Spirit moved upon the waters i. e. as a Hen lieth upon her brood cherishing it and giving it heat so did the Spirit of God lie upon that Chaos fomenting and cherishing it Psal 33.6 By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth 3. Adoration and worship is given to the Spirit Quod si Spiritus non esset persoua distincta sed tantum Dei virtus utique non possit in invocatione distinctae illius fieri mentio cum per particulam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aequalitèr distinctè persouae conjunguntur Si non esset Deus non esset adorandus which is only proper to God We are said to be baptized in the Name of the Father Sonne and of the holy Ghost And St Paul in his Epistles frequently The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ the love of God and the communion of the holy Ghost be with you all Amen 2 Cor. 13.14 Fifthly We have the end for which the Spirit is given i. e. That we might know the things which are freely given unto us of God Without the Spirit we are in the dark and we know not whither we go But of this hereafter Sixthly We have the adjunct or circumstance put to the things which are given unto us of God to wit that they are given freely That we might know the things which are freely given unto us of God How God is said to give us the things of salvation freely God gives and he gives freely liberally and bountifully and expects nothing at our hands but a thankfull heart The things of God are given freely upon a double account 1. In opposition to merit 2. In opposition to compulsion and unwillingness God gives freely in opposition to merit We deserve nothing at Gods hands but hell and destruction We merit hell but we merit nothing else Rom. 6.23 Primarily eternall death is meant there as appears by the Antithesis between life and death 1 Cor. 4.7 The wages of sinne is death i.e. all manner of death the death of afflictions temporal death eternall death but the gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Our common mercies as life health peace liberty friends food for our bodies and the like are all from free-grace What hast thou that thou hast not received and that thou hast not received freely If our common mercies be of free-grace for every step we step is a step of mercy the breath we breathe forth is Gods breath and not our own if he taketh away our breath we perish how much more are spiritual things of free-grace which are more eminently called the things of God It is of Gods abundant grace and goodness that by his Spirit we might know our election of God ☜ God might have elected us unto everlasting life and we never have known it untill we should have enjoyed it We might have been left in despair and under a cloud of temptation all our daies had not God freely given unto us the earnest of his Spirit The Gospel or the glad tidings of peace and reconciliation through Jesus Christ is of free grace therefore it is called the Gospel of his grace Act. 14.3 So likewise Jesus Christ is a most signall fruit and effect of Gods free grace and love to mankinde Joh. 3 16. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne c. Salvation by Jesus Christ it is of free-grace Eph. 2.5 By grace ye are saved All of grace and nothing of debt All from Gods love and nothing that is in us Gods good pleasure and his free-grace is the impulsive cause of all our mercies and that we are acquainted with those mysteries which were hid from all eternity Erigu me gratia divina sed terret me indignitas mea atqui si dignus essem jam non esset gratia sed merces si ex operibus utique non ex gratia gratia cuim non est gratia ullo modo nisi sit gratuita omni modo oie Gethardus untill these last ages Ascribe all to free grace and account thy self less than the least of all Gods mercies and unworthy of any smile or any favour from Gods hands So likewise God gives freely in opposition to compulsion or unwillingness say the Schoolmen Gods will is the cause of all things Eph. 1.11 Who worketh all things according to the counsell of his own will Nothing moves God to do good to poor sinners but the riches of his grace in Jesus Christ Remember this thou poor drooping soul that complainest by reason of the burden of thy sinnes and thinkest that the multitude of thy sinnes do exceed the greatness of Gods mercies As the most righteous man that ever lived could merit nothing at Gods hands or move God to bestow any thing upon him upon his own account so neither can the greatest sinner that ever lived hinder God or his sinnes put a stop in Gods way that he cannot shew him mercy in Jesus Christ if God be pleased to shew him mercy God sheweth mercy because he will shew mercy Rom. 9.15 Exod. 33.19 God is gracious because he will be gracious As all thy prayers tears duties fastings watchings can prevail nothing with God but upon the account of Jesus Christ so neither can thy unkindness thy unprofitableness thy sinfulness thy disingenuous and foolish carriage with the great God of heaven and earth keep God from shewing thee mercy God hath his therefores of mercy in himself and not in the creature Ezek. 30.18 Therefore will the Lord wait that he may have mercy upon you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have compassion upon you It is a strange therefore that hath no dependance upon the words foregoing but upon Gods infinite mercy God shews mercy because he delights in mercy God gives us heaven because he delights to magnifie his glory upon all the vessels of mercy And when we by our prayers at the Throne of grace obtain good things at the hand of God we do not change God but only those things which God had decreed from all eternity to give us upon the condition of our asking though not for our asking we receive in time when we beg them at Gods hands Ob. How can the things of salvation as Justification Adoption c. be freely given unto us of God Baxter in his excellent Book called the Saints Everlasting Rest seeing Christ Jesus hath purchased them for us Ans 1. The purchase of Christ doth not clash with the freeness of the things of God to us They were dear to Christ but free to us If the Father freely gives the Sonne and the Sonne freely paies the debt and if God freely accepts that way of payment when he might have required all which Christ hath done at our hands and if the Father and the Sonne and the holy Ghost do freely offer those things
are by nature like the Egytians in the Land of darkness but when the Spirit hath opened our eyes we are in the Land of Goshen in the Land of light Ephes 1.17 18. That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of glory might give unto you the Spirit of Wisdom and revelation through the acknowledging of him that the eyes of your understanding may be enlightened that ye may know what the hope is of his calling and what the riches of his glorious inheritance in the Saints 2. By taking away that enmity that is in our wils against the things of God We hate the things of God by nature Now the Spirit shews the excellency the beauty the luster the pleasantness the profit that is in God It removes those hard thoughts and evil surmises in our hearts concerning God and the waies of his worship It shews us that godliness is profitable for all things both for the things of this life and of that which is to come Pro. 3.17 That the waies of wisdom are waies of pleasantness and all her paths are peace Pro. 22.4 That by humility and the fear of the Lord are riches honour and life That there is nothing lost in serving God and that it is the greatest slavery to do the devils service That it is better to work out the peaceable fruit of righteousness though with much labour and sorrow in the world than to live in sin though with the greatest worldly prosperity imaginable That it is better to undergo a light affliction here which is but for a moment than to undergo an eternall weight of torment hereafter and to lose an eternall weight of glory for if thou canst not endure a short affliction here how wilt thou endure the fire of hell Rom. 2. It shews us that to him that worketh righteousness is peace honour and life but tribulation anguish and sorrow follows every soul that doth evil both to Jew and Gentile The Spirit carries us up on the heavenly mount of contemplation and shews us the riches of Gods house and the treasures of the new Jerusalem saying all these things will I give thee if thou wilt worship God in sincerity and truth It perswades us of the evil of sinne of the necessity we have of Jesus Christ of the beauties of holiness of the wrath of God that hangs over sinners and that there is nothing but the thred of life which how soon it may be cut God knows which keeps them from burning in everlasting fire It shews the willingness that is in Jesus Christ to receive poor repenting sinners Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out It sets before us the freeness of the promise Is 55. Ho every one that thirsteth let him come and drink of the waters of life freely Our buying is but receiving Buy wine and milk without money and without price That God the Father and Jesus Christ is more willing to receive us than we are to come unto him that God waits to be gracious Isa 30.18 as the Prophet Isaiah speaks that Gods mercy rejoyceth against judgement and that there is nothing but our unwillingness which hinders the marriage union betwixt Christ and our souls It shews us that the multitude of our sinnes cannot hinder the effect of Gods mercies Isa 55.8 9. for Gods thoughts are not as our thoughts nor his waies as our waies that the Lord is willing to heal our backslidings Hos 14.4 and to love us freely for his Name sake that Gods bowels yern over us when he sees us wallowing in our blood Ezek. 16. that if God were not more mercifull to us than we are to our selves we had perished long ago in our sinnes and that if God sees any thoughts of returning in us if we would but set our faces Zion ward Jer. 19.5 if we did but feel after the Lord Act. 17.27 if he did but see us afarre off in a repenting frame of spirit smiting upon our thighes Ier. 31. as Ephraim did as the father did the returning prodigall he would meet us in the way and fall upon our necks and kiss us yea he would bemoan us as God did repenting Ephraim Is Ephraim my beloved sonne Hos 11.8 is he not a pleasant childe my repentings are kindled together and my bowels are turned within me Saith God I desire not the death of a sinner but rather that he should turn from his wicked waies and live Lam. 3.33 God afflicts not willingly nor grieves the children of men If we perish it is not Gods fault but our own because we are so cruell unto our selves Formerly poor creatures could not endure to think of God Psal 10.4 God is not in all a wicked mans thoughts his waies are alwaies grievous The thoughts of God are troublesom thoughts unto him his infinite justice exceeding greatness his impartiall dealing with sinners when he comes to plead with them for their sins Saith God I will not at all acquit the wicked these are afflicting thoughts to a wicked man Why because he thinks that because God is his enemy all these his attributes shall be imployed to his everlasting ruine It is said likewise of the Gentiles Rom. 1. that they liked not to retain God in their knowledge But when the Spirit comes it makes the thoughts of God pretious then the soul can say as David did Ps 94.19 In the multitude of my thoughts thy comforts delight my soul that is in the multitude of my distracting dividing worldly perplexing thoughts the comforts that flow in upon the meditation of thy goodness and of that propriety which I have in thee that thou art my portion my God my rock that is higher than I to which I may continually resort this doth comfort my spirit The naturall man he counts Christ and the Word and the conscientious Minister who deals plainly and powerfully with him his greatest enemies He cannot endure to see his beloved sinne reproved to hear of his Dallilah to hear of hell of the wrath of God and of the day of judgement no it is as bad as death to him to hear of these things He cannot bear it that Christ must be his Lord the Spirit his teacher the Word his rule and Gods glory his end that he must become a new convert and that he must leave behinde him his old companions his old desires his old customs his old principles his old ends and his laws and that he must become another man altogether new all old things must be done away and all things must become new Heb. 12. Now the Spirit teacheth Iohn 3. that without holiness he shall never see the face of God That unless he be born again he shall never enter into the Kingdom of heaven That if any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5.17 That it is impossible to enter into the new Jerusalem with an
changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Here you may observe this rule A Rule That whatsoever is spoken of the word in reference to our spirituall estate it is to be meant of the word as the Spirit goes along with it Heb. 4.12 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad intimos recessus ad spinae medullam usque penetro To pierce to the very back bone as when a beast is chined But the word of God is quick and powerfull sharper than any two-edged sword dividing between the joynts and the marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and of the intonts of the heart that is the word in the hand of the Spirit is so and not otherwise therefore the word is called The sword of the Spirit and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God As the sword cannot cut of it self but as it is in the hand of a strong and of a skilfull man so neither can the Word have any effect upon our souls but so farre forth as 't is managed by the Spirit Ninthly They are quiet and comfortable teachings 'T is the Spirit alone that teacheth without noise of words without confusion of opinions without ambition of honour with contention of arguments 'T is the Spirit alone that in an instant raiseth up the humble minded As it is said of Christ so it may be said of the Spirit that his voice shall not be heard in the streets The Spirit hath its gentle gales and blasts of love it doth not compell men to Jesus Christ but it invites perswades allures them and brings them over in a loving way The voice of the Spirit it is a sweet gracious inward voice It is a soft voice which will break the hardest rocks It is a soul-melting voice which will make a soul dissolve into tears it is not a thundering voice but a secret powerfull voice calling us from the world to enjoy communion with God Amongst the Jews there was a certain revelation called Bathcol that is filia vocis because usually when it thundered they had a Revelation Therefore the Jews to this day when it thunders use to light candles expecting to hear a voice concerning the Messias Agreeable to this is the place of the Psalmist I answered thee out of the secret place of thunder And when Christ was in his transfiguration some said it thundered others that an Angel spoke unto him But the Spirit doth not teach in a thundering voice but in a sweet still voice And as God was not in the wind and in the earthquake and in the fire but in the sweet still voice 1 King 19.12 so the Spirit of God when it teacheth the soul it is by a sweet and a pleasant voice Tenthly They are abiding teachings 2 Cor. 3.3 Saith Christ I