blessed interest in Christ but he that regards not the word of the Lord will stay in the field abide in the service way and practise of the prophane world and be for ever destroyed for there is no salvation out of Christ He is the resurrection and the life and our life is hid with him in God therefore let us say with Augustine let all these things perish let us let passe all these vaine and empty things and let us betake our selves to the onely inquisition of those things which have no end let us betake our selves to Christ who is the same yesterday to day and for ever He like Noahs Dove will bring us an Olive branch of peace when all the comforts of the creature are drowned he will stand by us and defend us as Shamma one of Davids worthies stood and defended the field when all the residue fled from it When all worldly staffes and stayes pillars and supporters leave us and stay behind us then as Isaac went up to the Mount with Abraham so will Christ goe up with us and present us with acceptance with great joy and gladnesse in God his fathers presence and let the remembrance and thought of these things sweeten and make exceedingly joyous Christs comming among us CHAP. VII ANd let us declare and manifest the truth of Christs welcome and our joy at Christs comming by our prepared humble and hearty receiving of Christ according to the charge of the Psalmist Let us lift up the gates and doores of our hearts from the creature and all things here below let us remove the bolts and bars of infidelity obstinacy pride security and selfe-love and let us by faith love repentance and humble obedience open the doors of our hearts that Christ the King of glory may come in As the Minstrels and other people were put forth out of the Rulers house and Christ received that his dead daughter might be raised to life Thus let us put out of the doores of our hearts all carnall joyes and fleshly lusts that Christ may enter into and minister the life of grace to our soules let all give place to Christ that Christ may have the full possession of us and worke effectually within us 2 Let it appeare that Christ is welcome by our garnishing our hearts with all spirituall ornaments sutable and fit for the entertaining of Christ putting our hearts into such a gracious frame and temper that Christ may take pleasure in us The gate of the Tabernacle was very costly and glorious having a hanging made for it of blew purple skarlet and fine twined linnen wrought with needle-worke the pillars for the hangings being overlaid with gold and their hookes of gold to shadow out and signifie the making glorious of the hearts of Gods elect by faith and other gifts of the Spirit to entertaine Christ the glorious King 3. Make Christs welcome apparant by offering your selves to Christ the wise men rejoyced in Christs comming and they fell downe and worshipped him opened their treasures and presented to him gifts gold frankincense and myrrh Thus let us rejoyce in Christ comming in the Gospell fall downe before him make the whole man vaile and stoop to Christ and to him let us offer the gold of a pure heart the frankincense of holy and humble prayer and the myrrh of patient suffering and bearing Christs crosse to him let us yeeld our bodies soules and all our substance as a holy and acceptable sacrifice 4. Manifest every man Christs welcome by exalting Christ above every thing in your heart doe not set him as Jesse did David behinde the ewes but set him as Pharaoh did Joseph above all his Nobles and over all his land allow him universall and absolute jurisdiction over the whole man cut off whatsoever doth rebell against him 5. Declare Christs welcome by your love to him as to the bridegroome of your soules by your faith and dependance upon him as upon your onely rocke and sure foundation by your full and through-conforming your selves to his statutes and testimonies as to that which is the light of your feet the lanthorne of your paths and the delight of your soules and by a holy and gracious acquiescence in Christ as in the Counsellor in whom is all wisedome to direct as in the King in whom is all authority to command as in the rocke in whom is all strength to support as in the fountaine in whom is all fulnesse to satisfie us Christ will not be pleased with a verball he will have a reall entertainment with Judas to kisse Christ with our lips outwardly to give him faire words and secretly to nourish treason and rebellion in our hearts against him is a cursed welcome With Joab to salute Christ with one hand and stab him with another hand as Joab at once saluted and slew Abner to salute Christ by an outward and open profession and to stab him by a corrupt and dissolute conversation is very unseemly shamefull and dishonourable for any Christian Let therefore our spirituall universall cheerfull and constant subjection unto Christ declare the truth and joy of Christs welcome unto us If we rejoyce not in Christ if Christ comming in the Gospell be not welcome Where is our knowledge of Christ if we rejoyce not in Christ comming in the Gospell the blind eye hath no joy in the Sunne but to the seeing eye the light is sweet and It is a pleasant thing to behold the Sunne to the ignorant Christ is nothing joyfull but to them that have the eyes of their understanding opened Christ is very pleasant he is in their eye the fairest of ten thousand to them the knowledge of Christ is pleasant to him that knowes the Wisedome of Christ shining into his heart and making him wise unto salvation to him that knowes the death of Christ mortifying his lusts and corrupt affections the resurrection of Christ spiritually reviving and quickning him to him that knowes the righteosnesse of Christs cloathing and justifying him to him that knowes the blessed presence of Christ encouraging him to him that knowes the Al-sufficiency of Christ satisfying him to him that knowes the gracious dispensation of Christ ministring the sence of his love and peace to him to that man Christ is welcome in the Gospell Mans ignorance deprives him of all Christs comforts 2. Where is our love to Christ if Christ be not welcome David loved Jonathan and Jonathan was very pleasant to him Old Jacob loved Joseph and his spirit revived when he saw the waggons which Joseph had sent he was very glad that Joseph was alive I will goe saith he and see him before I dye Christ is very pleasant to him that loves him it is a reviving of heart to such a man to heare of Christ he will surely goe and see Christ in the Gospell Love to Christ and joy in Christ are inseparable companions in all
of old was upon Mount Gerazim the blessing is now upon the Gospell He that savingly entertaines the Gospell enjoyes a most blessed condition a condition of divine and heavenly wisedome Gods Ministers feed him with knowledge and understanding and make him wise unto salvation a condition of holinesse and sanctification the ministery of the word doth wash him like water and purifie him like fire a condition of liberty and freedome Moses freed Israel from Pharaohs bondage Gods Minister frees the soules of his children from the servitude of Satan the world and their owne corruption the word makes them free from ignorance in their understandings from perversenesse in their wils from vanity in their thoughts from infidelity servile feare worldly love and carnall joy in their affections the word makes them free to know God as the cleare eye is free to see the Sunne to receive Christ as the strong and open hand is free to receive a gift to love Christ as the bride hath an open and enlarged heart to love the bridegroome to attend Gods Ordinances to run the way of Gods Commandements as he whose feet and ankle-bones received strength by the ministery of Peter was free to stand and leap and walke and enter into the Temple and free to move and come to God by faith and love and joy as the rivers are free to move and flow unto the sea a condition of honour and exaltation the Gospell making them Sonnes of God by regeneration the friends of God by love the members of Christ by faith and heires annexed with Christ for their present title to and future participation of the same inheritance with Christ Jesus a condition of fulnesse and satisfaction they are satisfied with the goodnesse of Gods house the Gospell leads them unto Christ the Sunne in whom is all light the tree on whom growes all fruit the fountaine from whom flowes all refreshment the rocke in whom is all strength the pearle in whom is all worth and the Paradise in whom is all pleasure and peace very sweet and wonderfull gracious and overflowing are the comforts and contentments derived from Christ to Gods children under their enjoyment of the Gospell Lastly a condition of permanency and duration though the grasse wither and the flower fade yet the word of the Lord abideth for ever Though worldly fulnesse change like the Moone and vanish like a vapor and wither like the flower and the grasse yet the estate of grace into which men are called by Gods Ministers is an estate of firme and sure continuance they are sonnes abiding alway in their fathers house they are trees planted by the water side never withering they are houses built upon the rocke never sinking their graces like the light shine more and more to the day of their perfection the excellency of their estate who enjoy and make best use of the Gospell abundantly declares Gods dispensation of very great sweet and heavenly blessings by the labours of his Ministers CHAP. XV THe Lords dispensing of sweet and heavenly blessings unto man by the labours of his holy and faithfull Ministers shewes what the estate and condition of man is without the Lords Ministers even an estate of woes of myseries and curses Mans condition without the ministery of the Gospell is very wretched and miserable an estate of death without spirituall life the earth without the Sunne is but a dead and fruitlesse lump the soule without the Sunne of Righteousnesse shining in the Gospell is dead in sinnes and trespasses a tree twice dead oncce by originall corruption and secondly by actuall transgression and plucked up by the roots wholly separate from all the meanes of life he that hath not the Sonne externally in the Gospell internally in his heart ministerially in his word and efficiently in his worke of grace he hath not life Such are farre from the life of grace and sanctification as are strangers to Christ in his Gospell The woman of Shunems sonne remained dead according to the body till the Prophet came and raised him the soule of man continues dead in respect of the inward man untill the Minister of the Lord comes to quicken him 2. An estate of darknesse Man without the ministery of the word is in darknesse and the shadow of death a darke body without an eye a darke house without a Lamp The soules clearest light is nothing else but darknesse as long as the Gospell doth not shine into it to irradiate and enlighten it There was once no light in all the land of Egypt onely the children of Israel had light in their dwellings there is no spirituall and heavenly light in all the world but among Gods Israel there is light only in their dwellings who enjoy the Gospell In Judah is God knowne and his name is great in Israel God is truly and savingly knowne only by that people who enjoy the light of the Gospell 3. An estate of servitude and bondage Israel continued under hard bondage untill Moses and Aaron came to deliver them untill the Lord raised a fiery pillar to conduct them out of Egypt unto Canaan Man abides under the hard bondage of Satan and his owne corruption untill the Lord sends his Minister to free him and sets up the fiery pillar of his word to lead him out of this servile and slavish condition Man without the Gospell is in prison and hath no key to open it he is taken captive and hath no weapon to resist his enemy to procure his freedome he is manacled with many fetters and hath no hammer to dissolve and loose them Mans condition without the ministery of the Gospell is very base and servile When and where the Gospell shineth then and there as the Prophet speaketh The eyes of the blind are opened the prisoners are brought out from the prison and they that sit in darknesse out of the prison-house 4. An estate of emptinesse and barrennesse The field without the dew is unfruitfull the soule without the dew of divine and heavenly doctrine distilling thereupon beares no good fruit there is no lawfull conception without an husband all the fruit of the soule not espoused to Christ by the Gospell is illegitimate and a very abomination there is no reaping where is no sowing The soule which is not sowne with the seed of the word yeelds no harvest of grace they are barren ground nigh to burning who are strangers to the Gospell 5. An estate of pollution and uncleanesse The house without the besome is overspread with slime and cobwebs Naaman continued leprous untill he went seven times into Jordan and washed the Temple was a den of theeves till Christ came with his whip and drove them out the heart of man is an unclean house without the besome of the word sweeping it the soule of man is oversread with the lothsome leprosie of sin untill he bathe himselfe in the Jordan of
adulterated my worship with many novell and strange inventions these have drawne thy love from me and my truth and thou hast committed adultery with them When humane devices are made ingredients and compounding parts of Gods service they are in Gods account very shamefull pollutions and doubtlesse he that in Gods worship is an admirer of humane inventions is no lover of the Lord Jesus Oile will not mixe it selfe with water nor iron with clay no more will true Religion be mixed with that which is corrupt the Arke and Dagon cannot stand together Religion is not like lead you cannot bow it but like glasse breake it you may bow it you cannot mingle it and you destroy it it is no more Religion but superstition as silver mixt with drosse is no more accounted silver but drosse though it hath some silver in it Besides it is treason in a common-wealth for any man to mingle the Lawes of a forraine Prince with the Lawes of his owne Prince no King will endure it and what is this but spirituall treason against Christ to mingle humane devices and forraine traditions with Christs precepts the Lord will never endure it therefore marke what Christ saith If any man shall adde unto these things God shall adde unto him the plagues that are written in this booke Therefore as we are a spirituall common-wealth so let us observe the Lawes of Christ the spirituall King of this Kingdome Let us walke according to his rule And peace shall be upon us as upon the Israel of God 3. This also teacheth the Church and children of God unity between themselves A common-wealth must be at unity as one body they must joyne as one man Thus the Church the spirituall common-wealth of Christ must be as a City that is compact together that is at unity within itselfe First they must be at unity in judgement of one mind as Saint Paul speaks in all fundamentall and necessary truths as they have one word informing and instructing them one Spirit of God enlightening them so they must be of one mind of one judgement and understanding in things belonging to salvation having as Saint John saith the same anointing teaching them all things the same Spirit though not all in the same measure enlightening them to judge and to discerne aright of the mind and will of God Unity in judgement is very effectuall to breed unity in affection discord and difference in the apprehension of the truths of Christ proposed in the Gospell doth ordinarily make an unhappy breach in mens affections therefore let us all strive for one and the same cleare and through understanding of Gods revealed will as Schollers learning one lesson by one and the same rule Let us as many saith Paul as be perfect as have a true and cleare knowledge of God in Christ be thus minded and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded God shall reveale even this unto you God by degrees so enlightens his children that he makes them at length men of the same understanding in things profitable to their salvation 2. Labour for unity in affection let the sacred fire of Christian and mutuall love be alwayes burning upon the altar of your hearts See saith Saint Peter that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently This is an ointment of a sweet savour in the nostrils of God and men like the ointment which the woman powred on our Saviour that made the whole house where she was to cast a sweet smell Love makes both the persons and services of Gods servants very sweet and odoriferous This argues Gods gracious inhabitation in us regeneration of us and holy workmanship upon us for God is love and he that loveth dwelleth in God and God in him This is the character and cognizance of our being Christs Disciples By this shall all men know saith Christ that ye are my Disciples if ye love one another and as the heate of the body is a Symptome of life in the body and as the light of the Sun assures us of the rising of the Sun so this light and heate of love gives cleare and comfortable evidence of our spirituall quickning and interest in the first resurrection By this saith the Apostle we know that we are passed from death to life because we love the brethren As therefore our spirituall common-wealth is a common-wealth of peace our Prince a Prince of peace our Law of faith and love a Law of peace our Calling a Calling of peace and all our fellow Subjects the Subjects of peace Let us love each other and be at peace amongst our selves 3. Labour for unity in Religion As the whole common-wealth obey the King by one Law so let us worship and serve Christ by one Rule the word of God let us all walked by one Light the doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles let us all build upon one rocke Jesus Christ other foundation then this can no man lay Let us all hearken to the voice of one shepheard Jesus Christ speaking to us in his word Let us all feed in one pasture the Ordinances of God Let us all be cloathed with one royal roabe of Christ his Righteousnesse for the justification of our soules Let us all invocate and call on one God in the name of one Mediator Jesus Christ Let us all worship God after one manner in truth and sincerity according to Christs owne prescription not having our minds corrupted and hearts adulterated and alienated from the simplicity that is in Christ by carnall doctrines and humane observations Let us receive all our direction from Christ as the traveller receiveth all his light from the Sun Let us yeeld all our Subiection unto Christ as the souldiers were fully subject unto the Centurion Let us have our full and sole dependance upon Christ as the house in the Parable was wholly built upon the rocke Let us seeke for all perfection in Christ as the people in the famine came all to Joseph to supply their wants and let us referre all our services to the honour and glory of Christ and so shall we give testimony of our happy union in Christs Religion 4. Strive for unity in opposing sinne and Satans Kingdome A common-wealth is united against a publike and common adversary Satan and sinne are the common adversaries of our soules against these let us unite our forces by mutuall watchfulnesse one over another fervent prayer each for other and by the ministration of holy instruction gracious admonition and Christian encouragement one towards another considering one another and provoking one another according to the Apostles rule to love and to good works The children of Israel arose as one man and went up against Gibeah The Lords people should arise as one man against the powers of ungodlinesse to suppresse the Kingdome and works of the Prince of darknesse Joab and Abishai made a Covenant to help one another against the Syrians and
will sup with him I will accept and delight in his knowledge faith repentance and new obedience and he shall sup with me I will communicate unto him justification sanctification peace the joy of the Holy-Ghost the heavenly treasure of all saving grace their blisse and happinesse is very great and comfortable who give a full and speedy entertainment to Christ comming in the Gospell It is a point of Christian and choisest wisedome according to the charge of the Prophet to seeke the Lord while he may be found and to call upon him while he is neare at hand The Sunne of heavenly light which now shineth may set and we be left in darknesse the Well of salvation now opened may be sealed up and we perish with want of spirituall water to refresh us the gate of mercy now opened to us may be shut against us Christ may withdraw himselfe and refuse to be found of us the things belonging to our peace may be hidden from us It is just with Christ to withdraw himselfe from them that delay to receive him Christ will be to them as a deafe man that heares not in the day of their trouble and afflictions who are deafe to Christ and will not heare him in his Gospell in the day of his mercifull visitation O therefore to day if ye will heare his voice harden not your hearts behold now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation Now while Christ is preached in the Gospell salvation pardonall mercy is offered now if ever is the time to accept it therefore as Zaccheus made haste and came downe from the Sycamine tree and received Christ into his house joyfully So let us make haste and come downe every man from all high thoughts of our owne worth and joyfully receive Christ into the house of our heart When Christ appeared unto Abraham in the plaine of Mamre in the forme of an Angell and two other Angels with him it is said that Abraham ranne to meet them from the tent doore and hasted to his tent to make provision for them he used all speed in their entertainment Thus when Christ appeares in the Gospell and comes to us by his Ministers we should run from our tent doores from our selves by Christian denyall from the world by desertion from our sinnes by mortification Thus we should run to meet Christ comming in the Gospell and hasten every man into his tent into his heart and there make all spirituall provision to entertaine him The use of hast and speed in the entertaining of Christ comming in his Gospell is more necessary and commendable then in any other undertaking 3. Cordially With much and fervent affection the heart is Christs house where he must dwell Christs throne where he must raigne and the pallace whereinto he must be received the place of the Arke was not in a corner but in the midst of the Tabernacle Christ must not be thrust into a corner of the soule his dwelling must be in the midst thereof in the heart of man he must have the best and choisest roome of mans affection this Christ requires My sonne give me thy heart not thy head barely to know me nor thy memory nakedly to remember me nor thy tongue formally to speake of me nor thy foot onely to come outwardly unto me but thy heart to love and embrace me to surrender and yeeld up all unto me This was the Apostles prayer in the behalfe of the Ephesians that Christ might dwell not onely in their care or in the tongue the outward roomes of the body nor in the head or memory the upper roomes of the soule but in their heart the middle and choisest roome of the soule of man Our prayers are but empty and fruitlesse untill wee have prayed Christ into our hearts and affections Christ commeth in the Gospell as a King of mercies to pardon us as a bridegroome to marry us and we must entertaine him with love much strong and fervent love as a malefactor his King comming to him with a pardon or the bride the bridegroome our love to Christ must be like the love of Ionathan to David a love passing the love of women our soule must be knit to Christ as Ionathan seeing what David had done for Israel in the overthrow of Goliah his soule was knit to David so we seeing what Christ hath done for us in the overthrow of Satan our soules must be knit to Christ our soules must long for Christ as the soule of Shechem longed for Dinah our soule must delight in Christ as the soule of the rich in his treasure and the soule of the bride in the bridegroome thus the Spouse expresseth her selfe shew me O thou whom my soule loveth whom I love fervently unfainedly and with a longing desire to enjoy and in the banqueting house in the ministery of the word she found her selfe sicke of love ravished with love to Christ The entertainment of Christ into the heart is the glory of a Christian as the entertainment of the King to a house is the glory of a Subject This is the fulnesse of the soule as the entertainment of the Sunne into the eye is the fulnesse of the eye the heart is an empty vessell untill Christ hath the possession of it this is the defence and safety of the soule as the being of the Pilate in the ship is of the safety of the ship the being of the keeper in the Castle is the safety of the Castle the being of Christ in the ship in the stormy tempest was the safety of the Disciples the being of Christ in the soule is the safeguard of the soule in all the stormy tempests of trouble the soule where Christ hath no dwelling lyeth open to all the assaults of Satan This brings the soule to a sweet communion with Christ in the Gospell as Iehu said unto Iehonadab comming to meet him Is thy heart right as my heart is with thy heart if it be give me thine hand and he gave him his hand and he tooke him up to him into the charet Thus when we come to meet Christ in the Gospell Christ looketh to the integrity of our hearts if our hearts be right with Christ and we give him the hand of faith and the hand of love then he takes us up into his charet then he takes us to himselfe then he brings us into a neare a sweet and comfortable communion with himselfe the soule which doth not love Christ hath neither cleare discerning of Christ nor gracious fellowship with Christ 4. Cheerfully Old Jacob seeing the waggons which Joseph had sent to carry him to Egypt to bring him to himselfe it is said his heart revived Man seeing Christ in the Gospell comming by the labours of his Ministers as by a charet to take and carry him of from the world to bring him nigh unto himselfe and to the
defiles the heart of man with covetousnesse Thine eyes and thy heart saith the Lord to Jehoiakim are not but for thy covetousnesse and for to shed innocent bloud and for oppression and for violence to doe it it defiles the affections with idolatry and with spirituall fornication and adultery the covetous man is an idolater saith Saint Paul and the adulterers and adulteresses saith Saint Iames to such as embrace not Christ but the creature know you not that the love of the world is enmity with God and that he that is a friend to the world is an enemy to God The world fils that mans soule with most shamefull uncleannesse that embraceth not the Lord Iesus therefore as Hagar seeing the emptinesse of her bottle came readily to the fountaine as the mariner feeling the tempest and troublesomnesse of the seas comes willingly to the haven as the Israelites feeling the cruelty of Pharaohs task-masters and the insupportablenesse of his burthens willingly embraced Moses and as the diseased woman feeling the loathsomnesse of her bloudy issue and having experience of the vanity of all Physitians came gladly unto Christ so we seeing the emptinesse feeling the uncomfortablenesse and knowing the inthralling and defiling nature of the creature without Christ let us readily willingly joyfully and thankfully receive and embrace Christ that our soules may be freed sanctified and filled with all saving graces and heavenly comforts Experience of the vanity trouble bondage and evils which attend the naked having of the creatures should marvellously endeare unto us the Lord Iesus and make his comming in the Gospell surpassingly sweet and welcome 2. Let us throughly view and consider the state of man without Christ Man not receiving Christ in the Gospell hath no spirituall life but is dead in sinnes as the body is dead without the soule he hath no saving knowledge but is in spirituall blindnesse as he that is without the Sunne is in darknesse he hath no heavenly gift or grace but is empty of all the fruits of the Spirit as the branch which is separated from the vine hath neither juice nor fruit he hath no Christian liberty or freedome but is a bondman to sin Satan and the world as Peter lay in Herods prison in fetters and under the custody of the souldiers before the Angell came and freed him he hath no interest in Gods promises but as Adam was shut out of the garden of Eden so is man shut out of Gods Covenant Gods promises are a sealed well whereof his soule drinks not he hath no garment of righteousnesse to cover him no jewell of grace to adorne him no spirituall treasure to enrich him but is poore blind naked miserable and wretched As the Egyptians were led away by the King of Assyria prisoners captives naked barefoot with their buttocks uncovered to the shame of Egypt so man without Christ is led away by the prince of darknesse a spirituall prisoner and captive his soule bare naked uncovered to the shame of mankind he hath no holy and heavenly peace but as the Disciples were tossed upon the tempest till Christ calmed the waters so is man like the troubled sea when it cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt untill Christ ministers comfort Man without Christ is like a blind traveller that hath no guide to leade him like a dead man in the grave putrifying in sinne having none to raise him like an empty cisterne having no fountaine to fill him like a bondman having no ransomer to free him like a woman in travell having no midwife to help her lik a sheep in the midst of wolves having no shepheard to conduct and defend it and like a besieged City in the midst of many enemies having no wall to protect it no captaine to fight for it Miserable is mans condition that receives not Christ in the Gospell did man know and feele his unhappinesse without Christ he would never be so regardlesse of Christ never so carelesly let Christ passe but would meet Christ where he commeth in his word as the blind men went out and stood by the high-way side where Christ was to passe and cry after Christ as they did as the woman of Shunem hasted to the Prophet for the raising of her dead son and laid hold upon the Prophets feet and would not let him goe untill he came with her and raised her sonne againe to life so would man hasten unto Christ lay hold upon Christ in the Gospell and bring Christ home into his heart he would be at no rest untill Christ had raised freed purged and comforted his dead captived polluted and comfortlesse soule He would as joyfully entertaine Christs comming in his Gospell to free him from the power of his corruptions as ever the Gibeonites gladly entertained Ioshuah comming to rescue them from the Amoritish Princes it is mans unsensiblenesse of the misery of his owne condition that causeth Christs comming to bee unwelcome 3. Meditate the soules apprehension of God without Christ God who to the soules of them that savingly embrace Christ is looked on rejoyced and delighted in as a father for his love as a gracious King for his mercies as a sure and sweet friend for his comforts as a loving husband for his amiable and soule-refreshing presence as a shield for the defence as a rocke for the supportment and as a full fountaine for the satisfaction which he ministreth This thrice blessed and gracious God is apprehended considered and lookt upon by him that doth not embrace Christ in the Gospell as a severe Iudge to condemne him as an enemy full of displeasure against him as a man of warre bending his bow and whetting his sword to destroy him as a rocke ready to fall upon him and grinde him to pouder as a tempestuous sea ready to swallow him and as consuming fire and everlasting burning ready for ever to consume and to destroy him Very dreadfull and soule-amasing and frightening is mans meditation and apprehension of God that doth not savingly apprehend him in Christ such a man flies from the thought of God the voice of God and the presence of God as Adam fled into the thicket as a silly sheep flies before the Lyon a guilty malefactor before the hue and cry or a Partridge before the Hawke This makes them cry to the hils to cover them and to the rocks and the mountaines to fall upon them to hide them from the day of the Lord and the wrath of the Lambe God lookt upon without Christ Iesus is the terrour of all terrours to a guilty soule and accusing conscience Were men truly apprehensive and sensible of the wrath of God without Christ their soules would be at no rest untill they had assured interest in Christ the fiercenesse and terrour of God against sinners doth exceedingly endeare and sweeten the Lord Iesus to the soules of his faithfull servants had we frequent and right consideration of the
