affectio no waters must quench it Doctr. Christians must love one another cordially and fervently Col. 3.14 Above all these things put on charity 1 Pet. 4.8 Above all things have fervent charity among your selves as if the Apostle had said whatever you neglect do not neglect this grace Hierom reports that when St. John was old he was fain to be led up into the Pulpit and there he repeated these words Little children love one another and then came down from the Pulpit Oh that this grace of love were engraven as in letters of gold upon our hearts by the finger of the Holy Ghost Here the question will be asked what love is I answer Love is a sweet and gracious affection whereby we wish the good of another and promote his welfare as our own Love is a sacred fire kindled in the heart by the Spirit like that fire which came from heaven 2 Chron. 7.1 I shall endeavour to preserve this fire in Christians hearts as the fire the Vestal Virgins kept in Rome that it may not go out There are several Arguments to enforce Love upon us 1. We must love virtute praecepti by vertue of Command Joh. 13.34 A new Commandement I give unto you that ye love one another Love is both a new Commandement and an old 'T is an old Commandement because it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Law written in the heart of man by the pen of nature as with the point of a Diamond And it is old because it is written in the ancient Statutes and Records Levit. 19.18 Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self I am the Lord and yet it is a new Commandement 1. Because newly purged from Pharisaical glosses before it was love thy neighbour but now it is love thy enemy Matth. 5.44 here is a new Comment upon an old Law 2. Love is said to be a new Commandement because of a new Edition it came out of the new mint of the Gospel and was pressed by a new example Joh. 13.34 As I have loved you so that it is not Arbitrary but a duty 't is a new Commandement and an old The second Argument enforcing love is the excellency of this grace it is a lovely grace * Color gratiae purpurcus ob scurior esset si nâ—n charitate vestiretur Ber. all the other graces seem to be Eclipsed unless love shine and sparckle forth in them Faith itself hath no beauty unless it work by love the tears of repentance are not pure unless they flow from the spring of love Love is the Jewel Christs Bride weares it is the Diamond in the ring of the graces love is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Chrysostom calls it This is the grace that seasons all our actions and makes them savoury love is aroma amp opo balsamum it is like musk among linnen which perfumes it So love makes all our Religious services 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a sweet Odour to God Ephes 5.2 Prayer is compared to incense Psal 141.2 Now incense if it be laid on the Altar and have no fire put to it doth not smell so sweet the incense of Prayer doth not cast such a fragrant smell unless kindled with this fire of love love is the badge and cognizance of a true Saint Joh. 13.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye love me another not if ye work miracles but if ye love one another by this livery ye are known to belong to me St. Bernard calls love ros gratiae the sweet dew that distills from a Christian and refresheth all whom it drops upon love is the golden clasp that knits hearts it is opus signinum the cement that soders Christians together it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bond of perfectness Col. 3.14 if this bond be broken all falls to pieces Love is radix omnium bonorum it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13.10 * Omne praeceptum ad charitatum refertur Aug. All the duties of the first and second Table Piety toward God and Equity towards our neighbour are comprehended in this Thou shalt love O how sweetly doth the Apostle Paul descant and paraphrase upon this grace how doth he extoll it he plaies aswell the Oratour as the Divine how doth he delineate this grace of love how doth he pensil and draw it out to the life in all its beauty and spiritual embroidery That he may extoll this grace 1. First he doth it exclusive he shows that the most glorious things are nothing without it * Aug. Si desit charitas frustra habentur coetera â— Cor. 13.1 Though I speak with the tongues of men If a man could speak in so many Languages as Mithridates of whom it is said he understood 22. sundry Tongues if he had the golden mouth of Chrysostom if he could do with his Oratory as the Poets fain Orpheus did with his Harp move the very Rocks and stones yet without love it were nothing Nay saith the Apostle though I speak 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the tongues of Angels and have not charity I am become as sounding brass or as a tinkling Cymbal Were it not a brave thing to have the eloquence of Angels yet this without love were but Cymbalum tinniens the tinkery of the Cymbal to love as Christians is better than to speak as Angels And though I understand all mysteries and all knowledge ver 2. If a mans head were a Library of all learning if he could know all that is knowable if he could with Solomon discourse from the Cedar in Lebanon even to the Hysop and hath not charity hoc aliquid nihil est all is nothing Knowledge without love makes a man no better than a Divel And though I have all faith so that I could remove Mountains Were it not admirable to have the Faith of Miracles to unhinge Mountains to cast out Divels to take up Serpents and drink poison and it should not hurt us Matth. 16.16 Yet if I have no charity I am nothing Nullius sum pretij I am of no account with God the Miracles of faith without the mystery of love profit nothing And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor ver 3 Suppose I give away all my Estate in Almes yet without love it avails me nothing 't is like a Lamp without Oyle And though I give my body to be burned and have not love it is nothing the fire of Martyrdom avails not without the fire of Charity Let a man come to Church pray receive Sacraments yet if his heart burn in malice it is but going to hell in a more Saint-like manner O quam pulchra charitas Oh how precious a jewel saith Austin is love how rare a grace that if this be wanting all other â—hings though never so glorious are in vain 2. The Apostles sets forth this grace of love Positive by deciphering its nature and excellency 1. Charity is kind
lived a very civil life go home and mourn because thou art but civil many a mans civility being rested upon hath damned him 'T is sad for men to be without repentance but 't is worse to need no repentance Luke 15.7 9. Tears are but finite 't is but awhile that we shall Motive 9 weep after a few showres that fall from our eyes we shall have a perpetual sunshine in heaven the bottle of tears is stopt Rev. 7. ult God shall wipe away all tears when sin shall cease tears shall cease Psal 30.5 Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning in the morning of the Ascension then shall all tears be wiped away Motive 10 10. The benefit of holy mourning the best of our commodities come by water 1. Mourning doth make the soul fruitful in grace When a showre falls the herbs and plants grow Isaiah 16.9 I will water thee with my tears O Heshbon I may allude to it tears water our graces and make them flourish Psal 104 10. he sends his springs into the vallies that is the reason the vallies flourish with corn because the springs run there where the springs of sorrow run there the heart bears a fruitful crop Leah was tender-eyed she had a watry eye and was fruitful the tender-eyed Christian usually brings more of the fruits of the Spirit a weeping eye is the water-pot to water our graces 2. Mourning doth fence us against the Divels Tentations Tentations are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fiery darts Ephes 6.16 because indeed they set the soul on fire Tentations enrage anger inflame lust now the waters of holy Mourning quench these fiery darts wet powder will not soon take the fire when the heart is wetted and moistned with sorrow it will not so easily take the fire of Tentation tears are the best Engines and Water-works to quench the Divels fire * Faciem nostram debemus magis lachrymis rigare quaem lavacris and if there be so much profit and benefit in Gospel-sorrow then let every Christian wash his face every Morning in the Lavor of tears †11. And lastly to have a melting frame of spirit is Motive 11 a great sign of Gods presence with us in an Ordinance 't is a sign the Sun of righteousness hath risen upon us when our frozen hearts thaw and melt for sin it is a saying of St. Bernard By this you may know whether you have met with God in a duty when you find your selves in a melting and mourning frame we are apr to measure all by comfort we think we never have Gods presence in an Ordinance unless we have joy herein we are like Thomas unless saith he I shall see in his hands the print of the nails I will not believe John 20.25 So are we apt to say Unless we have incomes of comfort we will not believe that we have found God in a duty but if our hearts can melt kindly in tears of love this is a real sign that God hath been with us as Jacob said Gen. 28.16 Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not So Christian when thy heart breaks for sin and dissolves into holy tears God is in this duty though thou knowest it not Methinks all that hath been said should make us spiritual Mourners perhaps we have tryed to mourn and cannot but therefore as a man that hath digged so many fathoms deep for water and can find none at last he digs till he finds a spring so though we have been digging for the water of tears and can find none yet let us weigh all that hath been said and set our hearts again to work and perhaps at last we may say as Isaacs servants Gen. 26.32 We have found water When the herbs are pressed the watery juyce comes out these eleven serious Motives may press out tears from the eye Quest But may some say My constitution is such that I cannot weep I may as well go to squeeze a Rock as think to get a tear Answ But if thou canst not weep for sin can'st thou grieve Intellectual mourning is best there may be sorrow where there are no tears * Curae loves loquuntur ingentes stupent the Vessel may be full though it wants vent it is not so much the weeping eye God respects as the broken heart yet I would be loth to stop their tears who can weep God stood looking on Hezekiahs tears Isa 38.5 I have seen thy tears Davids tears made Musick in Gods ears Psal 6.8 The Lord hath heard the voyce of my weeping 'T is a sight fit for Angels to behold tears as pearls dropping from a penitent eye CHAP. IX Shewing the hindrances of mourning Quest BUT what shall we do to get our heart into this mourning frame Answ Do two things 1. Take heed of those things which will stop these Channels of mourning 2. Put your selves upon the use of all means that will help forward holy mourning 1. Take heed of those things which will stop the current of tears there are nine hindrances of mourning Hindr. 1 1. The love of sin the love of sin is like a stone in the pipe which hinders the current of water the love of sin makes sin taste sweet and this sweetness in sin-bewitcheth the heart Saint Hierom saith it is worse to love sin than to commit it A man may be overtaken with sin Gal. 6.1 And he that hath stumbled upon sin unawares will weep but the love of sin hardens the heart keeps the Divel in possession in true mourning there must be a grieving for sin but how can a man grieve for that sin which his heart is in love with oh take heed of this sweet poyson the love of sin freezeth the soul in impenitency Hindr. 2 2. Despair despair affronts God undervalues Christs blood damns the soul Jerem. 8.12 They said there is no hope but we will walk after our own devices and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart This is the language of despair there is no hope I had as good follow my sins still and be damned for something despair presents God to the soul as a Judge clad in the garments of vengeance Isa 59.17 Judas his despair was in some sense worse than his Treason Despair destroys Repentance for the proper ground of Repentance is mercy Rom. 2.4 The goodness of God leads thee to Repentance But despair hides mercy out of sight as the cloud covered the Ark Exod. 39. Oh take heed of this Despair is an irrational sin there is no ground for it the Lord shews mercy to thousands why mayest not thou be one of a thousand the wings of Gods mercy like the wings of the Cherubims are stretched out to every humble penitent though thou hast been a great sinner yet if thou art a weeping sinner there 's a golden Scepter of mercy held forth Psal 103.11 Despair locks up the soul in impenitency 3. A conceit
