of Saint Paul before those men beleeved in Christ the Ephesians the Colossians the Romanes c. what wicked people they were before and how they were changed as soone as they beleeved then they were Saints Againe where this Faith is it is a triumphing a conquering grace a prevailing grace it overcomes the world and whatsoever is opposite for it sets before the soule greater things then the world can The world presents terrors what are these to the glorie that shall be revealed The world sets out pleasures to allure us and profits and favours and this and that but what are all these to the favour of God in Christ what are they to Heaven What can the world set before the soule of a beleever that is not beneath Faith can rayse the soule above all worldly things it subdues the naturall doubts and loves the feares of troubles and cares for the world and all the affections that were before ruling in the soule Faith comming into the soule subdues all to it selfe and makes them all serviceable Thus it prevailes if not at the first yet in the continuance of time it prevailes by little and little in the hearts of all beleevers It is a victorious grace as we see in Moses and Abraham c. how it prevailed against all obstacles whatsoever How many discouragements had blessed Abraham to leave his fathers house and to goe he knew not where and after to sacrifice his sonne Yet Faith overcame all So Moses to leave the Court and to cleave to a despised people what a worke of Faith was there Faith is victorious Therefore when people are drawne away with any thing that the lookes of any man skares them that the very noise of danger affrights them when the hope of any rising will make them warpe to doe any thing when the hope of any gaine will make them cracke their conscience where is the triumph of Faith As I said before there is a prevailing power in Faith because Faith sets before the soule that which is incomparably better and incomparably worse What is all that man can doe in comparison of Hell and Damnation conscience saith if you doe this ye shall die And on the other side what is all the world can give in comparison of Heaven which Faith presents to the eye of the beleever Againe where this beleeving is it is a working grace it works by love by the love to God it desires the communion and fellowship of that it desires and it workes by love to other beleevers it workes towards Satan hatred toward wicked men strangenesse in conversation It is a working grace it workes by love to all good to God and Gods people and to our selves it makes us have too high esteeme of our selves to be stained with the base services of sinne it workes every way and indeed it must needs be so when Faith sets before the soule the love of God in Christ Hath God loved me so to redeeme me from such misery by such a course as this God manifest in the flesh to advance me to such happinesse being such as I was before a sinner Oh the thought of this will constraine us as the phrase of the Apostle is The love of Christ constraineth me and then the soule will be active and earnest in any thing that may be for the honour of Christ. Hath Christ thought nothing too deare for me not his owne blood for the salvation of my soule is the price of his blood He came downe from Heaven he was God manifest in the flesh on purpose in love to my soule and shall I thinke any thing too deare for him And thereupon Faith workes and stirres up love and when it is stirred up by it it is acted by it it useth the love of God in all the performance of worship to God and in doing all good to our brethren and to our selves to carry our selves as we should every way We see the Woman in the Gospel Luke 7. when she had 〈◊〉 forgiven her she loved much All duties come from Love What need I speake of particular branches Christ brings all to Love he includes all duties in that one in Love because they come from Love and have Love to carry them and to mingle it selfe with them and Love comes from Faith Faith working by Love evidence that we beleeve where there is no Love there is no Faith Therefore let us labour 〈…〉 affection of Love kindled if 〈…〉 kindled we must stirre it up by â—aith You see then that this beleeving is the leading grace Let us labour by all meanes therefore to water this Root When we would have Trees flourish and thrive we poure water to the Roots of them Now
his sake we have communion with the blessed Angels These things may be of some use but it is not that I mainly intend thus much for the Apparition Now the celebration is a Multitude of the heavenly Host praising God The word signifies singing as well as praise it implies praise expressed in that manner and indeed praising God it is the best expression of the affection of joy The Angels were joyfull at the birth of Christ their Lord. Joy is no way better expressed then in praising God and it is pitty that such a sweet affection as Joy should runne in any other streame if it were possible than the praising of God God hath planted this affect on of joy in the creature and it is fit hee should reape the fruit of his owne garden it is pitty a cleare streame should run into a puddle it should rather runne into a garden and so sweet and excellent affection as Joy it is pitty it should be imployed otherwise then in praising God and doing good to men They