the Friends of Christ David was a man of love to God a man of sweet and strong affections He useth many feeling and lively expressions hereof and his joy was sutable to his love he was glad to goe up to the house of the Lord he rejoyced in praysing God My lips shall greatly reioyce when I sing unto thee He rejoyced in visiting the house of God he went to the house of God with the voice of ioy and praise with the multitude that kept holy day He rejoyced in the understanding meditation and service of God he rejoyced in the Way of Gods testimonies as much as in all riches He is no friend of Christ that doth not rejoyce in Christ he is no lover that is not a joyfull receiver of Christ in the Gospell His pretence and profession of love is not reall but counterfeit and hypocriticall How canst thou say thou lovest me said Dalilah once to Sampson when thy heart is not with me Thus how can man say he loves Christ when his heart the joy and delight of his heart is not with Christ how is it possible man can love Christ and yet Christ be unwelcome Christs unwelcomnesse to man in his Gospell proclaimes the enmity of mans heart against him Where is our faith in Christ if Christ be not welcome doe we chuse and single out Christ to our selves to be our Mediatour and Saviour Doe we build on Christ as on a sure rocke Doe we apprehend and take Christ by the hand of faith into a spirituall wedlâ—cke as the husband of our soules Doe we make Christ our treasure our crowne our royall roabe of righteousnesse Doe we by the bucket of faith draw waters of salvation out of Christ as out of a living fountaine and yet not rejoyce in Christ not bid him joyfully welcome it is impossible A beleeving apprehension is comfortable an unbeleeving apprehension ministers no rejoycing It is recorded of Jacob that his sons telling him Joseph is yet alive and he is Governour over all the land of Egypt Jacobs heart fainted for he â— beleeved them not afterwards beleeving he much rejoyced but now not beleeving his heart fainted Thus man hearing of Christs life and kingdome hearing him preached in the Gospell as the Author of life and King of Kings and Lord of Lords hearing great and glorious things spoken of Christ and his heart fainting his soule sad dull troubled and not solaced with it that man beleeves not for the soule is filled with all ioy in beleeving Where is our pricing of Christ He that doth not rejoyce in Christ comming in the Gospell hath a very low esteeme of Christ The Spouse had a high esteeme of Christ surpassing all creatures and her soule was ravished with love to him and with joy in him The Merchant in the parable prized the pearle above all that he had and as he highly prized it so he was glad when he found it Did we prize Christ as the hungry prizeth food the sicke health the captive liberty the rich his treasure the King his crowne we could not but rejoyce in Christs comming as people in a famine rejoyce in the comming of the harvest sicke men in restoration of health captives in a Jubilee and the rich in his treasure the true valuing of Christ makes his comming in the Gospell matter of more rejoycing then the comming of all the fulnesse of the world Where is our taste and rellish our sence and feeling of Christ if we rejoyce not in Christ comming in the Gospell the taste of wine rejoyceth the thirsty the taste of meat rejoyceth the hungry He that hath no joy in Christ hath no taste of Christ Christ is not unto him as Isaacks venison was to him savoury meat which his soule loved The things of God are unsavoury unto such but the soule which doth rellish Christ which tasteth how good Christ is doth abundantly rejoyce in Christ to him Christs good oyntments his saving gifts and graces are savory are tasted perceived felt like good oyntments with great joy and revivement of heart and his name is as an oyntment powred forth the doctrine of his grace the name of his wisedome in opening his fathers counsell the name of his merit in purchasing mans salvation the name of his mercy in pardoning mans sinne the name of his righteousnesse in justifying mans soule the name of his love in embracing and solacing mans heart this is an oyntment powred out this in the preaching of the Gospell casteth a sweet savour as oyntment doth in the powring forth as the breaking of the boxe of oyntment in the Gospell and powring it upon Christs head filled the house with the savour thereof so the opening of Christ in the Gospell giveth a sweet savour to the hearts of all Christians The true receivers of Christ find a very sweet and blessed a very gracious and soule-refreshing taste in Christ And as we professe our selves to be schollers in Christs schoole servants in Christs family members in Christs body subjects friends and Spouse of Christ so let us rejoyce in the comming of Christ in his Gospell as a traveller rejoyceth in the comming of the Sunne to guide him as the subject rejoyceth in the comming of the King to honour him as the captive rejoyceth in the comming of the ransomer to free him as the sicke rejoyceth in the comming of the Physitian to cure him as the childe rejoyceth in the comming of the nurse to feed him and as the bride rejoyceth in the comming of the bridegroome to marry her In him let us rejoyce as in the Sun enlightening us as in the friend solacing us as in the shield defending us as in the King honouring us as in the treasure enriching us as in the jewell adorning us as in the fountaine filling us and as in the paradise of our most choise and everlasting pleasures and in the joy of our soules let us say Blessed be he that commeth in the name of the Lord. CHAP. VIII DAvid did not onely rejoyce in the Arke and dance before it in testimony of his joy but did also erect and set it up in the midst of the Tabernacle Every man that doth indeed rejoyce in Christ every man to whom Christ is truly welcome doth desire and endeavour the exaltation of Christ the setting up of Christs kingdome the welfare of Christ and his Gospell therefore the people here say Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord not only by way of exaltation and rejoycing in Christs comming but also by way of exoptation and wel-wishing heartily desiring the welfare and prosperity of Christ his kingdome and Gospell Blessed be he furnished be he with the greatest and choisest wisedome righteousnesse prudence mercy power fortitude and courage for the administration of his kingdome and people successefull be he in the promulgation and preaching of his Gospell in the gubernation of his
Jesus surely he is farre from the life of Christ that doth not live to Christ that mans life is of a base corrupt and earthly originall the energy operation and intendment of whose living is not to exalt and make Christ glorious he alone truly understands the end of Christs death that makes Christs glory the end of his life and thus runs the charge of the Apostle to the Romanes Yeeld your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousnesse unto God Yeeld your selves to God as souldiers to their Captaine as servants to their Master to fight for God to worke for God to doe all for Gods glory let every faculty of the soule and member of the body even whatsoever belongs unto you be dedicated unto God and imployed in the worke and service of God that service which is not universall is hypocriticall he alone is a perfect servant that puts the whole man upon the service of the Lord as all the rivers come from the sea and returne and empty themselves into the sea Thus must we returne to God and empty our selves and all that we have into God prostrate it all under Gods feet and put it all upon the service of the Lord as Moses lest not a hoose behind him in Egypt but carried all out that he might sacrifice to the Lord of whatsoever the Lord would have thus we must not love a hoofe of our hearts thoughts loves desires behind us upon sinne and the world but take of all and sacrifice all to God and his service we must with the Baptist be willing to decrease that Christ may increase to become vile and of no esteeme with men that Christ may be exalted we must with the Macedonians give our selves to the Lord. We must give our understandings to know God our wils to chuse God our imaginations to thinke upon God our memories to remember God our affections to feare trust love and rejoyce in God our eares to heare Gods word our tongues to speake God praise our hands to worke for God and all our substance to the honour of God CHAP. III. ANd a holy and gracious Christian doth thus deny himselfe and put himselfe and all that he hath under Christ 1. In regard of that carnality vanity basenesse earthlinesse unworthinesse corruption and uncleannesse which he sees and feeles in his owne flesh in his owne affections ends and counsels He sees there is an emptinesse in himselfe that his owne flesh is an empty house wherein dwelleth no good and wherein is no sufficiency to the performance of any good duty he sees that his owne heart is a City full of treason deceitfull above measure and not to be trusted he feeles a law in his members rebelling against the law of his mind as Rebeckah felt the twinnes in her wombe striving the one against the other he discernes that his owne wisedome is foolish an empty lamp a bleare-eye a false light he discernes that he is brutish and hath not the knowledge of the holy he sees much uncleannesse within himselfe many spots in his soule he sees that he is like Jacobs flocke spotty coloured like Noahs Arke wherein are many uncleane beasts among the cleane like the field in the parable wherein are many teares among the wheat he sees how he is yet in part carnall and sold under sin not fully freed and discharged from the strength and working of sinne he discernes an unhappy pronenesse in his heart to consult with flesh and bloud and to propose bie and sinister low and base ends and having the sight sence and sorrowfull experience of all this he denyes himselfe as Jacob having experience of the deceitfulnesse of Laban grew weary of him denyed him his service and went forth from him Thus a gracious man having experience of the corruption and deceitfulnesse of his owne heart and flesh growes weary of himselfe denyes himselfe goes out of himselfe commeth unto Christ and puts himselfe wholly under Christ and as the Evangelist said of Christ that knowing what was in man he would not commit himselfe unto man so sanctified man knowing what is in himselfe he will not commit himselfe unto himselfe he will not trust himselfe with himselfe he denyes his owne wisedome he becomes a foole in his owne apprehension and seeks to Christ to be made wise unto salvation he looks upon his owne righteousnesse as rotten ragges and comes to Christ for justification he considers his owne weaknesse and comes to Christ as the Gibeonites came to Joshuah to rescue him from his enemies he is experienced in the vanity of all other helpers and therefore comes to Christ as the diseased woman whom the Physitians could not cure that Christ may heale his spirituall maladies Man is ever so much the more strong and powerfull in the worke of self-denyall by how much the more clearly he discernes the carnality and basenesse of his owne heart and counsell He that knowes how subject he is to miscarry when he leanes upon himselfe will readily put himselfe and all that he hath under Christ 2. In regard of the holy strong and constant bent and inclination of the heart of a gracious Christian unto Christ As every thing moves towards its proper centre and is at no rest untill it comes to that so doth the sanctified soule incline and move to Christ the true centre of the soule and resteth not untill it comes to Christ and hath the fruition of Christ there is in a gracious soule such a principle of grace such a communication of Christ such a sutablenesse between the soule and Christ such a fervent and operative love towards Christ such a vehement longing after Christ that it mightily moves to Christ as the rivers to the sea that nothing but Christ can answer it quiet and content it there is in the soule such a blessed residence such a powerfull and gracious energy and operation of the Spirit of Christ that as the wheeles in Ezekiels vision moved wheresoever the living creatures moved because the Spirit of the living creatures was in the wheeles so the soule moves after Christ because the Spirit of Christ is in the soule this makes it pant after Christ as the Hart after the water brookes this makes it thirst for Christ as the dry ground for waters this makes it follow hard after Christ as the childe with cryes and teares after the father going from it this makes it cry for Christ as sometimes Rachel did for children O give me Christ or else I dye and as David thirsted and his worthies burst through the army of the Philistines for water out of the wels of Bethel so the soule thirsting for Christ breakes through all the armies of opposition to come to Christ to refresh it selfe with Christ now it denies all leaves all passeth through
exaltation of Christ to have his name cast out as abominable among men and to be accounted as the filth and obscuring of all things He that hath the highest esteeme of Christ hath the least and lowest esteeme of himselfe Self-denyall makes a man not only to undervalue himselfe but all other things in comparison of Christ to esteeme all the glory of the earth as dung and drosse in comparison of Christ to repute all learning but ignorance in comparison of the knowledge of Christ all honour but ignominy in comparison of the crowne which Christ gives all riches but poverty in comparison of that treasure which is in Christ all joyes but sorrowes in comparison of the joy which commeth from Christ all friends and friendship but dumbe idols in comparison of Christs love and all worldly fulnesse but empty vessels in comparison of the al-sufficiency of Christ The world is crucified to him that is crucified with Christ and hath denyed himselfe as men have no commerce with put no price upon have no love unto no pleasure in a crucified man so he that denyes himselfe hath no intimate and entire communion with the world any more then the living with the dead is free from the creature from the power and command of the creature as a woman is free from her dead husband his thoughts and joy are not taken up with the creature no more then Abrahams thoughts and delights were taken up with dead Sarah whom he desired to be removed out of his sight he puts no price upon the creature in comparison of Christ he prizeth all as straw and stubble in comparison of Christ the true treasure he esteemeth all things in respect of Christ but as a bramble in respect of the vine as Jotham to another purpose speaks in his parable He that over values either himselfe or any thing else of the world is far from holy self-denyall CHAP. IX VOluntary and cheerfull desertion and leaving of all for Christ He that denyes himselfe will deny all things else for Christ Ruth in love to Naomi left her father and mother and the land of her nativity and came unto a people which she knew not theretofore The man that denies himselfe will for the love he hath to Christ leave father and mother and the land of his nativity whatsoever is most neare and deare unto him and come to Christ whom before this worke of self-denyall he knew not he that denyes himselfe seeth so much worth in Christ and finds in him so much love to Christ that he will leave all to enjoy Christ he leaves all for the present in respect of affection his love to the creature in comparison of his love to Christ is a comparative hatred he leaves all in respect of price and estimation Christ in his eye the fairest of ten thousand A vine a lilley a glorious Prince a bright and shining Sunne The creature a thorne a weed a beggar a very glo-worme a thing of nought he leaves all in respect of service and subjection he is not under the power of the creature he is not the servant of the creature he possesseth as if he possessed not and he is ready actually to leave all whensoever he shall be called to it as a woman leaves her Fathers house and her owne people to cohabite with her husband he that denyes himselfe leaves his friends with Levi leaves his countrey with Abraham leaves his place of dignity with the blinde man leaves his possessions with the Disciples and is ready with Paul to leave his life for the testimony honour and service of Christ he chuseth rather to enjoy Christ with the losse of all then to lose Christ with the gaine of all the world can affoord him Where self-denyall dwels and beares dominion Christ is infinitely more deare then all the treasure of the world he that denyes himselfe chuseth rather to be the servant of Christ in the lowest worldly emptinesse then to serve himselfe and be a stranger to Christ in the greatest earthly fulnesse 7. Mans pleasing and delighting himselfe in Christ under the crosse and hatred of the world He that denyes himselfe is well pleased and fully satisfied with Christ though the world hate him rise up against him poure great contempt upon him and minister much trouble to him the bride pleaseth her selfe in the bridegroome though her other friends become strangers to her or turne enemies against her though many troubles and disasters attend her yet the enjoyment of her husband mitigates and sweetens all and comfortably answers all The soule that is married unto Christ pleaseth and delighteth it selfe in Christ though all friends according to the flesh become strangers or prove enemies yet Christ is in stead of all friends though many clouds of sorrow and stormes of trouble arise and no star of worldly comfort appeares yet Christ is a Sunne in stead of all lights a rocke in stead of all supporters and a haven in stead of all hiding places Christ to him that denyes himselfe is an hiding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest as rivers of water in a dry place as the shadow of a great rocke in a weary land Christ is in stead of all and much more then all to him that for Christs sake denyes all and is denyed of all Christ is a recompence answering all losses to his holy and humble servants whom have I in haven saith the Psalmist but thee and there is none upon the earth that I desire beside thee my flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever The world never brings a gracious and humbled man so low but he sees power enough in Christ to raise him up never makes him so empty but he sees fulnesse enough in Christ to replenish him never so hates him but he sees love enough in Christ to comfort him never so filleth him with trouble but he sees peace enough in Christ to quiet him and this makes him that denyes himselfe when he walks in darknesse and hath no light to trust in the name of the Lord and to stay himselfe upon his God This makes him account it all ioy to fall into manifold temptations for Christs sake all temptations and troubles being to him that denyes himselfe arguments of his separation from the world pledges of his effectuall calling testimonies of the Devils and the sinfull worlds hatred against him physicke to cure and purge out many unhappy diseases of sinne trumpets to awaken him preservatives against security conflicts to try his faith and love to Christ and meanes of the endearement of his soule to Christ Christ sweetning them unto him Christ being to him in the midst of them as the honey in the belly of the Lyon unto Sampson as the Arke to Noah in the deluge apprehending tasting and pleasing himselfe in
Self-seekers never put themselves upon the profession of godlinesse but under the promise of some worldly advantage did they not perswade themselves that some honour favour or other earthly benefit would therby accrew unto them they would never put their foot within the lists of Religion Abimelech was kind to Abraham not for Abrahams but for Sarah's sake self-seekers sometimes pretend much kindnesse to Christ but it is not for Christs but for the worlds sake they cloake and colour their earthly purposes with religious pretences and this is the cursed Hypocrisie of self-seeking to make God Christ Religion and Christian profession as servants and slaves to mans carnall lusts and purposes most shamefully injurious are all such selfe-seekers to the Lord Jesus 3. Selfe-seeking is a polluting and defiling evill termed by S. James Adultery Yee adulterers and adulteresses saith he to such self-seekers know you not that the love of the world is enmity with God and that he that is a friend of the world is an enemy to God and it is stiled by Moses a going a whooring adultery and whooredome defile the body and self-seeking defiles the soule the Iewes by their covetous practises and self-seeking polluted the Temple and made it a Den of theeves and men by their self-seeking pollute their souls which should be a holy Temple to Gods Spirit this they make a den of theeves a very cage of uncleannesse Gehezi sought himselfe in running after Naoman for a talent of silver and two changes of garments and what was the issue of it a loathsome leprosie clave unto him all self-seekers are in the sight of God as loathsome lepers self-seeking defiles their understanding with ignorance as dust defiles the eyes disabling them to discerne the things of God the Pharisees were covetous and because they sought themselves they derided Christs Doctrine with self-seekers the Doctrine which crosseth their carnall projects is reputed a Doctrine of no knowledge this defiles the thoughts of men with worldlinesse injustice carnall plots and imaginations this filled Saul with thoughts to make David fall This filled Haman with thoughts to destroy all the Iewes throughout the whole Kingdome of Ahaâ—huerus this defiles the affections of men with base feare carnall confidence self-self-love and fleshly joy this made the Rulers afraid to confesse Christ they were self-seekers they loved the praise of men more then the praise of God and therfore did not confesse Christ this makes men ambitious of a name with men for this they seeke to perpetuate their memory upon earth their inward thought is saith the Psalmist that their houses shall continue for ever and their dwelling places to all generations they call their Lands after their owne names this makes them leane upon an arme of flesh and to trust some in their workes some in their treasures some in their falsehood selfe-seekers ever build their confidence upon false foundations and cast their souls into many shamefull pollutions 4. Self-seeking alienates the soule of man from God and from all interest in and communion with Christ the men of Israel following Sheba alienated themselves from David they had no part in David self-seekers following their own lusts walking after their owne imaginations alienate themselves from God they have no part in Christ a wife that goes a whoring from her husband dissolves the wedlocke and alienates herselfe from her husband the soule by self-seeking goes a whooring and commits fornication with the creature and altogether estrangeth it selfe from Christ of such the Lord saith they are estranged they are revolted and gone Self-seeking alienates a man from God in his understanding Self-seekers have no knowledge They eate up my people saith the Lord as bread there is their selfe-seeking they have no knowledge no true no cleare no saving knowledge there is their ignorance of God this alienates man from the thought of God of such the Psalmist saith God is not in all his thoughts he thinks not of God as of his Counsellour to advise him as of his rock to build upon him as of his fountaine to replenish him as of his King to glorifie him this alienates man from the love of God If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in that man from attendance upon the Ordinances of God the invited guests in the Parable were so eager in the pursute of the world that they could not come from tasting and relishing the sweetnesse of Christ in the ministry of the Word the fruit of Christ the fruit of his Doctrine the fruit of his death and resurrection communicated by the Gospell are not sweet unto them as to the Spouse in Salomons Song but as Iob sometime said of Eliphaz his speech Can that which is unsavoury be eaten without salt or is there any taste in the white of an egge The things which my soule refuseth to touch are as my sorrowfull meat Such is the Ministers speech and preaching of Christ to self-Seekers altogether unsavâ—ry having no sweet rellish or comfortable taste to their palates their soule refuseth it as sorrowfull meat troubling rather then comforting grieving rather then rejoycing them Christ ever proves very troublesome to the soule that is addicted to self-Seeking Man spoyles himselfe of many sweet and heavenly comforts in Christ Jesus by seeking himselfe and the satisfaction of his owne corrupt affections This alienates man from the faith of Christ He that seeks himselfe cannot beleeve in Christ he cannot take unto himselfe Christ for his husband to love him for his King to honour him for his Counsellor to be guided by him for his rocke to build upon him and for his precious pearle to rest himselfe contented with him The foolish man in the parable who built upon the sand did not also build upon the rocke He that leanes upon the creature leanes not upon Christ He that seeks himselfe trusts in himselfe and not in Christ True faith and self-seeking like the Arke and Dagon cannot stand together How can ye beleeve saith our Saviour which receive honour one of another and seeke not the honour that commeth from God onely You seeke the praise and applause of men to exalt and magnifie your selves in the eyes of men you seeke not the testimony and approbation of God you labour not to approve your selves unto God and therefore you cannot beleeve you cannot receive and embrace me you cannot rest and relye upon me you cannot quiet and content your selves with me Doubtlesse all worldly and ambitious self-seekers are miserable and wretched unbeleevers all inordinate self-lovers are very great strangers to Christ Jesus Cursed and shamefull is that fruit of self-seeking which turnes off the soule of man from Christ and spoyles him of all interest in Christ This alienates man from the service of Christ all self-seekers serve themselves they serve not our Lord Jesus Christ saith Saint Paul but their owne