the Lees well refined and it shall be said in that day Lo this is our God we have waited for him we will be glad and rejoyce in his salvation Spiritual mercies are not only worth desiring but waiting for 3. If God should not fill his people to satisfaction here yet they shall be filled in heaven the Vessels of their desires shall be filled as those water-pots Joh. 2. up to the brim MATTH 5.7 Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy CHAP. XV. Containing a Discourse of mercifulness THese Verses like the stairs of Solomons Temple cause our Ascent to the Holy of holies We are now mounting up a step higher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Blessed are the merciful c. There was never more need to preach of mercifulness than in these unmerciful times wherein we live It is reported in the life of Chrysostom that he did much preach on this subject of mercifulness and for his much pressing Christians to mercy he was called of many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Almes-preacher or the Preacher for mercy our times need many Chrysostoms Blessed are the merciful Mercy stands both in the Van and Rear of the Text in the beginning of the Text it stands as a Duty in the end of the Text it stands as a Reward The Hebrew word for godly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies merciful the more godly the more merciful the Doctrine I shall gather out of the words which will comprehend and draw in the whole is this That the merciful man is a blessed man Doctr. As there is a curse hangs over the head of the unmerciful man Psal 109.6 7 8 9 c. Let Satan stand at his right hand when he shall be judged let him be condemned and let his prayer become sin let his children be fatherless and his wife a widow let his children be continually vagabonds and beg let the Extortioner catch all that he hath and let the stranger spoil his labour let there be none to extend mercy to him let his posterity be cut off and in the generation following let their name be blotted out let the iniquity of his fathers be remembred with the Lord and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out Why what is this crime Ver. 16. Because he remembred not to shew mercy c. See what a long Vial full of the plagues of God is poured out upon the unmerciful man So by the Rule of contraries the blessings of the Almighty do crown and encompass the merciful man 2 Sam. 22.26 Psal 37.26 Psal 41.1 The merciful man is a blessed man For the illustrating this I shall shew 1. What is meant by mercifulness 2. The several kinds of mercy 1. What is meant by mercifulness I answer 1. Quid misericordia it is a melting disposition whereby we lay to heart the miseries of others and are ready on all occasions to be instrumental for their good Quest 1. How do mercy and love differ Answ In some things they agree in some things they differ like waters that may have two different spring-heads but meet in the stream Love and mercy differ thus Love is more extensive the Diocess that Love walks and visits in is larger Mercy properly respects them that are miserable Love is of a larger consideration Love is like a friend that visits them that are well Mercy is like a Physitian that visits only them that are sick Again Love acts more out of affection Mercy acts out of a principle of conscience Mercy lends its help to another Love gives its heart to another Thus they differ but Love and Mercy agree in this they are both ready to do good Offices both of them have soundings of bowels and healing under their wings Quest 2. Whence doth mercy spring Answ It s spring-head riseth higher than nature Mercy taken in its full latitude proceeds from a work of grace in the heart naturally we are far enough from mercy the sinner is a bramble not a Fig-tree yielding sweet fruit 'T is the Character and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a natural man unmerciful Rom. 1.31 A wicked man like Jehoram hath his bowels fallen out * 2 Chr 21.19 Therefore he is compared to an Adamant Zach. 7.11 because his heart melts not in mercy Before conversion the sinner is compared to a Wolf for his savageness to a Lyon for his fierceness * Isa 11.6 to a Bee for his sting Psal 118.12 to an Adder for his poyson Psal 140.3 By nature we do not send forth oyle but poyson not the oyle of mercifulness but the poyson of maliciousness Besides that inbred unmercifulness which is in us there is something infused too by Satan the Prince of the aire works in men Eph. 2.2 He is a fierce Spirit therefore called the red Dragon Revel 12.3 And if he possesseth men no wonder if they are implacable and without mercy what mercy can be expected from hell so that if the heart be tuned into mercifulness it is from the change that grace hath made †* Col. 3.12 When the Sun shines then the ice melts when the Sun of righteousness once shines with beams of grace upon the soul now it melts in mercy and tenderness thou must first be a new man before a merciful man thou canst not help a member of Christ till first thou thy self art a member 2. The several kinds of mercy 2. Quotuplex misericordia or how many wayes a man may be said to be merciful Mercy is a Fountain that runs in five streams we must be merciful to the 1. Souls of others 2. Names of others 3. Estates of others 4. Offences of others 5. Wants of others SECT I. Shewing that mercy is to be extended to the soules of others 1. WE must be merciful to the souls of others this is Spiritualis Eleemosyna a spiritual Almes Indeed soul-mercy is the chief the soul is the most precious thing it is a vessel of honour 't is a bud of eternity 't is a sparkle lighted by the breath of God 't is a rich Diamond set in a Ring of clay the soul hath the blood of God to redeem it the image of God to beautifie it it being therefore of so high a descent sprung from the Ancient of dayes that mercy which is shewn to the soul must needs be the greatest This soul-mercy to others stands in four things 1. In pitying them If I weep saith Austin for that body from which the soul is departed how should I weep for that soul from which God is departed Had we seen that man in the Gospel cutting himself with stones and fetching blood of himself it would have moved our pity Mark 5.5 To see a sinner stabbing himself and having his hands imbrued in his own blood should cause relentings in our bowels our eye should affect our heart God was angry with Edom because he did cast off all pity Amos 1.11 2. Soul-mercy is in advising and exhorting sinners
up as it did Korah and Dathan These are Divels covered over with flesh they have damnation written on their foreheads Lucian who in the time of the Emperor Trajan had professed Religion afterwards became so profane as to make a mock at the Christians and by his jeeres and taunts went about to rend Religion at last he himself was rent asunder and devoured by dogs When the scab of the Leper did appear he was to be shut out of the Camp Levit. 13.9 Those who flout at Religion if God give them not repentance are sure to be shut out of the Camp of heaven SECT 4. Shewing the signes of a pure heart Signs of a pure heart I Shall next shew you the signs of a pure heart 1. A sincere heart is a pure heart Psal 32.2 In whose spirit there is no guile There are four Characters of a sincere-hearted Christian 1. A sincere heart serves God with the whole heart First He serves God with the heart The Hypocrite doth but make a shew of obedience Jer. 12.2 Thou art near in their mouth and far from their reins there may be a fair complexion when the Lungs and Vitals are rotten The Hypocrite is fair to look on he hath a devout eye but a hollow heart but he who is sincere his inside is his best side In the Law God would have the inwards offered up Levit. 4.11 A good Christian gives God the inwards when he prays his heart prays 1 Sam. 1.13 Hannah prayed in her heart In his Thanksgivings the heart is the chief instrument of praise Psal 111.1 Then is the sweetest musick when we make melody in our hearts to the Lord Col. 3.16 Secondly The sincere Christian serves God with the whole heart Psal 119.2 Hypocrites have a double heart Psal 12.2 An heart for God and an heart for sin Hos 10.2 Their heart is divided God loves a broken heart but not a divided heart an upright heart is a whole heart the full straine and torrent of the affections runs out after God a sincere heart follows God fully Num. 14.24 2. A sincere heart is willing to come under a trial Psal 139.23 Search me O God and try me That mettal is to be suspected which men are afraid to bring to the Touch-stone a sound heart likes the Touch-stone of the Word he is for a searching Ministry Hypocrites are veritatis lucifugae * Tertul. they flie from that light which would discover sin they hate that Physick of the Word which meeting with their ill humours begins to make them sick and trouble their conscience A gracious soul loves that preaching best which makes an Heart-Anatomy 3ly A sincere heart dares not act in the least against his conscience he is the most magnanimous yet the most pusillanimous he is bold in suffering Prov. 28.1 but fearful of sin Gen. 39.9 He dares not get an estate by sinful shifts or rise upon the ruines of another Jacob got his fathers blessing by fraud but that is not the way to get Gods blessing Fourthly a sincere heart is a suspitious heart The Hypocrite suspects others and hath charitable thoughts of himself the sincere Christian hath charitable thoughts of others and suspects himself he calls himself often to account O my soul hast thou any Evidences for Heaven are they not to seek when they should be to shew Is there no flaw in thy Evidences thou mayest mistake common grace for saving Weeds in the Corn-fields look like flowres The foolish Virgins Lamps looked as if they had oyle in them O my soul is it not so with thee The sincere soul being ever jealous playes the Critick upon himself and doth so traverse things in the Court of conscience as if he were presently to be cited to Gods Bar. This is to be pure in heart 2. A pure heart breaths after purity If God should stretch out the golden Scepter and say to him Ask and it shall be given thee to half the Kingdom he would say Lord a pure heart let my heart have this inscription Holiness to the Lord let my heart be thy Temple and do thou dwell in it Lord what should I do in heaven with this unholy heart what converse could I have with God or Angels A gracious soul is so in love with purity that he prizeth a pure heart above all blessings 1. Above riches he knows he may be cloathed in purple and fine linnen and yet go to hell * Divitiae sunt in sinistra Domini Bern. he is content to be poor so he may be pure he knows heart-purity is a special Certificate of Gods love the pure in heart shall see God 2. Above gifts gifts do not at all set us off in Gods eye a pure heart is the jewel Matth. 15.28 O woman great is thy faith It was not her Rhetorical language Christ was taken with but her faith Hypocrites have had rare gifts Saul had the spirit of Prophesie Judas no doubt could make an Elegant Oration Hypocrites have come into Gods Church loaden with Egyptian gold videl Humane learning There may be Illumination without Sanctification A small Diamond is better than a great deal of brass A little grace excels the most flourishing parts Now if the out-goings of thy soul are after holiness thou desirest rather a pure heart than an eloquent tongue thou hast the oyle of the Spirit poured on thee and thou shalt be crowned with a sight of God 3. A pure heart abhors all sin A man may forbear and forsake sin yet not have a pure heart 1. He may forbear sin as one may hold his breath while he dives under water and then take breath again And a man may forbear sin 1. For want of occasion The Gun-powder makes no noise till the fire be put to it the Clock stands still till the Weights are put on Let a tentation come which is like the hanging on of the Weights and the heart goes as fast in sin as ever 2. He may forbear sin formidine poenae for fear A man forbears a Dish he loves for fear it should bring his disease upon him of the stone or gout There is a conflict in a sinner between the passion of desire and fear Desire spurs him on to sin but fear as a Curben-bit checks him nor is it the crookedness of the Serpent he fears but the sting of the Serpent 3. He may forbear sin out of a design he hath a plot in hand and his sin might spoile his plot Some rich heir would flie out in excess but he carries it fair to prevent a cutting off the Entail How good was Joash while Jehoiada the Priest lived Prudence as well as Conscience may restraine from sin 2. A man may forsake sin yet not have a pure heart it is a great matter I confess to forsake sin so dear is sin to men that they will part with the fruit of their body for the sin of their souls †* Micah 6.7 Sin is the Dalilah
19.25 And Saint Paul had this assurance 2 Tim. 1.12 Gal. 2.20 Yea may some say Paul was an eminent believer a Christian of the first magnitude no wonder if he had this jewel of assurance nay but the Apostle speaks of it as a case incident to other believers Rom. 8.35 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who shall separate us from the love of Christ He doth not say Who shall separate me but us so that by all it appears that a believer may come to spell out his interest in Christ Caution 1. Not that the Saints have alwayes the Caution 1 fame certainty or that they have such an assurance as excludes all doubtings and conflicts there will be flowings and ebbings in their comforts as well as in their graces was it not so in David sometimes we hear him say Gods loving-kindness was before his eyes Psal 26.3 As it is a Proverbial speech I have such a thing in my eye I see it just before me but at another time Where are thy loving-kindnesses Psal 89.49 A Christian hath not alwayes the same Plerophory Saint Paul at one time sets up the Trophies of victory and sings his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or triumphant song Rom. 8.37 We are more than Conquerors At another time how did the Plumes of his confidence fall and he was as a man in the midst of the Sea strugling with the waves and crying out for help Rom. 7.