will send the Comforter to you and he shall abide with you for ever Jer. 31.33 34. I will write my Law in their hearts and put my fear within them and they shall never depart from me 1 Pet 1.23 Being born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible of the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever As none can blot out the Law of nature written naturally on the heart of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Communes notiones Honeste vivendum neminem laedendum suum cuique tribuendum for there are certain principles in our hearts certain generall notions common to all men to wit that God is to be loved and worshipped that we should live bonestly and reverence our parents and the like Therefore the Gentiles when they walked contrary to that naturall light which God had put within them are said to withhold the truth in unrighteousness Much less canst thou blot out the teachings of the Spirit The finger of God writes indeleble characters We reade of the seal of the Spirit Eph. 1.13 Now you know a seal is for two things 1. For confirmation of the Covenant 2. For perpetuity as long as the Bond stands sealed it is in force As long as the Spirit hath been a Spirit of Adoption to us we need not ever fear that he will be a Spirit of bondage again As long as we have Gods seal upon our hearts which stands firm and sure untill the day of redemption we need not fear but that we shall continue stedfast in the faith of Gods elect Eleventhly They are uniform teachings that is in respect of the subject matter the Spirits teachings are the same to wit the things of God though the Spirit hath not alwaies one and the same way to communicate those things unto our souls Twelfthly and lastly The Spirits teachings they are the only teachings As Peter said to Christ when Christ asked his Disciples Joh. 6.68 Will ye also forsake me Lord whither shall we go thou hast the words of eternall life So whither should we go to be taught the minde of God but to the Spirit in the Name of Jesus Christ to desire him to instruct us by it As the men that were sent by the rulers to take Christ brought word back again that never man spake like this man Ioh. 7.46 So when once thou hast had the experience of the Spirits teachings upon thy heart thou wilt say indeed and in truth Never any taught me so as the Spirit hath taught me Now my business is to shew unto you That only those that have the Spirits teachings can know the things of God Which is proved from one place of Scripture 1 Cor. 2. 14 it is said that the naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishness unto him In this place of Scripture you have two parts First A plain Proposition which is this That the naturall man receiveth not the things of God of the Spirit of God Secondly You have the reasons of the Proposition which are these two 1. Because they are foolishness unto him 2. Because they are spiritually discerned It is said The naturall man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit The Apostle doth not here speak of Epicures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whom Peter 2 Ep. 2. chap. v. 12. cals bruit beasts but of the great men of this world excellent for wit for wisdom and for morall vertues as Scipio Cato Socrates Aristides Those men cannot discern the things of the Spirit Neither doth he speak there of those who by the just judgement of God are delivered up to Satan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 opponitur 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 animalis opponitur spirituali The Schoolmens questions are for the most part idle and curious as the most of their hypotheticall propositions and the manner of disputations for oftentimes they dispute ex alienis principiis out of the grounds of other sciences they confound Divinity and Philosophy and the Media which they use oftentimes are impertinent They trust too much to the testimony of men they go very rashly
dreadful place Prov. 28.1 He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddainly be destroyed and that without remedy 4. To the light of the word which includs both Law and the Gospel 1. Sad is their condition who have onely the Law to be their light and yet sin against this Law that know they should not commit adultery and yet commit adultery they should not steal and yet will steal they should not prophane the Sabbath and yet will prophane the Sabbath that know they should not serve idols and yet will serve idols c. How many sore judgements and grievous captivities do we read of in the old Testament which God brought upon his own people the Jews for the breach of his most holy and righteous Law They had the Law and the Prophets in which Prophets some Gospel which intermingled though little in respect of that light which we have and yet their sinning against the light of the Law and the word of Prophesie delivered unto them did so incense the Lord against them that he often plagued them with sore judgements for their revoltings 2. To the light of the Gospel See the sad condition of those souls that walk not up to the light of the Gospel in the second of the Hebrews 2.3 v. For if the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation which at the first began to be preached by the Lord and afterward was confirmed unto us by them that heard him Sins against Gospel light are crying sins in the ears of God By how much the greater engagements of mercy by so much the more hanious will our sins be If we walke not up to the light of the Gospel we sin against a more clear and evident light against such a light which discovers such love of God unto us in Jesus Christ which can never be expressed Against such a light which holds forth the clearest testimony of Gods good will to sinners far beyond the apprehension of men and Angels Such a light which the Angels themselves desire to behold prying into and adoring the infinite wisdom of God revealed in it Such a light which if we sin agaist it will for ever render us altogether inexcusable at the last day so that our mouths shall be muzzled as the mans was which came to the feast without a wedding garment being not able to speak a word for our selves Such a light which if we walke not up to will sinke us deep into the gulfe of misery and the blackness of darkness for ever Such a light which if we walk not up to but maliciously resist and oppose we render our selves guilty of that unpardonable sin against the holy Ghost being condemned in our own consciences and obnoxious to our selves that we deserve eternal vengeance for the slighting of it Such a light which if we do not obey makes us guilty of the highest unbelief the most notorious ingratitude the greatestwant of charity the most out-crying rebellion of the greatest hardness of heart and of the most malicious hatred that possibly can be He that rejecteth the light of the Gospel forsaketh his own mercies he hath bid adien to God to Christ to the Spirit to the Sacraments to the promises to the priviledges of the Saints yea to the Saints themselves being without hope for the present Ephes 4.17 18. being turned from a Christian to be like those Gentiles who walke in the vanities of their minds having their understandings darkned lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ should shine into their hearts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 3.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 1.3 Justitia Dei Dom. 1.17 Divina Virtus potentia 1 Cor. 1.24 Such a light in which is revealed the manifold wisdom of God the riches of his grace the righteousness of God Divine power and vertue the truth of God Against such a light which is the ministery of the spirit for the Gospel it is the ministery of the spirit and not of the letter Against such a light which if we walk not up to we mightily incense the great Jehovah of heaven and of earth Do you think that if a great Monarch should send to the poorest beggar that he hath under his dominions having been a notorious rebel traytor and apostate from him A simile a message of reconciliation unto him upon promise that if he would accept of pardon upon the supposition of amendment of life he would not onely be appeased with him and receive him into favor but make him as it were his Son if this miserable creature should refuse the pardon upon such noble terms himself being exceedingly worthy of death would not this render him guilty of the highest ingratitude and of the greatest contumacy if he should not close with this most courteous offer of grace and favor such stubborn hearted sinners are they who walk not up to the light of the Gospel We are all of us by nature miserable poor and wretched creatures enemies rebells traytors and apostates from God The King of Kings the Lord of Lords who is Lord over heaven and earth sends unto us by his onely son a message of reconciliation upon condition that we will receive this his onely son who hath dyed for us to redeeme us from the captivity of sin and Satan and from the curse of the Law and from eternal death for our onely Lord and Saviour and serve him only and obey him and keep his commandments unto which gracious message if we would but repent of our former rebellions and endeavor to believe on Jesus Christ is annexed a most gracious promise of everlasting happiness that we shall be his sons and that he will give us a Kingdom a Crown of Glory an everlasting inheritance and that we shall reign with Jesus Christ our elder brother and with himself for ever and ever Now what rebels and stout-hearted sinners are they who shall not accept of this gracious offer upon so small conditions The conditions are onely to repent for our sins and to receive Jesus Christ for our Lord and Saviour to rule and govern us by his Word and Spirit Who would refuse such an honourable good and gracious Master such a noble service which hath a most copious reward annexed to it In the service of Christ there is perfect freedom but in the divels service the greatest slavery Then are you free indeed John 8.6 if the Son shall make you free Do not stand off I beseech you close with this gracious offer accept of these conditions lest that thereby thou incensest God against thee to destroy thee if thou refusest this offer of reconciliation thou shalt never have the like again for in rejecting it thou sinnest against the remedy which God hath provided for the sin of thy soul by trampling under foot the precious blood
Apostle had exhorted them to unity of Spirit in the later part of the seventh Chapter he comes to shew the different success his Ministry had in reference to Jew and Gentile The preaching of the cross of Christ to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks soolishnese Hence Observe That the best and the most pretious Dectrine that is meeting With an unsanctified heart Note it is opposed and had in derision The Doctrine of the Cross of Christ a most pretious sweet and heavenly Doctrine a Doctrine full of comfort a Doctrine rending to the establishing of weak dejected sinners laden with the burden of their sinnes the most soul-comforting Doctrine that ever was delivered to the sons of men yet this Doctrine will not go down with the Jews and with the Greeks but to the Jews it is a stumbling block and to the Greeks soolishness What word more comfortable than a crucified Christ Joh. 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unigenitus Col. 1.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Frimogenitus Heb 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 3.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Filius ille meus dilectus in quo complacitus sum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His most dear Son the Son that lay in his Fathers bosom from all eternity The Son of him who is the Ancient of daies Joh. 10.18 Heb. 1.1 a crucified Christ for a wretched forlorn sinner Gods greatest mercies have been the most a bused God had but one Son one only Son one only wellbeloved Sonne one only wellbeloved Son who was the express Image of his Fathers person who was full of grace and truth who was daily his delight the delight of God the Father in whom he was well pleased who was altogether lovely who was coequal with God the Father and thought it no robbery to be equal with God this beloved Sonne his only begotten Sonne God out of his infinite love to mankinde sent in the fulness of time into the world with a message of reconciliation to redeem sinners enemies rebels and a postates from the very womb and yet what hard measure did the Lord of Life who willingly came down from the bosom of his Father and freely offered himself a ransom for our souls being to deal with the hard-hearted and cruel Pharisees finde in the world as the History and Passion related by all the Evangelists do fully shew forth Yea how is the Gospel of Peace the Gospel of glad tidings brought to light by the appearance of Jesus Christ in the world How is it despised and rejected and counted as nothing Yea how are the pretious servants of Jesus Christ who bring the good tidings of peace to poor souls and the Olive branch of salvation in their lips how are they despised and made the off-scouring of the world in this present age God hath a controversie with the Jews at this day for spilling the blood of Jesus Christ for the curse is upon them when they said Mat. 27.25 Let his blood be upon us and upon our children And certainly God hath a controversie with this Nation for the injuries done to the faithfull servants of Jesus Christ and when God comes to reckon for blood the blood of Gods Ministers will lie the heaviest As one drop of Christs blood by how much he is more pretious than all the sons of Adam yea than all the Angels of heaven is of more worth than ten thousand worlds and will lie heavier upon the heads of them on whom it fals Mat. 21.38 As it was a hainous fault for the Husbandmen to whom the Vineyard was let out to slay the Master of the Vineyards own sonne and shall be more severely punished so next to Jesus Christ the blood of the faithfull Ministers of Christ will weigh the heaviest heavier than all the blood of the Prophets slain from the blood of Zacharias the son of Barakias Mat. 23.35 whom they slew between the Temple and the Altar Heb 8.6 2 Cor. 3.6 which Christ so much aggravates upon the Jews because they are the Ambassadours of a better Covenant and Ministers of the New Testament not of the Letter but of the Spirit which Christ hath confirmed with his own blood O that this were not one of Englands giant sinnes which lies heapt up in Gods account and makes the inhabitants of the Land odious in his sight You must observe you do not only kill the Ministers when violently by the hatchet you sever their heads from their bodies but when by your unkindness towards them and your little regard you have to their labours their tears fastings watchings studies consuming of their bodies and their strength you break their hearts and kill them by your unchristian carriage There is the life of many a pretious Minister God hath to plead with as for whom the world little takes notice of Now as the preaching of a Christ crucified was to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness so it were to be wished that there were not many in this time who mock at the Cross of Christ Heb. 11.29 Which place some do apply to the sin against the holy Ghost and are guilty of that great sinne that the Apostle speaks of in the Hebrews of trampling under foot the pretious blood of the Sonne of God and counting it an unholy thing while they do not magnifie Christ Jesus in their hearts and in all things give him the preheminence Col. 1.18 and receive him for their Saviour and Redeemer Joh. 6.26 for Him hath God the Father sealed for this very purpose to reconeile us to God and to serve him as their Lord seeing he hath done so much for them and purchased them at so dear a rate When they will divide their hearts between Christ and their sinnes and give Christ one part and sinne another all the week Christ is not in their thoughts and on the Lords day they think to recompence God and to make even scores by an outward worship done unto him as if their present being good will fatisfie God and quiet their consciences for all their former evils which is a generall mistake in the hearts of men Or they will divide between Christ and their own righteousness which is unrighteousness and abomination in the sight of God There is no great Monarch can less endure a beggar standing in his presence in nothing but ragges and full of bruises and sores and running issues from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot from whence comes most noysom smels than God can endure a proud vaunting finner standing before him in his own righteousness Isa 64.6 for ail our righteousness is unrighteousnes it is filthy ragges and our best services unless they be tendered in Christs Name ☜ are an abomination to the Lord and a stink in his nostrils Choose whole Christ and Christ wholly and onely or else thou art an enemy to the Cross of Christ So in the sixth