Christ lives there is the ioy of liberty Christ restoring life to Lazarus set him free from the grave and from the fellowship of the dead his eyes were free to see his eares to heare his tongue to speake his hands to worke and his feet to walke Christ living in man makes man free from the death of sinne from carnall fellowship with them that are dead in sinne he makes him free in his understanding to know God in his thoughts to meditate upon God in his memory to remember God and in his affections to beleeve in God to love God and to walke in the wayes of God And this liberty ministers to the soule as great a cause of rejoycing as ever Israel conceived upon their freedome from the Egyptians 4. Where Christ lives there is the ioy of victory When David came into the Israelitish army he gave them victory over Goliah and all the Philistines they all fled when Christ comes into and lives in the soule of man he overcomes Satan he dissolves his workes he casts that strong man out he subdues all the corruptions that are in man They that are Christs saith Saint Paul have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts they have gotten a blessed and honourable victory over Satan themselves and the world a victory ministring to them greater cause of rejoycing then Israel had when they gave a shout for their victory over the Philistines 5. Where Christ lives there is the ioy of regeneration adoption and sanctification Christ makes us the sonnes and daughters of God the friends and lovers of God who were aliens and enemies to God he makes us cleane who were defiled he abolisheth the character and stamp of Satan and engraves the Image of God on our soules he like a refiners fire and fullers sope puts away the spot and drosse of our sinne purifying and purging us as gold and silver that we may offer to the Lord an offering of righteousnesse And this affords us matter of greater rejoycing then Naaman had upon his being cleansed from his leprosie in Jordan Reioyce not in this saith Christ that the spirits are made subiect unto you but rather reioyce in this that your names are written in Heaven that you have a name with God that you are by adoption the children of God that you are sanctified and cleansed from your sinnes The worke of holinesse ministers more joy to Gods servants then the gift of working miracles there is more comfort ariseth from the subiugation of our corrupt affections then from having all the world put under us 6. Where Christ lives there is the ioy of riches he cannot be poore and miserable that hath Christ living in him Christ is unsearchable riches as Gideon said of Ephraim the gleanings of Ephraim are better then the vintage of Abiezâ—r so the gleanings the smallest gatherings of Christ are better then the vintage then the greatest abundance of the world Christs spirituall gifts and graces are the choisest of all riches all the riches of the world are but straw and stubble to this pearle he that hath this hath cause of holy glorying rejoycing in his wealth as the Merchant in the Parable had joy upon the finding of the precious pearle The rich man in Saint Luke having pulled downe his barnes builded them greater and filled them with worldly store bid his soule though upon weake grounds eat drinke and be merry because he had goods enough laid up for many yeares The man that hath pulled downe his lusts new built his heart and received Christ to live and dwell there may upon better grounds bid his soule eat drink and be merry for having Christ he hath a full and an abiding substance he hath treasure enough for ever 7. Where Christ lives there is the ioy of peace reconciliation and sweet communion he brings us nigh to God as Joseph brought his brethren nigh to Pharaoh he makes God a father and friend to us he causeth the face of God to shine upon us more comfortably then Sunne and filleth us with that peace which passeth all understanding and thus he makes the life of them in whom he lives a very sweet and pleasant life a life of choisest comforts a life for delights surpassing the lives of rich men Nobles Conquerours and all pleasure-hunters as the Paradise doth surpasse the wildernesse and the glorious Sunne the rotten gloe-worme But you will say if their life in whom Christ lives be such a sweet and pleasant such a joyous and comfortable life whence is it that many of them in whom Christ lives are so sad and sorrowfull and of all others many times in outward appearance the most uncomfortable livers I answer the sorrow and sadnesse of them in whom Christ lives ariseth 1. From the corruption which yet remaines in them Diseases in the body though they doe not destroy the body yet they now and then abate and hinder the comfort of bodily life Clouds in the aire though they doe not abolish the Sunne yet they hinder the light of the Sunne and darken the aire Thus corruption in them that live the life of grace though they doe not destroy and abolish this holy life yet they many times abate the comfort of it obscure and darken Christs living in man and untill they are overcome and dispelled they minister occasion of sorrow and sadnesse to the soules of Gods children causing them with David to complaine of them as of a heavy burthen and with Paul to cry out O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Where Christ lives there is joy because the life of grace hath there an inchoation there is sorrow because sinne hath not yet it 's compleate dissolution and perfect buriall Israel had joy in their victory over the land of Canaan they had sorrow because some Canaanites yet remained among them The children of God have much joy from their spirituall conquest though somewhat sadded by their fleshly oppositions 2. This ariseth from some particular aberrations of Gods children of which they are sometime guilty sometimes they step aside from Gods way their hearts hang loose and cleave not close to God Satan gets an advantage against them and foiles them and as so â—e great fall takes away the sence and comfort of bodily life for the present Thus Gods children through some fall doe lose the comfort of Christ living in them and are very sorrowfull as a man whose bones are broken 3. This ariseth from some violent assault of Satan God lets him loose upon them to buffet them for their humiliation for sinne past or for excitation from security for the present or for prevention for the time to come and while this temptation lasteth the joy of their spirituall life is eclipsed as the joy of a rich man is darkened while his house is besieged the joy of a City is disturbed while the siege against
foule hypocrisie is this that wee should professe Christ and yet deny him in his Gospell in his Kingdome Is it not a shame for a wife to professe such a man to be her husband and yet deny him her presence her hand her heart her body her love dwell with a stranger love a stranger delight in a stranger and bring forth children to a stranger what is this but shamefull disloyalty and odious adultery What a shame for a man to professe such a man to be his Master and yet deny him all service and shut the doores of the house against him and what a shame is it for us to professe Christ to be our husband our Master and yet deny him our service breaking his bands and casting away his cords from us shutting the doores of our hearts against him denying him our presence in his house denying him our heart to love him our affections to rejoyce in him our hand to worke for him denying him our soules and bodies to be a holy Temple for him to dwell in bringing forth all our fruit to the flesh and to the world and none to Christ what disloyalty what hypocrisie what spirituall adultery is this certainly such men like the Angell of the Church of Sardis though he had a name that he lived yet he was dead so these though they have the name of Christians yet they are none of Christs This is an evill of which Christ is very sensible whereof he much complaines If saith he a man come unto you in his owne name bring a corrupt and carnall doctrine seeke himselfe exalt and magnifie himselfe him ye will receive his person you will reverence his doctrine you will receive his sayings you will beleeve to his dictates you will vaile and stoop but saith Christ I am come in my Fathers name and ye receive me not I am come from God I have my calling and commission from God I bring no humane but a heavenly doctrine I seeke not mine owne but my Fathers glory and ye receive me not ye regard not my person ye beleeve not my doctrine ye obey not my precepts you love not me you rejoyce not you delight not in me Generally men are more addicted to and delighted in corrupt and carnall inventions then in the spirituall and heavenly doctrine of Christ and his Gospell Christs comming in the power and brightnesse of his Gospell is very unwelcome to many people as the comming of the King to a Rebell the comming of an officer to a theefe or the comming of the husband to his wife that playes the harlot and what is this but the shame of all shames and dishonour of all dishonours to a Christian to deny his Christ to refuse his Christ not to rejoyce and delight in his Christ comming to him in the glad tydings of his Gospell We all conclude it a foule dishonour to a subject a servant a wife to deny their King their Master their Husband not to rejoyce in their comming in their presence but to shut the doores of their houses against them to deny them entrance and entertainment And is not a foule staine so to deale with Christ so to exclude Christ comming to us by his Word and Ministers If you aske me whence it is that Christ is so unwelcome that many of us are so farre from rejoycing in his comming I answer there are these 5. grounds of this Ignorance Men doe not know Christ they doe not discerne Christ in the Gospell Christ in the Gospell is hidden from them as the light is hidden from the blind the God of this world hath blinded their eyes that the light of the Gospell of the glory of Christ may not shine into them they doe not discerne Christ in his Gospell shining like the Sunne for the excellency of his knowledge there appearing they doe not discerne Christ there triumphing like a conquerour in the subjugation of Satan and their corruptions they doe not discerne Christ there as a Prince of peace sweetly and graciously ruling in their hearts by the Scepter of his Word they doe not discerne Christ there as a Physitian healing their sinfull maladies as the impotent discerned the Angell moving in the poole of Bethesda and healing their bodily infirmities they see not these beauties of Christ which David desired to see in the Temple of the Lord they see not that power and glory of Christ in the Gospell which the Psalmist saw in the Sanctuary and therefore as a blind man rejoyceth not in the appearance and comming of the Sunne because he sees not the Sunne no more doe these in the comming of Christ in the Gospell because they doe not there discerne him 2 Earthly mindednesse Their hearts are glued to the world this is the Master whom they serve this is the rocke on which they build this is the wife or harlot rather whom they marry this is the object of their joy they rejoyce in the creature in a thing of nought saith the Prophet and therefore having another Master whom they serve they cannot receive and rejoyce in Christs Lawes having another rocke on which they build they cannot beleeve and delight in Christs promises having another husband to whom they are wedded they cannot embrace and rejoyce in Christ as the Bride rejoyceth in the Bridegroome when the people rejoyced in Rezin Remalials son they refused the waters of Shiloah When man rejoyceth in the creature he refuseth Christ his soule takes no pleasure in Christ 3. Vnsensiblenesse of Christ they have no feeling of Christ within them the Apostle saith they are past feeling they are past the feeling of their sinne as a dead body is past the feeling of the disease they are past the feeling of the shame of sin as a common harlot hath cast of all modesty is even degenerated from her sexe and takes no shame of her whoredomes they have no feeling of the iudgements of God denounced against them they sleep in the midst of these as Ionah did in the storme they take no notice of them they have no feeling of the workings bitings and convulsions of an accusing and condemning conscience their consciences are like a mastive fallen asleep after long and much barking like flesh seared with a hot yron their sence and feeling is gone they are alienated from the life of God dead and have no feeling of the life of Christ Christ doth not live in them they are blind and have no feeling of the wisedome and knowledge which commeth from Christ as a blind man hath no feeling of the light which commeth from the Sunne they are deafe and have no feeling of the sweet and comfortable voice of Christ in the Gospell any more then a deafe man feeles the sweet sound of a musicall instrument their pallates are distempered and they cannot taste the sweetnesse of Christ they loath him as the full stomacke the honey-combe he
comming in the Gospell was shadowed by the feast of solemnity called blowing of Trumpets signifying the spirituall joy and gladnesse occasioned and raised in the hearts of men by Christs comming in the flesh and in the preaching of the Gospell the Lord Jesus being the gladsome body and substance of all the Leviticall and Ceremoniall joyous festivals this was also foretold and often prophecyed How beautifull saith the Prophet Esay are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings that publisheth peace and bringeth good tidings of good that publisheth salvation that saith unto Sion thy God raigneth which Prophecye the Apostle referres to the preaching of the Gospell the feet carry the body in motion and going the ministery carry Christ in the preaching of the Gospell the feet lift and beare up the body the Ministers lift up and carry Christ aloft and make him conspicuous in the eyes of the people by their holy and wholsome doctrine the feet of him that brings tidings of a pardon to a condemned person tidings of redemption to a captive tidings of supply to him that is in want are very beautifull in the eyes of such people the feet of Gods Ministers bringing tidings of forgivenesse tidings of deliverance tidings of all fulnesse in and by Christ Jesus are very beautifull in their eyes who know and feele the danger of their owne sinfull condition therefore breake forth into ioy saith the Prophet sing together ye waste places of Jerusalem for the Lord hath comforted his people he hath redeemed Jerusalem The comming of the Sunne comforteth him that sits in darknesse the comming of the Physitian comforts him that is opprest with sicknesse the comming of the ransomer comforts him that is in bondage the comming of Christ in the Gospell like the comming of the light comforts men with knowledge like the comming of a Physitian with healing in his wings comforts men with spirituall health and like the comming of a ransomer gives the comfort of spirituall freedome sweet and blessed and full of refreshing is the joy arising from Christ his comming in the Gospell This makes the wildernesse like Eden and the desart like the garden of the Lord. This fils the desolate sad and sorrowfull soule of man full of joy and gladnesse thanksgiving and the voice of melody and to this joyfull entertainment of Christs comming in his spirituall kingdome Let us all provoke our hearts and frame and dispose our soules as the eye is disposed to a joyfull entertainment of the light the eare to a joyfull entertainment of musicke and the bride to a joyfull entertainment of the bridegroome And that we may give Christ comming in the Gospell a Christian and wel-pleasing entertainment there are three things in the generall observable 1. Modus the manner how we must entertaine him 2. Medium the meanes which we must use to entertaine him and 3. Motivum the inducements perswading thus to entertaine Christ 1. The manner how Christ must be entertained and received and thus Christ must bee entertained received 1. Spiritually The entertainment of the King is sutable to the condition quality and nature of the King earthly entertainment is given to earthly Kings Christ is a spirituall and heavenly King his kingdome is not of this world and therefore he must not be carnally but spiritually entertained the Tabernacle into which the Arke was received had in it the two Tables of the Law it was overlaid within with pure gold and the Arke had a crowne of gold about it Hee that will entertaine Christ must have the Law of God written in his heart his soule within and his life without must be overlaid with the gifts and graces of the Spirit more pure and precious then the gold which perisheth holinesse and righteousnesse must crowne the soules of such persons as will entertaine Christ Jesus slimy sluttish and filthy houses are fitter to entertaine swine then Princes corrupt and carnall unsanctified and ungracious soules are fitter to entertaine Satan the prince of darknesse then to entertaine Christ the King of Righteousnesse The Kings daughter the Spouse of Christ the Type of all that truly entertaine Christ was all-glorious within Heavenly graces are the peculiar glory of Gods servants making their soules a fit receptacle for the Lord Iesus As men therefore to receive and entertaine an earthly King cleanse their houses perfume and garnish all their roomes and prepare such delicacies as the King delights in Thus wee to entertaine and receive Christ the heavenly King must cleanse our soules of all sin we must put all iniquity farre from us as a spot from our faces a disease from our flesh and a theefe from our house we must garnish all the roomes of the house of our soules with spirituall ornaments our understandings with spirituall knowledge our wils with gracious liberty and freedome to embrace and chuse Christ our imaginations with holy thoughts and medetations upon Christ our affections with filiall feare to offend Christ with lively faith to beleeve in Christ with pure and fervent love to Christ with heavenly joy and delight in Christ He that is most holy and gracious is most capable of Christ Iesus the soule which abides under the sway and power of prophanenesse cannot receive the Lord Iesus the swaying presence of ungodlinesse nullifies the gracious presence of Christ Iesus No man receiveth Christ with true and sollid comfort in the Gospell but only he whose soule is endowed with purity and sanctification 2. Speedily The servant speedily opens the doore of the house when the Master knocks and readily entertaines him Christ is the great Lord and Master of the house of mans soule at the doore whereof he knocks by the ministery of the Gospell and man must speedily open to Christ so knocking Behold saith Christ I stand at the doore and knocke the heart of unregenerate man is a doore shut a hard a stony doore God and Christ are shut out to this doore Christ knocks by the preaching of the Law threatning destruction to him that will not open by the preaching of the Gospell promising pardon to all that speedily and sincerely open by the rod of affliction and terrour of conscience on all that doe delay to open by the inward motion and powerfull operation of his Spirit on Gods chosen repairing and disposing their hearts to open to him If any man saith Christ heare my voice speedily without delay unfainedly without hypocrisie humbly without disdaine beleevingly without unbeleefe joyfully without repining and obediently without rebellion If any man thus heare my voice and open unto me by understanding me and my will by beleeving me and my promises by loving me and my testimonies by embracing me and my benefits by dedicating himselfe to me and my service I will come into him I will make his soule my temple and holy habitation I will enter into a neare and sweet communion with him and I
and rule over us wholly subjecting our selves to the Scepter of Christ Jesus as a Priest to sanctifie us to expiate our offences and make atonement for us relying solely on Christs merits We must receive him in all his Ordinances in his word regenerating renewing reforming us in his Sacrament feasting strengthening sealing up his love and the forgivenesse of our sin unto us We must receive him in his Ministers as a Prince in his Embassadors as a Bridegroome in his friends in his members as a father in his children as a husband in his wife in his precepts as a King in all his Lawes obeying them in his promises as a faithfull friend in all his words beleeving them in his gifts and dispensations as a giver in his gifts as a workman in his workmanship as the eye receiveth the Sunne in his light and the ground the cloud in the raine and dew distilling thereupon Wee must receive him in our understandings as a light in our wils as a Prince in our thoughts as a treasure in our affections as a Lord and Master fearing him as a sure foundation building upon him as a bridegroome being full of love towards him The full receiving of Christ in the Gospell fils the soule with fulnesse of grace and consolation He that doth not universally receive Christ doth not at all receive Christ He that doth not surrender all truly surrenders none to Christ He that shuts Christ out of one roome of his soule leaves his whole man to the possession of sinne Satan and the world 8. Perpetually Christ must be received once and forever the Covenant between the soule and Christ is an everlasting Covenant a Covenant of wedlocke the Covenant between the husband and the wife is for ever untill death the husband is the guide delight and object the wifes love for ever so long as life lasteth Christ must be received as the soules guide and love for ever Christ must shine in the understanding as an everlasting Sunne rule in the will as an everlasting Prince possesse the soule as an everlasting dweller and abide in the affections as an everlasting husband The soule which truly receives Christ in the Gospell is an everlasting lover of Christ as Hyram loved David ever an everlasting servant to Christ as the servant under the Law which had his eare boared abode a servant in the house for ever as the land of Canaan was to Jacob and his seed an everlasting possession so must Christ be our everlasting portion we may not receive Christ and thrust him out againe as sicke men receive a Physitian and put him off againe as soone as the disease is put away as a besieged City receiveth souldiers and turnes them off againe as soone as the siedge is removed as the Philistines received the Arke and sent him away againe when Dagon could not stand before him as Amnon received Thamar and thrust her out of doores againe hating her more then ever he loved her Such are very base receivers of Christ as receive him either for fancy novelty or constraining necessity He is a very Philistine that will rather thrust Christ from him then suffer the fall of his Dagon his base lust or corrupt affection their love to Christ when at the best was but fained and counterfeit which afterwards turnes to hatred He is no sonne but a slave no Spouse but a harlot which abides not with Christ to the end Having therefore once received Christ to seweth Christ retaine Christ in every estate abide with Christ Man changes as Ittai with David in life and in death CHAP. V. THus of the manner of receiving Christ in the Gospell the second thing is the medium or meanes disposing and inabling us to receive Christ with rejoycing and thanksgiving The meanes are these 1. A full and through deposition and putting aside of all that is contrary to Christ 1. there must be a deposition of sinne all motes distempers and blindnesse being put away out of the eye the eye joyfully receives the Sunne ignorance and errour being put out of the understanding Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse is joyfully received in our knowledge the knowledge of Christ becommeth cleare and pleasant to the soule witherednesse and infirmity being removed from the hand the hand readily receives the gift Unbeleefe which wounds and withers the hand of faith being removed from the heart man cheerFully entertaines Christ and is filled with all ioy in beleeving rebellious proud and mutinous persons being put out of the kingdome the King is joyfully entertained by the people pride imaginations and every high thing which doth exalt it selfe against the knowledge of God being cast downe and brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ Christ is gladly received strange love and strange lovers being put farre from the wife the husband is cheerfully received by the wife the removall of strange lusts and corrupt affections prepares the heart to a joyfull entertainment of Christ He that doth not sorrow for his sinne cannot rejoyce in Christ He that doth not hate the former can never love the latter He that doth not empty himselfe of the one can never be filled with the other The Jebusites told David unlesse he tooke away the blind and the lame hee should not enter into the fort of Syon Unlesse wee take away the blind and the lame ignorance infidelity and all uncleannesse out of our soules Christ will never enter into our hearts we cannot receive Christ into our soules the keeping in of sin is the keeping out of Christ the holding fast of corrupt affections is the loosing of Christ Jesus as the Philistines keeping up of their Dagon wrought a removall of the Arke 2. There must be a deposition of the world in affection We must not love it in cogitation we must have no distracting thoughts about it in estimation we must not overprize but esteeme it as a thing which is not in c inquisition we must not seeke the things which are here below as if our happinesse consisted in the finding of these things in subjection we must not be the servants of the world in affiance we must not build upon them in rejoycing we may not rejoyce in them He that is married to the creature is divorced from Christ he that loves this hath no love to Christ he that is the servant of this cannot serve Christ therefore as Christ overthrew the tables of the money-changers and whipt the buyers and sellers out of his fathers house so must we whip the love thought command and delight of the world out of our hearts that we may receive Christ it is a great unhappinesse to lose Christ for the gaine of the world it were strange folly in a woman to refuse a wise a potent beautifull victorious and noble Prince and marry her selfe to a foolish impotent base beggerly and deformed captive
3. There must be a deposition of our selves we must lay aside our selves in respect of opinion we must have very low thoughts of our selves in respect of delight and pleasure we must not please our selves in our selves but loath ourselves in respect of Love we must not love our selves please mind and exalt our selves but deny our selves in respect of trust we must not trust in our selves but be jealous of our selves distrust our owne hearts accuse and condemne our selves and in respect of the end we must not intend our selves propose our owne ends but intend Christ and the glory of Christ Thus we must lay aside our selves and empty our selves of our selves that wee may receive Christ the empty vessell receives the liquor there is no place for it in the full 2. Holy wise and carefull preparation to the hearing of Christ in the Gospell Elisha before he prophesâ—ed before Jehosaphat and Jehoram called for a Musitian to play some sacred song the better to appease his spirit and put his mind in a quiet and heavenly frame and then the hand of the Lord was upon him and he prophecyed Thus before we come into the presence of Christ to heare we should by some holy meditation and fervent prayer gather home our thoughts take off our selves from the world suppresse and put away the distemper of our spirits worke our hearts into a holy and gracious frame and tempor and compose our selves to heare so shall the hand of God he upon us in hearing and we shall heare and receive Christ with much joyfulnesse the preparednesse of the eye to see of the care to heare and of the pallate to taste makes them joyfull in seeing hearing tasting the soules joy and comfort in hearing is ordinarily sutable to mans preparation Man is ashamed and grieved to receive his Prince into a sâ—rded and filthy house but having his house clensed garnished and all things set in order he is joyfull in the entertainment Want of preparation is the cause of much discomfort sadnesse and dulnesse in hearing Christ comming in the Gospell is very comfortably entertained by the soule which is duely prepared 3. Sure and gracious interest in Christ Beleeve in Christ lay hold on Christ select and take Christ unto your selves make him yours As the Merchant sold all for the precious pearle in the parable and made the pearle his owne so sell all put away all your sinnes remove all worldly vanities and interest your selves in Christ as the woman leaves her owne people and her fathers house to make another man her husband thus leave the world your sinfull acquaintance your corrupt and carnall customes come off from them all and apply your selves to Christ espouse your selves by faith and love to him and then your soules shall joyfully wait upon him in the Gospell as the Queene waits upon the King in his palace with joy and gladnesse as the bride doth joyfully heare the voice of the bridegroome thus the Spouse professeth her joy and comfort in Christ in the Gospell his mouth his word and doctrine is most sweet he is altogether lovely There is the expression of her joyfull receiving Christ in the Gospell this is my Beloved and this is my friend there is the declaration of her interest in him Christ is ever more or lesse joyfull to the heart of man in the Gospell according to mans assurance of interest in him he never feeles Christ a sweet and gracious comforter that looks upon him in his word as a stranger 4. Cleare and lively discerning and apprehension of the dignity worth and excellency of Christ He that hath a jewell and knowes not the worth of him is nothing affected with him like Esops cocke he rejoyceth more in a barley corne ignorance of the worth of Christ takes away the soules delight and joy in Christ the wise Merchant knowes the worth of a pearle and is much joyed at the finding of him the wise Christian knowing the price and worth of Christ is much joyed when he meets with Christ in the Gospell â— the Spouse in Solomons Song sets forth her apprehension of the beauty worth and excellency of Christ of his Godhead and manhood in one person of his glory innocency grace mercy and justice of his preheminence and exaltation above all creatures of his glorious kingdome his unsearchable wisedome his gracious and mercifull beholding of grieved sinners his beauty and comelinesse to the eyes of faith and concludes at length his mouth is most sweet and altogether lovely His mouth the doctrines words promises comforts of his Gospell are very sweet as the honey or the honey-combe strive then more clearly to discerne the worth of Christ if you intend the increase of your comfort in Christ The prophane Gaderine that thinks more highly of his swine then of Christ never meets with joy in Christ 5. Holy and gracious making use of Christ in the Gospell The eye makes use of the Sunne it sees by it the care makes use of the voice it discernes what is spoken by it the thirsty traveller makes use of the fountaine he quencheth his thirst with it refresheth himselfe by it And all these rejoyce the eye in the Sunne the care in the sound and the thirsty in the fountaine and in these they rejoyce because they make use of them Make use then of Christ in his Gospell as a scholler doth of his teacher learning heavenly wisedome as a sicke man doth of his Physitian recovering spirituall health by him as a besieged City doth of their Captaine feeling him casting downe the holds of sinne and restoring thy soule to freedome as the wise man in the parable did of the rocke build upon him the more use you make of Christ the more comfort you shall find in Christ Christ is both unprofitable and uncomfortable to him that makes no use of him as a sealed Well and an eclipsed Sunne There is a price saith Solomon in the hand of a foole but he hath not a heart to make use of him We have Christ in the Gospell a pearle of great price and it is mans exceeding great foolishnesse not to make use of Christ Iesus 6. Blessed and heavenly sence and experience of Christs sanctifying and saving worke upon our soules in the Gospell The influence and operation of the Sunne upon the earth in the Spring makes it appeare very pleasant and joyfull the sence of Christs gracious worke upon the heart glads the heart he brought me saith the Spouse into his chambers that is he revealed unto me the secret of the Lord the secret worke of the Lord in the illumination of my understanding in the regenerating of my heart in the quickning of my soule in the putting of a new nature upon me in the pacifying of my conscience and comforting of my soule these are the chambers whereinto she was brought the secret and blessed wayes of Christ with a gracious