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O wretched man that I am c. A Saint in this life is like a ship at Anchor which though safe yet it may be sometimes tossed upon the water these doubtings and convulsions God suffers in his children sometimes that they may long the more for heaven where they shall have a constant spring-tyde of joy Caution 2. Not that all believers have the same assurance Caution 2 1. Assurance is rather the fruit of faith than faith Now as the root of the Rose or Tulip may be alive where the flowre is not visible so faith may live in the heart where the flowre of assurance doth not appear yet this is sure there is so much wrought in the heart of every believer by Gods Spirit as he can bottom his hope upon as for instance a high prizing of Christ an acquiescence in Christ a rejoycing in his image a delighting in his word the weakest believer hath so much to shew as he would not part with for a world 2. Assurance is difficult to be obtained it is a rare jewel but hard to come by not many Christians have this jewel 1. God sees it good sometimes to with-draw assurance from his people that they may walk humbly through the corruption of our nature we are apt to abuse the richest mercies the Moth breeds in the finest cloth the Worm in the sweetest fruit pride is apt to breed in this sweet fruit of assurance It is hard for Christians to want assurance and be content and to have it and be humble 2. Satan doth what he can to way-lay and obstruct our assurance he is called the red Dragon Rev. 12.3 And how doth he trouble the waters of a Christians peace If the Divel cannot keep a believer from heaven he will do what he can to keep him from an heaven upon earth he will wrack him with fears and disquiets If he cannot blot a Christians evidence yet sometimes he casts such a mist before his eyes that he cannot read his evidence the Divel envies that God should have any glory or the soul any comfort 3. That we want assurance the fault for the most is our own we walk carelesly neglect our spiritual watch let go our hold of promises comply with temptations no wonder then if we walk in darkness and are at such a loss that we cannot tell whether Christ be ours or no our uneven carriage grieves the Spirit whose work it is to seal up assurance if we quench the graces of the Spirit no wonder if God quench the comforts of the Spirit 3. Assurance is very sweet this wine of Paradise chears the heart how comfortable is Gods smile the Sun is more refreshing when it shines out then when it is hid in a cloud for want of this knowledge Christ is ours we often hang our Harps upon the Willows and sit as Israel by the Rivers weeping Psal 137.1 2. A man that hath a rich Mine of gold in his Field yet if he doth not know it is there he cannot take the comfort of it One that hath a great Estate befallen him beyond the Seas yet if ignorant of it he is as if he had no such Estate Hagar had a Well of water by her but her eyes being held that she saw not the Well she sat weeping it is the knowledge of an interest gives comfort Luke 1.47 My spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour not a Saviour but my Saviour The Rabbins say that Moses dyed with a kiss from Gods mouth he that knows Christ is his hath a kiss from Christs lips he dyes triumphing assurance puts a man in heaven before his time 4. Assurance is very useful it will put us upon service for Christ 1. It will put us upon active obedience assurance will not as the Papists say breed security in the soul but agility it will make us mount up with wings as Eagles in holy duties faith makes us living assurance make us lively if we know that Christ is ours we shall never think we can love him enough or serve him enough 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constrains us Assurance is like wings to the Bird like oyle to the Lamp like weights to the Clock it sets all the wheels of obedience a going assurance is a whetstone to the graces it stirs up hope love zeal faith makes a Christian walk 2 Cor. 5.7 assurance makes him run Nehem. 8.10 The joy of the Lord is your strength Assurance breeds such joy in the soul as doth derive and issue forth strength for duty 2. Assurance will put us upon passive obedience Rom. 5.3 5. We glory in tribulation because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts He that hath Christs love shed into his heart will be willing to shed his blood for Christ he who knows Christ is his will come to him with Peter upon the waters he comforts himself with this though he lose all for Christ he shall find all in Christ Mr. Fox speaks of a woman in Queen Maries dayes who when the adversaries threatned to take her husband from her she answered Christ is my husband when they threatned to take away her children she answered Christ is better to me than ten sons when they threatned to take away all from her saith she Christ is mine and you cannot take away him from me that man who is assured Christ is his will hazard the loss of all for him he knows though he may be a loser for Christ he cannot be a loser by Christ for Christ is all and in all No
Judges 11.35 Alas my daughter thou hast brought me very low so may the soul say Alas my sin thou hast brought me very low thou hast brought me almost to the gates of death 3. Sickness doth eclipse the beauty of the body This I ground on that Scripture Psal 39.11 When thou with rebukes dost correct man thou makest his beauty to consume away like a Moth. The Moth consumes the beauty of the cloth so a fit of sickness consumes the beauty of the body Thus sin is a soul-sickness it hath eclipsed the glory and splendor of the soul it hath turned ruddiness into paleness that beauty of grace which once sparkled as gold now it may be said How is this gold become dim †* Lam. 4.1 That soul which once had an orient brightness in it it was more ruddy than Rubies its polishing was of Saphyr the understanding be spangled with knowledge the will crowned with liberty the affections like so many Seraphims burning in love to God now the glory is departed Sin hath turned beauty into deformity as some faces by sickness are so disfigured and look so ghastly they can hardly be known So the soul of man is by sin so sadly Metamorphiz'd having lost the image of God that it can hardly be known Joel 2.31 The Sun shall be turned into darkness Sin hath turned that Sun of beauty which shined in the soul into a Cimmerian darkness and where grace is begun to be wrought yet the souls beauty is not quite recovered but is like the Sun under a cloud 4. Sickness takes away the taste a sick man doth not taste that sweetness in his meat so the sinner by reason of soul-sickness hath lost his taste to spiritual things The Word of God is pabulum animae it is bread to strengthen wine to comfort but the sinner tastes no sweetness in the Word A childe of God who is spiritualized by grace tastes a savouriness in Ordinances the promise drops as an honey-comb Psal 19.10 but a natural man is sick and his taste is gone since the tasting of the forbidden Tree he hath lost his taste 5. Sickness takes away the comfort of life a sick person hath no joy of any thing his life is a burden to him So the sin-sick soul is void of all true comfort and his laughter is but the pleasing dream of a sick man he hath no true title to comfort his sin is not pardoned he may be in hell before night for any thing he knows 6. Sickness ushers in death it is the prologue to death sickness is as it were the cutting of the Tree and death is the falling of the Tree so this disease of sin if not cured in time brings the second death 2. What the diseases of the soul are Adam by breaking the box of original righteousness hath filled the soul full of diseases the body is not subject to so many diseases as the soul I cannot reckon them all up Psal 19.12 Who can understand his errors * Psal 40.12 Only I shall name some of the worst of these diseases Pride is the tympany of the soul lust is the feaver error the gangrene unbelief the plague of the heart hypocrisie the scurvy hardness of heart the stone anger the phrenzy malice the Wolf in the breast covetousness the dropsie spiritual sloth the green sickness apostasie the epilepsie here are eleven soul-diseases and when they come to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the full heigth they are dangerous and most frequently prove mortal 3. The third thing to be demonstrated is that sin is the worst sickness To have a body full of plague sores is sad but to have the soul which is the more noble part spotted with sin and full of the Tokens is far worse as appears 1. The body may be diseased and the conscience quiet Isa 33.24 The Inhabitant of the Land shall not say I am sick He should scarce feel his sickness because sin was pardoned but when the soul is sick of any reigning lust the conscience is troubled Isa 57. ult There is no peace to the wicked saith my God When Spira had abjured his former faith he was put IN LITTLE EASE his conscience burned as hell and no spiritual physick that Divines did apply could ever allay that inflammation 2. A man may have bodily diseases yet God may love him Asa was diseased in his feet 2 Kings 15.23 He had the Gout yet a Favourite with God Gods hand may go out against a man yet his heart may be towards him diseases are the Arrows which God shoots pestilence is called Gods Arrow Psal 91.5 This Arrow as Gregory Nazianzene saith may be shot from the hand of an indulgent father But soul-diseases are symptoms of Gods anger as he is an holy God he cannot but hate sin he beholds the proud afar off Psal 138.6 God hates a sinner for his plague-sores Zach. 11.8 My soul loathed them 3. Sickness at worst doth but separate from the society of friends but this disease of sin if not cured separates from the society of God and Angels The Leper was to be shut out of the Camp this leprosie of sin without the interposition of mercy shuts men out of the Camp of heaven Rev. 21.8 This is the misery of them that dye in their sins they are allowed neither friend nor Physitian to come at them they are excluded Gods presence for ever in whose presence is fulness of joy Use 1 1. See into what a sad condition sin hath brought us it hath made us desperately sick Inform. nay we dye away in Branch 1 our sickness till we are fetch'd again with the water of life O how many sick bed-rid souls are there in the world sick of pride sick of lust sin hath turned our Houses and Churches into Hospitals they are full of sick persons What Davids enemies said reproachfully of him is true of every natural man Psal 41.8 An evil disease cleaveth fast unto him He hath the plague of the heart 1 Kings 8. And even those who are regenerate are cured but in part they have some grudgings of the disease some ebullitions and stirrings of corruption nay sometimes this Kings Evil breaks forth to the scandal of Religion and from this sin-sickness ariseth all other diseases * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys de poen hom 5. Plague Gout Stone Feaver 1 Cor. 11.29 30. He that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself for this cause many are weak and sickly among you Branch 2 2. If sin be a soul-sickness then how foolish are they that hide their sins it is folly to hide a disease * Insipientium malus pudor ulcera celat Job 31.33 40. If I covered my transgression as Adam by hiding my iniquity in my bosome let thistles grow instead of wheat c. The wicked take more care to have sin covered than cured if they can but sin in private and not be suspected they
used Jobs wife as a Ladder by which he would have scaled the impregnable Tower of Jobs faith Still retain thy integrity a cutting kind of speech as if the Divel had said God hath pull'd down thy hedge he hath smitten thee in thy children and art thou so sensless as still to serve and worship God what hast thou got by his service where are thy earnings what hast thou to shew but thy Boiles Throw off Religion Curse God and dye Satans physick alwayes poysons Mal. 3.14 Ye have said It is vain to serve God and What profit is it that we have kept his Ordinance We have mourn'd and fasted and have almost fasted away all we have we will fast no longer When a mans estate is low and his spirit troubled now Satan begins to throw in his Angle and oftentimes Satan makes use of poverty to put a man upon indirect courses Agur fear'd his heart in poverty Prov. 30.8 9. Oh keep thy heart in adversity beware of taking the forbidden fruit 5. Keep thy heart in time of prosperity The Moon the fuller it is the more remote it is from the Sun and oftentimes the more full a man is of the world the further his heart is from God Deutr. 32.15 Jesurun waxed fat and kicked 't is hard to abound in prosperity and not abound in sin a full cup is hardly carried without spilling the Trees are never more in danger of the winde than when they blossome pride idleness luxury * Multos felicitas pâ—rataiâ— paâ— victâ—s reddidiâ— are the three daughters which are bred of plenty Sampson fell asleep in Dalilahs lap millions in the lap of prosperity have slept the sleep of death Agur prayed Give me not riches Prov. 30.8 He knew his heart would be ready to run wilde the worlds golden apple bewitcheth When God sets an hedge of prosperity about us we had need set an hedge of caution and circumspection 3. Reasons enforcing heart-custody 3. The next thing is why we must be so careful about keeping of our hearts the Reasons are 1. Because the heart is a slippery piece Jer. 17.9 The heart is deceitful above all things in the Hebrew it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the heart is a Jacob above all things the heart is a supplanter if we are not very cautious and watchful our hearts will put a cheat upon us There is deceit in coyne in friends in books but the heart hath an art of deceiving beyond all 't is a desperate impostor * Grande profundum est homo Aug. the way of the heart is like a Serpent upon a Rock O the pleats and folds the subtilties and labyrinths of a self-deceiving heart Let us a little trace the heart in its fallacies and stratagems and see if there be not reason to lie sentinel continually and set a strong guard about it The heart will deceive us about things sinful lawful religious 1. The heart will deceive us about things sinful 1. The heart will tell us sin is but small and being small it is venial 2. The heart will apologize for sin masking over bad transactions with golden pretences 3. The heart will tell a man he may keep his sin and keep his Religion too 2 Kings 17.33 They feared the Lord and served their own gods The heart will secretly suggest to a man thus as long as he goes to Church and gives almes he may secretly indulge corruption as if duty gave a man a Pattent and License to sin 4. The heart will quote Scripture to justifie sin 1 Cor. 9.20 22. To the Jewes I became as a Jew that I might gain the Jewes I am made all things to all men c. This Text the heart will bring for sinful compliance O subtile heart that canst finde out Scripture to damn thy self though Saint Paul in things indifferent would conform to others that he might save their souls yet he would not to gratifie them violate a Law or deny an Article of his Greed and if the heart is so treacherous being alwayes more ready to excuse sin than examine it what care and circumspection should we use in keeping our hearts that they do not decoy us into sinne before we are aware 2. The heart will deceive us about things lawful in two cases 1. It is lawful to endeavour to preserve our credit A good name is a precious oyntment but under a pretence of preserving the name the heart is ready to tempt a man to self-seeking and make him do all to get a name John 12.43 Thy loved the praise of men more than the praise of God 2. It is lawful to take comfort in estate and relations Deutr. 