expresse their joy in a sutable expression in praising God the sweetest affection in man should have the sweetest imployment the sweetest imployment that joy can have is to be inlarged in love to praise God and for Gods sake to doe good to others See here the pure nature of Angels they praise God for us we have more good by the Incarnation of Christ then they have yet notwithstanding such is their humility that they come downe with great delight from heaven and praise and glorifie God for the birth of Christ who is not theirs but our Redeemer Some strength they have there is no creature but hath some good by the Incarnation of Christ to the Angels themselves yet however they have some strength from Christ in the increase of the number of the Church yet he is not the Redeemer of Angels in some sort he is the head of Angels but he is our Redeemer To us a child is borne to us a Sonne is given And yet see their nature is so pure and so cleare from envie and pride that they even glorifie God for the goodnesse shewed to us meaner creatures then themselves and they envie not us though we be advanced by the Incarnation of Christ to a higher place then they For beloved the very Angels have not such affinity to Christ in this as wee they are not the Spouse of Christ they make not up mysticall Christ the Church doth the Church is the Queene as Christ is the King of all it is married to Christ Angels are not and yet although they see us advanced in diverse respects above them yet they are so pure and free from envie that they joyne in praising God here in love to us Let us labour therefore for dispositions Angelicall that is such as may delight in the good of others and in the good of other meaner then our selves And learne this also from them shall they glorifie God for our good especially and shall we be dull and cold in praising God on our owne behalfe Shall they come suddenly from heaven and cheerefully and willingly and to praise God for his goodnesse to us and shall we be frozen and cold in this duty that is for our good more especially I hasten to that that followes What is the matter of their celebration and gratulation Glory to God in the highest In earth peace Good will towards men There is some difference in the readings some copies have it On earth peace to men of good will to men of Gods good will and so they would have it two branches not three if the word be rightly understood it is no great matter First the Angels begin with the maine and chiefe end of all it is Gods end it was the Angels end and it should be ours too Glory to God on high Then they wish the chiefe good of all that whereby we are fitted for the maine end Peace God cannot be glorified on earth unlesse there be peace wrought for man else conceives God as an enemy by this Peace we are fitted to glorifie God if wee find reconciliation with God through Iesus Christ then the sence of Gods love in the worke of reconciliation will enflame our hearts to glorifie God therefore next to the glory of God they wish Peace on earth Then thirdly here is the ground of all happinesse from whence this peace comes from Gods good will from his good pleasure or free Grace To men of Gods goodwill So if we goe back againe The good will and pleasure of God is the cause and ground of peace in Christ and peace in Christ puts us into a condition and stirs us up to glorifie God so we see there is an order in these three To begin with the first Glory to God in the highest The Angels those blessed and holy Spirits they begin with that which is the end of all It is Gods end in all things his owne glory he hath none above himselfe whose glory to ayme at And they wish Glory to God in the highest Heavens Indeed he is more glorified there then any where in the world it is the place where his Majestie most appeares and the truth is we cannot perfectly glorifie God till we be in heaven there is pure glory given to God in Heaven there is no corruption there in those perfect soules there is perfect glory given to God in heaven Hâ—re upon earth God is not glorified at all by many The whole life of many being nothing but a dishonouring of God by abusing his ordinances trampling upon his Church and children by slighting his word and Sacraments there is little honour given to God in the world but only by a few whom he intends to glorifie for ever and indeed if we will glorifie God here we must raise our thoughts to heaven at that time raise them above the world to heaven where we shall for ever glorifie him where we shall joyne with the blessed Saints and Angels and sing holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts c. In the meane time let me adde this by the way that in some sort we may glorifie God more on earth then in heaven It may seeme a Paradox but it is true that is thus here upon earth we glorifie God in the middest of enemies he hath no enemies in heaven they are all of one spirit here upon earth we live not onely among Devils but among men led with the spirit of the Devill where God is dishonoured and if here we take Gods side and the truth and Gospels side and stand for Gods cause in some sort we honour God more here then we are capable to doe it in heaven where there is no opposition In this respect let us be encouraged to glorifie God what we can here for if we begin to glorifie God here it is a signe we are 〈◊〉 number that he intends to glorifie with him forever