friends and welwishers of Christ much desire and with great earnestnesse endeavour gird thy sword upon thy thigh saith the Psalmist in the person of the faithfull unto Christ O most mighty shew thy selfe in thy word and Gospell like a mighty man of warre fully armed to mortifie the lusts to humble the soules and to bring into subjection all the thoughts of thy servants and doe this in thy glory and in thy maiesty make thy selfe appeare dreadfull and glorious by the powerfull and gracious effects of thy Gospell and in thy majesty ride upon the word of truth the Gospell of salvation prosperously Be thou successefull in the preaching of the Gospell for the speedy and universall manifestation of it to all people for the profligating and putting to flight of all false doctrines and corrupt worship as the Sunne doth dispell the clouds and Aarons rod devoured the Magitians serpents for the reclaiming and gathering home the soules of men as the shepheard gathereth home the sheep by his voice for the healing of the diseased soules of men as Bethesda healed the diseased bodies for the setting up of thy throne in their hearts to raigne and rule within them as a King reigneth in his Throne Christs blessed successe in the ministery of the Gospell is both the wish and prayer joy and labour of all that love him He is a very stranger to Christs kingdome that seekes not Christs exaltation The true members of Christ preferre the welfare of Christs Church kingdome and Gospell above the welfare of their owne estate and person As the arme lifteth up it selfe to receive the blow rather then it shall fall upon the head such as clearly discerne and truly taste Christ in the Gospell are very solicitous to uphold Christs kingdome and propagate his Gospell Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seeke thy good saith David to Jerusalem because the doctrine of salvation is there published the worship of God there erected and God there manifested and made knowne I will seeke thy good I will endeavour thy safety I will doe what in me lies to uphold the doctrine there taught and the worship there established I will seeke the good thereof by prayer and supplication by advice and counsell by communicating whatsoever is behoofull either for the supportation honour or comfort of it A good man will not willingly keep backe any thing which may tend to the advancement of Christ his Gospell and kingdome and thus it ought to be 1. In regard of the Covenant between us and Christ we are baptized into the name of Christ into the faith of Christ to beleeve in him as the authour of our salvation into the religion of Christ to adore and worship him as our spirituall and heavenly Soveraigne into the doctrine of Christ to learne him as the truth is in him to heare him as the great Prophet and Doctor of his Church into the profession of Christ openly declaring our hope and expectation of salvation by Christ our subjection under Christ and our dependance upon Christ into the service of Christ being dedicate and set apart by Baptisme unto Christ as his peculiar people to adore and serve him to honour and exalt him and into the death of Christ receiving Baptisme as a testimony of mortification and as an instrument of the Holy-Ghost for the extinguishing and killing of sinne by the death and for the quickning of our soules by the resurrection of Christ to the end that we who live should live no more unto our selves but unto Christ This is the tenour of the Covenant which the Lord himselfe uttered by the mouth of the Prophet I will be their God I will be their King to command them their counsellor to guide them their shield to defend them their Saviour to minister salvation to them their father to make provision for them to communicate the sence of my love unto them and their portion to satisfie them and they shall be my people the schollers of my schoole to learne my will the subjects of my kingdome to honour and exalt me the servants of my family to obey and serve me and the bride of my delight to love me and to bring forth fruit to me By vertue of the Covenant between us and Christ our names are given unto Christ as souldiers to their Captaine to fight for Christ as subjects to their Soveraigne to exalt and magnifie the name of Christ to labour the welfare and honour of the kingdome of Christ Abner entring into Covenant with David went forth to bring about all Israel unto David to exalt and set up David and to increase the kingdome of David Thus man being entred into Covenant with Christ must bring himselfe and all that is his and all other people so much as in him lies into subjection unto Christ he must to the utmost of his power labour the exaltation of Christ and his kingdome such men are very regardlesse of their holy covenant and sacred promise as labour not the exaltation of Christs kingdome and Gosple 2. In regard of the Relation betwixt us and Christ Christ is the King and we the Subjects Christ is the Lord and we the Servants Christ is the Head and wee the members Christ is the Bridegroome and we the Bride true Subjects endeavour the honour of their King and Kingdome Sauls Subjects would put to death all them who would not have Saul to reigne over them Davids Subjects preferred him above themselvs endeavoured his safety put themselves in hazard to safegard him accounted him worth ten thousand of themselves the members support and beare up the head imploy all their strength in the defence and honour of the head good servants labour their Masters honour and welfare Thy servants said Davids men to him are ready to doe whatsoever my Lord the King shall appoint and the Centurian could say of his servant Doe this and he doth it And the faithfull Spouse brings forth children to her husband she was a fruitefull Vine by the sides of his house and her children like Olive plants round about his Table a great honour a crowne as Salomon saith to her husband thus must we by vertue of that Relation which is betwixt us and Christ as loyall subjects mortifie and put to death whatsoever doth in us oppose Christs honour and dominion exalt Christ and his Gosple above our selves our ease profit or credit expose our selves to all difficulties dangers and inconveniences amongst men for the magnifying of Christs name and the welfare of Christs Gosple as good servants be ready to doe whatsoever Christ shall appoint us for the making of him glorious as true and living members of Christs mysticall body we must put our selves under Christ beare up Christ and make him conspicuous in the eyes of others and like a chaste Spouse bring forth all our fruite unto Christ endeavouring to the utmost of our power the
and women came and offered freely to the building of the Tabernacle so let us both men and women all that have a willing and a loving heart to Christ come and offer our selves and all that we have to Christ for the building up of the Church and Kingdome of Christ for the advancement of the Gospell of Christ And to excite and move our selves hereunto doe but consider how the exaltation of Christ his Gospell and Kingdome is the honour and glory of a Christian what is the glory of a servant but the enrichment of his Master by his industry what is the honour of a Subject but his loyalty to his King his exalting the name crowne kingdome and jurisdiction of his Prince what is the honour of a wife but her fidelity to her husband her cleaving close to her husband her bringing forth of many children to her husband and what is the crowne and dignity of all Christians but their serviceablenesse to Christ their exaltation of the name of Christ their cleaving close to Christ their bringing forth of much fruit to Christ their enlarging the territories of Christs kingdome Alphonsus had written on his Symboll as a character of his greatest honour these words Pro Lege pro Grege for the Law and for the people and this is the most honourable character of a Christian to make his heart and tongue his thoughts within and his works without to carry this inscription for Christ and for his Kingdome for his Church and for his Gospell He is every way of all persons the most honourable and glorious who is every way most for Christ Jesus 2. The argument and evidence of our love to Christ Where is our love to Christ as to our Lord and Master as to our King and Captaine as to our head and husband if we seeke not Christs honour if we doe not endeavour the exaltation of Christs kingdome Ionathan loved David as his owne soule and he stript himselfe of the roabe that was upon him and gave it to David and his garments even to his sword He that loves Christ will keep backe nothing from Christ he will disroabe himselfe to honour Christ to exalt his kingdome and beautifie his Gospell Jacob loved Rachel and he served for her twice seven yeares He that loves Christ will put himselfe upon any hardnesse for Christ Christian love reputes the honouring and exaltation of Christ Jesus a sufficient recompence to its greatest losses and hardest service Love will make a man even holily prodigall in his layings out for the exaltation of Christs Gospell and kingdome 3. Observe the perill of not endeavouring the welfare of Christs Church and Gospell He that is not a friend of Christ is an enemy against Christ he that doth not help to set up Christs kingdome is by interpretation and in Gods construction an overthrower of Christs kingdome He that is not with me is against me saith Christ and he that doth not gather doth scatter He that is not a labourer is a scatterer in Christs vineyard He that fights not under Christs ensigne is a souldier under Satans banner He that is slothfull in his worke is brother saith Solomon to a great waster Thus he who doth not labour for Christ is a brother to them that are great wasters of the kingdome of Christ and fearefull is the curse pronounced on them that stand still and put not their helping hand to Christs Kingdome Cause and Gospell Curse ye Meros said the Angell of the Lord Curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty 4. Looke upon Christs sparing and withholding of nothing for our exaltation Christ humbled himselfe to the lowest degree of humiliation and abasement for our elevation and advancement He emptied himselfe to fill us he abased himselfe to honour us he stript himselfe to apparell us he made himselfe a man of sorrowes to fill us with spirituall and soule-refreshing consolations Ye know saith Saint Paul the grace the love the bounty the rich liberality of our Lord Jesus Christ that though be was rich rich in the glory of his divine Essence in his absolute dominion over all creatures in his plenary possession of heaven and earth Yet for your sakes he became poore vailing his Diety Majesty and glory under the poore and unworthy garment of humane flesh being borne of poore parents and appearing in the forme of a servant humbling and abasing himselfe to the death the shamefull death of the crosse that ye through his poverty might be rich rich in the participation of the divine nature rich in the fruition of the fulnesse of Christ Christs humiliation is the meritorious cause spring and fountaine of mans exaltation Christ was very free and full in his exinaition and abasement for our honour and advancement The condition of man was so extreamely base and shamefull that nothing but the humiliation of the Sonne of God was able to restore honour to him And how ready should we be to put all under the feet of Christ to imploy all to the honour of Christ who hath done so much to honour us We should saith Chrysostome preferre nothing above Christ because he preferred nothing above us As he vailed and bowed downe himselfe and all that was his for our salvation so should we vaile and bow our selves and all that is ours for the exaltation of his Gospell and kingdome The meditation of Christs abasing himselfe for us should make us studious and inquisitive how to honour Christ Thou hast been carefull for us with all this care said the Prophet to the woman of Shunem what is to be done for thee Thus should we say to Christ thou hast been humbled and abased thou hast suffered a great suffering for us what is now to be done for thee what shall we doe to honour thee to exalt and magnifie thy name who hast undergone so great disgrace and shame for us The more Christ humbled himselfe for us the more he should be exalted by us Christ made himselfe a sacrifice for us and we should sacrifice our selves and all that is ours to him and his service Christ gave himselfe for our salvation and we should give our selves to him and the exaltation of his kingdome Christ was contented to be made low and as a very nothing as a worme and no man that we might be made the fulnesse of him who filleth all in all and we should be content to abase our selves and to be reputed vile and as nothing in the eyes of men to set up Christ to make him and his Gospell glorious in the eyes of the people He doth neither wisely nor graciously consider Christs humiliation that doth not give himselfe to the exaltation of Christs name and kingdome 5. Meditate the sweet the great and wonderfull blessing that commeth unto men by the
applyes himselfe to tradition like the foolish man in the parable he leaves the rocke and builds upon the sand which will sinke under him he forsakes the firme pillar and leanes upon a withered reed which will pierce him he goes from the living fountaine to the broken cisterne wherein is no water to refresh him he refuseth the wheat and feeds upon the chaffe which will choake him he rejecteth the vine the Olive and the Fig-tree and addresseth himselfe to the bramble which will nor feed nor shelter him but scratch and pricke goare and torture him Humane observations like the foolish Virgins Lamps are empty there is no light in them Like the Tree in the Gospell which had leaves and no fruit these are no trees of Gods planting no good fruit groweth on them no blessing but a curse attends them These like the sonnes of Sheva have no power to overcome Satan in stead of ministring freedome they imbondage the soule to Satan these like Jobs friends are miserable comforters and Physitians of no value in stead of healing they wound instead of nourishing they destroy in stead of gathering home the soule of man to Christ endearing man to God and bringing him to communion with God and Christ they separate man from God oblige man to Satan and associate the soule with the Devill according to that of the Apostle dissuading the Corinthians from the superstitions and inventions of the Gentiles saying I would not that ye should have fellowship with the Devils ye cannot drinke the cup of the Lord and the cup of the Devils ye cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord and of the table of Devils He that worships God by humane tradition serves not God but Satan as we cannot serve God and Mammon no more can we worship God and an Idoll The sacrifice which is not offered to God with fire from his owne Altar is an abominable oblation whatsoeuer duty act or exercise of Religion hath not Gods word for the rule of it is in Gods interpretation a service of Satan and in stead of pleasing provokes Gods indignation They have moved me to jealousie saith the Lord with that which is not god they have provoked me to anger with their vanities a fire shall be kindled in mine anger and shall burne unto the lowest hell and shall consume the earth with her increase As Christ therefore is come in Gods name furnished with all authority and dominion so let us in every thing receive our commission and direction from him The perfection of Christs authority and dominion and fulnesse of divine abilities presseth man to foure duties towards Christ 1. A duty of Subjection as to him that hath supreame authority We are charged by a voice from heaven to heare him to him is given a name above every name and to him must we make all the faculties of our soules and all the members of our bodies to vaile and stoop as all the sheaves in Josephs vision fell downe before his sheafe To him let us subject our selves 1. Spiritually The end of the commandement is love out of a pure heart arising from an inward principle of true grace Worshipping in Spirit and in truth is the worship which Christ requireth accepteth and wherein he delighteth obedience from an unsanctified heart is but filthy water from an uncleane fountaine and bad fruit of a corrupt tree Christ takes no pleasure in it the sacrifice prayer and whole way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord. 2. To Christ let us subject our selves filially not as slaves for feare of hell but as sonnes for love having a holy affection awing us and making us loath to offend Christ our love to and delight in holinesse moving us to walke in the way of Gods precepts serving him without feare without base and servile feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life 3. To Christ let us be subject universally Moses built the whole Tabernacle after Gods patterne man must build his whole conversation according to Christs prescription that obedience which is not universall is unsound and hypocriticall the Law is one Copulative he that allowes himselfe in the breach of one precept is guilty of the whole Law he that makes not conscience of all truly makes conscience of none It is in vaine with Herod to doe many things reserving an Herodias in our bosomes It is to no purpose with Saul to slay the refuse of the stuffe reserving to our selves the lowing Oxe and bleating Sheep his heart is not right with God that walks not in all the wayes of God he doth truly hate no sinne that labors not the mortification of all sinne As the carefull Scholler therefore writes according to the whole copy so let us have respect to the whole Law of God and as sometime Jonathans armour-bearer said to him Loe I am with thee according to thy heart turne thou which way soever thou wilt Thus let us be with Christ even after Christs owne heart let us be with him which way soever he turnes before us in his word walking with Zachary and Elizabeth in all the ordinances of God 4. To Christ let us subject our selves speedily As Abraham rose up early and put away the bond-woman and her sonne so let us rise up early and put away our sinnes betimes Let us not sleep and slumber like the foolish Virgins with empty Lamps but let us hasten our soules out of sin to Christ as the Angels hasted Lot out of Sodome Let us consider our wayes and turne to the testimonies of the Lord Let us make haste and not delay as the erring traveller hasteneth to his right path Let us remember our Creator in the dayes of our youth and seeke him while he may be found and as Ahimaaz ran as soone as Joab gave him a commission so let us labour to be as ready to obey as Christ to command speedy obedience doth much honour and commend mans service 5. To Christ let us subject our selves freely not mercinarily as hirelings but freely as friends serving Christ for Christ himselfe intending Christ and his glory above our selves in all our services moving to Christ fully and freely as the rivers to the Ocean As Rachels beauty induced Jacob to twice seven yeares service so let Christs beauties the apprehension we have of Christs perfections worke and draw us to a free and ready service of Christ in all difficulties Christ abhorres all basenesse all by and sinister respects in mens services He that serves not Christ for Christ himselfe serves not Christ but himselfe 6. To Christ let us subject stedfastly as the wise to the husband untill death keeping the commandement alwayes unto the end abiding with Christ as Ittai with David in life and in death Perseverance with Christs Jesus crownes mans service He that continueth to the end shall be saved A second duty which the fulnesse
house of God their Father reject the labours of Gods Ministers and follow their owne 〈◊〉 Absence from the house of God argues want of love to God Can you love a man from day to day inviting you preparing a costly feast for you and yet you refuse to come within the threshold of his house and to taste of his dainties Mans absence from the house of God proclaimes the alienation of his heart from God How canst thou say saith Dalilah to Sampson that thou lovest me when thy heart is not with me How canst thou O man say that thou lovest God when thy heart is not with God exciting thee to come to God when thy foot is not with God to carry thee to the house of God when thy eare is not with God to heare the word of God He is far from God in his inward affections who wittingly denies God his bodily presence Estrangement from Gods ordinance provokes God causeth him to become a stranger to us to reject and leave us and to walke as an adversary against us When Vasthi refused to come to the Kings feast at the Kings command it was ordered that Vasthi should come no more before the King and that her royall state should be given unto another better then she Many people refusing to come to God to partake of that feast which God hath prepared for them in his Gospell have been rejected of the Lord excluded from his gracious presence and the Gospell given unto others God will deny that man the comfort of his face and counteance who denyes God his presence in his sacred assembles shamefull and soule-destroying desertion is the usuall attendant of mans refusall of the Gospell When Joah refused to come to Absolon inviting him Absalon sent and set sire in his corne fields Mans rejection of Gods invitations turnes his favour into anger his mercy becomes fury Great were Gods mercies towards Jerusalem great was Jerusalems abuse of Gods goodnesse patience and long-suffering and at the last very dismall was Ierusalems desolation Capernaums fall and destruction was answerable to her exaltation God will make such men desolate at last as leave the house of God desolate now Secondly let it be our care and wisedome not to sleight and undervalue the labours of Gods Ministers and the presence and publication of the Gospell preferring our base and servile lusts above it as Esau did a messe of pottage above his birthright exalting the vaine and empty things of the world above it as the men of Shechem set the bramble above the vine this is the cisterne by which God conveyed the rivers of his grace of his sweetest and choisest blessings to the soules of men therefore doe not deride this as a foolish thing a light an idle a fruitlesse thing as a light head as a babling speech but remember this is Gods ordinance the instrument by which he hath appointed to minister salvation unto man as he ordained to save Israel by the staffe and stone in Davids hand this is the arme and power of God unto salvation this is the fiery pillar by which he will guide us this is the Bethesda in which he will heale us this is the immortall seed by which he will regenerate us this is the greene pasture and still water by which he will leade and feed us this is the trumpet â—t the sound whereof he will make the wals of Jericho the holds of sinne to fall this is the store-house in which the Lord will enrich us this is the banquetting-house in which God will betroth us to his Son Christ Jesus this is the river by which the Lord will water refresh and glad us and this is the Dove by which God will send the live branch of peace unto us Undervalue not this then which is to our soules a Sun of so many bright and comfortable beames a tree loaden with such variety of soule-nourishing fruit a messenger comming with such joyfull peaceable and pacifying tydings a store-house enriching us with such matchlesse treasures and an instrument of the choisest fullest and everlasting blessings How blind are they who sleight the light of this Sun how ignorant are they who disesteeme the worth of this pearle how distempered are their palates who rellish not the sweetnesse of this feast how deafe are their eares who are not affected with this joyfull sound O! how base are they in the eyes of God who have such base apprehensions of Gods Ordinances and the labours of his Ministers God will surely sleight them that sleight his Christ his Gospell or any of Gods appointed instruments and meanes of their salvation Honour therefore and attend the Gospell as the Starre in which Christ the Sun of Righteousnesse doth shine unto you as the cloud whence Christ distilleth like the dew upon you as the fiery pillar wherein Christ goes before you as the Schoole wherein Christ instructeth you as the feast whereat Christ feedeth you as the Physicke by which Christ healeth you and as the fiery charet in which Christ triumphantly carries you to everlasting blisse and glory * ⎠* FINIS THE MYSTERY OF SELF-DENYALL OR THE CESSATION OF Mans living to himselfe AND THE INCHOATION OF CHRISTS living in Man Discoursing of the necessity utility and comfort of mans prostrating himselfe and all that is his under Christ Discovering the danger of Self-seeking Self-admiration and Self-exaltation and also opening the Mystery Comfort and Excellency of Christ living in Man The whole conducing to the working of Man out of himselfe into CHRIST Whosoever will save his life shall lose it and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it Mat. 16.25 They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 By Alexander Grosse B. D. Minister of the Gospell and Pastor of Bridford near Exon in Devon-shire LONDON Printed by G. M. for John Bartlet at the Signe of the Gilt Cup near Saint Austius Gate 1642. THE MYSTERY OF SELF-DENYALL OR THE CESSATION OF Mans living to himselfe AND THE INCHOATION OF CHRISTS living in Man CHAP. I. Gal. 2.20 Neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me THE condition of the man in the Parable travelling between Jerusalem and Jericho is a cleare and lively Embleme of the estate of a Christian The man in the Parable descended from Jerusalem to Jericho Man is fallen from Jerusalem to Jericho from heaven to the world from God to Satan from knowledge to ignorance from holinesse to uncleannesse from liberty to bondage from honour to ignominy from fulnesse to emptinesse from pure and perfect Religion to corrupt and carnall superstition He is wholly gone downe from Jerusalem to Iericho from the participation of all grace from all interest in God and from all communion and acquaintance with God into the servitude of corruption and consortship with the world The sinne of man hath cast him from the top and crowne of the choisest glory into the gulfe
I have Christ who doth quicken me who doth rule and guide and strengthen me by his Spirit now I live spiritually and holily now I live to God and not unto my selfe to Christ and not unto the world now I live under grace and not under the Law now I live according to the will of Christ and not after mine owne lust and fancy now I live indeed formerly I did but seeme to live All life is as nothing yea as a very death in comparison of a holy and gracious life Men without grace are as dead even while they live He that hath not Christ living in him sits in darknesse and the shadow of death all the dayes of his naturall and temporall life as the Apostle said of the Law compared to the Gospell That which was made glorious had no glory by reason of the glory that excelleth so in this case the naturall life of man howsoever deare and precious sweet or glorious it may seeme to be yet it is of no price of no sweetnesse of no glory in comparison of the worth glory sweetnesse and comfort of a spirituall life which excelleth great is that mans happinesse that lives by the life of Christ Jesus Hee is the most blessed and happy of all living persons that lives the life of grace and holinesse CHAP. XII SEcondly this is proposed negatively yet not I. I live in deed and yet I live not in respect of originall The life which I live is not of nature but of grace not of my selfe but of Christ In respect of the rule which guides my life though I live in the flesh yet I live not after the flesh I am not led by my lusts but by the Spirit of Christ I live not after my owne fancy but according to the will of Christ in respect of the meanes by which I live I live not by the chaffe of humane traditions selfe-devises carnall doctrines and inventions of men or superstitious observations but I live by the wheat of Christs doctrine the sincere milke of Gods word this is the staffe and stay of my life In respect of the end or terme to which I live I live not to my selfe I seeke not I exalt not I magnifie not my selfe I propose not mine owne ends but I live to Christ I intend propose and exalt Christ I strive to be all that I am unto Christ In respect of the opinion and apprehension which I have of my selfe I live not as mine owne Lord and Master but I carry my selfe as a crucified man suffering nothing in me to exalt it selfe against Christ but I prostrate all at the feet of Christ I make all to vaile and bow to Christ that Christ may live and reigne in me looke upon my selfe as the chiefe of sinners and the basest of creatures as unworthy of the least of Christs mercies I deny my selfe I allow no place within me to mine owne wisedome and reason to my owne will and affections to mine owne fancy and desires I looke on these as empty lamps that have no light as on false guides and treacherous friends that have no truth I handle these as traitors that conspire against the welfare of my soule I trample and tread these under foot as enemies to my peace I silence these and will not heare them speake I suppresse these and will not suffer them to raigne I mortifie these and will not suffer them to live and thus I live and live not hence we learne That he who lives the life of grace and true holinesse doth wholly deny himselfe his owne ends counsels and affections and altogether prostrates himselfe and all that is his under Christ Iesus He put himselfe and all that he hath under Christ he implyes himselfe and all that he hath for Christ in all that he doth he chiefly minds and intends Christ In Iosephs vision the Sun Moone and eleven Starres these celestiall creatures did obeysance unto him and all the sheaves in the field vailed unto his sheafe in the soule life way and worke of a regenerate man all the supernaturall gifts and graces all the morall abilities and endowments and all the naturall powers and faculties of the soule with all the members of the body all the labours of the life and whatsoever else doe obeysance unto Christ are made subject and serviceable unto Christ True Christians are termed by the Apostle a living sacrifice The sacrifice under the Law was no more his that offered it but the Lords and wholly to be spent in the service of the Lord the Christian who offers himselfe unto God under the Gospell is no more his owne but the Lords to be imployed wholly in the service of the Lord this our Saviour imposeth as a necessary duty and setteth it forth as a cleare and lively character of a true Disciple and sincere Christian If any man saith he will come after me let him deny himselfe and take up his crosse and follow me If any man will come after me as a Scholler after his teacher receiving my instruction as a sheep after his shepheard feeding in my pastures as a souldier after his Centurion fighting my battels as a Subiect after his Soveraigne obeying my commandements as a bride after her bridegroome making me the compleate object of his love and embracing me as the husband of his soule if any man will come after me in the knowledge of my will in the beleefe of my promises in the love of my truth and in the obedience of my precepts Let him deny himselfe Let him lay aside his owne wisedome as an empty lamp his owne will as an evill commander his owne imagination as a false rule his owne affections as corrupt counsellors and his owne ends as base and unworthy marks to be aymed at let him deny himselfe whatsoever is of himselfe within himselfe or belonging to himselfe as a corrupt and carnall man let him goe out of himselfe that he may come to me let him empty himselfe of himselfe that he may be capable of me that I may raigne and rule within him that he may wholly subject himselfe to me and my service there is no true following of Christ and his example no through subjection to Christ and his precepts without the denyall of our selves and our affections without the rejection of our owne ends and counsels this the Apostle stiles a living not unto our selves but unto him that dyed for us not to live unto our selves by following our owne imaginations not to serve our owne lusts and affections not to terminate our selves within our selves by seeking our owne applause and profit by making our selves the Lords and Masters of our service serving our selves and not the Lord Jesus but to live to Christ to doe all in love and obedience unto Christ to referre all to the praise and glory of Christ It is a very base and carnall service which doth not primarily intend the Lord