26.11 But the heart will be ready here to overshoot how oft is the wife and childe laid in Gods room the full stream of the affection runs out to the creature and scarce a drop of love to Christ this is the deceit of the heart it makes us offend most in lawful things more are killed with wine than poyson they are afraid of poyson but take wine in the excess Gross sins affright but how many surfeit upon lawful things when we overdo we undo 3. The heart will deceive us about things religious 1. Our duties 2. Our graces 1. Our duties The heart will tell us it is enough to come to Word and Sacrament though the affections are not at all wrought upon this is like the Salamander which lives in the fire but as Naturalists say it is never the hotter Will this be any Plea at Gods bar to tell the Lord how many Sermons you have heard surely it will be the bringing of Uriahs letter it will be an evidence against you How subtile is the heart to plot its own death and bring a man to hell in the way of duty 2. Our graces the heart is like a flattering glass that would make the hypocrite look fair the foolish Virgins thought they had oyle many strongly conceit they have grace but have none The hypocrites knowledge is no better than ignorance 1 John 2.4 He hath illumination but not assimilation he is not made like Christ The hypocrites faith is fancy he believes but his heart is not purified * Acts 15.9 he pretends to trust God in greater matters but dares not trust him in lesser he will trust God with his soul but not with his estate Well if the heart be thus deceitful what need have we with all keeping to keep the heart do with the heart as with a cheater we will trust a cheater no further than we can see him the heart is a grand cheater it will supplant and cozen try it but do not trust it Prov. 28.26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool 2. We must excubias agere keep the heart with watch and ward because it is not only false but fickle God complains of Israel that their goodness was as the early dew Hos 6.4 The Sun ariseth and the dew vanisheth the
malitious person is of no a kin to God for God is love he knows nothing of the Gospel savingly for it is a Gospel of peace we read in Scripture of the bond of peace Ephes 4.3 and the bond of iniquity Acts 8.23 him whom the Gospel hath not bound in the bond of peace Satan hath bound in the bond of iniquity 2. Uncharitableness is a leaven that sowres the whole lump 1 Cor. 5.8 1. It sowres your good qualities Naaman an honourable man a mighty man in valour but he was a Leper 2 King 5.1 that but was like a dead fly in the Oyntment it spoiled all the rest So it may be said Such a man is a man of parts a man of great moral endowments he is just affable temperate but he is a leper he will not be in charity he payes every one their own but there is one debt he will not pay though he rot in hell for it viz. the debt of love this is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a brand of infamy upon him 2. Uncharitableness sowres your good duties you pray and come to Church but refuse to be tyed in a knot of amity what profit is there of all your seeming devotion we are bid to lift up pure hands without wrath 1 Tim 2.8 The uncharitable person doth not lift up pure hands in prayer but leprous hands bloody hands 1 Joh. 3.16 Whosoever hates his brother is a murderer Prayer saith Chrysostom may be compared to a fine Garland the hands that make a Garland had need be clean So the heart that makes a prayer had need be clean wrath and anger do sully a Christians prayers and will the Holy God touch them the uncharitable man poisons his own prayers and will the Lord accept of a poisoned sacrifice Oh that all this might at last perswade to cordial and fervent love let us turn all our censuring into praying let us pray to God that he would quench the fire of contention and encrease the fire of fraternal love among us let us pray that the Lord would heal our Schismes repair our breaches that he would make us like the Cherubims with our faces looking one upon another let us pray that God will make good that promise that we shall serve him with one consent or * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in the Hebrew with one shoulder and that this may be the golden Motto written upon England Cor unum via una one heart and one way * Jer. 32 30. 2. It Exhorts us that as we would be amicable to all Branch 2 so especially that we would love those who are of the houshold of Faith viz. the Saints and people of God Exhort Psalm 16.2 We must love as God loves he loves them most who are like him he loves piety though it be espoused to poverty so must our love run out especially to those who have the image and superscription of God upon them Joseph loved all his brethren but Benjamin most the people of God must have a Benjamins portion in our love The Saints are called Jewels Mal. 3.17 which we must love and prize they are called the apple of Gods eye Zach. to show how tender they should be in our eye The Saints are partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 not by an incorporation into the Divine Essence but by a conformity to the Divine likeness these we must love amore complacentiae with a love of complacency and delight These are near alied to Christ by faith they are of the blood Royal of heaven these must be higher in our thoughts and deeper in our affections than others Hierom loved Christ dwelling in Austin When I say the Saints must have the largest share in our love I mean not all that call themselves Saints such as under a mask of holiness commit sin hypocritical Saints * Quid tibi prodest vocari quod non es Aug. but such as the Scripture calls Saints such as excel in vertue Psal 16. such as walk humbly with God Mich. 6.8 such as have aliquid Christi as Bucer saith something of Christ in them these Saints must we place our entire love upon Indeed there is that in them which may excite and draw forth love they have the beauty of inherent holiness and they have an interest in the unspotted holiness of Christ which may be a sufficient loadstone to draw love to them But what shall we say to those who instead of loving the people of God because they are Saints hate them ea ratione because they are Saints as Tertullian Confessio nominis the very confession of the Name of a Christian was enough to bring them into an odium and was laid against them as a matter of crime It was said of Aristides that he was banished out of Athens quia justus because he was just Sanctity is the thing that is reproached and hated in the world wicked men Panther-like would tear the picture of God drawn in the New man let one have all kind of accomplishments Learning Morality Piety though men will love him for his Learning and Morality they will hate him for his Piety Holiness is become the crime the Serpent is known by his hissing they are the seed of the Old Serpent that hisse at Religion Let me speak my mind freely There is generally among men a secret antipathy against the power of godliness they are for some showes of devotion they keep up a form but such as have a spirit of zeal and sanctity shining in them their hearts rise against let me tell you there is not a greater sign of a rotten and divellish heart than to hate a man for that very thing for which God loves him namely his holiness 'T is an high affront to abuse the Kings Statue what vengeance think we shall they be counted worthy off who maligne and do what in them lies to tear in pieces the image of the living God Oh take heed of this the hating the grace of the Spirit comes near to the despighting of the Spirit of grace To conclude let us beg the spirit of amity and unity that we may love one another especially that we may be endeared in our affections to them who are of the family of God and whose names are enrolled in the book of life The good Practitioner Ioh. 13.17 If ye know these things happy are ye if ye do them IN this Chapter our Blessed Saviour the great Doctor af the Church falls upon teaching his Disciples he taught them 1. Doctrinâ by doctrine ver 34. A new Commandement give I unto you that ye love one another Christ was now going out of the world and as a father when he is dying leaves a charge with his children that they love so our Saviour leaves this solemn charge with his disciples that they did love one another 2. He taught them emblemate by embleam ver 4. he took a Towel and girded himself Thus teaching them by a
sacred embleam how he did begirt himself with with our flesh the blessed angels stood wondring at this how the divine nature could be girdled with the humane 3. He taught them exemplo by example ver 5. he poureth water into a Bason and began to wash his disciples feet he teacheth them humility by his own example he stoops to the meanest office he washeth his disciples feet and this he did for their imitation ver 14. ye ought also to wash one anothers feet Now our Lord Christ having thus taught his disciples by Doctrine Embleam and Example he makes as it were the Use of all in the words of the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If you know these things happy are ye if ye do them A text that deserves to be engraven in letters of gold upon our hearts a text that if well observed will help us to reap benefit by all other texts A Sermon is never heard a right till it be practised I shall therefore make this Sermon to be by the blessing of God as a selvidg to keep the rest from ravelling out That were an happy Sermon which would help you to put all the other Sermons you have heard in practice If you know these things c. by the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these things our Saviour by a Synecdoche comprehends all the matters of religion though more particularly those two things he had been immediately before speaking of love and humility In the Text there is 1. a Supposition if ye know and do 2. A benediction happy are ye Doctr. From whence this Doctrine ariseth That it is not the Knowledg of the points of religion but the Practice of them that makes a man happy Had Christ said if ye know these things happy are ye and there had made a stop and gone no further we should have thought knowledg had been enough to have made one happy but Christ staies not here but goes further happy are ye if ye do them Christ doth not put happiness upon knowing but doing So that the Doctrine clearly results That it is not knowledg but practice renders a man blessed This Proposition consists of two Branches and I shall handle them distinctly 1. That Knowledg alone in the mysteries of religion will not make a man happy 2. That it is the Practique part of religion makes a man happy 1. Branch of the Doct. 1. That Knowledg alone in the mysteries of religion will not make a man happy Mat. 7.21 Luk. 6.46 Why call ye me Lord Lord and do not the things which I say It is not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the speculation of the most glorious truths can bring a man to heaven If a man could discourse de omni scibili if his head were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Treasury of wisdom an Ocean of learning as it is said Hyperbolically of Albinus Beringarius Hermolaus Barbarus and others yet this could not entitle him to happiness his knowledg might make him admired but not blessed If a man knew all the policies of State the mysteries of Trade the subtilty of Arts the system of Divinity all this could not crown him with happiness Indeed knowledg in the Theory of Religion hath a beauty in it next to the Pearl of grace this gold is most pretious Knowledg is the enriching of the minde it is a faire garland to look upon but as Rachel though beautiful yet being barren said give me children or I dye so if knowledg doth not bring forth the child of obedience it will dye and come to nothing I would by no means disparage knowledg knowledg is the Pilot to guide us in our obedience if zeal be not according to knowledg it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will-worship it is the setting up an altar to an unknown God Knowledg must usher in obedience it is as abominable to God to offer up the blinde as the lame Final ignorance damnes Hose 4.6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledg The Hebrew word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are cut down or fell'd like Trees so that there is a necessity of knowledg knowledg is the elder sister but obedience is better than knowledg here the elder must serve the younger knowledg may put us into the way of happiness but it is only practice brings us thither That knowledg alone cannot make a man happy I shall prove by three demonstrations 1. Knowledg alone doth not make a man better therefore it cannot make him happy bare knowledg hath no influence it doth not leave a spiritual tincture of holiness behind it doth inform not transform knowledg of it self hath no power upon the heart to make it more divine it is like weak physick that doth not work it doth not warm the affections or purge the conscience it doth not fetch vertue from Christ to dry up the bloody issue of sin a man may receive the truth in the light of it not in the love of it 2 Thes 2.10 the Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a form of knowledg Rom. 2.20 Knowledg alone is but a dead form having nothing to animate it he that hath knowledg only is a spiritual stil-born he looks like a Christian but hath neither appetite nor motion Knowledg alone makes men monsters in religion they are all head but no feet they do not walk in Christ Col. 2.6 A man may have knowledg and be neglective of his duty as Plutarch said of the Grecians they knew what was just but did it not A man may have knowledg and be prophane he may have a clear head and a foul heart The sun may shine when the way is dirty the understanding may be irradiated when the foot of a sinner treads in unholy paths now then if knowledg abstracted from practice doth not make a man better then it cannot make him happy 2. Knowledg alone will not save therefore it will not make a man happy if knowledg alone will save then all that have knowledg shall be saved but that is not true for then Judas should be saved he had knowledge enough then the Divel should be saved he can transform himself into an Angel of light he is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the great knowledge he hath a man may have knowledge and be no better than a Divel hell is full of learned heads now if knowledge alone will not save then it will not put a man into a state of blessedness 3. Knowledge alone makes a mans case worse therefore it cannot make him happy 1. Knowledge takes away all excuse and apology Joh. 15.22 Now ye have no cloak for your sin 2. Knowledge adds to a mans torment Woe unto thee Corazin it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgement than for thee It will be better with Indians than Christians living in a contradiction to their knowledge Luke 12.47 That servant which knew his Lords will and did not according to his will shall