and deportment in preaching the Gospel to them to this end to breed Schisms in the Church for saith he I was with you in weakness and in fear Yers 3. and in much trembling that is he was so farre from being pust up with those gifts and graces which God had indued him with that he was among them with much infirmity in much affliction and in much contempt as he saith Who is weak and I am not weak we are fools for Christs sake 1 Cor. 4.10 but ye are wise we are weak but ye are strong ye are honoured but we are despised In the 2. Cor. 10.10 For say they his Letters are weighty and powerfull but his bodily presence is weak and his speech coutemptible So that the Apostle was no promoter of Sects and Separations and Parties in the Church but these divisions came from their lusts from their carnality and fleshly mindedness 1 Cor. 3.3 4. For whereas there is among you envying and strife and divisions are ye not carnall and walk as men For when one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not carnall So saith the Apostle James Iom 4.1 From whence are warres and contentions among you are they not hence even from your lusts that warre in your members It is a sign thou art of a proud impetuous and of an ambitious spirit if thou art a breeder of dissentions in the Church of God and that which was falsly charged upon Paul that he was a seditious person and a disturber of the Nation and upon Jeremy Act. 24.5 Ier. 15.10 that he was a man of ftrife may be justly charged upon thee who for a very light occasion makes a departure from the Church of God Pro. 13.10 From pride cometh contention saith Solomon so thou art of a proud spirit if thou art of a contentious spirit Hence observe Note That the Ambassadors of Jesus Christ and of the Gospel of his grace must be men of peace and not study to make factions and parties in the Church of Christ They should endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Eph. 4.3 They should endeavour to preserve the truth of God that so the truths of God may preserve them For as long as they stand up in Gods cause in opposition to the flesh the world and the devil God will stand by them and plead for them and smite through the loins of them that shall rise up against them Jude v. 3. They must contend earnestly for the faith that was once delivered unto the Saints and plead with that Whore of Babylon by the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God and vindicate the Scriptures from all those foul aspersions which the locusts of the bottomless pit together with the Socinians Arminians Anabaptists and Quakers of these times have cast upon it The Church it is the House of God and the Word is Gods Looking-glass which he hath set up in his House whereby all the defects and spots and blemishes which are in Gods people may be discerned and this word is committed to the hands of the Ministers as Trustees and Stewards to give out and to dispense to every soul its portion as time and occasion shall require Now this treasure is in earthen Vessels 2 Cor. 4.7 that the praise might not be of men but of God and the people are not to be their own carvers as now adaies many are but to require the word at their mouths and to obey them in all lawfull commands examining by the Scriptures whether those things be true or no which they preach as the Beraeans did Act. 17.11 and highly to honour them for their work sake But now if they shall contrary to Gods Word set up new Lights in Gods Church and offer up strange fire as Nadab and Abibu did Lev. 10.1 and a new Looking-glass in Gods House and appoint those things which God never commanded neither came it ever into his thoughts to require and rend the seamless Coat of Christ that is the Church by their inventions and traditions and seek new doctrines and new opinions and vent them forth that others may follow their pernitious waies by reason of which 2 Pet. 2.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exitiis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blaspemabitur 2 Pet. 3.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 torquēt Rack the Scriptures the way of truth is evil spoken of and captivate the understandings of others by their carnall reasonings and sinfull objections whereby they wrest the Scripture to their own damnation and giddy the spirits of weak Christians by their deep notions and Allegoricall interpretations and set themselves up for the only men and to have other men called by their name and by that party they are of What is this but to be of a seditious spirit and to be the incendiaries of the Churches peace The Kingdom of Christ is a Kingdom of peace Omnes literae in nomine Jehovah sunt literae quiescentes quo observandum est Deum ipsissimum fore pacis fontem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and God is a God of peace and Christ is the Prince of peace and the Gospel is the Gospel of peace Why therefore should not Christs Ambassadors be the Ambassadors of peace I am not here against the communion of the Saints by way of Church fellowship joyntly to serve God and Jesus Christ in way of distinction and separation from the profane world But against that venomous humour which is in some men that to get themselves a name in the world do seek out and invent some strange and uncouth opinion and vent it forth with all the fair pretences of truth that possibly can be that thereby adopting to themselves proselytes they may walk in the light of their own fancies and delight in the vanity of their own imaginations Observe again That for Beleevers to call themselves by the names of their spirituall guides be they never so holy and religious men or by strange names taken up by the contumelies of ungodly men it is an unchristian thing The word Brethren is very often used in the Acts of the Apostles in the Epistle to the Romans and in several other places Act. 9.30 10.13 16.2 17.10 18.18 Rom. 12.1 and disagreeing to the minde of the Spirit Those be the best names which the Scripture useth as Brethren Beloved in the Lord Saints Christians Servants of Jesus Christ c. It was Luthers charge to his followers that after his death they should be sure not to call themselves by his Name that is not to be called Lutherans by his Name Luther and why Did Luther die for you or Christ If Christ died and was crucified for you let him be your Lord and Master But if Christ did not die for you and I died for you then let me be your Lord and Master and be ye called by my Name This argument the
have his command to the contrary his Word bids us not to do it How can we violate the authority of the sacred Majesty of heaven and earth How shall we be able to stand before God who is a consuming fire and commit these abominations in his sight What a good thing were it if Christians would make a Common-place-Book in their hearts out of Gods Word and by often reading of it and by that excellent duty of meditation laying it up that they may have spirituall matter to furnish their souls withall upon all occasions This is the true pondering of the Word of God So much of the Word of God as we meditate on and by meditation is concocted to the nourishment of our souls so much we have and no more This hiding of the Word within our heart is an excellent means to further the gift of prayer whereby we shall have store of matter at all times and upon all subects to render up our petitions unto God ☜ That is the best prayer that is founded upon the Word of God How sweetly doth the Spirit of God breathe forth in Davids Psalms and what heavenly expressions there are suitable for a Christians spirit to exercise his faith and comfort in God by in the greatest trials and most soul-dejecting desertions This hiding of the Word of God to wit the sweet promises which concern salvation contained therein to poor broken-hearted sinners affords abundance of peace of conscience and consolation of the spirit Saith David I have hoped in thy Word ☞ He is a true emblem of a faithfull soul A true sign of a beleeving soul who can trust God for his word sake and build upon the Word of consolation who can plead with God upon a bare word of promise Lord hast thou not said it and wilt thou not bring it to pass If we would by a lively faith suck eagerly at these breasts of consolation and dive deep into these wels of salvation and carry our buckets often to draw and look to Jesus Christ in whom all the promises are Yea and Amen for the earnest of his Spirit upon our hearts that they may be rightly applied to our everlasting comfort our souls would be satisfied abundantly as with marrow and fatness So likewise saith David Thy Word is a light unto my feet and a lamp unto my paths and in the same Psalm Psal 119.96 I have seen an end of all perfection but thy Commandments are exceeding large The literall Word of God though it hath a beginning and an end in respect of the letter yet the Word of God considered Doctrinally as it is the wisdom of God the Father it is infinite like God himself and hath unfathom'd depths of the riches of Gods grace to sinners in Jesus Christ contained in it Rom. 8. O the depths of the riches of the wisdom of God how unsearchable are his works and his waies past finding out ☜ It is a rich Mine of excellent discoveries of the Almighty God which never yet hath been searcht to the full though when we come to heaven we shall know abundantly more of it than we do now and all doubts concerning it fully satisfied which do so trouble us in the body of this flesh Let men of corrupt mindes talk what they will that they fully understand the minde of God in his word by the light of the Spirit speaking within them that they can unfold all mysteries and that they need not hearken to the word any longer but only hearken to the voice of the Spirit speaking in their hearts because the light of the Spirit is a greater light they say than the light of the word I am certain that they are grosly deluded by the father of lies for the Apostle Paul that knew as much of the things of God as any Enthusiast whatsoever yet did see but through a glass as it were imperfectly till this veil of the flesh being laid aside he shall see God face to face We know in part Now if the Word of God be exceeding large larger than the perfections of all the creatures so that there is no sinne that can be conceived of but is forbidden in it and threatned with eternall death and no grace but what is commanded and exhorted to under the promise of everlasting life and the means to eschue the evil and to imbrace the good fully declared unto us without all controversie this and this only is the Word of God and ought to be the ground and rule of our faith 2. That for men to preach their own inventions When men are much addicted to Allegorize Scripture suddenly they fall into some and new fangled notions and the fancies of their own intoxicated brains or for men to Allogorize Scriptures according as their minde serves them neglecting the pure fountain of the Word of God is to build mens faith upon humane wisdom and not upon the power of God We live in a Scepticall age deadly errour and are caught as it were in a snare before they are aware What a Solaecism upon his own body Origen the father of Allegories committed by Allegorizing that portion of Scripture Mat. 19.12 is known to all those that are verst in Ecclesiasticall History wherein most Christians being troubled with that itching humour the Apostle speaks of are all for novelties and vain questions which are nothing materiall to the establishing our souls in grace and neglect the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ They are all for light but little for zeal all for knowledge but little for practice all for notions but little for truth all for further discoveries of secret mysteries but little searching into their own hearts all for those truths that may inform the Judgement but little for those truths which may work upon the affections Lord A sweet ejaculation I pray thee to give me no more knowledge than what may work upon my heart to the joyning of a hearty obedience unto it and that above all other knowledge I may seek to know Jesus Christ and him crucified to be made partaker of his sufferings and of the fellowship of his resurrection that as he rose from the grave of death so I may arise from the grave of sinne unto newness of life Lord grant that while others dive into thy secrets and search after thy Decrees and do limit thee who art the holy one of Israel by speaking of thee irreverently and ascribing unto thee those things which are not convenient and as the fly about the candle never leave prying and approaching too near till they be consumed in the pride of their own hearts and in the vanity of their own imaginations I may sincerely and humbly with all fear and reverence to thy great and glorious Majesty take thy Name into my mouth and only speak of thee as the word speaks and no further Lord thou hast said that thou art Jehovah Jchovah Jah Eheie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 that is who hast thy being of thy self which being is from all eternity ineluding all the differences of time past present and to come That thou art Elohim Almighty Elschaadai Alsufficient Elion High that thou art I am that I am Exo. 3.14 which implies that thou art only of thy self and art all things to thy creatures I am bread to the hungry drink to the thirsty cloathing to the naked health to the sick liberty to the captive comfort to the distressed I am all things to all men as they stand in need of me Is 43.11 Thou hast said that thou art and that there is none else besides thee that thou art but one God and yet distinguished