and pleasure or Gods good pleasure towards men Good will towards men This is the spring and roote of all the Angels begin with Glory to God and then they come to peace among men because without peace and reconciliation with God the heart of man cannot be inlarged to glorifie God the Angels would have men glorifie God as well as themselves therefore they desire peace on earth that God may be glorified in heaven Now there is no peace but issues from grace grace is Gods free good will and pleasure therefore the Angels say Good will towards men The holy Apostles they could not have better teachers for their salutations in their Epistles then to learne of the Angels as you have Saint Pauls Prefaces the same with this Evangelicall celebration and gratulation here to men Grace mercy and peace so here Peace on earth good will towards men onely the Apostles they begin Grace and peace and here the Angels Peace and grace but the meaning of the Angels and Apostles is all one for the Angels when they wish peace on earth they goe to the spring of it Good will towards men the Apostles they begin with grace the spring and then goe to peace after Good will towards men The words need not further to be explicated there is no great difficulty in them the points considerable are these God now hath a gracious good will towards men This good will is the foundation of all good And this is founded upon Christ. The first of these I will but touch because it doth but make way to the other God shewes now good pleasure towards men The love that God beares towards man hath divers termes from divers relations as it is a propension in him to doe good so it is love As it is his free so it is his good pleasure or grace as it is to persons in miserie it is mercy The fountaine of all is love But as the object is diversely considered so the termes be divers good pleasure and grace imply freedome in the party loving and mercy implies misery in the party loved Now this free good will and grace it is towards Men towards man-kind hee saith not towards Angels it is more towards men then even to good Angels in some sort for now man is taken to be the Spouse of Christ good Angels are not so neither is it good will to evill Angels for their state is determined there is no altering of their condition therefore God is called Philanthropos not Philangelos and the Scripture calls this Philanthropia the love that God hath shewed to men in Christ. Therefore wee should have thoughts of God as gracious loving our nature more then the Angelicall nature in some respects And learne this for imitation to love mankind God loved mankind and surely there is none that is borne of God but hee loves the nature of man wheresoever hee finds it hee will not stand altogether whether it be good or bad c. But because we are now in the way and our state is not determined and because God loves the nature of man therefore every man that hath the Spirit of God loves mankind he will labour to gaine Turkes or Indians c. if hee can because hee loves the very nature of man but I passe from this point to the second This 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Good will of God to restore lapsed man by the sending of his Sonne is the ground of all good to man and hath no ground but it selfe Gods grace and love to the creature is altogether independant in regard of the creature God fetcheth not reasons of his love from the creature but from his owne bowels What can he foresee in persons that were dead nay in persons that were in a contrary disposition to goodnesse there is nothing but enmity in our nature to supernaturall goodnesse can God foresee grounds of love in enmity As Moses tels the people of Israel in divers places Deut. 7. and 8. That it was not for any foresight of good in them they were the stubbornest people under heaven therefore God to shew his free love hee chose a stubborne people and singled them out to be the object of his mercy so God oftimes takes the unlikeliest then in the world and passeth by many otherwise of sweete natures so wee see even the meanes themselves they are of Gods free mercy and love We have whatsoever we have by vertue of the Covenant for what could wee looke for from God but in Covenant wherein he hath bound himselfe now since the fall this Covenant is called the Covenant of grace That now if we believe in Christ we shall not perish but have life and salvation in all the parts of it it is of Gods free grace and good pleasure What is the foundation of the covenant Christ Christ is of free grace God so loved the world that he gave his onely Sonne There is nothing freer then gift Christ is a gift the greatest gift he came freely from God he gave him to death for us all Rom. 8. And then whatsoever good thing wee have in Christ it comes freely too hee that gave Christ freely shall hee not with him give us all things too Then the very grace to keepe the covenant repentance and faith they are the gift of God I will take away your stony heart and give you new hearts and cause you to walke in my statutes I will circumcise your hearts so the grace to walked in the covenant of grace it comes from God God doth his part and ours too to shew not only that the covenant of grace is a covenant of wondrous