Divel let me tell you God hath charg'd every man not to meddle or have any league of friendship with you Prov. 22.24 Make no friendship with an angry man and with a furious man thou shalt not go What a monster is he among men that every one is warned to beware of and not come near as one who is unfit for humane society make no league saith God with THAT MAN if thou takest him into thy society thou takest a Snake into thy bosome with a furious man thou shalt not go Wilt thou walk with the Divel the furious man is possessed with a wrathful Divel Oh that all this might help to meeken and sweeten Christians spirits Object But it is my nature to be passionate Answ 1. This is sinful arguing it is secretly to lay our sin upon God we learned this from Adam Gen. 3.12 The woman whom thou gavest to be with me she gave me of the tree and I did eate rather than Adam would confesse his sin he would father it upon God the woman thou gavest me as if he had said it thou hadst not given this woman to me I had not eat So saith one it is my nature this is the froward peevish nature God hath given me oh no thou chargest God falsly God gave thee no such nature he made man upright Eccles 7.25 God made thee straight thou madest thy self crooked all thy affections at first thy joy love anger were set in order as the Stars in their right orb but thou didst misplace them and make them move Excentrick at first the affections like several Musick-instruments well-tuned did make a sweet consort but sin was the jarring string that brought all out of tune vain man plead not 't is thy nature to be angry thank thy self for it natures spring was pure till sin poysoned the spring Answ 2. Is it thy nature to be fierce and angry this is so far from being an excuse that it makes it so much the worse it is the nature of a Toad to poyson that makes it the more hateful if a man were indited for stealing and he should say to the Judge Spare me it is my nature to steal were this any excuse the Judge would say Thou deservest the rather to dye Sinner get a new nature flesh and blood cannot enter into the Kingdom of God SECT 3. How to attain this grace of meekness Quest HOW shall I do to be possessed of this excellent grace of meekness Answ 1. Often look upon the meekness of Christ the Scholar that would write well hath his eye often upon the Copy 2. Pray earnestly that God will meeken thy spirit God is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the God of all grace 1 Pet. 5.10 He hath all the graces in his gift Sue to him for this grace of meekness if one were Patron of all the Livings in the Land men would sue to him for a Living God is Patron of all the graces let us sue to him mercy comes in at the door of prayer Ezek. 36.26 37. I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them Meekness is the commodity we want let us send prayer as our Factor over to heaven to procure it for us and pray in faith when faith sets prayer on work prayer sets God on work all divine blessings come streaming to us through this golden channel of prayer MATTH 5.6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after Righteousness CHAP. XIII Describing the Nature of spiritual hunger WE are now come to the fourth step of blessedness Blessed are they that hunger The words fall into two parts 1. A Duty implied 2. A Promise annexed 1. A Duty implied Blessed are they that hunger 1. The Duty implied Spiritual hunger is a blessed hunger Doctr. Quest 1. What is meant by hunger Answ Hunger is put for desire Isa 26.9 Spiritual hunger is the rational appetite whereby the soul pants after that which it apprehends most sutable and proportionable to it self Quest 2. Whence is this hunger Answ Hunger is from a sense of want he who spiritually hungers hath a real sense of his own indigence he wants righteousness Quest 3. What is meant by righteousness Answ There is a two-fold righteousness 1. Of Imputation 2. Of Implantation 1. Justitia imputativa 1. A righteousness of Imputation viz. Christs righteousness Jer. 23.6 He shall be called the Lord our righteousness This is as truly ours to justifie as it is Christs to bestow by vertue of this righteousness God looks upon us as if we had never sinned Num. 23.21 this is a perfect righteousness Col. 2.10 Ye are compleat in him this doth not only cover but adorn he who hath this righteousness is equal to the most illustrious Saints the weakest believer is justified as much as the strongest this is a Christians triumph when he is defiled in himself he is undefiled in his head in this blessed righteousness we shine brighter than the Angels this righteousness is worth hungring after 2 Justitia implantativa 2. A righteousness of Implantation that is inherent righteousness viz. the graces of the Spirit holiness of heart and life which Cajetan calls universal righteousness this a pious soul hungers after This is a blessed hunger bodily hunger cannot make a man so miserable as spiritual hunger makes him blessed this evidenceth life a dead man cannot hunger hunger proceeds from life the first thing the child doth when it is born is to hunger after the breast spiritual hunger follows upon the new birth 1 Pet. 2.2 Saint Bernard in one of his Soliloquies comforts himself with this that sure he had the truth of grace in him because he had in his heart a strong desire after God * Certus sum per gratiam defiderium â—ui habere me in toto corde Bern. Solil 't is happy when though we have not what we should we desire what we have not the appetite is as well from God as the food SECT I. The Inferences drawn from the Proposition 1. SEE here at what a low price God sets heavenly Use 1 things it is but hungring and thirsting Inform. Isa 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters buy Branch 1 without money We are not bid to bring any merits as the Papists would do nor to bring a sum of money to purchase righteousness Rich men would be loth to do that all that is required is to bring an appetite Christ hath fulfilled all righteousness we are only to hunger and thirst after righteousness this is equal and reasonable God requires not Rivers of oyle but sighs and tears the invitation of the Gospel is free if a friend invite Ghuests to his Table he doth not expect they should bring money to pay for their Dinner only come with an appetite so saith God T is not pennance pilgrimage self-righteousness I require only bring a stomack hunger and thirst after righteousness God
this true hunger are blessed and may take comfort in it Object 2. But my hunger after righteousnesse is so Object 2 weak that I fear it is not true Answ 1. Though the pulse beats but weak it shows Answ 1 there is life and that weak desires should not be discouraged there is a promise made to them Matth. 12.20 a bruised reed he will not break a reed is a weak thing but especially when it is bruised yet this bruised reed shall not be broken but like Aarons dry rod bud and blossome In case of weakness look to Christ thy high-Priest he is merciful therefore will bear with thy infirmities he is mighty therefore will help them Answ 2. If thy desires after righteousnesse seeme to Answ 2 be weak and languid yet a Christian may sometimes take a measure of his spiritual estate as well by the judgement as by the affections What is that thou esteemest most in thy judgment Is it Christ and Grace This is a good evidence for heaven it was a signe Saint Paul did beare entire love to Christ because he esteem'd this Pearl above all he counted other things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but dung that he might win Christ Phil. 3.8 Object 3 Object 3. But saith a child of God That which much eclipseth my comfort is I have not that hunger which once I had Time was I did hunger after a Sabbath because then the Manna fell I called the Sabbath a delight I remember the time when I did hunger after the body and blood of the Lord I came to a Sacrament as an hungry man to a Feast but now it is otherwise with me I have not those hungrings as formerly Answ 1 Answ 'T is indeed an ill signe for a man to lose his stomach but though it be a signe of the decay of grace to lose the spiritual appetite yet it is a signe of the truth of grace to bewail the losse 't is sad to lose our first love but it is happy when we mourn for the loss of our first love Answ 2 2. If thou hast not that appetite after heavenly things as formerly yet be not discouraged for in the use of means thou mayest recover thine appetite the Ordinances are for the recovering of the appetite when it is lost in other cases feeding takes away the stomach but here feeding on an Ordinance begets a stomach SECT 6. Containing a persuasion to spiritual hunger Use 5 Use 5 IT exhorts us all to labour after this spiritual hunger Exhort Parum est justitiam velle sed esurire quod ingens desiderium prae se fert Novarinus Hunger lesse after the world and more after righteousnesse say concerning spiritual things Lord evermore give me this bread Feed me with this Angels food That Manna is most to be hungred after which will not only preserve life but prevent death John 6.50 that is most desirable which is most durable Riches are not for ever Prov. 28.24 but righteousnesse is for ever Prov. 8.18 The beauty of holinesse * Psal 110.3 never fades the robe of righteousnesse * Isa 61.10 never waxeth old Oh hunger after that righteousnesse which delivereth from death Prov. 10.2 This is the righteousnesse which God himself is in love with Prov. 15.9 he loveth him that followeth after righteousnesse All men are ambitious of the Kings favour alas what is a Princes smile but a transient Beatitude This sunshine of his royal countenance soone masks it self with a cloud of displeasure But thou who art endued with righteousnesse art Gods Favourite and how sweet is his smile Psal 63.3 Thy loving-kindnesse is better than life SECT 7. Containing an excitation to spiritual hunger TO perswade men to hunger after this righteousnesse consider two things 1. Unlesse we hunger after righteousnesse we cannot obtain it God will never throw away his blessings upon them that do not desire them If a King shall say to a Rebel Do but desire a pardon and thou shalt have it if through pride and stubbornnesse he disdains to sue out his pardon he deserves justly to die God hath set spiritual blessings at a low rate Do but hunger and you shall have righteousnesse but if we refuse to come up to these termes there is no righteousnesse to be had for us God will stop the current of his mercy and set open the sluce of his indignation 2. If we do not thirst here we shall thirst when it is too late if we do not thirst as David did Psal 42.2 my soul thirsteth for God we shall thirst as Dives did for a drop of water Luke 16.24 They who thirst not for righteousnesse shall be in perpetual hunger and thirst they shall thirst for mercy but no mercy to be had Heat encreaseth thirst when men shall burn in hell and be scorch'd with the flames of Gods wrath this heat will encrease their thirst for mercy but there will be nothing to allay their thirst O is it not better to thirst for righteousnesse while it is to be had than to thirst for mercy when there is none to be had Sinners the time is shortly coming when the draw-bridge of mercy will be quite pulled up I shall next briefly prescribe some helps to spiritual hunger 1. Avoid those things which will hinder your appetite As 1. Windy things When the stomach is full of wind a man hath little appetite to his food so when one is fill'd with a windy opinion of his own righteousness he will not hunger after Christs righteousnesse he who being puff'd up with pride thinks he hath grace enough already will not hunger after more These windy vapours spoil the stomack 2. Sweet things destroy the appetite so by feeding immoderately upon the sweet luscious delights of the world we lose our appetite to Christ and Grace You never knew a man surfeit himself upon the world and sick of love to Christ while Israel fed with delight upon Garlick and Onions they never hungred after Manna the soul cannot be carried to two extremes at once as the eye cannot look intent on heaven and earth at once * Oculus non potest caelum terram simul inspicere Cyprian so a man cannot at the same instant hunger excessively after the world and righteousness the earth puts out the fire the love of earthly things will quench the desire of spiriritual 1 John 2.15 Love not the world the sin is not in the having but in the loving 2. Do all that may provoke spiritual appetite There are two things provoke appetite 1. Exercise a man by walking and stirring gets a stomack to his meat So by the exercise of holy duties the spiritual appetite is encreased 1 Tim. 4.7 Exercise thy self to godlinesse Many have left off Closet-prayer they hear the Word but seldome and for want of exercise they have lost their stomack to Religion 2. Sawce Sawce whets and sharpens the appetite there is a twofold sawce provokes holy appetite 1.