sweet inspiration and breathing of Gods Spirit assuring him of Gods acceptation of him as our Saviour sought not himselfe nor his owne praise but the praise of his Father made it his meat and drinke to doe his Fathers will and contented himselfe with his Fathers approbation how unworthily soever men thought of him Thus all the members of Christ in proportion seeke not themselves nor the applause of men but the testimony of Christ in this they rejoyce and solace themselves in all things approving themselves to God as good servants in all estates in all changes in all their undertakings and this is the holy glorying rejoycing and comfort of the soule to glory as the Apostle saith in the Lord to glory in the dominion of God subjecting himselfe unto him to glory in the power of God resting upon him to glory in the testimony of God blessing and pleasing himselfe in Gods approbation for not he that commendeth himselfe is approved but whom the Lord commendeth Gods approbation is the crowne and comfort of a Christian and therefore as the wife seeks and rejoyceth in the approbation of her husband though she displease her selfe and all the family to enjoy it Thus the soule which is wedded to Christ seeks the approbation of Christ pleaseth himselfe herein and for the enjoyment whereof will displease his owne flesh and all the world he denies whatsoever is a hinderance hereunto he subjects himselfe wholly unto Christ to gaine and keep the testimony of Christ for as he said of Plato unius Platonis calculum inter mille the approbation of Plato alone was in stead of a thousand so the testimony and approbation of one Christ of Christ alone is more to a gracious soule then the applause of the world or whatsoever the earth can affoord and for these and such like causes doth a man endued with true holinesse deny himselfe his owne ends and counsels and prostrates all under Christ Jesus CHAP. IV. COnsider this then and see the dangerous estate of men not denying themselves and their owne ends and thoughts not subjecting themselves and all that they have to Christ and his service as the Sodomites would not have Lot to be a Judge among them no more will many men have Christ to reigne over them the sonnes of Belial despised Saul and brought him no presents Many like sonnes of Belial despise Christ in his person they see no beauty nor comlinesse in him they despise him in his Gospell they will not vaile to his Scepter they despise him in his Embassadors they deny audience and reverence to their message they despise him in his offices they doe not heare him as their Prophet obey him as their King they doe not beleeve in him as the Priest who hath offered himselfe to God an al-sufficient sacrifice for them they despise him in his lawes they burst them asunder as Sampson burst his wit hs strange and shamefull is the contempt offered by prophane persons to the Lord Jesus and though they professe Christ and pretend Christ will have Christ to be preached and spoken of among them yet as the Philistines though they entertained the Arke yet they set Dagon above and would not endure the presence therof when Dagon fell before it so these men though they outwardly entertaine Christ and give him some place amongst them yet they will set their Dagon their lusts their pride pleasures profits inventions above Christ and if their Dagon fall if Christ begin to shew his power and worke upon their Dagon discover reprove shame and offer to cast downe their lusts and will not suffer these to raigne they grow very weary of Christ his presence is uncomfortable Christ preached in his power ever proves a burthen to the soule where sinne is pleasant and delightfull he that doth not deny himselfe denies Christ he that allowes not Christ a full and universall dominion is a great stranger to selfe-deniall Some deny not their owne wisedome Christ reignes not in their understanding they are wise in their owne eyes they embrace not Christs direction Christ is not in stead of eyes unto them as Hobab was to Moses and Israel in their journeyes through the wildernesse they aske not counsell of Christ but walke after their owne counsell they make not their wisedome to stoop to Christs wisedome and therefore folly dwels with them Christ is not knowne to them he of all men sees least of Christ and continues most foolish that most exalts and magnifies his owne knowledge Some deny not their owne wils they make not Christs will the rule of their will but set up their owne wils to be the rule of Christs will and make their owne will the Law by which they walke as it was foretold of the King of Greece that he should stand up and rule with great dominion and doe according to his will so it is true of these men they stand up against Christ and they rule and sway over Christs Lawes Ministers Ordinances and Offices and doe all things according to their owne will In the dayes of Micah the Idolater there was no King in Israel and every man did that which was right in his owne eyes Thus these men are without a spirituall King Christ doth not reigne in their soules but they doe what is right in their owne eyes they are rebellious people lying children children that will not heare the Law of the Lord which say to the Seer see not and to the Prophets prophesie not unto us right things speake unto us smooth things prophesie to us deceits Christ hath no kingdome in the soule which is swayed by vaine delusion and carnall counsell Some will not deny their owne affections they will not put them under but suffer them to Lord it over Christ Christ hath not the preheminence in their feare trust love joy but as the Lord said to Ely thou honourest thy sons above me so these men honour their affections and lusts above Christ Solomon observed in his time servants riding on horsebacke and Princes walking on foot Euery man may see in these times mens naturall lusts and affections which should like servants be kept under and suppressed humbled brought low and made to walke on foot yet these are set on horsebacke exalted honoured preferred and Christ the Prince of peace and all his ordinances statutes and testimonies which should reigne and rule like Princes in the soule of man these are made like servants to travell on foot these are of no esteeme and price with men these have no rule and sway in the hearts of men Herodias hath preheminence in the heart of Herod above the Baptist a Swine is of more esteeme then Christ with the Gaderine Mans exaltation of his corrupt affections is a foule and shamefull abasement of Christ and his ordinances Some deny not their worldly profits Jesse set David behind
to a full and through denyall of our selves to a hearty free and effectuall subjection of our selves to Christ as Abraham left his kindred habitation countrey and all and followed the Lord going whither the Lord commanded him so let us leave all that is most neare and deare most pleasant and profitable and follow the Lord Jesus doing whatsoever he should enjoyne us As Moses left the Court of Pharaoh refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter and chose rather to endure affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season Thus let us leave the world refuse to be called the sonnes and daughters friends and favourites of the earth and of the prophane men thereof and let us chuse rather to endure affliction reproach disgrace and any thing with Christ in the service of Christ in the enjoyment of Christ rather then enjoy all the pleasures riches honours and comforts of the world without Christ Let us take heed with Paul that we be not brought under the power of any creature or of any lust whatsoever Let us see that our denyall be not 1. a naturall morall or superstitious denyall as some heathen have and many Papists doe in many things deny themselves but let our denyall be a spirituall denyall arising from a principle of grace within inabling us to reigne and rule over our affections to forsake and renounce the motions of our owne corrupt will and reason putting all in subjection under Christ that Christ alone may raigne in our soules 2. Let not our denyall be a forced and constrained denyall as a Mariner in a storme casts away his goods which yet he loves very well but let it be a voluntary and free denyall arising from the hatred and detestation of what doth oppose Christs kingdome in our soules as Amnon hated Thamar and thrust her from him and also from unfained love to Christ as the bride in love to the bridegroome leaves her fathers house to live with and enjoy the bridegroome 3. Let not our denyall be partiall and halting as Saul slew some of the cattell and spared others but let it be universall he that doth not deny all truly denyes none as Joshuah put downe all the Kings of Canaan so depose all leave nothing in the soule to exalt it selfe against Christ to lift up it selfe above Christ 4. Let not our denyall be temporary and vanishing as a bulrush that bowes downe the head for a day as a sicke man denyes himselfe many dainties during his sicknesse and no longer but let it be continuall and constant grow in it a man once dead lives no more but daily rots and consumes away in his grave Thus the world and sinne being once denied once crucified must live no more but daily decay and dye within us And let us not only deny our selves but to our self-denyall joyne subjection unto Christ prostrate all under Christ and to him let us subject our selves holily with obedience out of a pure heart being holy in all manner of conversation as he that hath called us is holy 2. Cordially obeying from the heart root the forme of doctrine delivered us able to say with the Psalmist thy Law O Lord is in my heart I delight to doe thy will 3. Fully let us not indent with Christ as Pharaoh did with Joseph reserving chiefly the Throne unto himselfe but let us put all under Christ let Christ reigne over all in our understandings as a Prophet enlightening us in our wils as a King commanding us in our affections as a Priest mortifying us in our love as a husband marrying us let the whole man be subject unto whole Christ And 4. Perpetually let there be no end of Christs kingdome let his kingdome in our soules like the house of David in Israel grow stronger and stronger And the better to induce us thus to deny our selves and to put all under Christ Looke upon 1. The interest which Christ hath in a Christian as a workman in his workmanship for we are the workmanship of God in Christ created unto good works as a ransomer in the redeemed he hath bought us with a price as a dweller in his house he dwelleth in our hearts by faith as a doner in his gift we are given unto him of God by eternall election and by effectuall vocation Christs interest in us doth challenge full obedience from us none hath such claime and title to us none should have such service and subjection from us 2. The relation between us and Christ a relation of King and people husband and wise shepheard and flocke head and members in all which we may reade as in lively characters the duty of selfe-denyall and obedience 3. The subjection and putting of all things under Christ He hath all power both in heaven and earth he is made the head over all things to the Church all is Christs servant It is a great wrong to the Master of the house to draw away the service and obedience of his servant from him to exalt his servant above him The withholding of any thing from the service of Christ the setting up of any thing in the roome of Christ is a great dishonour to Christ 4. The abuse of all things which are here made subiect and serviceable unto Christ. There is in every thing a power and a disposition to doe some service to Christ to worke to the exaltation of Christ they are all made for this end and use they have an energy and inclination hereunto there is in all the implements of a house an artificiall aptitude to doe some service to the Master of the house there is in all the things of the little house of man and in this great house of the world a virtuall aptitude to doe some service to Christ the Master of this house all things saith the Apostle are of him by creation through him by preservation and to him in their service use and application and whatsoever man hath which he doth not put under Christ which he doth not use as an instrument of Christs glory he doth abuse it the gold and silver lands and livings art and learning friends and acquaintance understanding will memory affections speech or whatsoever else man hath he doth abuse and prophane it he doth divert and turne it from its true and proper inclination end and appointment when he doth not glorifie Christ with it Know you not saith the Apostle that your bodies are the members of Christ shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of an harlot God forbid Thus know we not that that all the faculties of our soules all the members of our bodies and all things else are the gifts and creatures of Christ shall we then take the gifts and creatures of Christ and use them against and not for Christ God forbid 5. The sweet
disguised himselfe and went into the battell as a common man when yet he was indeed the King of Israel Thus many disguise themselves enter the profession of Christ as if they were humble and mortified men when yet they are Kings for their pride self-conceit and high opinion of their owne worth their change is onely in appearance not in truth outwardly they have sheeps cloathing the shew of sanctity humility and self-denyall inwardly they are ravening wolves Though they know themselves to have Lyons teeth yet like the Locusts in the Revelation they put on the haire of a woman and the face of a man they pretend much love to God much curtesie and kindnesse unto man and yet they truly love neither God nor man they draw nigh with their lips but their heart is farre from God they fast from bodily food with the Pharisees but they feast and feed their soules with pride they hang downe their heads with them in the Prophet like a bulrush but their hearts stand upright these are nothing humbled their denyall is not cordiall sincere and true it is onely superficiall formall and seeming as the Devill appeared in the likenesse of Samuel but was not Samuell so these appeare in the likenesse of penitent mortified humble men men dead to the world yet in truth they are not so therefore the Apostle saith of such they seeme to be religious As a painted man seemes to be a man and yet is no man but a rotten post as an exhalation seemes to be a bright and shining Starre and yet is no Starre but a vanishing vapor as he in Solomon made himselfe rich and yet had nothing Of such our Saviour saith they appeare righteous before men As whited sepulchers appeare beautifull outward but are within full of dead mens bones and of all uncleannesse as Ixion in the fable embraced a cloud in stead of Juno so many under the Gospell take the shadow in stead of the substance of self-denyall 6. By denying himselfe Sinisterly and politickely to deceive others to insinuate himselfe into others to accomplish some earthly project with the more facility As the Gibeonites came to Joshuah with old shooes and old garments and rent bottles as if they had come a long journey and thus politickely drew Joshuah to make a league with them In like sort many pretend self-denyall mortification the putting off the old man to procure the favour of Gods servants to increase their worldly profits to accomplish their owne sinister ends oftentimes men bring about and finish most mischievous designes and enterprises under a pretence of godlinesse mortification humility and meeknesse Simeon and Levi cloake the massacring of the Sichemites with the conscience of Circumcision Herod intending to kill Christ pretends the worship of Christ Iezabel plotting the death of Naboth proclaimes a fast ordaines a day of humiliation the Crocodile first weeps upon man and then kils and makes a prey of him Such Crocodiles are these men who under a pretence of teares repentance and self-denyall deceive and make a prey of their brethren 7. By denying himselfe vain-gloriously many men doe much and goe outwardly very farre in the way of self-denyall for the praise of men Iacob to get Isaacks blessing put on Esau's clothes and some men to get the blessing of mens applause and praise put on the outward habit of truly mortitied men the Pharisees were very liberall in their almes very frequent in their prayers very severe in outward appearance in their fastings and all this they did to be seen of men to gaine the praise of men for this men may and doubtlesse some doe give their goods to the poore and their bodies to the prison to the fire Wherefore else doth the Apostle say If I give my goods to the poore and my body to be burned and have not Love I am nothing Vaine men are carried by their self-love to suffer martyrdome as true love carries Gods children Gods glory carries his children to suffer death that God may be honoured and to this pride and vain-glory carryes some men that their name may be magnified Many who will suffer nothing for God out of true love and affection will suffer much for themselves out of an ambitious humour of vaine boasting and ostentation They that care little for a name with God that doe nothing for Gods approbation will many times doe much for a name with men for mens praise and commendation He that doth not humble and abase himselfe that God may be exalted is deceitfully humbled 8. By denying himselfe Temporarily to walke heavily with Ahab for a few dayes to bow downe the head for a day with the bulrush is an hypocriticall and counterfeit self-denyall false denyall may bow and bring a man very low as Nebuchadnezzars tree was brought to a stump but as that stump was bound with bands of brasse and yron fast tyed and not rooted up and therefore sprung and sprouted up againe thus many men are very deeply humbled for the present but their inward lusts not being truly mortified and plucked up by the roots but fast bound up within them they sprout and spring againe after some dew of temporall ease and peace hath a little distilled and dropt upon them they returne againe with the dog to the vomit and with the Sow to the mire That self-denyall which is not constant and increasing is built upon a false foundation He never truly denyed himselfe for God that doth not abide and hold out to the end with God the hypocrite is off and on he changeth like the clouds sometimes moving low and sometimes mounted on high sometimes following the Sunne and sometimes moving against the motion of the Sunne The hypocrite will not alwayes delight himselfe in the Almighty he will not alwayes call upon God whatsoever pretence of piety or love he make towards God like Orpah to Naomi yet as she forsooke Naomi so will he forsake the Lord but the meeke shall increase his strength the truly humble and mortified man shall hold out and abide to the end as his other works so his self-denyall shall be more at last then at first the longer he liveth in the estate of grace the more his lusts are mortified the more his owne wisedome will thoughts affections desires and carnall ends and purposes are denyed CHAP. XI IT may be yet further here demanded how a man may comfort himselfe touching the truth of this holy and gracious worke of self-denyall finding and feeling many lusts yet remaining and rising up within him and rebelling as the Apostle saith against the law of his mind sometimes captivating overswaying and leading him away to the minding and seeking of himselfe and serving of his owne base affections To this I answer that in this case and estate a man may comfort himselfe and assure himselfe of the truth of his self-denyall 1.
to burne within them in hearing as the hearts of the two Disciples did this fire this heavenly heate is wanting and therefore all their service is but as a sacrifice without fire of no use of no acceptance with the Lord. 4. Their services if you observe their end are arrowes levelled to a low marke A dead man cannot lift himselfe up from the earth A man without Christ and empty of spirituall life cannot looke above himselfe and his owne flesh in any thing he doth The effect ever suites with the cause the thorne cannot beare figges the fruit is answerable to the nature of the Tree He that hath nothing of God in him cannot intend God in his undertaking he that is alienated from the life of God cannot worke for God That saith our Saviour which is of the flesh is flesh fleshly disposed intending the flesh and nothing else doing all for himselfe seeking his owne things and not the things which are Christs his owne profit his owne ease his owne applause he serves not the Lord Jesus but his owne belly as Saint Paul speakes and thus the originall the nature adjunct and end of a carnall mans works demonstrate them to be dead works of no esteem with God how glorious soever in the eyes of men As Christ is the Author and worker of Spirituall life so the glory and the praise of all grace and holinesse of the whole spirituall life of Christians is to be attributed unto Christ Jesus Christ is the everlasting Father from whom we have our new birth the high and heavenly workman from whom we have our spirituall being and new Creation the life by whom we are quickened the Sun by whom we are enlightened the Physitian by whom we are healed Christ Jesus is the fountaine of all grace and goodnesse life and holinesse to true beleevers they are all members enlivened by this head Stars enlightened by this Sunne fields manured by this husbandman houses builded by this Architect and vessels filled by this fountaine the praise of all mans grace and holinesse is due to Christ Jesus Art thou awakened out of thy spirituall sleep and slumber it is Christ hath done it as the Angell awakened Peter the Lyon by his cry awakens his young Christ the Lyon of the Tribe of Judah by his mighty voice in the Gospell awakens Gods chosen Are the eyes of thy understanding enlightened Christ is the light who hath enlightened thee as he opened the eyes of him that was borne blind Art thou cleansed from thy sinne it is Christ who is the refiners fire and the fullers sope that hath purged thee as Jordan cleansed Naaman from his leprosie Art thou delivered from the prison of thy corruption and the bondage of Satan it is Christ hath brought thee forth as the Angell brought Peter out of Herods prison Hast thou liberty to come to God by faith and love it is Christ hath made thee free in thy understanding to discerne the things of God in thy will to chuse and intend God in thy imagination to thinke upon God in thy memory to remember God in thy affections to feare trust love and rejoyce in God in thy eares to attend to the word of God in thine eyes to behold God in his works in thy tongue to speake of God to the edification of others and to celebrate God for his mercies Christ is the Authour and workman of all Christian freedome Art thou filled with the gifts and graces of Gods Spirit Christ is the fountaine that hath filled thee all thy receivings are of Christs fulnesse as the branches are filled by the root and the Starres by the Sunne Hast thou reconciliation and acceptation with God it is Christ that hath brought thee nigh to God procured favour for thee with the Lord as Joseph procured favour for his brethren with the King of Egypt Christ is the beloved in whom thou art accepted Art thou able to endure temptation to undergoe the heavy burthen of affliction Christ is the rocke that sustaines thee as the rocke in the Parable sustained the house from sinking when the winds and waves did beate and blow upon it Christ is the Arke that beares thee up as Noah was borne up in the Deluge Christ is the shield and buckler and wall of fire that defends thee it is Christs power in thee it is Christs presence with thee as with the three children in the fiery furnace that strengthens and inables thee to hold out that makes thee victorious over all opposing powers In a word it is Christ that works all thy works of grace and peace faith and love hope and patience constancy and perseverance in thee he begins the life of grace within thee and continues it to the life of glory Ascribe therefore to the Lord Jesus the praise of all thy goodnesse acknowledge him to be the giver of all thy gifts the Authour of all thy holy and gracious works the Sunne that hath enlightened thy darknesse the quickning Spirit who hath enlivened and freed thee from thy deadnesse the Physitian who hath healed thy diseases the Counsellor who hath resolved thee in all thy doubtings the fiery pillar who hath gone before thee protecting and guiding thee in all thy goings the Moses rod which hath divided the waters and made a passage for thee through the red Sea of all thy afflictions the Captaine who hath overcome for thee in all thy Conquests and the King who of his owne mercy crownes thee and his owne works in thee after all thy tryals Let Christ have the glory of all from thee because he accomplisheth all for thee by his living in thee CHAP. XXI THe third thing in these words is an Act liveth Christs living in man the soule liveth in the body enlivening preserving and strengthening the body and Christ liveth in man enlivening man with the life of grace preserving man in the estate of grace strengthening him with all might according to his glorious power Christ is the soule of our soules the quickning Spirit by whom we are spiritually enlivened Christ by the supernaturall gracious and powerfull operation of his Spirit raising us to newnesse or life and living in us by this powerfull and holy worke of his Whence observe That Christ lives in Gods children by his holy and powerfull worke of Sanctification The Spirit of the living creatures in Ezekiels vision was in the wheeles and when the living creature went they went and when the living creature was lifted up they were lifted up because the Spirit of the living creature was in the wheeles Thus the Spirit of Christ is in the children of God and they live as Christ lives they move according to Christs prescription because the Spirit of Christ is in them because Christ lives in them and works effectually by his Spirit upon them putting a Principle of spirituall life into them The Prophet Elisha applyed himselfe to the woman of
no mixture or glimpse of spirituall light Very sad and sorrowfull is that soules darkenesse which is estranged from the Sunne of Righteousnesse 3. Man that is without Christ is without grace without holinesse Naaman without Jordan was overspread with a lothsome leprosie there is a very filthy leprosie of uncleannesse upon them that partake not of Christ For Christ as the Apostle saith is our Sanctification effectively as the worker of it originally as the head and spring from whence it is derived without whom our soules are as empty of grace as the cisterne of water without the fountaine as full of errour superstition pride and prophanenesse as Baals house of Idolaters as full of earthly mindednesse and covetous practises as the sluggards field of thornes and bryars as full of hypocrisie deceitfulnesse and unrighteousnesse as the Pharisees Sepulchers of dead mens bones or the Temple of money-changers before Christ whipt them out Our soules are indeed a very sinke of uncleannesse untill Christ doth possesse us 4. Man that is without Christ is without Liberty Peter without the Angell continued in Herods prison without the Lord Jesus man remaines the prisoner of Satan the world and his owne corrupt affections Every unregenerate man is a miserable bond-man led away captive at the will of Satan unable to make any resistance against him a voluntary slave refusing liberty tendred to him loving darkenesse more then light and Satans prison better then Christs Palace having no liberty in his understanding to discerne the things of God in his imagination to meditate and thinke upon them in his will to chuse them or in his affections to love prize and delight himselfe in them The Liberty of the soule estranged from Christ Jesus is nothing else but bondage He that is most free to sinne is the greatest slave to Satan where Christ is not there is no Life quickning there is no Sunne enlightening there is no Conquerour dissolving the holds of Satan there is no dew suppling and softening the hard and fallow ground of mans heart There is no fire warming the cold and frozen affections and therefore no liberty from corruption no inclination to the wayes and works of sanctification It is only Christ Jesus that ministers to the soules of Gods servants freedome from uncleannesse and liberty to true holinesse 5. Man that is without Christ is without acceptation with God Christ is Gods beloved in whom man is accepted Man that is out of Christ beares not Gods Image is not Gods gracious workmanship is estranged from Gods Covenant hath no love of God within him is the slave of Satan the servant of the world and a very sinke of corruption He is no Tree of Righteousnesse of Gods planting no childe of Gods begetting no loyall Subject of Gods Kingdome no vessell of Gods gracious filling no partaker of Christs Righteousnesse to cloath and cover him he brings forth no fruit to God but all to himselfe to the flesh and to the world and therefore can have no aceptation with God Joseph his brethren might not looke him in the face unlesse they brought their brother Benjamin with them Man cannot looke God in the face with my confidence or acceptance unlesse he bring Christ with him in the armes of his faith Mans person and service finds acceptance with God only in and through Christ Jesus without Christ man is stubble and God a consuming fire to destroy him Man is a guilty malefactor and God a severe Judge to condemne him the whole of man without Christ Jesus is a very abomination in Gods presence 6. Man that is without Christ is without Contentation In Christ the soule meets with all satisfaction and fulnesse He is a Sun in whom the beleeving soule beholds all fulnesse of light a precious Iewell in whom he finds all fulnesse of worth a rocke in whom he feeles all fulnesse of strength a fountaine from whom he drawes all fulnesse of satisfaction and a Paradise in whom he enjoyes all fulnesse of pleasures but without Christ the soule finds vanity and emptinesse in the greatest abundance the wife findeth an emptinesse in a rich and full house the husband being absent Christ wanting the soule meets with vanity in the largest possession Christ is the marrow and the fâ—tnesse the fulnesse and the sweetnesse of all our endowments separate Christ from them and they are bitter and doe not please us weake and doe not sustaine us empty and doe not fill us dumbe and doe not comfort us It is not the abundance of any thing but Christ comming with it that gives contentation whether the thing be much or little Without Christ the desire is enlarged as hell and never satisfied the Lord Jesus is the choise and onely fulnesse of all Christians 7. Man without Christ is without all spirituall splendor and beauty The Sunne is the glory of the world the eye is the glory of the head the soule of the body the jewell is the glory of the Ring the Flowers Herbs Trees and Fruit are the glory of the Garden and the Field the Arke was the glory of Israel and Christ is the glory of the Christian stiled the light of the Gentiles and the glory of Israel being both the Author and the matter of their glory Their glory in respect of instruction as the teacher is the glory of the Schoole in respect of vivification as the soule is the glory of the body in respect of Redemption as the ransomer is the glory of the captive in respect of Conquest as David was the glory of Israel overcomming the great Goliah in respect of Justification as the garment is the glory of him that weares it in respect of Sanctification as Jordan was the glory of Naaman cleansing him from his leprosie in respect of repletion as the fountaine is the glory of the cisterne and in respect of wise and powerfull gubernation gracious and plentifull ministration as the King is the glory of the Kingdome the shepheard of the flocke and as Joseph was the glory of the Land of Egypt ministring provision to it He that partakes most of Christ Jesus is the most beautifull and glorious of all others but man without Christ is without all spirituall beauty in regard of ignorance as a darke house without light even darkenesse it selfe in regard of nakednesse as a man without a garment naked miserable and wretched having no other cloathing then a menstrous clout to cover him led by Satan like Egypt by the Assyrians naked barefoot his buttockes yea the whole man uncovered in regard of spirituall contagion and foul-sicknes his soule like the body of Lazarus full of sores or like the body of Job full of sore boiles from the sole of his foot unto his crowne loathsome and incurable are the soules-maladies which hath not Christ as a Physitian to heale him in regard of the plenitude and fulnesse of all sinne like the sluggards field in Salomon full of