love to give us grace here and glory herafter but that the foundation is of grace and the performance on our part is of grace nay it is of grace that hee would enter into covenant at all hee humbled himselfe wondrously to vouchsafe to enter into covenant it was humiliation on Gods part and exaltation to us therefore as it is in Zacharie we may cry Grace grace there is nothing but grace and free love in the whole carriage of our salvation If whatsoever good come to man be meerely from Gods good will let us emptie our selves and give him the glory of all it is easily spoken and heard but not so easily done for man naturally is proud and for flesh and bloud to bee brought to goe out of it selfe and acknowledg nothing in it selfe to give the glory of all goodnesse and happinesse to Gods free grace and goodnesse it is hard to bring proud nature to doe this but we must begge grace of God to worke our hearts to this more and more to empty our selves of our selves and to give God the glory of all But I come to the last point because I would end this text at this time This free love and grace of God is onely in Christ. Therfore the Angels pronounce it now
upon him and be ruled by him and they will not it shall be easier for Sodome and Gomorrha for Jewes and Turkes and Pagans and those that worship Devils then for us for when God offers his free love and mercy in Christ if we will entertaine it and we will none of it then justice alone shall not condemne us but mercy shall condemne us wee will none of mercy There is not the worst man but would have pardoning mercy hee is content to have God pardon his sinne but hee will not take the whole mercy and love of God in Christ curing healing mercy there are those that live in filthy courses in prophanenesse in swearing c. it is food to them to be malicious to deprave the best things Serpents feed on poyson They are content to have their sinnes pardoned if God will let their filthy nature alone their poysonfull blasphemous disposition that exalts it selfe against God and let them goe on in their course they will have one mercy but not another but wee shall never be saved without entire mercy healing as well as pardoning whom God loves hee doth not onely pardon their sinnes but heales their nature and makes it like unto Christs holy and pure Those that have not the Spirit in them desiring altering and changing and healing grace as well as pardoning grace they are hypocrites Let us remember this especially because it is most usefull and most men are deceived in this they thinke oh God is mercifull and his love is free in Christ and though I be unworthy yet God will have mercy upon me but hast thou a secret desire to partake of Gods whole mercy and love to make thee good as well as to make thee his sonne and intitle thee to heaven to have thy nature altered to see the deformity of sinne and the beauty of grace if thou hadst rather to have the Image of God upon thee more then any favour in the world that thou hadst rather be free from the bondage of sinne then any other deliverance if it be thus thy state is good To hasten considering Gods free love opened now in Jesus Christ I beseech you let us study Christ and labour to get into Christ daily more and more that wee may be members of Christ and desire God daily more and more to reveale himselfe in Christ to us that we may see his face in Christ that wee may know him in the sweet relations hee hath put on him in the Gospell To know God in generall as a Creator and doing good c. the Heathens did that by the light of nature but we should labour to â—ee him in the face of Christ that is to see him appeased and loving us wishing us well concerning eternall glory that must be by the light of the Gospell and by the Spirit therfore in hearing of the Word and reading and meditating desire God above all to reveale by his Spirit his gracâ—ous face in Christ that in Christ we may see him as a Father as a Husband as a Friend in those sweet relations of love that he hath taken upon him It should be our daily desire of God to manifest his love more to us in Christ Iesus then in any other fruits of his love for there be common fruits as to give us health and friends and liberty and quiet governement which are great favours that we see denyed to many nations oh but the soule that is touched with the spirit of God and the sence of his owne condition by nature is thus disposed Lord I desire that thou wouldest shew the fruits of thy love to me but I desire not so much those common fruits that the reprobates may have as well as I oh shew me by thy holy spirit that thou hast a particular and peculiar love to me in Christ and for this end give me grace to know the mistery of Christ more and more the mystery of my naturall corruption that knowledge that may drive me to make much of thy love and grace in Christ. Now the Spirit that knowes the deepe things of God the depth of Gods love to any one in particular and the depth of our hearts if we begge the Spirit to reveale the good pleasure of God to us in time God will shew unto our soules that he delights in us and that he is our salvation this shewes that the soule is an excellent temper that it sets a right price and value on things that it prizeth Gods favour above all things that is the nature of faith for what is faith onely