heart to be ignorant of sin Signs of an impure heart or Christ argues impurity of heart Nahash the Ammonite would enter into Covenant with the men of Jabesh-Gilead so he might thrust out their right eyes 1 Sam. 11.2 Satan leaves men their left eye in worldly knowledge they are quick-sighted enough but the right eye of spiritual knowledge is quite put out 2 Cor. 4.4 Ignorance is Satans strong hold Acts 26.18 The Divels are bound in chains of darkness Jude 6. So are all ignorant persons impossible it is that an ignorant heart should be good it is knowledge makes the heart good Prov. 19.2 That the soul be without knowledge it is not good For any to say though their mind be ignorant yet their heart is good they may as well say though they are blind yet their eyes are good In the Law when the plague of Leprosie was in a mans head the Priest was to pronounce him unclean This is the case of an ignorant man the Leprosie is in his head he is unclean That heart cannot be very pure which is a Dungeon Grace cannot reign where ignorance reigns an ignorant man can have no love to God Ignoti nulla cupido he cannot love that which he doth not know he can have no faith knowledge must usher in faith Psal 9.10 he cannot worship God aright John 4.22 Though he may worship the true God yet in a wrong manner ignorance is the root of sin blindness leads to lasciviousness Ephes 4.18 19. Prov. 7.23 Ignorance is the mother of pride Revel 3.17 It is the cause of Error 2 Tim. 3.6 and which is worst an affected ignorance aliud est nescire aliud nolle scire Many are in love with ignorance * Non modo ducem non quaerunt sed oblatum respuunt Bern. they hug their disease Job 21.14 2 Pet. 3.5 Ignorant minds are impure there is no going to heaven in the dark 2. That heart is impure which sees no need of purity Revel 3.17 I am rich and have need of nothing Not to be sensible of a disease is worse than the disease you shall hear a sick man say I am well I ayle nothing there are some who need no Repentance Luk. 15.7 Some sinners are too well to be cured heart-purity is as great a wonder to a natural man as the new-birth was to Nicodemus Joh. 3.4 'T is sad to think how many go on confidently and are ready to bless themselves never suspecting their condition till it be too late 3. He hath an impure heart who regards iniquity in his heart Psal 66.18 If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me In the Original it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if I look upon sin that is with a lustful look sin-regarding is inconsistent with heart-purity Quest What is it to regard iniquity Quest Answ 1 Answ 1. When we indulge sin when sin not only lives in us but we live in sin Some will leave all their sins but one Jacob would let all his sons go but Benjamin Satan can hold a man by one sin the Fowler holds the Bird fast enough by a Wing or Claw Others hide their sins like one that shuts up his Shop-windows but follows his Trade within doors Many deal with their sins as Moses his mother dealt with him she hid him in the Ark of Bulrushes as if she had left him quite but her eye was still upon him and in conclusion she became his Nurse Exod. 2.9 So many seem to leave their sins but they only hide them from the eye of others their heart still goes after them and at last they Nurse and give the breast to their sins 2. To regard iniquity is to delight in iniquity A child of God though he sins yet he doth not take a complacency in sin Rom. 7.15 What I hate that do I but impure souls make a recreation of sin 2 Thes 2.12 They had pleasure in unrighteousness Never did one feed with more delight on a dish he loves than a wicked man doth upon the forbidden fruit This delight shews the will is in the sin Et voluntas est regula mensura actionis 3. To regard iniquity is to lay in provision for sin Rom. 13.14 Make not provision for the flesh Sinners are Caterers for their lusts 't is a Metaphor taken from such as make provision for a Family or victual a Garrison The Greek word there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies a projecting and fore-casting in the mind how to bring a thing about This is to make provision for the flesh when one studies to gratifie the flesh and lay in fuel for lust Thus Amnon made provision for the flesh 2 Sam. 13.5 He fains himself sick and his sister Tamar must be his Nurse she must cook and dress his meat for him by which means he defiled the breasts of her Virginity it is sad when mens care is not to discharge conscience but to satisfie lust 4. To regard iniquity is to give it respect and entertainment as Lot shewed respect to the Angels Gen. 19.2 He bowed himself with his face toward the ground and said behold now my Lords turn in I pray you c. When the Spirit of God comes it is repulsed and grieved but when tentation comes the sinner bowes to it sets open the great Gates and saith Turn in my Lord this is to regard iniquity 5. He is said to regard sin that doth not regard the threatnings of God against sin We read of seven thunders uttering their voyce Rev. 10.3 How many thunders in Scripture utter their voyce against sin Psal 68.21 God shall wound the hairy scalp of such an one as goes on still in his Trespasses Here is a thundering Scripture but sinners fear not this thunder let a Minister come as a Boanerges cloathed with the spirit of Eliah and denounce all the curses of God against mens sins they regard it not they can laugh at the shaking of a Spear * Job 41.29 this is to regard iniquity and doth argue an impure heart 4. An unbelieving heart is an impure heart The Scripture calls it expresly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an evil heart of unbelief Hebr. 3.12 An unbelieving heart is evil summo gradu 't is full of the poyson of hell Unbelief is omnium peccatorum colluvies the root and receptactle of sin 1. Unbelief is a God-affronting sin 1. It puts the lye upon God it calls in question his power * Psa 78.19 20. mercy truth 1 John 5.10 He that believeth not hath made God a lyar And can a greater affront be cast upon the God of glory 2. It makes us trust to second causes which is a setting the creature in the room of God 2 Chron. 16.12 Asa in his disease sought not to the Lord but to the Physitians He relied more on the Physitian than upon God Saul seeks to the Witch of Endor O high affront to lean upon the Reed and neglect the Rock
changeth the soile and makes it peaceable How can faith grow in an unpeaceable heart for faith works by love Impossible it is that he should bring forth the sweet fruits of the Spirit who is in the gall of bitterness if a man hath received poyson into his body the most excellent food will not nourish till he takes some antidote to expel that poyson Many come to the Ordinances with seeming zeal but being poysoned with wrath and animosity they receive no spiritual nourishment Christs body mystical edifieth it self in love Eph. 4.16 There may be praying and hearing but no spiritual concoction no edifying of the body of Christ without love and peace 9. Peaceableness among Christians is a powerful loadstone to draw the world to receive Christ not only gifts and miracles and preaching may perswade men to embrace the truth of the Gospel but peace and unity among the Professors of it When as there is one God and one faith so there is one heart among Christians this is as Cummin seed which makes the Doves flock to the windows The Temple was adorn'd with goodly stones Luk. 21.5 This makes Christs spiritual Temple look beautiful and the stones of it appear goodly when they are cemented together in peace and unity 10. Unpeaceableness of spirit is to make Christians turn Heathens 't is the sin of the Heathens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implacable Rom. 1.31 They cannot be pacified their hearts are like Adamant no oyle can supple them no fire can melt them 't is a Heathenish thing to be so fierce and violent as if with Romulus men had suck'd the milk of Wolves 11. To adde yet more weight to the Exhortation it is the mind of Christ that we should live in peace Mark 9.50 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 have peace one with another Shall we not be at peace for Christs sake if we ought to lay down our life for Christs sake shall we not lay down our strife for his sake To conclude if we will neither be under counsels nor commands but still feed the peccant humour nourishing in ourselves a spirit of dissention and unpeaceableness Jesus Christ will never come near us The people of God are said to be his house Hebr. 3.6 Whose house are we c. When the hearts of Christians are a spiritual house adorned with the furniture of peace then they are fit for the Prince of peace to inhabit but when this pleasant furniture is wanting and instead of it nothing but strife and debate Christ will not own it for his house nor will he grace it with his presence who will dwell in an house which is smoaky and all on fire SECT 4. Shewing some helps to peaceableness Quest HOW shall we attain to peaceableness 1. Take heed of those things which will hinder it There are several impediments of peace which we must beware of and they are either outward or inward 1. Outward as whisperers Rom. 1.29 There are some who will be buzzing things in our ears purposely to exasperate and provoke among these we may rank Tale-bearers Lev. 19.16 The Tale-bearer carries reports up and down the Divel sends his letters by this Post the Tale-bearer is an Incendiary he blows the coals of contention Do you hear saith he what such an one faith of you Will you put up such a wrong will you suffer your self to be so abused thus doth he by throwing in his fire-balls foment differences and set men together by the ears we are commanded indeed to provoke one another to love Hebr. 10.24 but nowhere to provoke to anger We should stop our ears to such persons as are known to come on the Divels Errand 2. Take heed of inward lets to peace As 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 self-love 2 Tim. 3.2 Men shall be lovers of themselves And it follows they shall be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fierce Ver. 3. The setting up of this Idol of Self hath caused so many Law-suits Plunders Massacres in the World All seek their own Phil. 2.21 Nay it were well if they would seek but their own Self-love angles away the Estates of others either by force or fraud Self-love sets up Monopolies and Enclosures it is a Bird of prey which lives upon rapine Self-love cuts asunder the bond of peace lay aside Self The Heathens could say Non nobis solum nati we are not born for our selves 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pride Prov. 28.25 He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife Pride and Contention like Hippocrates Twins are both born at once A proud man thinks himself better than others and will contend for superiority Joh. 3.9 Diotrephes who loveth to have the preheminence A proud man would have all strike sail to him Because Mordecai would not give Haman the Cap and Knee he gets a bloody Warrant signed for the death of all the Jewes Esther 3.9 What made all the strife between Pompey and Caesar but pride their spirits were too high to yield one to another When this wind of pride gets into a mans heart it causeth sad Earth-quakes of division The Poets fain that when Pandora's box was broke open it fill'd the World with diseases When Adams pride had broken the box of Original righteousness it hath ever since fill'd the World with debates and dissentions Let us shake off this viper of pride humility soders Christians together in peace 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 envy envy stirreth up strife the Apostle hath linked them together 1 Tim. 6.4 Envy strife Envy cannot endure a Superiour this made the Plebeian faction so strong among the Romans they envied their Superiours An envious man seeing another to have a fuller Crop a better Trade is ready to pick a quarrel with him Prov. 27.4 Who can stand before envy Envy is a vermin that lives on blood take heed of it peace will not dwell with this inmate 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Credulity Prov. 14.15 The simple believeth every word A credulous man is akin to a fool he believes all that is told him and this doth often create differences As it is a sin to be a Tale-bearer so it is a folly to be a Tale-believer A wise man will not take a report at the first bound but will sift and examine it before he gives credit to it 2. Let us labour for those things which will maintain and cherish peace As 1. Faith faith and peace keep house together faith believes the Word of God the Word saith Live in peace 2 Cor. 13.11 And assoon as faith sees the King of heavens Warrant it obeyes faith perswades the soul that God is at peace and it is impossible to believe this and live in variance nourish faith faith knits us to God in love and to our Brethren in peace 2. Christian communion There should not be too much strangeness among Christians the primitive Saints had their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 love-feasts * Tertul. The Apostle exhorting to peace brings this as an