into three Persons Father Son and Holy Ghost Lord let me beleeve and admire this truth rather than stand and question it And for thy Decrees which are as immutable as thy self for with the Lord is Yea and Amen for ever and ever I beseech thee grant that I may search no further than what is convenient for me as a creature to know and thy Word requires that I should search into These are mysteries lockt up in thy own breast from all eternity which though I cannot attain to in this life to know yet let me trace the foot-steps of thy everlasting providence in thy Word and admire thy goodness towards them who are elected in Jesus Christ and magnifie thy justice upon all the vessels of wrath to all eternity This I know that though thou did'st not pass by any in thy act of pretenition with reference to sinne as thou didst not elect the vessels of mercy with any respect to their future holiness yet thou never passest the sentence of condemnation upon any but for their sinnes past Yet God doth not condemn a man simply as a sinnes for then all should be condemned but at such and such a sinner a sinner against great light against great mercy a sinner under Gods judgement An unbeleeving sinner unbelief is the great condemning sin and receivest none into mercy but upon the account of Jesus Christ And O that there were a heart in me to seek above all things to know thee and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent to seek wisdom and spirituall understanding which will be unto me a tree of life to preserve me from the snares of death Thus Lord desireth every true and faithfull servant of Jesus Christ Now as these men have itching ears 2 Tim. 4.3 so they heap up to themselves such Pastors and Teachers as may serve their own fancies and it were to be desired that there were not too many amongst us who for preferment and for worldly honour would make the Word of God to stoop to the base lusts of carnall people and preaching the fictions of their own brain cause men to build their faith upon unsound and sandy foundations When men hold forth Jesus Christ to the people not as the Scripture holds him forth but according to their apprehensions of him they build wood hay and stubble upon this pretious foundation 1 Cor. 3.12 13 14. which when the day of the Lord shall come the fire of the Lord shall utterly consume when every mans work shall be made manifest Col. 2.23 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This will-worship when men will take upon them to prescribe Rules and Canons of Gods worship Mar. 15.3 Col. 2.8 Gal. 4.10 this worshipping of God after the tradition of our fathers this observing of times and seasons for the satisfying the lusts of the flesh and not for the service of God this mixing of our own Ceremonies and Superstitious waies is odious and abominable in his sight God cares not how little he hath to do with men in waies of his worship for whatsoever sacred things we handle we leave the print of our fingers behind us but hath reserved this to himself as one main part of his Soveraignty to prescribe Rules and give Laws according to which he requires that men should do him homage He is that great Law-giver who is able to kill and save alive Jam. 4.12 Now when men dare be so presumptuous and so highly impudent as to incroach upon Gods authority and to take upon them to assign waies and means of their own finding out to serve God by what do they but as it were condemn the Word of God for imperfection and God himself for want of wisdom as if he did not know how to govern his creatures Yea moreover God hath strictly commanded that we should not mingle our inventions with his worship Exod. 20.25 Thou shalt not lift up a tool upon my Altar lest it be defiled God in this place directly commands in the Antitype that we should worship him according to the way of his own choosing and that we should not adde the dross of our own corrupted fancies to the unspotted purity of his holy worship God hates a mixture of Religion at his very heart and could not endure that the Israelites should joyn themselves to the Canaanites left they should learn their evil way and be defiled Mens inventions and Gods worship will never agree together As there is but one God so the way of his worship is one therefore saith Paul Act. 24.14 according to the way which ye call heresie so worship I the God of my fathers But men of carnall mindes consulting with flesh and blood and not with the everlasting Word of God have sought out many waies to worship God by What a forged foppery of humane inventions and mans traditions is the Popish Religion What abundance of forms and outward worships have they as if God did look more at the outward man and externall behaviour than at the hidden man of the heart the sincerity of our actions and the purity of our intentions the Lord judgeth not according to the appearance 1 Sam. 16.7 but he judgeth righteous judgement Indeed they have a braver and more splendid Religion in outward beauty and worship as a Lady of Paris said when she saw the Pope going his Procession What a brave Religion is ours in respect of the Hugonites that is the Protestants they have richer Temples and more beautifull shrines but what is this in the sight of God as painted glass it rather darkens the light than adds more light though it seems more beautifull than plain glass so mens traditions though they may carry a beautifull pretence along with them they rather darken the minde of the Spirit than adde any further light unto the Word This foundation will melt as the wax before the Sun in the time of Gods pleading and contending with sinners Others are too extream on the other hand and care not for any decency and order in respect of outward worship and cry down all outward circumstances and conveniences because God chiefly regards the heart Let such know that God is the God of our bodies as well as of our souls and he requireth
outward worship that we should bow before him and fall down at his presence and testifie the brokenness and contrition of heart by outward gestures as well as heart-worship though that be the principall he aims at Pray observe that God looks to every circumstance of his worship as well as to the essentials of it yea to the least circumstance and when he shall come to revenge the quarrell of his Covenant will severely punish those who have failed in the least particular of his worship O that men would consider this who are all for duty but little for the right performance of it after Gods way and manner ☞ all for worship but care not how they worship God I finde in Scripture 1 King 18.28 that hypocrites have been most in duty Baals Priests used to cut selves from day to night Mat 6.7.23.14 and the Pharisees used to make long prayers but I finde that the people of God have studied more how to please God and to serve him after his own way and method The circumstances of an action saith the Philosopher aggravate the action more than the action it self You will think Nadab's and Abihu's fault to be of no consideration Lev. 10.1 2. as to deserve so great a punishment as to be destroyed for it What was their sinne why they offered fire to the Lord as he commanded but not that fire which he commanded that fire which should be continually kept in upon the Altar for that very use but fetcht elsewhere and therefore 't is called strange fire such fire as the Lord never demanded Let Gods Word be our rule and Gods glory the ultimate end and scope of all our actions and then we cannot do amiss in point of worship and if we continue in well doing at the length we shall reap everlasting life But when men corrupt the Word of God 2 Cor. 2.17 as the Apostles phrase is putting new glosses upon it and making it as a nose of wax to turn every way according as their genius tends and it serves for the carrying on of their designes for how glad are wicked men if they catch at any part of a sentence which according to their blinde apprehensions though to a judicious minde and to one enlightened by the Spirit it is nothing to the purpose or handling the Word of God deceitfully 2 Cor. 2.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cauponantes Adulte rantes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A corrumpendo vine atque infuscando ut caupones sâ—lout Men adulterate the word and take away the beauty and the majesty from it when they think to put a lustre upon it by their own inventions mixing it as a Vintner doth water with wine according to the Apostles word or neglecting the Word of God lean to the light of their own understandings and studying strange and unheard-of doctrines under the name of experimentall truths and which by long experience they have found out deliver unto the people the scum and the froth of their own vain mindes as the false Prophets of old who spake lyingly in the Name of the Lord saying they had a vision and a revelation when they had not that so both Minister and people might both fall together and both might be destroyed for ever and ever and rendring themselves abominable in the eyes of God they build their faith upon their own wisdom which is rather folly than wisdom for every man as the Psalmist saith Ps 49.10 by the fall is become brutish in his understanding and is of a reprobate minde that is Tit. 1.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 void of judgment of a minde that cannot approve of the things of God and neglect the wisdom and the power of God They cry up themselves as Simon Magus did for some body Act. 8.9 for the great power of God as he for his miracles was termed so and delighted in this appellation so these would be so termed for the abundance of the Revelations and the great measure of the Spirit which they pretend to partake of as if they were the only lights in the world and the Oracles which God hath set up in his Church Lord I beseech thee by the power of thy sanctifying Spirit to destroy this Babell in the hearts of those who are thy people that they may not build their faith upon lying vanities and trust to the sparks of their own understandings 1 Sam. 5.4 but that this Dagon of superstition and false worship of will-worship Col. 2.23 and of that worship which seems to carnall flesh glorious and beautifull 2 Cor. 7.1 may fall down at the appearance of Jesus Christ in their hearts that being kept from the pollutions of the flesh and Spirit they may perfect holiness in the fear of God for as long as this wisdom of the world is in us which is foolishness in thy sight there is no room for thy word or for Jesus Christ who is the eternall wisdom of God the Father Joh. 6.27 Let us not build our faith upon traditions and mens inventions and feed upon that meat which perisheth for all ceremonies customs and will-worship is but perishing meat but upon the Word of God as our rule and Jesus Christ for our Saviour that so we may finde comfort and peace of conscience at the hour of death and in the world to come everlasting life To proceed in the context the Apostle having shewed that he did not preach the wisdom of the world yet to magnifie his Doctrine and that he might give it the preheminence Vers 6. he saith Yet we preach wisdom amongst those which are perfect yet not the wisdom of this world that is though our preaching be plain to you who are but as babes in understanding yet we can preach in a higher style and more profound matter amongst those which are perfect that is amongst those who are men in understanding and more knowing in the things of God vers 7. We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery Ver. 8. Wisdom which the world cannot attain unto Vers 9. Eye hath not seen nor ear heard the things which God hath prepared for them that love him Hence observe Note That a servant of Jesus Christ must suit his style and his matter according to the capacity and judgement of his hearers Saith Luther Optimi ad Vulgus sunt concionatores qui popularitèr pnerilitèr trivialiter docent They preach best to the common people who preach in the plainest way and method The converting of souls to Jesus Christ and the building up Christians in the most pretious faith and comforting sad dejected spirits and destroying the Kingdom of Satan in the hearts of wicked men and to dispossess them of the unclean spirit and to convince gain-sayers who oppose the truth and to vindicate the purity of the Word of God against men of reprobate mindes is the work and main business of a true Ambassadour of Jesus
which Christ hath purchased for us upon a cordiall acceptation of them and receiving of them by the hand of faith then the purchase of Christ doth not hinder but that the things of eternity may be free to us 2. There are some things which Christ cannot properly be said to purchase for us but God out of the abundance of his mercy added as it were an over-plus to the death and sufferings of Jesus Christ Heaven and eternall glory and the beatificall vision is not strictly said to be purchased by Christ but it is a redundancy of the Fathers love The immediate effect of Christs death is Justification a redeeming us from the curse of the Law and from the wrath of God which was due to our sinnes The more remote and consequentiall effect is heaven and eternall glory Having explained the words I come now to raise some Observations from them From the matter implied That the teachings of the Spirit are absolutely necessary to know the things of God Observe this Note That none can know the things of God but those who have the teachings of the Spirit upon their hearts From the words expressed observe 1. That worldly men or the men of this world are led by a worldly spirit 2. That the spirit of the world is altogether opposite to the Spirit of God 3. That all that are the people of God have or shall receive the Spirit of God 4. That the end why they receive the Spirit is that they may know the things of God 5. That all things are given to us freely of God The Observation which is the subject of my ensuing discourse is drawn from the thing implied which is this That none can know the things of God but those that have the teachings of the Spirit upon their hearts In the handling this Observation I shall shew First The various acceptation of the word Spirit and that here is meant the Spirit of God Secondly What are the teachings of the Spirit 1. By way of premonition that it is a very hard thing to know them 2. Positively according to the Scripture phrase what they be Here briefly I shall distinguish between the motions impressions and flashes of the Spirit and the teachings of the Spirit Thirdly How the Spirit teacheth to wit 1. By enlightning our understandings 2. By taking away that enmity which is upon our wils against the things of God Fourthly Shew what more peculiar things the Spirit teacheth Fifthly What manner of teachings they are Sixthly Prove the conclusion That none can know the things of God but they that have the Spirits teachings Seventhly Make application 1. By way of Information to shew that the greatest part of Christians are void of the teachings of the Spirit upon their hearts 2. By way of Exhortation to stirre you up to seek after the teachings of the Spirit and this Exhortation is pressed home upon a threefold account And a threefold cord is not easily broken 1. From the excellency of the Spirits teachings and of that light which comes thereby above all other teachings and above all other knowledge whatsoever 2. Because if the Spirit teacheth thee it is an evident sign thou art the friend of God 3. If the Spirit teacheth thee it is a sign thou art instated into the Covenant of grace Eighthly I shall give severall signes whereby we may know we are taught of the Spirit Ninthly Shew how we may distinguish between the more extraordinary teachings of the Spirit upon our hearts which are peculiar to more eminent Saints and other teachings Tenthly Shew the times wherein the Spirits teachings are most manifest 1. In times of affliction 2. Near the time of death Eleventhly Answer some doubts and questions arising from the Spirits teachings Twelfthly Shew that it is the duty of every one to walk up to the light which he hath received The various acceptations of the word Spirit in Scripture I. The Spirit is put in opposition to the body Luke 24.39 A spirit hath not flesh and bones c. so the gross foul of a beast is called a spirit The spirit of a man goeth upward Eccl. 3.21 and the spirit of a beast goeth downward II. It is applied to any tenuious nimble or subtile substance So the winde may be called a Spirit Job 4. A spirit passed before my face i.e. a nimble substance resembling the gliding motion of a spirit So we commonly say the spirits of wines because of the refinedness of them III. Any strong impetous or violent inclination Burroughs upon this place in his Comment upon Hosea or full purpose to do a thing may be called a spirit Hosea 4. 