to believe in generall that Christ dyed c No but to esteeme Gods love better then all the world for Gods love is entire in pardoning and curing too by this the soule is raysed up to esteeme the love and mercy of God in pardoning and healing sinne above life it selfe Psal. 63. Thy loving kindnesse is better then life To conclude all with this one motive the loving kindnesse of God when wee have it once it is no barren complementall kindnesse it is a loving kindnesse that reacheth from everlasting to everlasting from Gods love in chusing to his love in glorifying us it is a love that reacheth to the filling of nature with all the happinesse it is capable of In this world in all misery one beame of Gods loving kindnesse will scatter all clouds whatsoever what raised the spirit of Daniel in the Lions Den of the three young men in the middest of the Furnace of St. Paul in the Dungeon the beames of Gods love in Christ brake into the prison into the Dungeon a few beames of that will enlarge the heart more then any affliction in the world can cast it downe It is excellent that Moses saith Deut. 33. The good pleasure of him that dwelt in the bush c. You know that God appeared in the bush when it was flaming the flaming bush shewed the state of Israel in the middest of the Furnace of persecution yet notwithstanding the bush was not consumed why because the good will of God was in the bush so let us be in any persecution put case wee bee like Moses bush all on fire yet the fire shall not consume nor hurt us why the good pleasure of him that dwelt in the bush is with us in Isai 43. I will bee with thee in the fire and in the water not to keepe thee out but I will be with thee in it so that in the greatest persecutions that can be in the fiery tryall as Saint Peter cals it the good will of him that dwelt in the bush will bee with us so that wee shall not be consumed though we bee in the fire afflicted but not despaire why the good pleasure of God dwels in the bush in the Church in the middest of afflictions and persecutions hee is with us who can bee miserable that hath the presence of God the favour and good will of God
the sonne is no Traytor but because hee is part of his father that was a Traytor by his nearenesse and communion with his father he is wrapped in the same punishment In a City that is obnoxious to the Kings displeasure perhaps there are some that are not guilty of the offence that the body of the City is yet being all Citizens they are all punished by reason of their communion so in this respect CHRIST became poore hee tooke upon him our nature and by communioâ— with that nature hee tooke upon him whatsoever was penall that belonged to sinne though he tooke not nor could take the demerit of sin Hie was made sinne for us wee cannot have a greater argument of Christs poverty then to bee made sinne for vs sinne is the poorest thing in the world and the cause of all beggery and poverty and misery hee was made under the law and so became a curse for us hee was made sinne a sacrifice for our sinne In particular hee was borne of a poore Virgin and instead of a better place hee was laid in an Inne and in the basest place in the Inne in the manger As soone as hee was borne his birth was revealed to poore Shepheards not to Emperours and Kings not to Câ—sar at Rome Then presently after his birth hee was banished together with his mother into Aegypt When hee came home againe hee was faine to be beholding to a poore woman for a cup of water Ioh. 4. when hee was thirsty Againe when he was to pay tribute he had not wherewith to pay it but was faine as it were to be heholding to a fish for it And though he made heaven and earth yet he had no habitation of his owne The Foxes had holes and the Birds of the ayre had nests but the Sonne of man had not where to lay his head When hee was to ride in pompe to Ierusalem he had not a beast of his owne hee was faine to send for and ride upon another mans Asse all his life it was a state of poverty He was poore in death especially for when life is gone all is gone he gave himselfe to death for us in death he was poore every way they stripped him of all his cloathes he had not so much as a garment to cover him he was poore and destitute in regard of friends they all for sooke him when hee had need of them most of all as he foretold that they all should leave him And as he was thus poore in respect of his body and condition so he was poore in soule in some respects and indeed the greatest poverty was there for the greatest riches that Christ estemed it was the blessed communion that hee had with his father which was sweeter to him then all things in heaven and earth when his father hid his face from him that he felt his displeasure becomming our surety in the garden before his death the sense of Gods displeasure against sin affected him so deeply that he sweate water and blood he was so poore wanting the comfort of his fathers love that an Angell his owne creature was faine to come and comfort him And at his death when he hung upon the Crosse besides the want of all earthly comforts wanting the sense of that sweet love that he alway enjoyed before it made him cry out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me not that indeed God had forsaken him in regard of protection and support or in regard of love