nettles thornes and bryars wanting Christ the great husband man to manure and dresse him and in regard of the residence of Satan in him as a cage of uncleane birds in regard of the presence and inhabitation of loathsome lusts as a sepulchre full of dead mens bones in regard of the dominion of corruption as a dead man under the power of death in whom is no beauty left and in regard of the sordidnesse and basenesse of his practise way and order of his life as a Sow wallowing in the mire fowle and shamefull horrid and loathsome is mans uncomelinesse without Christ The greatest sinner is the fowlest monster bodily beauty without Christ is but greene grasse upon a rotten grave or a faire garment upon a leprous backe Did man see his uncomelinesse and deformity without Christ he would stile himselfe as the Prophet stiled Pashur Magor-missabib feare round about every way a terrour to himselfe 8. Man without Christ is without honour He is no Sonne of God but one of Satans spurious brood no Free man but a slave to Satan and his owne corruption no Spouse of Christ but a spirituall harlot committing fornication with the world no Conquerour but a captive led away by divers lusts no friend nor favourite of God but an alien and enemy in Gods account likened to the dung and the drosse the chaffe and stubble for their emptinesse basenesse and vilenesse in the sight of God being base in their corrupt originall In their carnall disposition base in their understandings wise onely to doe evill base in their wils chusing the evill and refusing the good base in their imaginations minding onely low things base in their feare trust love ioy fearing where no feare is fearing man that shall dye and the sonne of man which shall be made as grasse trusting in an arme of flesh leaning upon a withered reed loving and setting his eyes on that which is not and rejoycing in a thing of nought and base in all their intendments the satisfying of the lusts of the flesh are the highest marke to which they levell the arrowes of all their endeavours The whole way and practise of man without Christ Jesus savours of nothing but basenesse He that hath not Christ to innoble him is most ignoble in his inward disposition in his outward condition in all his undertaking We may say of them as Job did of some of his time They are children of fooles yea children of base men they are viler then earth He that is the greatest stranger to Christ Iesus is the most base of all creatures 9. Man without Christ is without peace Christ is the Prince of peace his Subjects are the onely Subjects of peace God is in none but in Christ reconciling the world unto himselfe Josephs brethren found favour with Pharaoh onely through Joseph Christ alone is the Authour of reconciliation between God and man peace is preached onely by Christ Jesus God Ministers are the instruments of peace onely to such persons as embrace the Lord Iesus and Christ saith the Apostle is our peace the revealer the procurer and the worker of peace in al◠the children of peace Man that is without Christ is an enemy to the God of peace a stranger to the Covenant of peace uncapable of the word of peace an alien to the way of peace and full of sinne the maine impediment of peace to him therefore that wants Christ there is no peace No true no spirituall no heavenly peace no joy and peace in the Holy-Ghost Sinne is mans trouble but Christ is mans peace He that is full of sinne and empty of Christ hath nothing to doe with peace Joram once asking is it peace Jehu was answered What hast thou to doe with peace so long as the whoredomes of thy mother Iezabel and her witchcrafts are so many Carnall man asking Is it peace O Messenger of God can looke for no other but Jehu's answer what hast thou to do O carnall man with peace so long as thy lusts are so strong within thee thy fornications with the creature so many and thy estrangement from and rebellions against the Prince of peace so great His thoughts of peace are all vile and base delusions who continues empty of Christ the sole dispencer of peace to all beleeving soules Lastly and in a few words Man without Christ is without protection He hath no shield to defend him in the day when Satan makes warre upon him He hath no helper to rescue him when the prince of darkenesse the world and his owne lusts besiege him He is without supportation and must sinke like the house built upon the sand in the houre when the winds and waves of affliction doe beate upon him He is without remission the Law stands like the hand writing in Belshazzars wall against him and fils him with dismall feare and trembling his sinnes are upon him and he must dye in them He is without blessing all becomes a curse unto him all without Christ is bitter like the waters of Marah without the Tree He is without salvation there is no other name given under heaven whereby he may be saved He that is without Christ is a childe without nurse his soule doth starve a City without a Watchman the enemy makes a prey of him a Ship without a Pilot his soule splits upon the rockes of desperation when the stormy tempest of an accusing conscience begins to tosse and shake him He is a sicke man without a Physitian he dyes in the disease that is upon him He is a withered branch without root prepared fewell for everlasting burning Surely mans basenesse wretchednesse woes and miseries continuing a stranger to Christ Jesus doe even surpasse the expression of the tongues of men and Angels O how are they beyond measure stupid blockish and sencelesse who please and blesse themselves in their impieties in an estate of estrangement from Christ Iesus O how should the meditation of mans misery without Christ set his soule on worke to get interest in Christ CHAP. IV. Declaring mans great cause of humiliation for being without Christ and also discovering the cause of mans undervaluing Christ THe meditation of mans alienation from Christ in his naturall estate ministers matter of Humiliation unto man man in his naturall condition having nothing of Christ within him and this is the misery of all miseries to be empty of Christ Jesus neither doth the want of any thing minister such cause and matter of humiliation as the want of Christ Hagar wept because her bottle was empty of waters Hannah was in great bitternesse because her wombe was barren shut up from child-bearing The women in the day of Famine cryed helpe ô King Micah ran too and fro like a man besides himselfe when his Idoll his imaginary God was taken and carried from him what is the want of children of bread and water to the want of Christ or the losse of
as a dweller by his generall and common influence as a root in the branches ministring preservation to all creatures and by his Ordinances and Prophets as a teacher in his Schoole yea he came among his owne among the Iewes by incarnation in the visible â—orme of a man but the world neither knew him nor his own received him they know not the necessity of Christ the men of the old world knew not the necessity of the Arke untill it was too late and therefore they entred not into it The Elders of Gilead at first knew not their necessity of Iepâ—ta and therefore expelled him out of his Fathers House Mens ignorance of the necessity of Christ makes them regardlesse of getting interest in Christ and causeth them profanely to reject Christ they know not the worth and excellency of Christ and therefore they set the empty things of the world above Christ as the Philistines set Dagon above the Arke and Esau preferred a messe of pottage above his birth-right they know not the holy and gracious dispensations of Christ and therefore they preferre the ministrations of the Earth above the ministrations of Christ as the men of Shechem prefâ—rred the bramble above the Vine They know not the Alsufficiency and fullnesse of Christ and therefore they exalt the creature a vaine and empty thing above Christ as Israel in the Prophet preferred the broken cisterne above the living fountaine They know not the sweetnesse and pleasantnesse of the face and love of Christ and therfore they prize the love and favour of the world above the love of Christ as Harlots sometimes doe the love of base and deformed strangers above the love of their owne honourable and comely Husbands Christ is never precious in the eyes of such persons as are under the power of spirituall blindnesse 2. Men being without Christ doe not taste the sweetnesse and goodnesse of Christ he doth not relish well with their palates He is not sweet and savoury to their soules they have not tasted how good Christ is there is a goodnesse of illumination of regeneration sanctification spirituall freedome consolation contentation and pacification flowing from Christ to the soules of men which to carnall men is a sealed well whose waters their palates never tasted an ecclipsed Starre with whose light their eye was never affected they taste not the sweetnesse of Christ in the illumination of their understandings as the eye tastes the sweetnesse of the light Christ is not sweet to them in his ordinances as the Master of the Feast to the guest in his dainties these are not to them a feast of marrow of fat things and of wine well refined upon the lees for the delight and refreshment comfort and contentment which they minister Christ is not sweet to them in his Ministers as a mercifull King in his Embassadours bringing tidings of peace to the people Christ is not sweet to them in his gracious distillations as the cloud in the raine is sweet unto the dry earth They cannot say of Christ as the Spouse did As the Apple-tree among the Trees of the wood so is my Beloved among the sonnes I sate downe under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my tast Nothing savours well with their palates but things carnall and worldly to them the bread of deceit and stolne waters are sweet but they savour not the things of God Barzillai excused himselfe from going to Davids house from eating of Davids meat because he could not tast what he did eat or what he did drinke nor could heare any more the voyce of singing men or of singing women Carnall men decline the House of God and the Feast which Christ there maketh because they cannot tast the things of God nor heare the spirituall melody which Christ there makes to the soules of his servants Mens not tasting of Christ in his ordinances and in his graces makes him of no esteem with their soules 3. Men being without Christ have no love to Christ he is not the fairest of ten thousand in their eyes they love not the Lord Jesus as the Bridegroome to whom their soules are married as the choisest pearle by whom they are enriched as the son of consolation with whose beames their soules are comforted as the fountain by whom their hearts are refreshed and their desires every way satisfied Their love to Christ is not like the love of Jonathan to David a love wonderfull and passing the love of women there is no sutablenesse betweene Christ and their soules as between the hearts of lovers they meditate not upon Christ as lovers upon their love they delight not themselves in Christ as the rich-man in the treasure and the bride in the bridegroome which they love their hearts and their thoughts are upon the world and not upon Christ they love the world and the love of Christ is not in them and where love to Christ is wanting Christ is of no estimation he will put himselfe upon no service nor undergoe no difficulties for Christ who is destitute of love to Christ Mans prizing of Christ is ever sutable to the love of man towards Christ hee that hath great love to Christ will doe great things for Christ he that hath no love to him will give every base thing preheminence above him 4. Men being without Christ take no pleasure in Christ they doe not delight themselves in Christ diseased eyes have no pleasure in the Sun distempered palates have no pleasure in the choysest wine Christ is a trouble to men that are corrupt and carnall as the Starre was to Herod and the men of Hierusalem Christ is a very great crosse and trouble to their corruptions he fals heavy upon them they cannot stand before him no more then Dagon before the Arke and therfore Christ is a great offence to them as the Ark to the Philistines Christ is not to them a plaine and pleasant way they cannot according to the Apostles phrase walke in Christ by believing Christs Promises by obeying Christs Precepts by conforming themselves to Christs Example with fulnesse and chearfulnesse as a Travellor walks fully and joyfully in a plain and pleasant path they cannot walk in the light of Christ as a man walks joyfully in the light of the Sun in the strength of Christ as the Rider moves speedily in the strength of the Horse which carries him as the Ship rows in the strength of the wind which drives him and the Prophet walked to Mount Horeb in the strength of the Barly cake which fed him they cannot walk in the love of Christ as Jacob walked thorough his service in the love of Rachel Christ and his way and worke is not thus pleasant to them they can no more walk in Christ then David could in Sauls armour they doe no sooner try it but they are presently weary of it We cannot say of them and
Christ as David did of Saul and Jonathan They were lovely and pleasant in their lives and in their death they were not divided they were swifter then the Eagles they were stronger then Lyons No they take no pleasure in Christ in their lives and they are divided from Christ in their deaths the way of Christ is to them a way of thornes they move slowly in Christs service like Pharaohs Chariots without wheels the waters of Gods wrath overwhelming them at the last Christ is to them a rocke of offence and a stone of stumbling to beleevers he is an elect and precious stone for his great worth in himsâ—lfe the price they put upon him the enrichment they receive from him a living stone quickning them a stone of strength supporting them but to other men thorough their infidelity pride and profane refusall he is a stone of offence they have no delight in his Doctrine they are offended in him they guash their teeth at him they thinke dishonourably of him in his offices in his ordinances in his Ministers and in his attendants Under the Law if a man delighted not in his wife he gave her a bill of divorce The man under the Gospell that takes no delight in Christ divorceth himselfe from Christ observes not his Covenant with-draws himselfe from Christ puts no more price upon him hath no better esteeme of him then a hard hearted Israelite of his divorced wife Man doth ever evidence his high esteeme of Christ by his pleasure delight and joy in Christ He that doth not rejoyce in him puts a very unworthy price upon him 5. Men being without Christ have no longing after Christ it is the having of Christ in measure and in truth that breeds fervent and unfained longings after Christ no man more desires Christ then he that enjoyes most of Christ No man so contents himselfe without Christ as he that never savingly enjoyed any thing of Christ he that never knew what liberty was is well pleased with a servile estate he that never saw the Sun pleases himselfe in darknesse man that never discerned the beauty and brightnesse of the Son of Righteousnesse that never knew the liberty and comforts which Christ ministers pleaseth himself in his spirituall bondage applauds himselfe in his blindnesse and ignorance and saith with them in Job Depart from us we care not for the knowledge of thy wayes He doth not long after Christ as David after the waters of Bethell he doth not cry for Christ as Rachel did for children he thinkes like Esau in another case that he hath enough already he imagineth that he is rich and full and wants nothing the soul that is wholy estranged from Christ is farre from longing after Christ the Disciples did first eat of the bread which Christ gave them and then they cryed Lord give us evermore of this bread It is mans tast of Christ mans feeding upon Christ that makes him long after Christ The experience which the Spouse in Salomon had of the bridegroomes love moved her to intreat the kisses of his mouth Let him kisse me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better then wine Christians are first Passive and then Active in their love to Christ-ward love like the heat of the Sun first descends and then it ascends Christs love to us begets our love to him Christs love was first over the Spouse as a Banner and then she was sicke of love to him Lazarus lay fast in the grave the Earth was his bed his palace his resting place and all in all till Christ raysed him Man lyes fast in the grave of sin the world the Earth the things here below are his bed his palace his Paradise he minds nothing els till Christ doth quicken him The strange woman in Salomons Song marvelled what Christ the Churches Beloved was they mused why she should be sick of love toward him why she made such great inquiry after him Carnall men thinke Gods people besides themselves in being so earnest after Christ so zealous for Christ they marvell why they are so inquisitive in their hearings prayers fastings meditations and conferences after Christ Jesus they wonder what Christ is more then any other Beloved as gold silver honours pleasures having no love nor longings in themselves after Christ they muse at the love and longings of others and as they long not after him they put no price upon him shew no respect to him but set him with David behind the Ewes give him the least and lowest yea even no roome at all in their hearts Christ is of no esteem with man untill he comes within man and makes the soul of man his gracious habitation CHAP. V. Opening the folly of man in retaining his sinne and contenting himselfe without Christ. 4. THe meditation of mans estrangement from Christ in his naturall and corrupt estate opens the exceeding great folly of man in being loath to change his corrupt estate to put off the old man as unwilling to forsake his carnall condition as Micah his Idoll though this separate and keepe him from Christ make him uncapable of Christ exclude him from all claime and title to Christ and this is the folly of all follies to retaine any thing which may exclude man from Christ or hinder mans fruition and enjoyment of Christ he that by retaining his sin keeps himself from Christ abides in darknes and chooseth darknes rather then light sicknesse rather then health bondage rather then liberty famin rather than fulnes woes and miseries rather than joyes and comforts curses rather than blessings basenes rather than honour the leprosie rather then beauty what shall I say death rather than life hell rather than heaven and evelasting consortship with the Divell in endlesse burnings rather than communion with God and Christ in everlasting rejoycings Men are easily perswaded to leave sicknes for health darknes for light straw for pearls thraldome for liberty the tempest for a calme c. But men are uneasily perswaded to leave their sin for Christ to deny themselves and forsake the world for Christ as Elisha left his friends and his yoakes of Oxen to follow Elijah This is a perswasion beyond the Rhetorick Art and Eloquence of man and Angell yea of Christ himselfe as he was man and a Minister of the Gospell for thus may you here him in the dayes of his flesh expostulating and pleading with reproving and upbraiding the men of Jerusalem O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered you together even as a Hen doth gather her Chickens under her wings and you would not and again you may behold him weeping over that City and saying O that thou hadst known in this thy day the things belonging to thy peace but now they are hidden from thine eyes And of old also may you heare him complayning in the
mouth of the Prophet I have laboured in vaine I have spent my strength for nought and in vain None but God can perswade Japhet to dwell in the Tents of Shem. Such is mans aversenesse from Christ that God alone can worke man into Christ But perhaps some will say What is this to us We are all borne within the pale of Christs-Church we are all baptized into Christ we have all put on Christ therefore no such folly no such estrangement in us and our soules from Christ To this I answer It is one thing to be in Christ by an Ecclesiasticall Generation and birth within the Church Another thing to be in Christ by spirituall Regeneration and new-birth being borne againe of Christ it is one thing to be in Christ Sacramentally by participation of the outward ordinance and element another thing to be in Christ spiritually by participation of the inward grace it is one thing to be in Christ by an outward and formall profession another thing to be in Christ by an internall and gracious incorporation They are not all Israel which are of Israel neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children If you demand therefore how a man may discerne his being without Christ I answer a mans being out of Christ may among many be discerned by these Characters or marks therof 1. By being without the Spirit and Grace of Christ He that is without the light of the Sun is without the Sun If any man saith S. Paul have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his He is without Christ he that hath not the Spirit of Christ enlightning him savingly to know God as a childe his father with an affective knowledge regenerating and endowing him with a child-like affection to God and Christ reviving and quickning him to live to God and Christ Jesus in true holinesse incorporating him into Christ and making him partaker of Christs fullnesse Sanctifying and cleansing him from his sin as the water doth wash the spots from the flesh directing and guiding him to walke aright in the waies of God and to doe the things pleasing to God as the hand of the teacher guides the hand of the learner to write according to the copy He that hath not the Spirit thus working upon him thus framing and disposing his heart hath not Christ for he that is in Christ as a living member by spirituall union as a son by adoption he is a new creature old things are passed away and all things are become new When Christ came into the Temple he purged his Fathers house he overturned the mony-tables he drove out the buyers and the sellers When Christ cometh into man takes his holy habitation in the soule of man he throwes downe the holds of sinne he drives out all corrupt and carnall lusts he purgeth the heart of man and makes it a holy house when Naaman put himselfe into Jordan his Leprosie departed from him Man that is put into Christ by Faith is cleansed from the Leprosie of his sin Faith purifieth his heart and every man that hath this hope purifieth himselfe even as Christ is pure his thoughts of being in Christ Jesus who remaines under the power of prophanenesse are meere delusions Reigning ungodlinesse disanâ—ls all communion with Christ Jesus He that walks not in Christ is a stranger to Christ Where there is no expression of true and saving grace there is no evidence of being in Christ 2. By being in Subjection under any lust one raigning sin destroyes the life of the soule an evill Herbe made the Prophets pot a pot of death one ruling lust makes the soule the Subject of spirituall death the breach of one Covenant forfets the whole Lease allowance of the soule in the breach of one Commandement makes forfeture of whole Christ One Sheba blew the Trumpet and drew all Israel into Rebellion against David One ruling sin makes the whole man a Rebell against Christ One raigning sin so blinds the understanding that it cannot savingly discerne Christ as one moat so blinds the eye that it cannot comfortably behold the Sun one allowed sin so distempers the soule that it cannot receive any benefit by the ordinances of God as one strong disease so disaffecteth the body that it frustrates the use of the food One swaying corruption so alienates the heart that it cannot love Christ as one stranger in the bosome of the wife so takes up her affection that she cannot love the husband One person in the house so keepes the possession that another can take no possession One domineering sin so possesseth the soule that Christ hath no possession there One chain disables the prisoner to come forth and returne to his owne house One fettering and binding lust holds man fast in Satans prison and disables him to come to Christ though a woman have but one husband yet she cannot marry a second untill that husband is dead the soule married though but to one lust cannot marry it selfe to Christ untill that lust is mortified and dead One covetous lust in Judas one incestnous lust in Herod one ambitious lust in many of the chiefe Rulers one worldly lust in the young-man was of strength enough to with-hold each of them from Christ to continue them all without Christ mans thoughts of interest in Christ remaining under the power of any one lust are but vaine and idle dreames He that comes not universally from the world from himselfe and every sinfull lust never comes truly unto Christ Israel came not to Canaan untill they forsooke Aegypt renounced the service of Pharaoh saw the Aegyptians drowned in the waters and left not a hoofe in Aegypt behind them Man cometh not to Christ untill he forsakes the world renounceth the service of Satan drowns every lust in the tears of true Repentance and leaves not a hoof not one affection of his soule behind him under the jurisdiction and command of the world the love of the world is enmity with God the service of any sin is Rebellion against God 3. By mans terminating and confining himselfe within himselfe not going out of himselfe nor looking beyond himselfe to Christ but doing all things for himselfe and referring all unto himselfe That saith our Saviour which is of the flesh is flesh he that is altogether fleshly and hath nothing of Christ in him he is fleshly in his disposition in his affection in his intention in his undertaking hee minds himselfe and his owne fleshly ends and nothing els he cannot looke beyond himselfe his owne flesh is the circumference within which he moves and the Center wherin he terminates his motion Nothing in the course of Nature works beyond the Spheare of its owne activity a thorne beares not grapes a Sparrow begets not an Eagle the corrupt Tree brings forth corrupt fruit the waters move no higher in the cisterne then they are in