12. The spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to erre i. e. a strong inclination and full bent of will to go a whoring from God hath caused them to erre IV. For the heart of man wherein listh the affections in opposition to the will and the understanding and the memory according to the intellectuall part of it 1 Thes 5.23 I pray God that your whole soul spirit and body may be kept blameless till the coming of Jeses Christ By the soul is meant the understanding and the will and by the spirit the heart 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein lieth the affections Rem 1 9. God whom I serve with my spirit Luke 8.55 You know not of what spirit ye are of i. e. of what affections Though some have another interpretation of it as you may see hereafter V. It is taken Quo plus materiae co plus potentiae quo plus formae co plus actus Quo plus potentiae viz. passivae co plus corruptibilitatis quo plus actus co plus substantia â—ic Philosophi aiuns 1. For strength and courage 2. For incorruptibility Isa 31.3 Their horses are flesh and not spirit i.e. subject to corruption and not abiding weak and not strong What is weaker than flesh all flesh is as grass What is stronger than a spirit spirits are of vast strength and operation What is more corruptible than flesh the word flesh notes corruption What is more abiding than a spirit a spirit is of a durable nature in respect of it self though God can suddenly destroy it Luke 1.17 It is said of Jesus Christ that he shall come in the Spirit and in the power of Elias i. e. in the courage strength and power of Elias The Scripture usually puts one word for the further explanation of the other VI. It is taken for the soul of man Luke 23.40 Father into thy hands I commit my spirit Zech. 13.1 The Lord formeth the spirit of man i.e. the soul of man so saith Stephen Act. 7.59 Lord Jesus receive my spirit VII For life Isa 57.16 I will not contend for ever neither will I be allwaies wroth for the spirit would fail before me i.e. the life and the souls which I have made When God comes to contend with sinners for their sins there is no standing before him
to make them humble for their sinnes or to prevent the breaking forth of the boyls of sin for the future They know that God looks more to the frame of their hearts and how their spirits are under Gods hand whether perverse and peevish or patient and submissive than at any thing else Besides they consider that these afflictions are but to drive them to their Fathers house and when they are sufficiently broken and sufficiently humbled under his afflicting hand he will take them up in his arms and kiss them as a loving mother doth a weak sickly childe and restore unto them the joy of his salvation There are two extreams we are apt to runne into under afflictions either to despise the chastning of the Lord Heb. 12.5 or to faint under his displeasure Wicked men they despise the hand of God and Christians are ready often to faint but that Jesus Christ stands by as he did by that blessed Martyr and wipes the sweat off from their faces when they are nigh to swound and gives them some comfortable sun-shines of his loving presence X. The Spirit is taken for the motions of the Spirit upon our hearts 1 Thes 5.19 Quench not the Spirit i. e. the motions and impressions of the holy Spirit of God upon thy heart Beleeve it Christian for a truth that though thou canst not blot out the teachings of the Spirit yet thou maiest shift off and extinguish the motions of the Spirit Have a care of this great sinne lest by thy impenitency ingratitude and willfull rebellion thou stiflest the glowings of the Spirit Have a care that when God strives with thee thou doest not strive with God again It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks Act. 9.5 Have a care thou beeft not found a fighter against God Saith Stephen of the rebellious Jews Ye stiff-necked Act. 7.51 ye do alwaies resist the holy Ghost i. e. you turn the deaf adder you stop your ears against the blessed Spirit warning you of that destruction which you have brought upon your selves in betraying the Lord of life Wicked men when they quench the Spirit are said to provoke the Spirit They stirre up a holy anger and revenge in the Spirit against their sins Mark 3.5 As Jesus Christ looked upon the Pharisees with a holy anger being grieved for the hardness of their hearts so the Spirit is angry at the hardness of the hearts of stubborn hearted sinners Eph. 4.30 But you who are the people of God you grieve the Spirit of God by your unkindness when ye seek to put out the light of the Spirit within you Walk in the light while you have the light for though God will never leave you wholly in the dark and utterly deprive you of his Spirit yet he may bring a cloud of temptation over you which may eclipse the glory of it for a time I beseech you grieve not the Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption As you would not be said to kick against the bowels of a bleeding Saviour by your sinnes so neither do you kick against the bowels of a most gracious Spirit or of the Spirit of grace striving with your hearts to the obedience of the truth As wicked men by their often sinning against the Spirit do quite sinne away the Spirit for by sinning so often against conviction they sinne so long till they have no light to sinne again having sinned it all away so the godly by sinning against the Spirit do cause it to withdraw its gracious influences for the present O that troubled consciences mourning under the loss of the comfortable presence of God in Jesus Christ would consider this Thou that complainest of the Spirits absence Hast thou not sinned away the Spirit by quenching its motions and resisting its impressions Thou that complainest of the want of assurance and of the Spirits not witnessing with thy Spirit Hast thou not sinned away thy assurance by committing some sinne or omitting some duty against the light of the Spirit What a wicked thing is it that Christians should complain of the Spirit and murmur against God for the light of his countenance when God and his Spirit have more reason to complain of them Christians are said to quench the Spirit two waies 1. When they withdraw the fuell which should maintain the Spirit as fire is put out when you withdraw the fuell which should maintain the fire so you quench the Spirit when you withdraw the fuell by which the Spirit is cherished When you will not hear the Word when you will not pray when you neglect the Sacraments the Sacrament often received is a great confirmation of our faith and a great cherisher of the work of the Spirit upon our hearts when you will not be much in meditation the Spirit loves to meet with a solitary soul disburdened of the world and seeking to have communion with God when you will not conferre and often speak of the things of God when you forsake the assembling of the Saints together As one coal kindles another and one candle enlightens another so the light of the Spirit in the heart of another may in time kindle and flame thy heart 2 Tim. 1.6 When men fail to stirre up the gift of God which is in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iguem rineribus absconditum resuscitare and to excite their graces and to bring them forth into action but let them sleep and lie dead and buried in their souls by these means they substract the fuell of the Spirit Christians should be men of activity alwaies doing and never idle in the work of the Lord. As the fountain is still purging forth that filth which lies nigh it so Christians should be still purging forth the remainders of that originall corruption which is in them still resisting temptations continually treasuring up the whole armour of God against the fiery triall daily weaning themselves from the world and preparing to meet Jesus Christ the Bridegroom of their souls As an idle man is the devils shop wherein he forgeth what he pleaseth so an active Christian is the Spirits shop If we do what we are able beleeve it Christians the Spirit will not be behind hand but will further the work of grace in our hearts It is because we are so backward in our duty that the Spirit is so backward upon our souls If thou wouldst have the continuall flowings in of the Spirit I beseech thee Christian for the good and for the comfort of thy soul for I speak what all true Christians do generally finde good pray more 1 Thes 5. pray continually that is lose no opportunity let no time pass when thou oughtest to pray or when thy occasions require it for there are many emergencies which fall out which require this duty and of some Christians more than others but be sure to pray hear the word at all occasions let not a
with him pouring forth those desires which he suggesteth unto us the fire which God would have continually to burn upon his Altar came out from the Lord Rev. 9.24 If sacrifices were offered up with any other fire that fire was counted strange and the sacrifices no whit acceptable but abominable to the Lord the heavenly fire whereby our spirituall sacrifices of prayer must be offered up is that holy Spirit which cometh out from God he carrieth the very Image of God we must therefore give unto God that which is Gods A childe of God upon this ground may come with boldness to the throne of grace that God will accept his prayer because it is a fruit of his Spirit He may wrastle with God and never let him alone till he obtain the blessing or some gracious answer to his prayer though not in the same kind he petitioned for He can say I am thy childe thou art my father I am one with thee by thy Spirit I belong to thy family both in heaven and in earth I am one of them for whom Christ sweat drops of blood for I have thy Spirit interceding for me with sighs and groans which cannot be uttered and therefore Lord I know that thou canst not deny me my petition if it be for my good and for the glory of thy Name Now is it so that where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty is it not too too evident that the greatest part of professing Christians are void of the Spirit Are they not in bondage to some secret lust Doth not their speech bewray them in stead of speaking the language of Canaan do they not speak the language of Ashdod In stead of being led by the Spirit of God are they not led by the spirit of the world While they talk of the Spirit do they not walk after the flesh Have they not the Spirit to talk by and the world to walk by Are they not in love with the fashion of the world and intangled with the rudiments of it Can they pray in the Spirit can they sing in the Spirit can they restore a fallen brother in the evidence of their own spirit If they can What means these swarms of lusts in their hearts of pride envy self-love contempt of their poor weak brethren and little regard they have to the promoting the work of the Spirit in the hearts of others These with many others are true notes that the greatest part of Christians are void of the Spirit Secondly Is it so That none can know the things of God but they that have the teachings of the Spirit upon their hearts Then I beseech you to desire God to give you the teachings of his Spirit Pray earnestly for that wisdom which comes from above that St James speaks of Jam. 3.17 Which is first pure then gentle then easie to be intreated which is full of good works If any man lack wisdom let him ask it of God for he giveth liberally and upbraideth none He will not upbraid thy ignorance thy poverty thy former unwillingness and disrespect if thou wilt ask it of him If the Lord blessed Solomon so much for asking wisdom before riches 1 King 3.11 honour life that the Lord gave him a wise heart together with riches honour and life as an over-plus into the bargain how much more pleasant and wellcom will thy petition be to God if thou askest of him spirituall wisdom which is not to be compared with the most precious Rubies or with the finest Gold If thou would'st have spirituall wisdom desire God to give thee the Spirit of wisdom to give thee the grace of unction as well as the grace of union that as Jesus Christ had the Spirit of wisdom resting upon him so thou maiest have likewise To stirre thee up to this main duty Consider first of all Fidelis mater utra que praebet infautulo ubera Sic Deus pater non solum dedit filium sed ctiam dedit Spiritum sanctum Haec duo ubera vino sunt pulchriora That thou askest nothing but what is agreeable to the will of God Matth. 7.11 If ye being evil know how to give good things to your children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Spirit to them that ask it of him 2. Thou askest nothing but what Christ hath promised Saith Christ when I go away the Comforter shall come unto you So likewise I will pray the Father and he shall fend you another Comforter If Christ who is the Amen of all the promises Rev. 1.5 who is the true and faithfull witness who is truth it self Saith he John 14. I am the way the truth and the life who hath sealed the Covenant with his own blood if he hath promised the Spirit he will not be worse than his word if thou ask it of him 3. Consider that Christ was anointed with the Spirit and received a more plentifull measure of it for our sakes that we might partake of his fulness he was filled with the Spirit that we might partake of the same Spirit with him Joh. 3.34 Non ad mensuram i. e siue mensurâ The Spirit was not given unto him by measure that we might have a measure of his Spirit 4 Consider that we are to ask nothing but what we are to expect at Gods hand under the Gospel It is said that the Spirit was not yet given because that Christ was not yet glorified Joh. 7.39 that is it was not poured forth in that measure and abundance as it was to be given after Christs ascension Now Christ being ascended and sitting at the right hand of God on high the Apostles long ago and the Saints in the primitive times having had the first-fruits of the Spirit When the holy Ghost descended in the form of cloven tongues we also may expect the gleanings of so plentifull a harvest Sicut unctio à capite Aaronis in ipsius membra descendebat fic à Christo capite vigor Spiritus sancti in omnia membra dimanat As the oyntment did runne down from Aarons head to the rest of his members So from Christ the Head the efficacy of the Spirit flows forth upon all the members To stirre you up to desire the Spirits teachings consider this that it is a singular mercy to be taught by the Spirit Blessed is the soul that heareth the Lord in or by his Spirit and that receiveth from his mouth the word of comfort If the Queen of Sheba 2 Châ—on 9.7 after she had made triall of Solomons wisdom cried out with admiration Happy are thy men and happy are these thy servants that stand continually before thee and that hear thy wisdom How much happier are they then that heard the gracious words which proceeded from the mouth of Christ when he was upon the earth and that have the teachings of the Spirit upon their hearts All other teachings besides the Spirits teachings will avail