and favour but in regard of solace and comfort that he felt before in regard of the sense of divine justice being then upon him that stood surety for sinne When he was dead he had no Tombe of his own to lie in hee was faine to lie in another mans Tombe and then he was held under the captivity of the grave three dayes so that from his birth to his death there is nothing but a race of poverty And which adds to this abasement of Christ it was from an excellent condition to so low a state as we say It is a miserable thing for a man to have beene happy it makes him more sensible of his misery then in other men for Christ who was alway in the presence and favour of heaven to come into the Virgins wombe for him to stand in neede of the necessities of this life for life to die for riches to become poore for the glory of heaven and earth to be abased for the Lord of all to become a servant to his owne servants it must needs been great abasement to him that was so highly advanced to become so poore But though Christ became thus poore yet hee ceased not then to be rich but that his riches was vayled with our flesh The Sunne though he bee kept from our sight by clouds he is the Sunne still and hath his owne proper lustre still hee is as glorious in himselfe as ever he was though he be not so to us so Christ vayled his divinity under our humane nature and vnder our misery hee became man and a curse therefore though hee were the Sonne of righteousnesse glorious in himselfe yet to appearance he was otherwise he became poore The Papists would have him a begger Bellarmine to countenance begging Frâ—eâ—s would have Christ to bee so it is a disgracefull false conceit If wee divide his life before hee was thirty yeares old that hee was invested into his office he lived with his parents in that calling and submitted to them he was no begger afterward he lived by ministring the Word of God and this was not Eleemozinarie but honour it is not Charity that is given to Governours especially Ministers it is not aimes to receive temporall things for spirituall but it is due Besides he had somewhat of his owne hee had a bagge and Iudas was good enough to carry it hee gave to the poore therefore he was not a begger for he that came to fullfill the law would not breake the Law The law forbids beggers it was one of Moses Lawes There shall not be a begger among you so much breifly for that Christ was rich and became poore The next point is the parties for whom this was For your sakes Why doth not the Apostle say for our sakes and so take himselfe in the number He applies it to serve the Argument in hand being to stirre up the Corinthians to bounty hee tells them Christ was poore for their sakes that they might bee assured of their salvation by Christ that his example might be more effectuall the example of those whom wee have interest in is effectuall therefore he saith for your sakes hee became poore This should teach us when we speak of Christ to labour for a spirit of application to appropriate Christ unto our selves or else his example will not move us as without application wee can have no good by him so we can have no comfort by
like unto Christ it hath a force to stirre us up to that that is good Tit. 2.11.12 The Apostle enforceth selfe-denial a hard lesson and holinesse to God justice to others and sobriety to our selves What is the argument he useth The grace of God hath appeared The grace of God hath shined as the word signifieth He meanes Christ appeared but hee saith The grace of God hath appeared when Christ appeared grace appeared Christ is nothing but pure grace clothed with our nature What doth this appearing of grace teach us To deny all ungodlinesse and worldly lusts and to live holily and righteously and soberly c. Holily and religiously in regard of God justly in regard of men and not only justly but bountifully for bounty is justice It is justice to give to the poore With hold not good from the owners they have right to that we have Grace when it appeares in any soule it is a teacher it teacheth to deny all that is naught and it teacheth to practise all that is good it teacheth to live holily and righteously in this present evill world Many men like the Text thus farre The grace of God bringeth salvation Oh it is a sweet Text I but what followes what doth that grace teach thee It teacheth to deny ungodlinesse and worldly lusts it doth not teach men to follow and set themselves upon the workes of the Devill but to live soberly and justly and righteously in this present evill world It is said of the Woman in the Gospell She loved much because much was forgiven her what made that blessed woman so inlarged in her affection and love to Christ She had experience of the pardon of many sins and having felt the love of Christ she loved him againe And what is the reason that those that are converted from dangerous courses of life do often prove the most fruitfull Christians Because they have felt most love and mercy Who was more zealous then the blessed Apostle S. Paul Oh he found rich and abundant love How large is he in fetting forth the mercy of God Oh the height and breadth and depth Nothing contents him no expressions when he speakes of Gods mercy because he had beene a wretched man and found mercy Let no man be discouraged if he have beene never so sinfull