the fountain He that is not of Christ by a holy and gracious Originall cannot sincerely intend Christ but himselfe in his undertaking and he that lookes not beyond himself hath nothing of Christ within him he hath no principle root nor spring of grace in his heart Were he a tree of Christs planting he would bring forth his fruit to Christ Were he a child of Christs begetting he would encline and moove towards Christ in his affection he would primarily intend Christ in all his doing as the Rivers comming from the Sea returne and empty themselves into the Sea thus they who are of Christ returne and empty themselves into Christ doe all for Christ for the filling up and making of Christ glorious he that confines himselfe within himself hath no love of Christ within him Jonathans love to David caused him to strip himselfe for David love to Christ will make a man as occasion requires strip himselfe of all his honour favour among men and earthly riches for Christ according to the measure of mans love to Christ are his manifestations of himselfe for Christ For love seeketh not her owne He that loves Christ will abase himselfe for Christ put himselfe and all that is his under the feet of Christ he that seeks himself that terminates his thoughts within the circumference of his owne flesh hath a very low and base spirit Christs Spirit which is a Spirit of power a Spirit of magnanimity and courage a Spirit of glory a most glorious and excellent Spirit doth not rest upon him He that minds himselfe and his owne ends hath no cleare apprehension and comfortable discerning of Christ and his beauties he that minds straw and stubble doth not discerne the worth of gold silver and precious stones such a man hath no faith in Christ he takes not Christ unto himselfe to be the rock on which he buildeth the Councellour by whom he will be guided the King to whom he will be subject and the husband to whom he joynes his soule in wedlocke he hath not this faith in Christ for as man by faith receiveth Christ to save him so he gives himselfe againe to Christ to love and serve him to intend and honor Christ above himself and every creature and thus man minding and intending himselfe demonstrates his alienation from Christ When man in the doing of workes of mercy blows a Trumpet seekes himselfe and his owne applause among men and in the performance of the duties of piety stands praying in the corners of the Street hunts after the praise of men when a man with the Pharisees doth what he doth to be seene of men or with Saul to be honoured before the people When man in his ordinary and common imployments seeks his own things and not the things which are Christs he declares himselfe to be a stranger unto Christ 4. By mans fullnesse of himselfe Self-fullnesse ever inferres an emptinesse of Christ he that is filled with himselfe is empty of Christ There is a foure-fold fullnesse which argues an utter emptinesse of Christ in man 1. Self-fullnesse which is a high opinion of mans selfe a conceit of sufficiency in himselfe ambitious thoughts of fullnesse enough at home in the House of mans own heart which our Saviour termes a trusting in a mans self Mans leaning upon his owne arme to sustain him upon his own righteousnesse to justifie him upon his owne ability to doe all things for himselfe this the Prophet cals a being wise in mans owne eyes man taking upon him to be his own guide his owne instructor and counsellour this was an unhappy adjunct of the Laodicaean Angell rich full and wanting nothing not knowing that he was poore blind naked miserable and wretched Hee that hath highest thoughts of his owne fullnesse is most empty of Christ Jesus the rich saith Luke are sent empty away the rich they who in their owne eye are full of wisdome to guide themselves full of power to correct themselves full of righteousnesse to justifie themselves full of worth to obtaine every good thing at the hands of God for themselves these are sent empty away empty of Christ empty of all saving knowledge lively faith fervent love and of every good gift and blessing which commeth by Christ Self-fullnesse disables man to discerne any beauty or worth in Christ the Pharisees were great self-admirers very deeply guilty of self-fullnesse and they had very low opinions of Christ Self-fullnesse disables the soule to taste any sweetnesse in Christ The full stomacke loatheth the honey combe This makes man uncapable of Christ the full vessell is uncapable of other liquor the man that is full of himselfe cannot receive Christ there is no roome in their hearts to entertaine Christ Christ came among his owne a generation of men fulâ— of the thoughts of self-sufficiency dreaming of fullnesse enough at home in themselves ignorant and unsensible of their necessity of Christ and therfore they received him not 2. There is a fullnesse of sinne which argues an emptinesse of Christ there is no competition betweene the fullnesse of sinne and Christ in the soule of man If sin have the possession Christ hath no dominion David did not reigne untill Saul was deposed there must be a deposition of sin before Christ can reigne in the heart of man there is no sutablenesse betweene Christ and a heart full of sin Christ will not dwell in a soule so sordid and defiled with sinne he abhorres all fellowship and communion with uncleane and vicious people he delights in none but in them that excell in vertue the Sun shines not where the house is full of darknesse the physick works not where the body remaines full of diseases the Husbandman sows not where the field is full of thornes and bryars Christ shines not into that soule workes not upon that heart which is full of ignorance earthlinesse infidelity and spirituall maladies Such as are full of sin as Naaman was full of leprosie as the Pharisees Sepulchers were full of dead mens bones are farre from Christ it is a thing altogether vaine and fruitlesse once to mention or name the Name of the Lord Jesus unlesse there be a departure from ungodlinesse 3. There is a fullnesse of man which argues an emptinesse of Christ Many are so addicted unto man their hearts and thoughts are so taken up with man that there is no entertainment for Christ in them their soules are so possessed by man that Christ hath no possession in them some are so devoted to the service of man that they cannot serve Christ contrary to the charge of the Apostle They make themselves the servants of men not the civill but the prophane and sinfull servants of men they exalt and set up man above Christ as the Philistines did set Dagon above the Arke they study man more then they study Christ
the Israelites rejoyced in the Arke not in the Lord and vaine men rejoyce in man in the presence of man in the ability favour power and helpe of man and not in Christ Thus among the men of Corinth One said J am of Paul and another I am of Apollo looking with a humane eye upon and glorying after a carnall manner in those holy Messengers of God even idolizing and abusing the appointed instruments of their salvation robbing Christ of his glory by an inordinate dependance upon and glorying in the Messengers of Christ ascribing that to them which was proper unto Christ exalting them into the very roome of Christ so glorying in them that Christ was not glorious in their apprehension the carnall overvaluing of the instruments is a shamefull undervaluing of the Lord Jesus Hee that doth not according to the expression of the Prophet cease from man from the wisdome and counsell devise and invention art and ability of man sees little or nothing of Christ hath no comfort nor joy in Christ he that doth not cease from dependance upon man from glorying and pleasing himselfe in man from resting upon the authority of man in matter of spirituall instruction is very ignorant of Christ a meere stranger to Christ Christ ever proves uncomfortable to them whose rejoycings are in man 4. There is a fullnesse of the world which argueth an emptinesse of Christ in the soule of man The Inne where Christ was borne was so full of guests that there was no roome for Christ but in a manger a dishonourable lodging for such a glorious guest in the heart which is filled with the world there is no roome for Christ Worldly minded men give a very unworthy entertainment unto Christ the world so blinds them that they cannot discerne the beauty worth and excellency of Christ any more then an eye full of dust can discerne the brightnesse and beauty of the Sunne they see no comelinesse in Christ for which they should desire him this so fils their hearts that they are uncapable of spirituall instruction as thorns and bryars make the field uncapable of seed this beares such authority and dominion within them that they cannot vaile and bow to Christ they cannot take Christs yoake upon them they cannot set themselves about Christs worke any more then a servant can put himselfe from his Masters service into another mans worke No man saith Christ can serve two Masters no man can be the servant of God and Mammon this so alienates the heart of a man from Christ drawes the soule of man into such spirituall fornication that man can no more love Christ then a harlot can love her husband for if any man saith Saint John love the world the love of the Father is not in that man And the love of the world saith St. James is enmity with God This doth so take up the thought care study delight strength labour time and the very whole of man and doth so fetter and bind him fasten and encline him to things here below that with the invited guests in the Parable he cannot come to Christ he cannot imbrace Christ he cannot attend on Christ he cannot marry his soule to Christ this doth so distemper their palates that they cannot relish Christ The flesh-pots of Aegypt were so savoury to the Israelites that they could not long relish their Manna Christ is a distastfull dish where the world is a sweet feast this fils the heart of man with dishonourable thoughts of Christ The over-prizing of the world is the under-prizing of Christ Hee can never apprehend Christ as all in all that doth not apprehend the world as nothing the young mans over-prizing the world caused his departure from Christ the lovers of the world are very inconstant in their following of Christ if Christ and the world will not stand together Christ is soone forsaken the world alone hath their attendance service and affection So that Christ hath no spirituall and gracious being where the world hath such full possession And these foure sorts of fulnesse in man are so many cleare demonstrations of Christs estrangement from man 5. By mans spirituall emptinesse He that is empty of Christ is without Christ the Cisterne which is empty of water is without the fountaine hee that is empty of grace is without Christ the authour and fountain of grace he that is without the life of Christ who hath not Christ living in him as the root in the branches graciously enlivening him as the soule doth naturally enliven the body endowing him with spirituall principles of holy and gracious life enabling him like a living man to feele his sin as a living man his disease to rise up from the world as a living man ariseth from the Earth to feed upon the Ordinances of God as a living man upon the food which is set before him to walke in the wayes of God as a living man doth move and walke in an earthly way to follow Christ in attending his Ordinances in beleeving his Promises in obeying his precepts as Lazarus followed Christ when he had raised him from death to life he that hath not Christ thus living in him thus framing and disposing him to live to God to consecrate himselfe to Gods service to conforme himselfe to Gods precepts to intend God and his glory To live as the Apostle saith godly in Christ Jesus in Christ enlivenining him and according to Christs prescription He that doth not thus live is without Christ 2. He that is empty of the knowledge of Christ is without Christ the eye which is empty of the light of the Sun is without the Sun the soule which is empty of spirituall and heavenly light is without the Sun of Righteousnesse he that doth not know Christ as a Prophet instructing him and making him wise unto salvation as a Priest sanctifying and purging him from his corruption as a King bearing spirituall dominion within him bringing his whole man into a holy and humble subjection he that doth not know the death of Christ in the crucifying of his affections the resurrection of Christ in the rising of his soule to seeke the things which are above the power of Christ in working his heart from obstinacy and hardnesse from captivity and bondage from pride and haughtinesse to softnesse and tendernesse to liberty and freedome and to humility and meeknesse He that doth not know the beauties of Christ ravishing his soule with joy and delight in him the love of Christ in being espoused to Christ the worth and excellency of Christ in accounting all but dung and drosse in comparison of Christ and the fullnesse of Christ in feeling and finding all contentation in Christ he that doth not thus know Christ is without Christ in Christ are hidden all the treasures of knowledge and wisdom and he that hath Christ is full of spirituall knowledge as
the Sea of waters 3. He that is empty of the power of Christ is without Christ When the body is empty of the power of the soule the soule is departed from it become a stranger to it thus when man is altogether empty of the spirituall and heavenly power of Christ then is man without Christ a meere stranger to Christ all they that are partakers of Christ have experience of the power of Christ in casting downe the strong and mighty holds of sin in their soules in humbling their hearts in bringing the thoughts of their hearts into the obedience of Christ in overcomming and casting Satâ—n out of their hearts in sanctifying and cleansing their soules in perswading them to beleeve and lay hold upon the promise of life in pacifying and quieting their perplexed consciences in making them able to endure afflictions and in causing them to grow and encrease in all heavenly graces He therefore that hath not experience of this power of Christ in the casting down of the holds of sinne as Israel had experience of the power of the Lord in casting down the wals of Jericho at the blowing of the trumpets he that feeles not this power of Christ in making him victorious over Satan as the man in the Gospell had experience of Christs power in casting the uncleane spirit out of him He that doth not discerne Christ powerfull in sanctifying him as Naaman disâ—rned the vertue of Jordan in purging his Leprosie from him and the lame man discerned the power of the Angell in Bethesda healing him He that knowes not the efficacy of Christ in perswading him to beleeve in reconciling him to God as Josephs brethren discerned the esticacy of his Intercession with the King of Aegypt for them Hee that perceives not Christ pacifying his troubled spirit binding up his broken heart and healing his wounded conscience as the Disciples felt the power of Christ calming the stormy tempest and the wounded man in the Parable felt the Samaritan powring wine and oyle into his wounds and binding up the same He that discerns not Christ strengthning and sustaining him in temptations and tryals as the Arke bare up Noah in the deluge he that feeles not Christ comming downe upon his soule like raine upon the mowen grasse and as showers that water the Earth making him fruitfull in every good gift and grace he that is empty of these powerfull and mighty ministrations of Christ is without Christ under the power of his corruption in his naturall and carnall condition 4. He that is empty of the Liberty which Christ ministreth is without Christ he that doth not feele Christ freeing him from the death of sin as the woman of Shunems son felt the Prophet freeing him from bodily death his flesh waxing warme and his eyes opening freeing him from the thraldome and imbondagement of sin as Peter felt the Angell freeing him from his fetters and Herods prison freeing him from the servitude of the world as Israel discerned Moses freeing them from the servitude of Aegypt freeing their understandings from ignorance as the Sun freeth the ayre from darknesse freeing their wils from perversenesse their thoughts from vanity and their aâ—fections from coldnesse and deadnesse as the fire freeth the house from cold and filleth it with heat making the whole man free to know beleeve love and rejoyce in God as the cleare eye is free to see the Brides heart is free to love the Bridegroome and the Sun free to run the race which is set him Hee that is a stranger to this freedome remaining a captive under the power of his lusts and the world is farre from Christ an empty house in whom Christ hath no dwelling 5. He that is empty of the love of Christ is without Christ He that doth not discerne the love of Christ as the Bride discernes the love of the Bridegroome Hee that perceives not Christ kissing him with the kisses of his mouth it is the Churches expression in Salomons Song applying the doctrines of his Love Mercy and Peace to his conscience making him sensible of his love in the use of his Ordinances as the Bridegroomâ— makes the Bride sensible of his love in his banquetting house making him joyfull in the House of Prayer inabling him to pray with confidence returning a gracious answer to his holy and humble petitions He that perceives not the love of Christ in the cleare and comfortable revelation of his secrets to his understanding in his holy and sanctified working upon his soule in sealing up the pardon and forgivenesse of his sin in the free and plentifull communication of himselfe his gifts graces and benefits unto his heart in the sanctifying and sweetning of all his tryals in making all to worke for the best unto him in giving him water out of the rocke meat out of the eater and sweet out of the sowre He that is thus empty of the love of Christ is without Christ Where Christ is there his love is and his love is not idle but operative manifesting it selfe in the divâ—ne and heavenly fruits and effects thereof to the soule And thus by these marks and characters mans being without Christ mans abiding in his corrupt estate and carnall condition is plainly discernable CHAP. VI. Exhorting to come out of our naturall and corrupt estate 5. THe consideration of mans misery in being without Christ in continuing still in his corrupt and wreched estate should set every man on worke with all diligence with all assiduity and carefullnesse to labour his deliverance and freedome out of that condition the estate of corruption is of all estates the most miserable better live in any servitude misery poverty disgrace or trouble then under the power of sin without Christ better live in ignominy without honour in prison without freedome in hatred without the love of man in poverty without riches in exilement without humane fellowship in famine without bread in darknesse without light in trouble without peace in paine without ease enjoying Christ then to live in all the fullnesse of the world under the dominion of corruption without the Lord Jesus Therefore out of this estate doth the Lord call us Turne you even unto me saith the Lord with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning and rent your hearts and not your garments and turne to the Lord your God Turne from your sin as a Traveller from his wandring path and walke in the wayes of God turne from the service of sin as Rebels from the service of a forrain Prince and serve the Lord your great and highest Soveraigne turne from the love of sin as a Harlot from the love of strangers and love the Lord Jesus your spirituall Bridegroome with all your hearts with all your souls and with all your might This is the labour of all Gods Ministers the fruit and honour of all their
So let us bee earnest with the Lord to deliver us from this estate of barrennesse and make us fruitfull from this estate of exilement and bring us to the enjoyment of the heavenly Kings face and countenance Let us make Christ our Friend that there may be an end put to the enmity betweene God and us and that we may be set at peace againe with God let us sigh and groane under our sinfull bondage and labour for spirituall freedome Let us labour to have true and saving grace powred into the pot of our soules that all our possessions and undertakings may be sanctified unto us and that the Word which our sinne hath made the savour of death unto death may thorow grace become the savour of life to life to every one of us And to the end we may be translated out of the state of corruption into the state of grace let us 1. Attend upon and hide the word of God in our hearts This is the Word of life by which our soules are quickned this is the Seed of Regeneration by which wee are new born this is the voyce by which wee are called out of the Kingdome of darkenesse into marvellous light this is the warlike weapon by which the holds of sinne are cast downe as the walls of Jericho were cast flat to the ground at the â—ounding of the Trumpets this is the fire by which the drosse of sin is purged out of our souls this is the word of Reconciliation by which wee are set at peace with God On this therfore let us wait this let us treasure up in our souls that therby a gracious change may be wrought in us 2. Let us labour for the sence and feeling of our sinne as of a loathsome disease as of a heavy burthen Complaine of sinne as Sarah did of the daughters of Heth be weary of sinne as a sick man of his disease Cry to the Lord as Paul did O miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death the more sence and feeling wee have of sinne the more assurance of a discharge from sin When Israel sighed and groaned then their deliverance from Pharaohs bondage drew nigh when sin is a trouble and man growes weary of it as of a hard servitude then the houre of the soules spirituall deliverance approacheth therefore to such our Saviour speaketh Come unto me all yee that travell and are heavy laden and yee shall finde ease unto your soules 3. Let us get our hearts filled with godly sorrow for sin turne all your sorrow into sorrow for sinne Mourne for this as for the death of your first-borne Mourne secretly without ostentation mourne unfainedly without dissimulation mourne universally without the reservation of any sin as the deluge overflowed and drowned all the Earth hill and valley so let your sorrow drowne all sinne they that sow in teares shall reape in ioy Godly sorrow is ever attended with the joy of conversion remission and spirituall consolation They that mourne shall be comforted 4. Be very frequent and serious in the view and examination of your naturall and corrupt estate consider the basenesse the loathsomnesse the unprofitablenesse the cursednesse and the perilousnesse thereof men could never quiet themselves in this estate were they not inconsiderate of the evill thereof A Travellor that is out of his way would never goe on therein did hee consider that every step he treades is one step further from his home did carnall man consider that every action of his removes him one step farther from God and Heaven and brings him one step nearer to Satan and damnation hee would never please himselfe in this estate inconsideration makes way to all evill the Lord having mentioned the great impieties of Israel layeth downe this as the ground therof They are a Nation saith the Lord void of counsell neither is there any understanding in them O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end they doe not consider how they are in the gall of bitternesse and in the bond of iniquity in the thraldome of Satan under the wrath of God in the state of damnation subject to a thousand easelesse and endlesse woes and miseries did men consider this they would awake out of their sleepe and stand up from the dead that Christ might give them light They would with David consider their waies and turne unto the testimonies of the Lord. 5. Addresse your selves to Christ by faithfull and fervent Prayer the Gibeonites sent to Joshua and he rescued them from the Amoritish Princes We must send by prayer to Christ to rescue us from the Prince of darkenesse the woman of Shunâ—m came to the Prophet cast her selfe downe tooke hold of his feet would not let him goe and hee went with her and raised her dead child thus must we come to Christ cast our selves downe humble our selves under the hand of Christ lay hold on Christ and never let him goe that he may raise us from the death of sin to the life of grace CHAP. VII Perswading to thanksgiving for deliverance out of our naturall and corrupt estate LAstly this ministers matter and occasion of great praise and thanksgiving to all them whom Christ hath delivered out of their corrupt and carnall estate and translated into the state of grace and holinesse Of all deliverances deliverance from sinne is the greatest the sweetest the choisest A deliverance of the greatest cost other deliverances are wrought by the power of God this is a deliverance wrought not onely by the power of God but also by the bloud of God by the bloud of Christ who is God and Man in one person Feed saith Saint Paul to the Bishops the Ministers of Ephesus the Church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud Give thanks saith the Apostle unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light who hath delivered us from the power of darknes and translated us into the Kingdom of his deare Son in whom we have redemption through his bloud the deliverance of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt and the captivity of Babylon the deliverance of Ieremy out of the dungâ—on of Peter out of Herods prison of Ionah out of the belly of the Whale or the three children out of the fiery furnace or whatsoever deliverance else you can mention cost not God so much as the deliverance of man from sinne for this God gave his owne his onely Sonne This is a deliverance which argues more of Gods love to man then all the deliverances which God hath wrought besides for man Therefore of this the Evangelist saith God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne And Christ saith Saint Paul loved the Church and gave himselfe for it This is a deliverance from greater evils
the children of Ammon thus should Gods children covenant together and help each other against their corruptions and temptations every man endeavouring the welfare of another mans soule as his owne Were the soules of Gods children thus happily and graciously united they would undoubtedly prove a flourishing common-wealth a glorious people and a great honour to Christ who reignes as King over them CHAP. X. Pressing the seeking of the welfare of Christs Church 4. THis likewise presseth on us the ministration of our best help and assistance to the Church of Christ The members of a common-wealth endeavour the welfare and safety of the common-wealth they preferre it above their owne private good The members of Christs spirituall common-wealth should doe the like for Christs Church It is the Lords injunction pray for the peace of Jerusalem be instant with God for the prosperity safety increase and flourishing estate of his Church What though God watch over it and have promised protection to it yet thou must also pray for and labour the prosperity thereof otherwise how canst thou rejoyce in the welfare of the same To this duty the very relation between us and the Church should leade us the Church is the body whereof we are members doe not all the members in the body naturall labour the welfare of the whole How can the members of the mysticall body of Christ doe lesse unlesse they will prove themselves unnaturall Our Sympathy with the Churches afflictions should perswade us to this we must apprehend the calamity which resteth upon the Church as resting upon our owne persons If one member saith Saint Paul doe suffer all the members suffer with it A dead member indeed hath no sympathy with the rest but the living member hath a fellow-feeling a quicke and exquisite sence within when any of the members are pained or hazarded Who is weake saith Paul and I am not weake who is offended and I burne not The blessing which is attendant on our endeavouring the welfare of the Church is an Argument of great force to move us to this worke hereof the Lord saith they shall prosper that love thee They that love thee they that are carefull for thee solicitous and studious to maintaine soundnesse of Doctrine and purity of divine worship in thee they that humble themselves in thy behalf when troubles are upon thee they that put themselves forth to the utmost to relieve thee in thy wants to comfort thee in thy sorrowes to assist thee against thy opposers they shall prosper it shall be well with them they shall not goe without a blessing their worke and labour of Love shall not be forgotten Besides our welfare is very much dependant upon the welfare of the whole Church of Christ The welfare of every member in a common-wealth and in a body naturall is deeply interested in the prosperity and good successe of the whole Thus the prosperity or fall of the Church in generall is our fall or prosperity in particular The strengthening of some part of a building is a strengthening and a beautifying of the whole building the fall of any part is a weakning a disgrace a prejudice to the whole and thus it is in this case We live saith Paul if ye stand fast in the saith if ye abide in Christ thrive in grace and make a gracious progresse in the wayes of life then we live then we rejoyce and are full of comfort then our hearts are much strengthened in the Lord. Our Subjection to changes miseries and troubles should very much quicken us to the present commiseration of the rest of Christs afflicted members the Lord may make us drinke of the same cup as in the prophecye of Jeremy the Lord caused the cup of his wrath to goe round he made all the Nations to drink thereof and if we have no compassion on others now who shall have compassion upon us then if we withdraw our helping hand from others who shall reach forth the hand of assistance unto us for God doth so order it in the course of his providence that look what measure we meet to others in their distresse the same shall men measure againe to us in our necessity Besides this is a work very acceptable to God and very profitable to the Church of God doubtlesse it pleased David well when Joab sought to bring home Absolon to him and when Abner undertooke to bring about all Israel Thus when we endeavour to reconcile God and his Church to bring men about to God by our prayers exhortations and their repentance is a worke very pleasing unto God and herein we prove instruments of the greatest honour game and comfort to our fellow brethren O therefore I as we are all one common-wealth let us labour the good of this our common-wealth Let Magistrates and Ministers be to the Church like the siery pillar to Israel a light and a defence Let Ministers like Bees make the honey compose sweet and wholesome Doctrine gathered from the flowers growing in the garden of the sacred Scriptures and so frame it that it may be sweeter then the honey or the honey-combe unto the palate of the Church and let Magistrates like hives preserve this honey of wholsome Doctrine that nothing doe adulterate it Let Ministers by the executive power of the Word and Sacraments and Magistrates by their directive and coactive power demeane themselves to the great behoofe and benefit of Gods Church and as Moses and Aaron brought Israel out of Egypt so let both Magistrate and Minister labour the spirituall and corporall freedome of the Lords people And as every member joynt and sinew in the body naturall performes his office for the good of the whole so let Christs members from the highest to the lowest according to their severall places stations and abilities promote the welfare of Christs Church and servants CHAP. XI Treating of Carnall mans Alienation from Christs Church THe second thing is the Exemption of all prophane men from this common-wealth from the Church of Christ and all the spirituall prerogatives and priviledges belonging thereunto The Gentiles before the comming of Christ were altogether aliens hereunto having no place at all in this common-wealth Prophane men since the comming of Christ though they be in this common-wealth living within the pale of the visible Church as the uncleane beasts within the Arke yet they are also aliens to this common-wealth aliens to that holy and eâ—ectuall vocation wherewith this common-wealth is called aliens to the heavenly and saving power of that Word and Spirit by which this common-wealth is ruled and guided aliens to that sweet and gracious Communion which the members of this common-wealth have with Christ by faith and among themselves by love and this is one great misery of all corrupt and carnall men being without Christ they are also aliens to the common-wealth of his Israel as he that is an alien to the King is an alien to that common-wealth which is under the