to deal withall that let them be never so great opposers to the Majesty of it by their contradicting and blaspheming yet all their carnall wisdom and policy could not avail but they must confess it to be the Word of God though the pride of their hearts and the vanity of their corrupt mindes would not suffer them to obey it 11. God hath a time when he will blast upon all other knowledge but the spirituall wisdom which comes from the Spirit shall endure for ever When the man of sinne shall be destroyed what a treasure of vain and fruitless knowledge by the bright shinings forth of the light of the Spirit which hath so so much been idolized in the world shall fall into the dust with him God hath a time to take the wise in their own counsels and to overthrow the devices of the crafty God blasted the counsell of Achitophel against David 2 Sam. 16.23 Though Achitophel was accounted as the Oracle of God for wisdom whose word was usually taken in difficult matters yet God at this time when he sets his wit to plot against his servant David he makes his counsell of none effect The Princes of Zoan are fools Isa 19.11 all their knowledge cannot deliver them in the day of the Lords wrath There is no evasion whereby thou canst shift off God and hide thy sinnes from him for God knows all the plottings and contrivances which have been in thy heart all the time of thy life 1 Cor. 1.27 Hos 5.3 Notitia judicialis non approbationis God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise Saith God in the Prophet Hosea I know Ephraim and Israel is not hid from me I know all their shifts and policies and delusions which they have invented to excuse themselves for their idolatry but when I come to plead with them for the breach of my Covenant I will lay the glory of their policy in the dust and destroy them with the breath of my mouth When once the beams of the Sunne of righteousness shall arise upon thy heart and God shall enlighten thine eyes by his Spirit then thou wilt count all thy former knowledge which thou didst so much pride thy self in but dross and dung in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ But spirituall wisdom endureth for ever it is of an abiding nature It is of an establishing nature it confirms and strengthens the soul against all the temptations and assaults it may meet withall That heart which is filled with this treasure of heavenly wisdom is as impregnable as a Castle with bars and irons Hereby we are instructed with the methods of Satan we can search into the depths of Satan Rev. 2.24 Hereby we are furnished with an abiding store of rich grace whereby we may hold out in the fiery triall Wisdom and knowledge is the most durable of any treasure that is But when he was deprived of all his outward comforts riches houses lands friends relations all taken from him could say Omnia mea mecum porto I I carry all things away along with me because that stock of knowledge which he had none could take away from him So likewise a Saint of God hath the stock of knowledge and spirituall wisdom that shall never be taken away from him I have read of some that have lost that knowledge which they have got by study and their own pains taking Corvinus a great Scholar was brought so low by a violent fit of sickness that after he was recovered he forgat his own name but the Spiritual Wisdom which comes from above shall never be taken away from you 2. If thou art taught by the Spirit it is a sign thou art the friend of God John 15.15 Henceforth I call you not servants for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doth but I have called you friends for all things that I have heard of my Father have I made known unto you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chryst Oh how greatly God condescends to the godly He speaks to them as a man would speak to his friend Abraham is called the friend of God saith God shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I shall do from Abraham my friend from him whom I have called by name to be my servant 'T is one part of friendship to reveal secrets Happy soul if God be thy friend who then shall be thy foe God is a friend that sticketh closer then all relations then Father Mother Brothers c. 3. If thou art taught by the Spirit it is a signe thou art in the Covenant of Grace It is one part of the Covenant that Believers shall be taught of God Jer. 31.33 I will put my Law in their hearts and they shall all know me It is an exceeding great comfort and a most special spiritual blessing to be in the Covenant of grace 1. Because in the Covenant of Grace God makes himself over to the Believer to be his as the Believer gives himself wholly totally and finally to be Gods My beloved is mine and I am his Hos 2.19 2. If God be thine and thou art the Spouse of Jesus Christ then all things are thine marriage makes all things common 3. If God be in Covenant with thee all the creatures are in league with thee Several signs whereby we may know we are taught of the Spirit 1. He that hath the teachings of the Spirit upon his heart is of an humble Spirit We finde in Scripture that the holy men of God both in the Old and in the New Testament when they have approached near to God to have any revelation from him or after they have had a revelation they have abased themselves and have been of a more submissive frame of Spirit Isa 6. Job 42. Job after God had appeared unto him and shewed him his own weakness and his Justice in proceeding with him such a way saith I abhor my self in dust and ashes Isa 65.5 Is 34.11 He doth not contemne his weak brother and like those in Isaiah say Stand by for I am holier then thou but as David he saith Come unto me and I will teach you the fear of the Lord and what he hath done for my soul He doth not think the better of himself but the more lowly and doth admire the Free-grace and love of God unto his soul See how Paul magnifies the Free-grace of God in discovering unto him the Mystery of Jesus Christ Vnto me who am less then the least of all the Apostles is this grace given that I should make known to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ Eph. 3.8 So a gracious soul is not proud of the teachings of the Spirit upon his heart but counts meanly of himself and exalts the Grace of God that such a one as he who was formerly serving divers lusts should be admitted into the number of Gods Favorites and to partake of his secrets he
is so far from being proud that he will stoope and condescend to the meanest Christian for their souls good The heart of man is full of wickedness it is a nest full of unclean birds for if a world of iniquity be in the tongue Jam. 3.6 How much iniquity is there in the heart Now when the Spirit shall lead us into every cell and corner of our hearts as the Lord did the Prophet Ezekiel c. 8. and shall shew the still greater and greater abominations and shall rip up every fester'd corner therein and let out all the ill blood certainly this cannot but humble a child of God the more a man sees his own vileness the more he admires the goodness of God unto him and is sensible of the evil of his sin Jam. 4.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ex adverso seponit As God communicates himself to none but to the humble spirit God resisteth the proud but he giveth Grace unto the humble so none have the teachings of the Spirit but those that are humble 2. If there be the teachings of the Spirit upon the heart there will follow more joy then can well be conceived of Archimedes when he had found out a Mathematical demonstration cryed out 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have found it I have found it how much more wilt thou rejoyce when thou shalt know the things of God! If Simon when he saw Christ in the Temple cryed out Now Lord let thy servant depart in peace Luk. 2.29 for mine eyes have seen thy salvation O how wilt thou rejoyce when thou shalt see Christ in thy heart dwelling there by a lively faith It is not Christ come in the flesh that saves us but Christ come in the heart Christ in us is the hope of glory Col. 1.27 Knowledge is better then life how much better is the Knowledge of God If it be such a pleasure to a man to know that which he never knew before what a pleasure is it to know by the witness of the Spirit upon our hearts that God in Christ is reconciled to us Saith the Spouse to Christ Cant. 1.2 Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth for his love is better then Wine These words hold forth three things 1. The great familiarity between Christ and his Church As a kiss is a sign of homage and obedience Psal 2. Kiss the Son least he be angry i. e. Obey the Son do homage to him so it is a sign of familiarity and love therefore saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 16.20 Greet ye one another with a holy kiss you know friends after long absence use at their meeting to salute each other with a kiss of love The familiarity of Christ a Believer is in the kisses of his mouth i. e. the teachings of the Spirit to shew their mutual joy at their meeting together again 2. That this familiarity and mutual love between Christ and his Church comes in by his Word and by the teachings of his Spirit he doth not say with the kisses of his lipps but with the kisses of his mouth the word Kisses is taken in Scripture for flattering soft and pleasant words shewing forth some love and charity Prov. 27.6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful The Churches desire is that Christ would instruct her by his Word and Spirit for his love is better then wine 3. The love of Christ in the kisses of his mouth to his Spouse is better then wine all the comparisons in this book of Canticles are drawn from things which do most of all title our minds and delight our senses Wine amongst those things which belong to the taste is the sweetest The love of Christ in the teachings of his Spirit is better then all things better then Wine then Wine which maketh glad the heart of man If Christs love in the kisses of his mouth be better then wine then certainly the joys which come in by the teachings of Gods Spirit are better then the joys which come in by wine all the joyes which come in by these carnal delights are of a perishing nature as soon as the act is past the pleasure is past A drunkard as soon as his cup is down the pleasure vanisheth but the joyes that come in by the Spirits teachings are abiding joyes all other joyes have a sting at the end of them sin it hath a fair entrance The disference between the joyes of the Spirit and other joyes but at the length it bites like an Adder and stings like a Scorpion but the joy that comes from the Spirit is without sorrow it is not adulterate Wine but pure and sweet Wine Psal 122.1 I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the Lord. Psal 27.4 One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the dayes of my life to behold the beauty of the Lord and to enquire in his Temple As the Doctrine of Christ exceedeth all other Doctrine so it breedeth a greater delight and joy in the heart then other Doctrines do He that hath the light of the Spirit will discern therein a secret and hidden Manna which the world knoweth not of As the dew descendeth upon the ground and rejoyceth the earth and maketh it to flourish so the Spirits teachings are by the dew to refresh the barren and drooping Spirit Hos 14.5 I will be at the dew unto Israel he shall grow as the Lily and cast forth his roots as Lebanon Dent. 32.2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain my speech shall distil as the dew as the small rain upon the tender herbe and as the showers upon the grass As the dew in Spring and Autume when the Aire is temperate and clear doth fresh the ground and make the herbs to flourish and to give a sweet smell so the teachings of the Spirit they cause our hearts to rejoyce they come as the rain upon the dry ground and as the dew upon the tender herbe Phil. 4.4 A Christian should alwayes be of a joyful Spirit Rejoyce in the Lord always and again I say unto you rejoyce 2 Cor. 11 30. saith Paul I rejoyce in my infirmities what if thy sins were never so many Did not Christ satisfie for thy sins Are thy afflictions heavy upon thy Spirit the joyes which flow in from the Spirit of God will superabound and exceed all thy afflictions besides the Spirit will teach thee Heb. 12.10 1. That all thy afflictions are but to make thee partaker of the holiness of God Rom. 8.28 2. That they shall work for thy good all things shall work for the good of them who love God 3. All thy afflictions cannot hinder God from loving of thee God loves a Saint in prison in nakedness in famine in distress God loved Job on the Dunghill Lazarus with