if he come in The more need he hath of mercy the more aboundant God is as the Apostle saith here You know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ. And those that have felt most grace will bee most wrought on to shew the fruits of that grace in all good workes in duties towards God and men And if we finde not our hearts wrought on by the confideration of the grace of Christ apprehended and knowne to this end We turne the grace of God into wantonnesse it is a sign of an ill condition the Scripture speakes nothing but discomfort to such that take occasion from the free grace and infinite and boundlesse mercy of God to be loose and carelesse in their lives and conversations that think it is a time of liberty and we may doe what we list though the tongues of men say not so nor they dare not for shame yet their lives speak it would men else live in swearing and other debaucht carriage that is offensive to God and men Do they know that there is a God a Christ and mercy Doth mercy and grace teach them that lesson No it teacheh us to deny such base lives and lusts and to live holily and soberly and justly in this world Therefore such men are Atheists either they must not beleeve the Scriptures or else exclude themselves from interest in mercy for as yet they are not in the state of grace in whom the consideration of mercy and grace doth not worke better effects then these The Gospell hath as strong encouragements and stronger to be good and gracious then the Law Grace inforceth strictnesse of life more sweetly and strongly then the Law The Law saith We must not take the name of God in vaine and we must be subject to our superiours and to live chastly c. under a curse Doth not the grace of God teach this as well as the Law and from a higher ground It teacheth the same thing by arguments taken from love and grace A man perisheth by the Law in such sins but then there is a pardon offered if men will come under the government of Christ and lead new lives but if men refuse there is a superadded guilt not only justice condemnes such wretches but mercy it selfe because they refuse mercy upon these termes rather then they will leave their sinfull courses mercy and justice both meet to condemne such persons Let us take heed therefore of abusing the mercy and love of God for then we quite overthrow Gods end in the Gospell for why doth he conveigh all to us by love and mercy and grace but that it may worke the same disposition againe in us to him or else we overturne the end of the Gospell Let us take heed of this as ever we will finde interest in this grace without which we are the miserablest wretches that live it were better for us that we had never heard of Christ and the Gospell then to live in sins against conscience under the manifestation and publication of grace Now together with the grace of Châ—ist the Apostle brings the example of Christ that both may stirre them up to the duties of mercy and bounty and fruitfulnesse Indeed the grace of Christ makes his example more sweet Men willingly looke upon examples The examples of great and excellent Persons The example of loving and bountifull Persons The example of such as are loving and bountifull to us in particular The example of such as we have interest in that are neere and deere to us and we to them These foure things commend examples Now is there any greater or more excellent person then Christ Is there any fuller of love and mercy and grace then he that hath made himselfe poore to make us rich And all of us if we be Christians indeed we have interest in this our hearts and consciences by the Spirit of God have some perswasion of this And then againe he is deare and neere unto us he is our Head and Husband he is all in all unto as Therefore the example of Christ joyned with his grace it is a wondrous forcible example How shall we make this example of Christ profitable to us First of all let us looke often into the grace of Christ the grace and free mercy of God in giving Christ consider how God hath laid forth all his riches in Christ and consider how miserable we had beene without Christ even next unto Divels in misery A man is the most miserable creature under Heaven if he have not interest in Christ he is a lost creature Let us dwell upon the meditation and
they are quiet when they have used the meanes Faith hath a quieting power it hath a power to still the soule and to take up the quarrels and murmuring and grudgings that are there and to set the soule down quiet because it proposeth to the soule greater grounds of comfort then the soule can see any cause of dâ—scomfort the soule being reasonable yeelds to the strengâ—h of the reason Now when faith propounds grand comforts against all discouragements whatsoever that overcomes them that is gâ—eater in the way of comfort then other things in the way of discouragement the soule is quiet it hopes comfort will be had the soule is silent and at rest We see in Psal. 43. when there was a muâ—iny in Davids soule by reason of the perplexed state he was in he fals a chiding downright with his soule Why art thou disquieted O my soule and why art thou troubled But how doth he take up the contention Trust in God he is thy God So that wheresoever there is faith there is a quiet soul first or last there wil be stirring at the first the waters