ashes an unbeliever is like Reuben unstable as water he shall not excel Gen. 49.4 A believer is like Joseph who though the Archers shot at him his Bowe abode in strength Cast a believer upon the waters of affliction he can follow Christ upon the water and not sink cast him into the fire his zeal burns hotter than the flame cast him into prison he is enlarged in spirit Paul and Silas had their prison-songs Psal 91.13 Thou shalt tread upon the Lyon and the Adder A Christian arm'd with faith as a coat of Male can tread upon those persecutions which are fierce as the Lyon and sting as the Adder get faith Quest Quest But how comes faith to be such Armour of proof Answ Answ Six manner of wayes 1. Faith unites the soul to Christ and that blessed head sends forth spirits into the members Phil. 4.13 I can do all things through Christ c. Faith is a grace lives all upon the borrow as when we want water we go to the Well and fetch it when we want gold we go to the Mine so faith goes to Christ and fetcheth his strength into the soul whereby it is enabled both to do and suffer hence it is faith is such a wonder-working grace 2. Faith works in the heart a contempt of the world faith gives a true map of the world Eccles 2.11 Faith shews the world in its night-dress having all its jewels pul'd off faith makes the world appear in an Eclipse the believer sees more Eclipses than the Astronomer faith shews the soul better things than the world it gives a sight of Christ and glory it gives a prospect of heaven as the Mariner in a dark night climbs up to the top of the Mast and cries out stellam video I see a star so faith climbs up above sense and reason into heaven and sees Christ that bright morning star and the soul having once viewed his superlative excellencies becomes crucified to the world oh saith the Christian shall not I suffer the loss of all these things that I may enjoy Jesus Christ 3. Faith gets strength from the promise faith lives in a promise take the fish out of the water and it dies take faith out of a promise and it cannot live the promises are breasts of consolation the childe by sucking the breast gets strength so doth faith by sucking the breast of a promise When a Garrison is besieged and is ready almost to yield to the enemy Auxiliary forces are sent in to relieve it so when faith begins to be weak and is ready to faint in the day of battel then the promises muster their forces together and all come in for faiths relief and now it is able to hold out in the fiery trial 4. Faith gives the soul a right notion of suffering faith draws the true picture of sufferings what is suffering saith faith it is but the suffering of the body that body which must shortly by the course of nature drop into the dust Persecution can but take away my life an Ague or Feaver may do as much now faith giving the soul a right notion of sufferings and taking as it were a just measure of them enables a Christian to prostrate his life at the feet of Christ 5. Faith reconciles providences and promises as it was in Saint Pauls voyage providence did seem to be against him there was a cross winde did arise called Euroclydon Acts 27.14 but God had given him a promise that he would save his life and the lives of all that sailed with him in the Ship Ver. 24. therefore when the winde blew never so contrary Paul believed it would at least blow him to the Haven so when sense saith Here is a cross providence sufferings come I shall be undone then saith faith all things shall work for good to them that love God Rom. 8.28 This providence though bloody shall fulfill the promise affliction shall work for my good it shall heal my corruption and save my soul Thus faith making the winde and tyde go together the winde of a providence with the tyde of the promise enables a Christian to suffer persecution 6. Faith picks sweetness out of the Cross faith shews the soul God reconciled and sin pardoned and then how sweet is every suffering The Bee gathers the sweetest honey from the bitterest herb Saepe tulit lassis succus amarus opem So faith from the sharpest trials gathers the sweetest comforts faith looks upon suffering as Gods love token Afflictions saith Nazianzene are sharp arrows but they are shot from the hand of a loving Father faith can taste honey at the end of the rod faith fetches joy out of suffering John 16.20 Faith gets an honey-comb in the belly of the Lyon it finds a jewel under the cross and thus you see how faith comes to be such Armour of proof above all taking the shield of faith a believer having cast his Anchor in heaven cannot sink in the waters of persecution 2. Suffering grace is love get hearts fired with love to the Lord Jesus love is a grace both active and passive 1. Love is active it layes a Law of constraint upon the soul 2 Cor. 5.14 The love of Christ constrains me love is the wing of the soul that sets it a flying and the weight of the soul that sets it a going love never thinks it can do enough for Christ as he who loves the world never thinks he can take pains enough for it love is never weary it is not tired unless with its own slowness 2. Love is passive it enables to suffer a man that loves his friend will suffer any thing for him rather than he shall be wronged The Curtii laid down their lives for the Romans because they loved them love made our dear Lord suffer for us per vulnera viscera as the Pelican out of her love to her young ones when they are bitten with Serpents feeds them with her own blood to recover them again so when we had been bitten by the old Serpent that Christ might recover us he did feed us with his own blood Jacobs love to Rachel made him almost hazard his life for her Many waters cannot quench love Cant. 8.7 No not the waters of persecution love is strong as death Cant. 8.6 Death makes it way through the greatest oppositions so love will make its way to Christ through the Prison and the Furnace But all pretend love to Christ how shall we know that we have such a love to him as will make us suffer 1. True love is amor amicitiae a love of friendship which is genuine and ingenuous when we love Christ for himself there is a mercenary and meretricious love when we love divine objects propter aliud for something else a man may love the Queen of truth for the jewel at her ear because she brings preferment a man may love Christ for his head of gold * Cant. 5.11 because he enricheth with glory
nothing to do with us we are not in his Commission he is not sent to such sinners as we then we might despair but he is willing that we should have him he calls Come unto me all ye that are weary he would fain have the match made up between us and him oh that we were but as willing as Christ is Now then if there be all this variety of excellency in Jesus Christ * Multifaria suavâ—tatis dul cedo exubeâ—at in pectore Domini Jesu Bern. it may make us ambitiously desirous of an interest in him Quest But how shall I get a part in Christ Answ 1. See your need of Christ know that you are undone without him How obnoxious are you to Gods eye how odious to his nature how obnoxious to his justice O sinner how near is the Serjeant to arrest thee The Furnace of hell is heating for thee and what wilt thou do without Christ 't is only the Lord Jesus can stand as a screen to keep off the fire of Gods wrath from burning thee Tell me then is there not need of Christ though Christ be offered to sinners yet he will not have his love abused he will not throw away himself upon such as see no need of him see thy self wounded and then Christ that good Samaritan will poure in wine and oyle into thy wounds think often of that Scripture John 3.18 He that believeth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is condemned already He that dies in his sin not laying hold on Christ by faith is as sure to be condemned as if he were condemned already 2. Be importunate after Christ Lord give me Christ or I die As Acsah said to her father Caleb Josh 15.19 Thou hast given me a South land give me also springs of water So should a poor soul say Lord thou hast given me an estate in the world but this South-land will not quench my thirst give me also springs of water Give me those living springs which run in my Saviours blood Thou hast said Let him that is athirst come and whosoever wil let him take the water of life freely Rev. 22.17 18. Lord I thirst after Jesus Christ nothing but Christ will satisfie me I am dead I am damned without him oh give me this water of life When the blind man was importunate Jesus stood still Luke 18.40 and wrought a cure upon him verse 42. Christ cannot deny a praying soul As the tender mother opens the breast when the child cries for it so when an humble thirsty sinner cries importunately to heaven God will open the breast of free-grace and say Here take my Christ be satiated with him let him be to thee all in all both for food and medicine 3. Be content to have Christ as Christ is offered a Prince and a Saviour Acts 5.31 Be sure you do not compound or indent with Christ Some would have Christ and their sins too Is Christ all and will you not part â—â—th something for this all Christ would have you part with nothing but what will damn you if you keep namely your sins Vomit up this poyson by repentance and Christ will pour in the wine of his blood to chear your heart There are some bid fair for Christ they will part with some sins but keep a reserve Jacob would let all his sons go but Benjamin whereas if you leave but one sin in your heart it will be as an Egge for Satan to brood upon If a man part with many lovers and retain the love but of one Harlot he is an Adulterer so if thou partest with many sins and dost retain the love but of one sin thou hast an adulterous heart and Christ will not make up a match with thee Doth that man think he shall have Christs love that feeds sinne in a corner O part with all for him who is all Part with thy lusts nay thy life if Christ calls 3. It exhorts us not only to get Christ but to labour Branch 3 to know that we have Christ Exhort 1 John 2.3 hereby we know that we know him This reflex act of faith is more than the direct act Some Divines call it sensus fidei the perception or sensible feeling of faith now concerning this knowledge that Christ is ours which is the same with assurance I shall lay down these four Corollaries or conclusions 1. That this knowledge is feasible it may be had 1 John 5.13 These things have I written to you that believe that ye may know ye have eternal life and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God The meaning is the Apostle wrote to these believers that they might know they were believers and might be assured Christ was theirs Indeed the Papists deny this certainty of knowledge it is inserted in one of their Canons Anathema sit Let him be Anathema who holds assurance But that we may arrive at it I shall evince by these demonstrations 1. Why else doth God bid us make our calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1.10 if assurance may not be had and to prove our selves whether we are in the faith 2 Cor. 13.5 if we cannot come to this knowledge that Christ is ours The Greek word there for proving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to boar or pierce thorow a piece of mettal to see whether it be gold within or no a Christian may thus pierce his heart by examination and self-reflection to see whether Christ be formed within him or no. 2. What are all the signes which the Scripture gives of a man in Christ but so many ciphers if the knowledge of this interest may not be had 1 John 3.14 We know that we have passed from death unto life because we love the brethren and 1 John 4.13 Hereby we know that we dwell in him and he in us because he hath given us of his Spirit Here are two 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evident characters of a man in Christ now these signs are in vain if assurance may not be arrived at 3. There are some duties enjoyned in Scripture which to perform is utterly impossible if the knowledge of an interest in Christ be not attainable we are bid to rejoyce in God Phil. 4.4 and to rejoyce in tribulation 1 Pet. 4.13 How can he rejoyce in suffering who doth not know whether Christ be his or no 4. Why hath Christ promised to send the Comforter John 14.16 whose very work it is to bring the heart to this assurance if assurance that Christ is ours may not be had Therefore in Scripture we read of the seal of the Spirit Ephes 1.13 The earnest and first-fruits 2 Cor. 1.22 Rom. 8.23 The promise of the Comforter were in vain the earnest and witness of the Spirit were but phantasmes and nullities if the assurance of union with Christ be not feasible 5. Some of the Saints have arrived at this certainty of knowledge therefore it may be had Job knew that his Redeemer lived Job
wonder Saint Paul was willing to be bound and dye for Christ Acts 21.13 when he knew that Christ loved him and had given himself for him Gal. 2.20 Though I will not say Paul was proud of his chain yet he was glad of it he wore it as a chain of pearle Quest Quest But how shall I get this jewel of assurance Answ Answ 1. Make duty familiar to you when the Spouse sought Christ diligently she found him joyfully Cant. 3.4 The Ordinances are the Lattice where Christ looks forth and gives the soul a smiling aspect As Christ was made known to his Disciples in the breaking of bread Luke 24.35 so in the use of holy Ordinances in the breaking of bread Christ makes a glorious discovery of himself to the soul Christs parents found him in the Temple Luk. 2.46 They who would find Christ with comfort and have the kisses of his lips shall be sure to meet with him in the Temple 2. Preserve the virginity of conscience when the glass is foule you will not poure wine into it but when it is clean so when the soul is cleansed from the love of every sin now God will poure in the sweet wine of assurance * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socrat. Hebr. 10.22 Let us draw near in full assurance of faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience Guilt clips the wings of joy he who is conscious to himself of secret sin cannot draw near to God in full assurance he cannot come with boldness but blushing he cannot call God Father but Judge assurance is a flowre that grows only in a pure heart before David prayes for joy he first prayes for a pure heart Psal 51.10 Create in me a clean heart O God 3. Be much in the actings of faith the more active the childe is in obedience the sooner he hath his fathers smile if faith be ready to dye Rev. 3.2 if it be like Armour hung up or like a sleepy habit in the soul never look for assurance God will not speak peace to thee when thou art asleep it is the lively faith which flourisheth into assurance Abraham had a vigorous sparkling faith Rom. 4.18 who against hope believed in hope That is against the hope of sense he believed in the hope of the promise and how sweetly doth God manifest himself to Abraham he calls him his friend he makes him of his Cabinet-counsel Gen. 18.17 Shall I hide from Abraham the thing which I do Wouldst thou have Christ reveal his love to thee kâ—ep faith upon the wing this is the Bird which soars aloft and plucks a bunch of grapes from the true Vine 4. If Christ be all then make him so to Branch 4 you 1. Make Christ all in your understanding be ambitious to know nothing but Christ 1 Cor. 2.2 For I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ The Greek word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I judged not I did not think any thing in my judgement worth knowing in comparison of Christ Austin saith of Cicero he liked his eloquence but he could not take so much delight in reading him quia Nomen Christi non erat ibi because he could not finde the Name of Christ there what will all other knowledge avail a man at his death who is ignorant of Christ Si Christum nescis nihil est si coetera noscis What is it to have knowledge in Physick to be able with Esculapius and Galen to discourse of the causes and symptomes of a disease and what is proper to apply and in the mean time to be ignorant of the healing under Christs wings What is it to have knowledge in Astronomy to discourse of the Stars and Planets and to be ignorant of Christ that bright morning star which leads to heaven what is it to have skill in a shop and ignorant of that commodity which doth both enrich and crown what is it to be versed in Musick and to be ignorant of Christ whose blood makes atonement in heaven and musick in the conscience what is it to know all the stratagems of War and to be ignorant of the Prince of peace O make Christ all be willing to know nothing but Christ though you may know other things in their due place yet know Christ in the first place let the knowledge of Jesus Christ have the preheminence as the Sun among the lesser Planets This is the crowning knowledge Prov. 4.18 The prudent are crowned with knowledge 1. We cannot know our selves unless we know Christ he it is who lights us into our hearts and shews as the spots of our souls whereby we abhor our selves in dust and ashes Christ shews us our own vacuity and indigency and untill we see our own emptiness we are not fit to be filled with the golden oyle of mercy 2. We cannot know God but through Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 Out of Christ God is terrible he is a consuming fire it is through Christ that we know God as a friend oh then treasure up the knowledge of Christ he is the golden ladder by which we ascend to heaven to be ignorant of Christ is as if a man were poysoned and there were an herb in the garden could cure him but he is ignorant of that herb 2. Make Christ all in your affections 1. Desire nothing but Christ he is the accumulation of all good things Ye are compleat in him Col. 2.10 Christ is the Christians perfection what should the soul desire less what can it desire more * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ignatius Psal 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee David had his Crown and his Throne to delight in I but it was the presence of Christ he chiefly thirsted after without Christ all his other comforts were not only emptiness but bitterness 2. Love nothing but Christ love is the choycest affection it is the purest stream of the soul it is the richest jewel the creature hath to bestow oh if Christ be all love him better than all let your Rivers still run into this golden Sea Every mans heart is set upon his treasure in Christ there are unsearchable riches Ephes 3.8 Though the Angels have lived so long in heaven yet to this day they know not how rich Christ is Take the most precious pearle or Diamond that is and the Jeweller can set the full value of it he can say This is worth so much and no more but the riches of Christ are unsearchable it cannot be said he is worth so much and no more neither man or Angel are able to set the full value of the pearle of price and shall not Jesus Christ lie nearest our hearts shall he not have the cream of our love Consider 1. If you love other things when they dye your love is lost but Christ lives for ever to requite your love 2. You may love other things in the excess but you cannot