fruit of the spirit While they speak of perfection and living without sin in this life Phil. 3.13 14. they cry down the Apostle Paul who thought himself not prefect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Metaphor drawn from those who run in a race who when they approach the Goale press forward with all their might their Arms and Leggs to touch it but still prest on to the mark of the price of the high calling of Jesus Christ As long as we are of the Laodicean temper and think our selves rich and wanting nothing we are never like to come to Christ to buy raiment of him and to have that spiritual eye-salve whereby we may discerne the things of God but when we are like Christ meek and lowly then we shall finde rest unto our souls God deals with men as he finds them Psal 18. With the froward thou wilt shew thy self froward Mat. 11.29 and with the upright thou wilt shew thy self upright Many times Gods people are of crabbed and knotty spirits that God for the present is as it were at a stand what he should do with them O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee Hos 6.4 O Judah what shall I do unto thee Now as the Carpenter plains the peece of wood so the Lord plains their hearts mountains shall be turned into valleys and the Lords way shall be made straight before him and of rugged spirits they shall become smooth and the froward spirits become meek and quiet that the Lord Jesus by his spirit might be pourtrayed in their hearts as the peece of wood when it is plained and made smooth is apt to receive any form whatsoever the Carpenter pleaseth so our hearts when they are once softned by the Spirit and smoothed by the planer of affliction God can mould them and fashion them as he pleaseth A meek spirit is of a docible disposition ready to receive and most apt to retain most thankfull for what he hath and ever mindfull of its own unworthiness Now here for to prevent mistaking I should shew the nature of meekness to wit what this meekness is Severall kindes of meekness but I shall only shew the severall kindes of meekness which are four 1. A naturall meekness arising out of the constitution of a mans body 2. A morall meekness arising from good precepts instructions and examples 3. A stoicall meekness which is a sameness of spirit upon all occasions this is rather a stupidity then a meekness 4. An artificiall meekness which is when men can restrain their passions though their heart is as full of envy as it can hold Such was Esans meekness to Jacob. 5. A true meekness A true meekness what it is which is a spirituall frame of heart whereby a man gives no provocation and is ready to receive any and whereby a man moderates subordinates and governs all his anger to the glory of God and to the good of others Meekness is passions jaylor True meekness is not alwaies the same but when Gods glory is blasphemed or any waies diminished then it turns to zeal and an holy anger Exod. 32.20 21 22. Moses the meekest man upon the earth when he saw the idolatry of the Israelites he broke forth into an holy anger being grieved in his spirit for the dishonour done to God 6. If thou hast the Spirits teachings upon thy heart thou art one that fearest God Psal 25. What man is he that feareth the Lord Tiberius Gaesar thought no man fit to receive his secrets and yet the Lord vouchsafeth the godly his own secrets None but Noblemen Lords and Dukes might be made partakers of State-secrets the godly are heavenly Lords and Nobles and the privy States men of heavens Court Such honour have all the Saints to know the things of God him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose The secret of the Lord is with them that fear him and he will shew them his Covenant Mal. 4.2 Vnto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings The fear of God it puts a bridle to our lusts and corrupt affections which choak the things of God As an unruly horse may be curb'd with a bit and a bridle so the fear of God it is as it were a bit and a bridle to curb the extravagancy and the breaking forth of sinne The fear of the Lord is to depart from evil As a brick wall keepeth in the waters from overflowing the ground and banks from breaking in upon the meadows so the fear of God puts a stop to the breaking forth of many a sin which otherwise we should commit Now when the strength and the power and the dominion of sinne is taken away the Spirit comes in with more freedom into the soul When Joseph was tempted by his Mistress unto uncleanness he having the fear of God before his eyes refused her with this saying How shall I do this great wickedness and sinne against my God! Gen. 39.40 41. Because of this he is clapt up by a false slander of his Mistress into prison But the Lord was with Joseph in prison and shewed him mercy And Joseph because he feared God had the spirit of revelation given him that he could interpret dreams He expounded the chief Butlers and Bakers dream and Pharaohs dream And the Lord honoured him in the sight of Pharaoh and all his servants By humility and the fear of the Lord come riches Pro. 22.4 honour and life Daniel because he feared God Dan. 9.24 and would not consent to worship other gods the Lord revealed unto him the expiration of the seventy years captivity which was at hand And Noah because he feared God Heb. 11.7 an hundred and twenty years before the overflowing deluge came had this secret committed unto him that God did intend to drown the world for that deluge of sinne which was then in it By faith Noah being Warned of God being moved with fear prepared an Ark for the saving of his house and thereby condemned the ungodly World The salvation of the Lord is nigh them that fear him that glory may dwell in our Land The fear of Gods glorious Majesty and unquestionable authority puts the soul into a fit capacity to be taught by the Spirit As long as a man is presumptuous self-confident and thinks himself somewhat when he is nothing there is no place for any doctrine of Jesus Christ God usually puts men into great fears and terrours and then raiseth them up before he communicates himself unto them Jer. 3.33 I will put my fear before them and write my law in their hearts Severall kindes of fear There is a fourfold fear 1. A naturall fear which in it self is not sinfull because God hath put this affection of fear into our hearts So Christ feared to die 2. A servile or a slavish fear when men fear God not for his goodness but only for his justice
God hath set him apart and endowed him with gifts and graces sutable for such a work there is required an outward call which is a designation approbation and setting him apart peculiarly for the work of the Pastorall charge and office the Church and people of God electing him in whose hearts he hath approved himself by his pious life and wholesom doctrine and the Presbyters by the laying on of hands ratifying their election and confirming him in his Office Acts 6. v. 3. with v. 6. 1 Tim. 4.14 Yet the inward call the call of Gods Spirit is the principall call because thereby a man is sure that God hath appointed him for this work who will bless him in it if he be faithfull unto the death Happy is that servant who goeth forth in the Name of the Lord his God that is in the authority of his God God will bless his labours and give him the reward of his work 12. Every Christian ought to walk up according to his light and that measure of knowledge which he hath received Wo be to those that walk not up to that light which God hath given them Luke 12.47 He that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not shall be beaten with many stripes 1. They that have only the light of nature to see by ought to walk up according to their light By the light of nature we know that there is a God that this God is one only God for there can be but one cause of all causes who is the first cause of all causes of whom all causes depend in esse in operari one that is infinite in whom the perfections of all the creatures do meet as all the lines do in the center that this God is to be worshipped and that this God is to be worshipped after his own way and method for who dares be so impudent to prescribe Rules and Canons of Gods worship but God himself Hence we know naturally that as there is a God so that this God hath his word wherein he delivers his minde how we ought to serve him and after what manner to do him homage By the light of nature we know that we must live honestly justly that we must wrong no man and give every one his own The Gentiles who withheld the truth in unrighteousness Rom. c. 1. and disobeyed the light of nature were punished with a dreadfull judgement from God being given over to a reprobate minde to commit all iniquity with greediness Those that walk not up to the light of nature shall be damned as well as those that sin against the light of the Gospel though their damnation shall be the lesser Although the light of nature is not a sufficient light for salvation yet I conceive that if the Heathens would but improve that naturall light which they have unto the glory of God God would come in with a greater light for the salvation of their souls And who knows but that if the Heathens did improve that light which they have to Gods glory but that God might break in upon them with a greater light with the light of the Spirit upon their hearts The work of nature is the work of the God of nature according to the Philosophicall Axiom Causa causae etiam causa causati Etsi hoc axioma cum grane salis accipiendum and if God did see us walk up to that light God would come in with a greater light upon our souls 2. The light of conscience every man ought to walk up according to the light of his own conscience Pro. 20.27 Saith Solomon The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the belly God hath set up a candle in every man whereby in some measure he may be able to distinguish between good and evil This candle of the Lord is conscience searching all the inward parts of the belly which conscience is both a witness and a Judge a witness to testifie to our deeds accordingly as they be and a Judge to absolve us or condemn us for them Miserable is the condition of those persons who have their consciences continually accusing them Saith God to Cain Gen. 4.7 It lies at the door like a Mastiff-dog If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou dost evil sin lieth at the door Sin by a Metonymy for the guilt of sinne The guilt of sinne lieth at the door it lieth at the door as a Mastiff dog lies at the door it will let thee have no rest day nor night it will haunt thee up and down in thy bed-chamber Saith Solomon Pro. 10.20 Curse not the King no not in thy thought for the bird of the air shall tell the matter and that which hath wings shall carry the thing This bird of the air is our own conscience which will never let us alone till we have confessed them Wo be to those that sinne against their own consciences their sinnes will finde them out and will torment them Blessed be they that endeavour to keep a good conscience void of offence towards God and man that will approve their hearts as in the sight of God that would not violate the peace of their own consciences in the omission of any known duty or in the commission of any known sinne for the whole world A good conscience is a continuall feast He that would keep faith and a good conscience let him be sure to walk up according to the dictates of it 3. To the light of naturall improvements morall educations wholesom instructions good examples pious conversations Wo be to those who walk not up to the light of naturall improvements that by their studies good conference offices conditions employments have much improved that light which they had according to the contemplative part of it and yet never truly have digested this light with the incomes of it by turning it into practise for the benefit of their souls Perhaps they have got a great deal of knowledge by reading by good education holy counsels observance of others and yet are never the better in their lives and conversations He that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow unless true sanctified grace be joined with it And all those good instructions morall educations which thou hast had from thy parents Master friends relations and others will but aggravate thy condemnation one day unless thou art reformed by them The good examples and the pious conversations of others do but reprove the hardness of thy heart and will rise up in judgement against thee at the last day because thou hast been admonished by their righteous dealings Noah in preparing an Ark according to Gods Word condemned the old world of unbelief and of stiff necked impenitency Every pin the good man drove into the Ark was a secret reproof of their unbelief Wo be to those that hate the light of counsell of instruction of reproof and of exhortation Consult that
of John our blessed Saviour having termed himself the Bread of Life vers 35. And Jesus said unto them I am that Bread of Life he that cometh to me shall not bunger and he that beleeveth in me shall not thirst Verse 41. the hard-hearted Jews they murmured at him because he said I am that bread which came down from heaven The Jews who had as yet the vail upon their hearts and whose minds by their own wilfulness and disobedience Satan had blinded lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ should shine in their hearts had no other apprehensions of bread When Manna which was the type of Christ came down upon the earth there was old wondering at it and it was called Manna because they said by way of admiration Ma-hu What is this And they were very greedy for a time after it But when Jesus Christ the true Bread the true Manna came down from heaven to feed our souls there was no minding of him because his Divinity was over-vaild in his humanity they did not admire at Gods goodness as they ought to have done they rejected him He came to his own and his own received him not Indeed they made him the laughing-stock of the world And so Christ may be said to be the wonder of the world as the Prophet Isaiab saith I and my children are set for signes and wonders Isa 8.18 i. c. We are made the maygames of the world at whom all do deride and wonder But they did not admire his excellency and acknowledge him and seek to him as it behoved them to have done but as it fed the belly But Christ Jesus hath a higher mystery in it to wit that he was the true Manna the true heavenly Bread that feedeth their souls unto everlasting life In the succeeding verses 48 49 50 51. when Christ proceeds in declaring himself to be the Bread of Life that his flesh is meat indeed and his blood is drink indeed Verse 52. the Jews strove amongst themselves saying How can this man give us his flesh to cat In the 60 Verse many of his Disciples when they heard this said This is a hard saying who can hear it Verse 66. From that time many of his Disciples went back and walked no more with him Hence you see what carnall reasonings and sinfull objections mens hearts do frame and invent to hinder and oppose the comfort of the sweetest and most comfortable Doctrine What more sweet to a hungry soul that longs after eternall life than to be fed and to be nourished with this Bread of Life It is an infallible sign that you are born of God ☜ and that your originall is from above and that God is your Father Christ is your Brother and that you have higher principles than the flesh and the world to walk by and that your life is hid with Christ in God if Jesus Christ the true Bread of Life doth nourish up your souls unto eternall Life For the axiom holds true in spirituall things as well as naturall A quo aliquid generatur ab eodem nutritur from the which any thing is begotten of the same it is nourished if you are born of God you will be nourished by the bread of God if your originall be heavenly your food will be heavenly if God were your Father Christ would be your nourishment and your food Therefore Christ tels the Jews who in the eighth of John vers 41. boasted that God was their Father vers 42. proved them not to be the children of God and that God was not their Father because they did not love him who was sent of God the Father If God were your Father then would you love me for I proceeded forth and came from God neither came I of my self but he sent me 1 Joh. 5.1 He that loves him that begets loves him also who is begotten and if we did love God the Father we should love Jesus Christ the only begotten Sonne of the Father and the Saints who are the spirituall sonnes of God begotten of the Spirit crying in their hearts Abba Father In the 44th vers he proves them positively to be the children of the devil because they serve him and do his works Christ turns all carnall things into spirituall uses and changes the nature of them and like a true Alchymist