of the soule will not be quiet presently As in a paire of ballance there will be a little stirring when the weight is puâ— in â—ill there will be poise so in the soule there will be some stirring and moving it comes not to a quiet consistance till there be some victory of faith with some conflict till at length it rest and stay the soule for this power faith hath to quiet the soule because it bottomes the soule so strongly there is reason for it it sets the soule upon God and upon his promises Therfore he that trusts in God is as mount Sion you may stir him sometime and move him but you cannot remove him the soule is quiet because it is pitched upon a quiet object Therefore where there is cherishing of disturbance in the soule and cherishing of doubts there is no faith or very little faith because it is the property of faith to silence the soule and to make quiet where it comes This is one evidence and signe of true faith And this is discerned especially in times of great trouble for then the soule of the righteous is not disquieted as you have it in Psal. 112. His heart is fixed therefore he is not afraid of ill tydings And therefore this evidence to the â—est that faith as it hath a quieting power so it hath a power to free the soule from all base feares from the tyranny of base feare There will some fearâ— arise we carry flesh about us and flesh will alway be full of objections and trouble our peace but notwithstanding it will free the soule this trusting in God from the tyranny and dominion of base feares If any newes or tydings be of any great hard matter I beseech you who hath his soule best composed at that time A sound Christian that hath made his peace with God that hath hiâ— trust in God that knowes what it is to make usâ— of God to repaire to him But for another man 〈◊〉 the time of extremity and trouble he runâ—â—â—â—â—ther and thither he hath not a tower to go unto he hath no place of refuge to repaire to Therefore hee is worse then the poore silly creatures there is not a creature but hath a retyring place The poore Conies have the Rocks to go unto and the Birds have their Nests and every creature when night or danger approacheth they have their hiding places only a wicked carelesse man that hath not acquainted himself with God when troubles come he hath no hiding nor no abiding place but lyes open to the storme of Gods displeasure therefore he is surprized with feares and cares and pulled in peeces with distractions he is as a Meteor that hangs in the cloudes he cannot tell which way to fall But a Christian is not such a Meteor he fals square which way soever he fals cast him which way you will for his soule is fixed he hath laid his soule upon his God We see the difference in this betweene Saul and David when David was in trouble he trâ—sted in the Lord his God when he was ready to be stoned what doth Saul when he was in trouble he goes to the Witch and from thence to the swords point Againe where there is this excellent grace of trusting in God and the soule is calmed by the Spirit of God to relye upon God in covenant as a Father in Chirst it will relye upon God without meanes and when all things seeme contrary So the Spirit of God will difference a Christian from a naturall man that will goe so farre as his braine can reach if he can see how things can be compassed he will trust God as if God had not a larger comprehension then hee Where hee sees no way or meanes to contrive a deliverance nor no meanes to satisfie his desire there the soule of a naturall man sinkes and fals downe a polititian will go as far as reason can carry him But a Christian when he sees no meanes he knowes God can make meanes now when all things are opposite if he hath a word of God he will trust God even against the present state and face of things as Iob saith Though he kill me yet will I trust in him Therefore in the sense of sin because there is a promise to sinners that if they confesse their sinnes God will pardon them he will beleeve the foâ—givenesse of sins though he feele the guilt of sinne And in misery he will beleeve an evasion and escape and that God will support him in it because God hath so promised And in darknesse when he sees no light as it is Esay 50.10 in such a state hee will trust in God As a childe in the darke claspes about his faâ—ther so a childe of God in darknesse when he sees no light he will claspe about his God and breake thorow the clouds that are between God and his soule as indeed faith hath a piercing eye it pulls off the vizard of Gods face though he seeme angry yet he will beleeve he is in covenant and he is a Father Therefore though God shew himselfe in his dealing as offended yet he argues God may be offended with me but he cannot hate me there is hope Faith where it is in any strength it will beleeve in contraries In death when a man is turned to rottennesse and dust faith apprehends life and resurrection and glory to come it will trust in Gods meanes or no meanes if it hath a promise Againe he that trusts in God truly will trust him for all things and at all times For all things for faith never chooseth and singleth out its object to beleeve this and not that for all comes from the same God therefore he that trusts God for one thing will trust him for all things If I will trust a man for many pounds surely