the nature of the Sun is light so Gods nature is love The three persons in the Trinity are all love 1. God the Father is love Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that God should part with Christ out of his bosome the Son of his love and lay this jewel as it were to pawn for our salvation oh unparalleld love never was such love showed to the Angels 2. God the Son is love how did Christ love his Spouse when he died for her his sides drop'd blood his heart drop'd love such a vein of love was opened in him that our sins could not stench love was the wing on which Christ did fly into the Virgins womb Christ incarnate hre was love covered over with flesh and Christ on the Cross here was a book of love laid open before us to read in Per vulnera viscera 3. God the Holy Ghost is love his appearing in the likeness of a Dove show'd his nature the Dove saith Pliny is an amicable creature it is without gall what are all the motions of the Spirit but tenders of love what is the Zeal of the Spirit but the print of love why doth this blessed Spirit as a suitor come a woing to sinners but that they may know he is in love thus all the persons in the Trinity are love and the more we shine in the grace of Love the more we resemble the God of Love 6. Argument enforcing love is from the sweet Relations we stand in one to another we are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fellow-Citizens Ephes 2.19 we all expect one heaven we shall shortly live together and shall we not love together we are souldiers of the same band 2 Tim. 2.3 ours must be the fight of faith not the fight of contention our strife must be who shall love most we are branches of the same Vine and shall we not be united we are stones of the same building and shall we not be cemented with love nay we are brethren Acts 7.26 Sirs ye are brethren why do ye wrong one to another Use 1. I might here take up a lamentation and steep my Use 1 words in tears to consider the decay I had almost said the funerals of this grace among Christians Terras Astraea reliquit the fire of brotherly love is almost ready to go out instead of the fire of love the wildfire of passion I have read of one Vitalis who hazarded his life to succour his distressed friend but sure such Vitales are dead in this age fratrum quoque gratia rara est The Text saith See that ye love one another but our times have made a bad Comment upon this Text how do Christians reproach censure maligne one another the Text saith love fervently but they hate fervently instead of the bond of love behold the apple of strife we live in the frigid zone the love of many waxeth cold Many live as if they had been born upon the Mountains of Bether the Mountains of division and as if they had been baptiz'd in the waters of Meribah the waters of strife Do the wicked unite nay do the Divels unite there was in one man a Legion which is according to Varro seven thousand six hundred twenty two shall there be more harmony among Divels than among Christians For these divisions of the godly there are great thoughts of heart Oh Christians turn your hot words into salt tears how do the enemies of Religion insult to see not only Christs Coat but his Body rent for these things let our eyes run down Consider the ill consequence where love is wanting the absence of this grace brings forth divisions and they are dangerous For 1. Divisions bring an opprobrium and scandal upon Religion they make the wayes of God evil spoken of as if Religion were the fomenter of envy and sedition Julian in his Invectives against the Christians said that they lived together as Tigers rending and tearing one another and shall we by our animosities and contentions make good Julians words this will make others affraid to embrace the Christian Faith There is a story in Epiphanius of Miletius and Peter Bishop of Alexandria both Confessors of the Orthodox Religion both condemned to suffer who being together in prison upon a small difference sell into so great a Schisme that they drew a partition between each other in the prison and would not hold communion in the same worship of Christ for which notwithstanding they both suffered which division grew scandalous and did more hurt than their persecution did good 2. Divisions advance Satans Kingdom The Divel hath no hope but in our discords * Nibil spei nisi per discordias Cornel. Tac. St. Chrysostom observes of the City of Corinth when many zealous converts were brought in Satan knew no better way to damme up the current of Religion than by throwing in a bone of contention and dividing them into parties one was for Paul and another for Apollo but few for Christ Use 2. Be Exhorted to cordial and fervent love See that Use 2 ye love one another Exhort Oh that this sweet spice might send forth its fragrant smell among Christians Oh that the Branch 1 Lord would rain down some of these silver showers of love upon the hearts of Christians which are for the most part like the Mountains of Gilboa which have none of this heavenly dew upon them They say of the stones of the Temple they were so closely cemented as if there had been but one stone in the Temple it were to be wished that the hearts of Christians were so sweetly cemented in love as if there were but one heart Let me commend this grace of amity and love to Christians under a double notion 1. As you are members of a body politick The whole nation is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Political body now it should be with the body Politique as it is with the natural body all the members of the body have a sweet sympathy they all work for the good of the whole that there be no Schisme in the body 1 Cor. 12.25 So it should be in the body politique 2. You are membra Ecclesiae members of the Church of God you bear Christs Name you wear his Livery therefore you must be sodred together in affection It is a sad Omen and presage when the joynts of the same body shall be loosed and the knees shall smite one against another If yet men will live at variance nourishing a Viper in their bosoms I shall offer two things to their serious consideration 1. An uncharitable person is an unregenerate person Titus 3.3 We were sometimes disobedient serving divers lusts living 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in malice and envy as if he had said Before grace came we were fill'd and ready to burst with this poyson of malice the Apostle describing a natural condition calls it the gall of bitterness Acts 8. He that lives in bitter strife is in the gall bitterness A
that they have no time to practice better things the world is like a Mill it makes such a noise in carnal hearts that it drowns the sound of Gods silver Trumpet Mens affections are somtimes kindled by the preaching of the word and we begin to hope that the flame of godliness will break forth in their lives but then comes the earth and puts out this fire how many Sermons lie buried in earthly hearts More die then are put in the Bill of Mortality Oh that the want of Practice in this age were more laid to heart This is a Lamentation and shall be for a Lamentation many Professors are all ear if we should see a Creature made up of nothing but ear it were a monster in nature how many such monsters are there in Christianitie They hear and hear and are never the better like the Salamander which lies in the fire but as Naturalists say it is never the hotter Some satisfie themselves with the having of Ordinances Judg. 17.13 Then said Micah Now know I that the Lord will do me good seeing I have a Levite to my Priest But what is Physick if it be not applied what is it to have the sound of the word in our ears unless we have the savour of it in our hearts It will be little comfort to men on their death-beds to think that Christ hath been preached in their streets and they have been lifted up to heaven in Gospel administrations when their Consciences shall tell them they have been unholy and unreformed they have come into Gods House as the beasts did into the Ark they came in unclean and went out of the Ark unclean Use 2 2. It exhorts all to become Practitioners in Religion Exhort There are three steps leading to heaven Knowledg Assent Practice it is not the taking the two first steps but the third step which will make you happy Obedience is the Grand precept both of the Law and Gospel in this stands a Christians duty in this consists his felicity 1 Sam. 15.22 To obey us better than Sacrifice Per victimas aliena caro per obedientiam vero propria voluntas mactaâ—ur T is grateful to God t is graceful to a Christian What is the excellencie of a thing but its practicalness and usefulness what are the fine feathers of a bird if it cannot sing what is a plant though decked with leaves if it brings not forth fruit What is it we commend in an Horse his eyes or his good mettle Cant. 5.5 My hands dropped with Myrrhe I may allude not only a Christians lips must drop knowledge but his hands and his fingers must drop Myrrhe that is by working the works of obedience Let me use some Divine Motives to tempt Christians to the practique part of godliness 1. Gospel-obedience is an evidence of sincerity as our Saviour Christ said in another sence Joh. 10.25 The works which I do bear witness of me Though never man spake like Christ yet when he comes to put himself upon a trial he will not be judged by his words but by his works they bear witness of me so it is not a Christians golden words but his works which testifie of him Psal 119.59 I have turned my feet unto thy statutes David did not only turn his ears to Gods Testimonies but he turned his feet to them he walked in them we judge not of the health of a mans body by his high colour but by the pulse of the arm where the blood chiefly operates so we judge not of a Christians soundness by his knowledge or high expressions what is this high colour Saul may be among the Prophets but the estimate of a Christian is to be taken by his obediential actings towards God 2. To be practitioners in Religion will not only do your selves good but others This will both honour Religion and propagate it 1. It will honour Religion the Gospel may be compar'd to a beautiful Queen the fruitful lives of Professors are so many jewels that do adorn this Queen and make her shine forth in greater glory and magnificence what a honour was it to godliness when the Apostle could say the faith of the Romans was trumpeted abroad in every place Rom. 1.8 I thank my God that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world That is faith flourishing into obedience 1 Thes 1.2 3. We give thanks to God for you remembring your work of faith and labour of love Christians should be ambitious to keep up the credit of Religion 2. The practice of those truths we know will much propagate Religion Practice is the best Syllogisme and Argument we can use to prevail with others this will confirm them in the truth of Religion The Emperor Jovinian said to the Orthodox and Arrian Bishops I cannot judge of your Doctrine but I can judge of your lives their practice would preach loudest If others see us make a profession and yet live in a contradiction to what we profess if they hear Jacobs voice but see Esaus hands they will think Religion is but a devout complement a severe policy why doth the Father forbid his Children to swear when he himself swears would you gain many Proselytes to Religion be doers of the Word say as Abimilech to his fellows Judg. 9.48 What ye have seen we do make hast and do as I have done Would ye be as load-stones to draw your children and servants to heaven set upon the practice of holiness Basil observes that Julian in one of his Epistles writing to Arsatius saith that the Christian Religion did much flourish by the sanctity and liberality of them who professed it 3. Thus we show our love to Christ Joh. 14.21 He that hath my Commandements and keepeth them he it is that loveth me We use to say If you love me do such a thing This me thinks should be a great Argument to obedience by the love ye bear to Jesus Christ obey his Word Every man would be thought to love Christ I but try your love by this touch-stone Are ye cast into a Gospel-mould do you obey It is a vain thing for a man to say he loves Christs person when he slights his commands * Qui Dei praecepta contemnit Deum non diligiâ— neque enim principem veneramur si odiâ— ejus leges habemus Isidor 4. Without practice you will come short of them who have come short of heaven Herod did many things Mar. 6.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was in many things a practiser of Johns Ministry Those who rest in the speculative part of Religion are not so good as Herod 5. What unspeakable comfort will obedience yeild both in life and death 1. In life is it not a comfort to a man when he hath been casting up his Accounts and finds that he hath gained in his Trade you come hither in the use of Ordinances Word and Prayer to trade for heaven now if ye find upon a true account that ye