turneth brass into Gold but the Jews on the other side turned Gold into brass and of all those pretious spirituall truths which Christ had delivered unto them they had base carnall and low apprehensions of Blessed are they that by a lively faith feed heartily upon the spirituall Manna while others feed upon the husks with the swine they have bread in their fathers house In the beginning of the second Chapter the Apostle acquits himself in respect of those former contentions while one said he was of Paul another of Apollo another of Cephas another of Christ shewing there was nothing in himself or in his Ministry that could occasion such divisions Chap. 2. v. 1. I came not to you with excellency of speech or of wisdom declaring unto you the power of God that is my preaching unto you was not in lofty strains of eloquence and high notions or in a plausible and alluring style fitter to please the ear and to humour mens fancies and to make them giddy and unstable in the truth or in the high flown Rhetorick of the world which is more sutable to an Orator or a Comedian upon a Stage than for a Minister of Jesus Christ not with the enticing words of mens vanities but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power that is he preacht plainly yet powerfully and effectually and feelingly to the conscience and to work upon their hearts and to inform their judgements If I seek to please men I am not the servant of Christ Gal. 1.10 That is the best preaching which stirres up the affections and desires ☜ and sets all the wheels a work and provokes us to duty and to the exercise of piety in our lives and conversations He is the best Preacher who by his powerfull delivering the Word of God can stirre up what affections he pleaseth in the hearts of his people as it is reported of excellent Bucholcer that though he were two hours in his Sermon yet none of the common people were aweary of him and that with such vehemency of spirit and earnest longing for the good of their souls he dispensed the Word unto them that he could stirre up what affection he pleased in the hearts of his hearers Neither was the matter he preacht so sublime as to make men to admire him and to cry him up Not Philosophicall notions or criticall points of Divinity or curious questions or needless Doctrines but the Lord Jesus Christ and him crucified For I have determined not to know any thing among you 1 Cor. 2.2 save Jesus Christ and him crucified Neither was his delivery and outward carriage
hath an interest in Jesus Christ in the Covenant of grace and in all those priviledges which belong to the Saints because the spirit of sanctification abides upon him but meerly an opinionative self-conceited vain glorious presuming confidence that Christ is his and he is Christ though no regard be had to those qualifications which are required in those in whose hearts Christ dwells by his blessed spirit Every hypocrite that hath been once enlightned and tasted of the heavenly gift and of the powers of the world to come will lay claim to the priviledges of the Saints and of the benefits that flow upon the account of the death and sufferings of Jesus Christ though their hearts were never truely wrought upon to a full and a final closing with Jesus Christ and they never had the witnesse of the spirit upon their hearts that he is the childe of God but the teachings of the spirit bring in unto the soul solid reasons founded upon the word of God and upon the experience of the Saints whereby from the foregoing premises he can draw a true and a real conclusion that he is Christs and Christ is his Justification and sanctification are inseparable according to that golden chain of mans salvation Rom. 8.30 Whom he justified them he also sanctified so that besides the testimony of the spirit he hath those inherent principles of sanctification within him whereupon he may evidently conclude that he is no changeling but a new born creature a true Citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem a true son amongst the Native sons of Zion But some weak Believer may say how may I distinguish between the Witness and the testimony of the spirit that I am the childe of God and that vain confidence and presumption which is in wicked mens hearts who say they are the children of God when they are not 3. The spirit doth not onely bear witness but fully perswade us of this very thing upon solid reasons which we finde true by our own experience that we are the children of God therefore saith that knowing Apostle Saint John 1 John 3.14 1 Iohn 4.13 We know that we are passed from death to life because we love the brethren Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit But wicked men who are full of carnal confidence and sinful presumption have no sweet experience of saving grace upon their souls or any testimony much less a perswasion of the spirit that they are the children of God The grounds of carnal presumption but this presumption ariseth from a bare conceit of their good estate still hoping well of themselves or from the delusion of the Devil who hath besotted their minds with his sinfull Sophistry 2. The spirits testimony is founded upon Gods word and not upon any testimony from our selves 3 Wheresoever the spirits testimony is upon the hearts of any there follows a hatred of sin zeal for the glory of God a care and conscience to serve God in all well-pleasing for as some eminent Divines do say though I do not pin my faith upon any mans sleeve but onely as the light of the word and the light of the spirit teacheth me the doctrine of assurance will not make a Christian secure and idle in the work of the Lord ☜ but more watchful over his wayes and more thankful for so great a mercy being constrained by the love of God to the obedience of the truth and that the preaching of the Cross of Christ what love and mercy God the Father and Jesus Christ what power and wisdom was put forth in that great work of mans Redemption is of a more prevailing nature then to preach the terrors of the Law against sin and sinners to bring men out of their natural condition though both wayes must be used even by fear plucking them forth out of the fire of hell 2. Quere Whether or no are the spirits teachings or the light of the spirit in the heart of a Believer a sufficient plea for him to cast off all Ordinances means of grace as unprofitable things under so clear a dispensation I answer no 1. For as Jesus Christ in explaining the Law of Moses did not abrogate the law or derogate any thing from the use and majesty of it Mat. 6. but only clear it from those foul aspersions which the Pharisees had cast upon it so the spirit in teaching us the things of God and in enlightning our minds to understand his will doth not take away the use of the word but adds a further light unto it that we may understand the minde of the spirit in it and that all those prevarications by reason of the darkness of our understanding may be rightly placed The Sun is full of light but a blinde man cannot see it So the word is clear in it self but because our understandings are darkned we cannot understand it Now the spirit of God doth five things in order to the word of God 1. It explains it 2. It gives a further authority unto it 3. Shews us the majesty The spirits actings in reference to the word purity and excellency of it 4. Makes us to prize it above all things 5. Enables us to keep it 2. Because the word of God acknowledgeth no Spirit but what works in and by the word Gal. 5.2 Received ye the spirit by the Law or by the hearing of faith Did ye not receive the spirit by the preaching of the doctrine of saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ The spirit teacheth which is consonant and agreeable to the word of God so that the word and the spirit both concurr together the spirit as the principal agent the word as the instrument which can do nothing without the spirit to teach us the will of God and to work in us all those saving Graces which accompany salvation 3. Because the word of God in the Scripture is set down as a standing rule according to which we must frame our lives unto the end of the world 1 Tim. 3.13 Till I come give attendance to Reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Attendere cum diligentia cu ram adhibere to Exhortation to Doctrine 15. Meditate upon these things give thy self wholly to them that thy profiting may appear unto all 16. Take heed unto thy self 1 Pet. 1.23 Mat. 5.18 and unto thy doctrine continue in them c. The word of God which liveth and abideth for ever Not the least tittle of the word of God shall fail till all things be accomplished some of which things will not be fulfilled till the end of the world The Sacraments also are in use and have their efficacy for that end for which they were appointed by God in his Church to the end of the world 1 Cor. 11.26 By the Sacrament of the Lords Supper we are to remember the Lords death till he come so that till Christ shall come againe at the
last day in glory power and majesty we shall stand in need of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for the confirmation of our faith and to remember the death and sufferings of our blessed Saviour till he shall come to judgement Prayer also is a standing duty required of all Christians while they are on this side heaven that thereby their faith and hope in God might be exercised We are commanded to pray continually that is to let no time wherein this duty is required of us 1 Thess 5. 4. Because a Believer stands in need of continual food and nourishment that the tent of the word and the Bread and Wine Sacramentally so understood should be continually put in his mouth whilst he is under age in respect of that perfection and ripeness he shall attain unto when this mortal life shall be swallowed up in glory that his soul might be nourish'd up unto everlasting life Likewise here bebelow we stand in need of many things strength of grace to overcome sin patience under adversity the arm of God to support us under all our weaknesses heavenly comforts daily supplies of the spirit of grace renewed arts of Divine assistance continually bread for our bodies food for our souls therefore we ought to make our requests by prayer unto God daily for all temporal and spiritual blessings Obj. When we have the greater light what need have we of the lesser when we have the Sun-light what need have we of the Star-light when we have the light of the spirit what need have we of the light of the word when we have that which supplieth all our wants what need we pray what need have we of the Sacraments the spirit can supply all our wants without the use of the means 4. In respect of our selves the light of the spirit is to be preferred before the light of the word but seeing that the light of the word is subordinate to the light of the spirit and that the light of the word and the light of the spirit do not differ in respect of the subject matter but onely in respect of manifestation and the spirit enlightens in and by the word therefore the light of the spirit doth not take away the use of the light of the word besides the comparison doth not hold because the collation between the light of the Sun and Stars and the light of the word and of the spirit halts and is imperfect The spirit enlightens our minds in and by the word but the Sun shines of its self and not in and by the Stars The spirit likewise though it can supply all our wants without the use of means yet it never ordinarily doth without the use of the means God gives his spirit onely to those that pray for it and when we have the spirit we are still to desire God that his spirit may exert his power upon us and act in us and by us that we may not onely have the spirit but feel the operations of the spirit upon our hearts God knows what we want before we pray and can give us them without our asking but God will have us pray that thereby we might acknowledge his power his goodness his mercy and the like and that thereby our faith and patience might be made manifest If upon the account of the indwelling of the spirit in the hearts of the godly they should forbear to pray I would know of those who say so why the Spirit of God is termed the spirit of prayer and supplication as in the prophecy of Zachariah Zech. 12.10 but onely because it stirs up in us good desires and holy affections and puts words into our mouths acceptable words whereby our petitions may be accepted of God Let them likewise answer the portion of Scripture if they can in the sixth of the Ephesians 18. Praying alwayes with all prayer and supplication in the spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints 5. If we should onely hearken to the voice of the spirit and to the spirits teachings in our hearts there would be no certainty of the true Religion when there can be no Character given by which the spirit of Christ might be distinguished from our owne proper spirit as from the spirit the divel which sometimes transforms himself into an Angel of light That is the pretences of a mans own spirit or of the divel in the hearts of others may seem so true and real to a man himself as if they were doctrines taught by the blessed Spirit Now how should we try the spirits whether they be of God or no but by the word of God Obj. It is a true signe of Divine instinct when of that which we believe or do we are perswaded of and rooted in without any ambiguity or doubting Ans This is a false sign for the Turks and Infidels are as much obstinated and setled in their own doctrines Traditions yea more setled then most of those Christians who pretend so much to the spirit Q. But some may say though we grant you that the teachings of the spirit do not in themselves make us to be above the Ordinances of God and the meanes of Grace yet may we not then when we come to be perfect Christians high-grown Saints and have lived under the teachings of the Spirit along while may we not then cast off the use of the Word the Sacraments and Prayer and only depend upon the Spirit for his supply I answer No. 1. Because the best grown Christians in this life are not above the teachings of the word but ought to minde the light of the Word as well as the light of the Spirit Rom. 1.14 I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians both to the wise and to the unwise Heb. 5.14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of age Strong meat the Word and Sacraments which through long custom have their wils exercised to discern both good and evil 1 John 2.13 I write unto you fathers because ye have known him that is from the beginning c. 1 Pet. 1.1 The Apostle Peter writes to the elect ones and to those who are born again as appears by the fourteenth verse of the same Chapter 1 Cor. 10.15 I speak as unto them which have understanding Phil. 3.15 Let us therefore as many as be perfect be thus minded 1 Cor. 11.26 Eph. 4.12 13. He gave some Apostles some Prophets c. Till we all meet together in the unity of the faith and the acknowledgement of the Son of God unto a perfect man and unto the measure of the fulness of the stature of Christ which fulness shall not be till after this life as appears by that place 1 Cor. 13.9 10.11 For we know in part and we prophesie in part but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be abolished 2. Because the highest grown Christians in this life are