as sometime the men of Judah clave to David they doe not single out Christ and take him to themselves as their Rocke as their glory as their strength and refuge they doe not betake themselves to Christ as the chickens betake themselves to the Hen the Bees to the hive the Conies to the Rock and as the men that were in debt distresse and discontent betooke themselves to David and made him their Captaine they doe not stay on Christ put on and apply Christ unto themselves and themselves to Christ as the Church and children of God doe as the Spouse of Christ doth their faith is a temporary and vanishing faith a Tree without roots that soone withers a dead faith there is no life and power in it no saving fruit growes upon it 4. They are estranged from the liberty of the Church Christs Church and children are Gods freemen and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty Liberty from the power of sinne tyranny of Satan and servitude of the world liberty to know God as the open eye is free to see to move and incline to God as the River is free to move and slow toward the Sea to beleeve in Gods promise to receive Christ as the sound hand is free to receive the gift and free to love Christ as the heart of the Bride is free to love the Bridegroome All carnall men are great strangers to this freedome they are captives to Satan servants to the world prisoners to their owne lusts bowed downe to the world like the woman in the Gospell that had a spirit of infirmity as unable to looke up to God or to the things which are above as unable to discerne the things of God as the blind to discerne colours as unable to walke in the wayes of God as the dead are unable to walke upon the earth as fast shut up in the prison of Satan and their owne corruption as ever Peter was in Herods prison 5. They are estranged from the wedlocke of the Church with Christ True beleevers are Christs Spouse betrothed unto Christ bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh one mysticall Christ as man and wife are one matrimoniall flesh but carnall men are farre from this wedlocke they take not Christ unto themselves as the husband of their soules they have not the love and joy of a Spouse in Christ they keep not their soules chaste and pure to Christ they commit fornication and adultery with Idols and the world and are divorced from Christ they shamefully deâ—ile themselves and make themselves an abomination in the eyes of Christ 6. They are estranged from the Churches receivings from Christ True beleevers receive of Christs fulnesse they receive life and light and power from Christ as the eye receiveth light from the Sun the branch life from the root and the body power from the soule they receive the Spirit of Christ and are quickened they receive the word of Christ and are edefied they receive the promise of Christ and are established they receive the forgivenesse of sins by Christ and are comforted but carnall men like a company of broken cisternes and withered branches receive nothing from Christ Jesus Christ commeth among them in his Gospell but they receive him not he commeth to them by his Ministers but they receive not their witnesse they shut the doores of their hearts against Christ he stands without and knocks but they open not they give him no entertainment Christ spends his strength in vaine and his labour for nought amongst them and by all these things they make manifest their Alienation from the Church of Christ and all the speciall priviledges and prerogatives thereof CHAP. XIII Discoursing of the unhappy condition and impossibility of their salvation who are strangers to the true Church THis discovers the unhappy condition of all carnall and unholy people though they live within the pale of the Church yet they are all aliens to the Church though they be in the Church yet they are not of the Church as nasty humours are in the body yet no member no part nor parcell of the body though they be within the Schoole of Christ yet they are no true Disciples of Christ they are like them of whom Saint Paul speakes who are alwayes learning and never come to the knowleege of the truth Though they are within the pale of Christs Orchard yet they are but false slips no Trees of Righteousnesse of Christs planting Though they be in Christ Sacramentally yet they are but as dead members or woodden legs in a body or withered branches in a vine wanting the Spirit of Christ they have no spirituall life sence or motion in them Though they take upon them the name of Christ yet they doe not partake of the nature of Christ as blazing Starres have the name but not the nature of Starres Though they verbally professe Christ yet they actually deny Christ in works saith the Apostle they deny him they are seeming but no true Christians they doe but with Jeroboams wife disguise and faine themselves to be others then they are As they in the Church of Smyrna said they were Iewes and yet were not so but a Synagogue of Satan Thus many say they are Christians who indeed are not in Christ Jesus but are the Synagogue of Satan a cage of uncleane birds and though they be ecclesiastically holy by vertue of their naturall generation of Christian parents yet they are not spiritually and truly holy because they want that regeneration which is the worke of Gods Spirit and though they enjoy some outward priviledges by their being within the Church yet they enjoy not Christ and his benefits because they are not truly living members of the Church And this is a great misery to be an alien to the true Church of Christ he that is an alien to this Church of Christ is an alien to Christ Christ doth not enliven nor enlighten him Christ doth not profit him A member separated from the body is separated from the head hath no influence from the head hee that is a stranger to the Church is a stranger to the promise for the promise is to them whom God cals outwardly by his Word and inwardly by his Spirit he is a stranger to the love of Christ Christs Church is the object of Christs love Christ loved the Church saith Saint Paul and gave himselfe for it he is a stranger to the blessed and gracious presence of Christ Christs presence is with his Church he delights to walke among the candlestickes sanctified soules are his Temple his dwelling his glorious rest he is a stranger to the comfortable communications of Christ Christ reveales and opens himselfe to his Church and children as a glorious Sun as a loving Bridegroome to them he communicates himselfe as the dew upon the ground and as the raine upon the grasse he gives
thou live within the pale of the Church yet if thou live under the power of any prophane lust thou art 1. An unbeleever thou receivest not Christ into thy soule thou buildest not upon the rocke but upon the sand and thou wilt sinke at the last for faith where it is is victorious it overcomes Satan the world and every lust it purifies the heart and makes man a holy Temple to the Lord it overturnes all the holds of sinne it drives all base lusts out of the heart as Christ overturned the Tables and drove the buyers and sellers out of his Fathers house 2. Thou art a very hypocrite a cursed counterfeit a whited sepulchre full of dead mens bones within like the Locusts which had the face of a man and the haire of a woman without but the teeth of a Lyon within and the taile of a Scorpion behind Thus though thou hast the face of a Christian without yet thou hast the rapine of a Lyon and the poison of a Scorpion the venome of all sinne within and wilt have the portion of an hypocrite at last 3. Thou art a defiler of things sacred an abuser of Gods Ordinances one that turnest the meanes of life into an occasion of death the evill herbe turned the Prophets pot into a pot of death the evill of sinne swaying in thy soule turnes the word of life into the savour of death Like the spider thou suckest poison out of the flower of that Word and Sacrament which in it selfe is sweeter then the honey or the honey-combe 4. Thou art a scandall to the Church of Christ where thou livest thou art a blemish to the Christian name as an ulcer to the face as a dead member to the body for through such as the Apostle saith is the name of God blasphemed misliving Christians are of all persons the greatest dishonour to Christ Jesus Lastly be assured thy condemnation will be greatest thy torment the severest They that come nearest to Heaven by their outward calling and profession and yet are strangers to the life and power of godlinesse shall sinke lowest into hell and drinke deepest of the cup of Gods vengeance To such therefore our Saviour saith it shall be easier for Sodome and Gomorrah in the day of iudgement then for them 4. Are all prophane men aliens to the Church of Christ though they live within the pale thereof Then let all such as live within the Church learne by this to purge out and put away all prophanenesse to search and seeke for and furnish themselves with all saving gifts and graces the proper characters of the living members of the true Church of Christ knowing as the Apostle saith that he is not a Iew who is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the flesh but he is a Iew which is one inwardly whose Circumcision is that of the heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose praise is not of men but of God It is not mans naked profession of Christ but his inward sanctification that makes him a true Christian and holinesse is the honourable and inseparable Adiunct of Christs Church called by the Apostle a Church of Saints because Christ who is the head of this Church is holy and makes them partakers of his holinesse separates them from the world by a holy calling commits his holy word unto them causeth it to dwell in them and bestowes his holy Spirit upon them and works holinesse within them and as Christ who is the head of the Church was according to the flesh conceived of the Holy-Ghost so is the Church the mysticall body of Christ sanctified by the holy Spirit and as the fulnesse of the God-head dwelleth personally in the personall body of Christ so dwell the three Persons of the Trinity mystically and spiritually in the mysticall body of Christ and all the living members of the same therefore as we professe our selves to be the children of God a God absolutely and infinitely holy so let us be holy in all manner of conversation as he that hath called us is holy as we professe our selves to be the members of Christ who is a holy head so let us conforme our selves to Christ as the members in the body naturall are conformed to the head and as we are stiled the Bride of Christ so let us feele in our hearts the sweet and heavenly motion of the holy Spirit the pledge of Christs love and as the Bridegroome loveth cloatheth adorneth and defendeth his Bride thus let us labour to discerne Christs shedding abroad his love into our hearts cloathing us with his righteousnesse adorning us with his graces and defending us by his blessed power and presence and as we are called children of light so let the light of grace in us like the light in the firmament shine more and more unto the perfect day the more we shine in holinesse the more sweetnesse shall we find in Gods Ordinances the greater tranquillity shall we have in our owne consciences the more amiable shall we be in the eyes of Christ Jesus the more shall we beautifie the Church of Christ whereof we are members and as the vessels of the transportative Tabernacle were at length translated into Solomons Temple so shall we after our ambulatory and mutable condition in the Church militant be translated to rest and reigne for ever in the Church triumphant CHAP. XV. Handling carnall Mans estrangement from the Covenant THe third Alienation declaring the misery of carnall and sinfull man is an Alienation from the Covenants of God termed strangers from the Covenants of promise Mans happinesse is built upon his interest in Gods gracious promise the strangers to this promise are the most unhappy of all persons Carnall men are aliens to Christ to the members of Christ to Christs common-wealth and to all the prerogatives and priviledges thereof strangers to the Covenants of promise made in and through Christ God made and often renewed and repeated his Covenants and promises with the Israelitish people concerning their salvation in and by Christ In the beginning the Lord made this Covenant with our first Parents promising that the seed of the woman which is Christ should breake the serpents head the Lord renewed it with Abraham and his seed saying I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and thy seed after thee and of the Israelitish people in this respect speaks Moses What Nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for and what Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Judgements so righteous as all this Law which I set before you this day Now to these Statutes Oracles and Promises the Gentiles before the comming of Christ were strangers they no way appertained
spirituall liberty and freedome a liberty of grace whereby the whole man is set free from the command and servitude of all sin the understanding is free from ignorance able to know God as a Father with a cleare and comfortable submissive and affective knowledge the will is free from perversenesse able readily and freely fully and sincerely to intend God and his glory the imagination is free from vanity able with much joy to meditate and thinke upon God the affections are free from base feare carnall confidence worldly love and fleshly joy able to scare God filially to trust on God soly to love God unfainedly and to rejoyce in God spiritually the whole man bent and disposed to run the way of Gods commandements as the Sun rejoyceth to run his race and as the Rivers flow towards the Sea this the Psalmist cals an inlargement of the heart to run the way of Gods Commandements and this he mentions as a fruit of the inscription of the Law in his heart Thy Law ô Lord saith he is in my heart and I delight to doe thy will Mans assurance of being within Gods Covenant is sutable to his free and ready disposition in observing Gods precept 5. A fift benefit comprised under the Covenant ministring assurance of mans interest in it is perseverance in the state of grace daily growth in the gifts of the Spirit and a stedfast striving to more perfection I will make an everlasting Covenant with them saith God and I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me they shall not depart from the knowledge of my truth to errour from the faith of my promises to infidelity from the wayes of my Commandements to by and wandring paths from the love of me and my testimonies to the love of earthly vanities God ever preserves in the state of grace whom he receives into the Covenant of grace he that is in covenant with God abides with God as the wife with the husband he follows the Lord fully with Caleb he is with God in every estate in all changes as Ittai resolved to be with David both in life and in death the longer he is in Gods Covenant the more beauty he discernes in God the more sweetnesse he finds in the Word of God the more pleasure he takes in the service of God the more comfortable communion he gaines with God and the more plentifull and soule-ravishing receivings of grace love and peace he hath from God and therefore shines more and more like the light unto the perfect day growes stronger and stronger like the house of David He waits upon the Lord and renewes his strength he mounts up as the Eagles hee runnes and is not weary hee walkes on and doth not faint he goes from strength to strength untill he doth appeare before the Lord in Zion The carnall mans estrangement from the Covenant and his misery in being out of the Covenant ministers matter and occasion of labour and industry to every man to get into the Covenant to be partaker of it and to have assured interest in the benefits flowing from it as Noah entred into the Arke to be preserved from the deluge of waters so should wee enter into the Covenant of God that we may be preserved from the deluge of those miseries which attend and wait upon the breach of Gods precepts The men of Aegypt hearing of the fall of a grievous haile such as would destroy both man and beast Hee that feared the word of the Lord amongst them made his servants and his cattell flee into the house Men hearing of the hayle fire brimstone and horrible tempest which God will raine downe upon the wicked should hasten into this Covenant have sure interest in Gods free and gracious Promise that they may be hid from the Lords wrath And to the end we may have part in Gods Covenant 1. We must forsake our sinnes there must be warre against sin or there can be no peace with God Moses might not come nigh the burning bush untill hee had put off his shoes from his feet Because the ground where hee stood was holy ground Man cannot come nigh God enter into covenant with God unlesse the old-man his old lusts be put off because the Covenant of God is a holy Covenant a Covenant belonging onely to the godly Godlinesse having the promise of this life and of the life to come Joseph shaved himselfe and changed his raiment and then he came to Pharaoh and Pharaoh tooke him to himselfe and made many honourable Promises to him man must shave himself remove the ignorance and errour of his understanding and change his raiment Put off the old-man which is corrupt according to divers lusts and put on the new man which is renewed in holinesse and true righteousnesse according to Gods image and then come nigh tâ—ed and partake of all Gods gracious promises according to that of the Lord by the Prophet wash you make you cleane put away the evill of your wayes cease to doe evill learne to doe well and then come ye and we will reckon together and though your sinnes were as red as scarlet yet will I make you white as snow I will deale mercifully with you be reconciled to you forgive your sinnes and receive you into my Covenant of peace The more the soule is emptied of sin the more capable it is of Gods Covenant the more assured of interest in it Hee that holds fast his sinne cannot lay hold upon the Covenant of God hee that gives not a bill of divorce to his lusts is uncapable of weddlocke with Christ 2. We must forsake our selves we must deny our selves cease from our owne wisdome as from a blind guide from our owne strength as from a withered reed from our owne righteousnesse as from a rotten ragg and from our owne ends as from low and base marks Thus must wee deny our selves or we can be no Disciples of Christ no partakers of the mercies of God in him Such as entered into Covenant with David were in debt in distresse and discontent He that will enter into Covenant with God must see his debt bee sensible of his sinne feele the distresse and anguish of his soule and be very much discontented with his corrupt and carnall estate God communicates his mercies to them that are sensible of their miseries the Lord loves them that are out of love with themselves he esteemes them that loath their own wayes whom doth Christ invite and call but the heavy laden Such as are sensible and weary of their sins as of a heavy burthen to whom is Christ sent with tydings of comfort but to the broken hearted When Ephraim repented smote upon his thigh and was confounded then the Lord remembered him then he was deare and pleasant to him then hee said I will surely have mercy upon him then he proposed and set before him the Covenant of Salvation in Christ
promising him that a woman should compasse a man contrite and broken hearted sinners are the proper subject of Gods sweetest mercies 3. We must relinquish the world Abner fell out with the house of Saul and then hee entred into Covenant with David Man must first fall out with the world take off his heart from the earth before he can enter into covenant with God because the love of the world as S. James speakes is enmity with God and he that is a friend of the world is an enemy to God the first husband must be dead before the woman can joyne her selfe in wedlocke with a second man man must be crucified to the world and the world unto him before he can be married unto Christ enter into Covenant with Christ when Zacheus received Christ into his house he gave the halfe of his goods to the poore and restored foure-fold to them from whom he had wrongfully taken The world is much slighted where Christ is truely received The soule is never filled with Christ unlesse it be emptied of the earth Dagon fals where the Arke is erected the exaltation of Christ is the prostration of the world Mans communion with Christ is sutable to his separation from the world He that will enter this Covenant and associate himselfe with Christ must with Matthew leave the receipt of custome hee must with Salomon looke upon the world as upon a thing of nought he must according to the Apostles rule use the world as if hee did not use it He must forget his owne people and forsake his Fathers house that will have consortship with Christ 4. We must renounce all intimate communion with corrupt and carnall people come out from among them saith the Lord there is the separation and I will be your Father and ye shall be unto me for sonnes and daughters there is Gods receiving them into covenant and communion with him the Prodigall deserted and repented of his fellowship with Harlots and riotous persons and then his Father lovingly received and imbraced him God is very propitious to such as repent of their sinfull fellowship with his enemies God ministers many comfortable expressions of his love to them who withdraw themselves from such as doe not love him when Moses left Pharaohs Court the Lord appeared to him in the wildernesse saying I am the God of thy Fathers the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob the declination of fellowship with profane persons is usually attended with a sweet enjoyment of Gods presence and the ministration of many spirituall comforts were we more thoroughly alienated from vaine men wee should be more fully and sweetly acquainted with God could we give a bill of divorce to profane persons we should have a blessed and honourable wedlocke with Christ Jesus 5. We must with all diligence attend the Ministry of the word Encline your eare Come unto me saith the Lord Heare and your soule shall live and J will make an everlasting Covenant with you God by the labours of his Ministers brings men into covenant with himselfe by their labours hee opens the beauties and perfections of Christ he makes them see their necessity of Christ their misery without Christ and their happinesse in the enjoyment of Christ by their labours hee woes and perswades them to come to Christ fils their hearts with earnest longings after Christ with fervent and unfained love to Christ and so espouseth them unto him as Abraham by his Servant brought Rebecca to his son Isaac Thus doth God by his Ministers bring men to his Sonne Christ Jesus Did wee not shamefully undervalue and profanely estrange our selves from the labours of Gods Ministers wee could not be such strangers to Gods Covenant nor so empty of those blessings which Christ ministers to true beleevers Attend therefore Gods Word if ever you meane to enjoy the benefit of Gods Covenant 6. We must readily and fully receive Christ Christ is the foundation of the Covenant the promise is in Christ Josephs Bretheren came nigh to Pharaoh by Joseph man comes nigh to God by Christ findes favour with God and partakes of all the mercies of God through Christ through him we are made the Sonnes of God thorough him wee are accepted of God thorough him we receive of Gods fullnesse grace for grace the receiving of the Lord Jesus is the receipt of all mercies in him we are blessed with all spirituall blessings in heavenly places without Christ wee are strangers to all Gods mercies in Christ wee have title to all Gods blessings Iosephs bretheren were lovingly entertained of him bringing Beniamin with them without whom they might not looke him in the face bringing Christ with us God will graciously receive us without Christ God will be a consuming fire to us And therefore let us all labour thus to interest our selves in Gods Covenant for hereby shall we have interest in all Gods Promises as in so many pillars to support us as in so many wel-springs to refresh us in all the creatures as in so many Servants to minister their assistance to us in all the Ordinances of God as in so many Starres to enlighten us as in so many dishes of spirituall dainties to feed us as in so many heavenly Bethesda's to heale us and in all the attributes of God as in so many branches of the tree of life to shelter and shadow us interest in the power of God to uphold us in the wisedome of God to guide us in the mercy of God to pardon us in the presence of God to encourage us in the love of God to solace us and in the All-sufficiency of God every way to satisfie and content us Sweet and sure full and everlasting joyous and honourable are the Prerogatives and comforts which are obtained by interest in Gods Covenant CHAP. XVIII Declaring the misery of naturall Man without Hope THe fourth Alienation declaring naturall and carnall mans misery is an Alienation from Hope Without hope The hope of salvation by Christ from this hope man in his corrupt and carnall estate is estranged Hope is a grace inclining and disposing a regenerate and beleeving soule with assurance and patience to expect and wait for the accomplishment of such good things as God in Christ hath promised and faith apprehendeth Gird up saith Saint Peter the loynes of your minds be sober and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the Revelation of Jesus Christ all grace is dispensed through Christ the full communication hereof is reserved till Christs second comming and hope waits for the receiving of it in and through Christ The cause efficient of this hope is God the Author and giver of all good it is not a worke of nature but of grace not of man but of God Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us againe to a lively hope
the word of God they were without God as Israel being without a preaching Priest and without Law is said to have been without the true God He that is without the word is also without God 2. They were without the knowledge of God as the blinde is without the Sun they walked in the vanity of their minde having their understanding darkened being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them 3. They had false opinions of God their apprehensions of God were corrupt and carnall that which they apprehended was not the true God but an Idoll their foolish heart was darkened and they changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an Image made like to corruptible man And as an Idoll is nothing of no divine power and vertue so the Apostle reputeth their opinions and adorations of God as nothing and saith they were without God Not God but an Idoll is the object of superstitious odoration 4. They knew not beleeved not loved not adored not God in Christ God is no where rightly and truly knowne and served but in Christ whatsoever is adored out of Christ is an Idoll and not God He that is without Christ is without God no man comes to God that makes not Christ the way no man knowes God that beholds him not in the face of Christ He that denyes the Sonne hath not the Father saith Saint John And thus they were without God in the world and hence observe That Man in his corrupt and carnall estate is altogether estranged from God he hath nothing of God within him God doth not shine into his heart God lives not graciously in his soule God works not powerfully and savingly upon him He hath no spirituall commerce and communion with God he is estranged from the thought of God God saith the Psalmist is not in all his thoughts he thinks not upon God as upon the Creator that formed him as upon the rocke that supporteth him as upon the King commanding him as upon the Moderator dispensing and ordering him and all things else as upon the Judge rendring to every man according to his works but all his thoughts are that there is no God no God beholding observing registring and judging the wayes and works of man The soule of every carnall man is overwhelmed with Atheisme running headlong into all impiety as if there were no God to punish him he is alienated from the feare of God he is full of dishonourable low and unworthy apprehensions of God ready to say with Pharaoh Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice I know not the Lord. He thought the God of Israel inferiour to the Idols of Egypt he was so puffed up with his worldly fulnesse that he thought himselfe sufficient of himselfe without God Corrupt and carnall man through his ignorance pride and prophanenesse hath a very base opinion of God and most shamefully sleights and undervalues God He sets his mouth against the Heavens he speaks reproachfully against the Law and Doctrine of God delivered from Heaven against the authority and dominion of God whose Throne is in Heaven against the Saints and faithfull servants of God whose spirituall originall is from Heaven against Gods worship and Religion which is of a heavenly institution Of all this he speaks basely and presumptuously this he treads and tramples under feet and inthrals it to his proud and sinfull lust he is alienated from the knowledge and beliefe of God either he hath an opinion that there is no God as the foole in the Psalmist hath said in his heart there is no God The foole the man in whom the light of grace shineth not in the lamp of whose soule the oyle of saving knowledge burneth not he hath said in his heart resolved and concluded with himselfe that there is no God of wisedome discerning the wayes of men no God of Justice taking vengeance upon men for their impieties Or if he thinke there is a God he beleeves not that he is such a God as indeed he is so glorious in his Essence in his Attributes in his Persons and in his works so holy in his wayes so faithfull in his promises so gracious to his servants and so severe against his enemies and therefore such men say unto God Depart from us for we desire not the knowledge of thy wayes what is the Almighty that we should serve him and what profit shall we have if we pray unto him God the chiefest good is of no esteeme with them that are empty of all spirituall good Holy and religious services are in their opinion the most frivolous and fruitlesse undertaking who are altogether corrupt and carnall Mans prophane and base sleighting and undervaluing of God and the wayes worship and service of God openly proclaime mans miserable and cursed ignorance of God mans unhappy and sinfull Alienation and estrangement from God Carnall mans wretched and soule-destroying estrangement from God is moreover manifest described in such characters that he that runs may reade it As 1. By carnall mans enmity and opposition against God and his contrariety to God as contrary as death to life darkenesse to light evill to good bitter to sweet The carnall minde saith Saint Paul is enmity against God opposing God sighting against God It is not subiect to the Law of God neither indeed can be It breakes the bands and casts away the cords of Gods Law as Sampson sometimes burst his withes as the man in the Gospell possessed with an uncleane spirit plucked in sunder the chaines and breake in peeces the fetters which tyed him neither could any man tame him Thus the carnall man possessed by Satan and his owne uncleane and prophane spirit breaks all the chaines and fetters of Gods Law no Minister no friend no counsell no perswasion no comination can tame him and make him humble and subject to the Law of God but he rebelleth against the light he shutteth his eyes and will not see he stoppeth his eares and will not heare and is altogether contrary unto God God is light but he is darknesse God is holy perfectly absolutely infinitely holy but he is corrupt and altogether filthy God is good the fountaine of all goodnesse but he is evill a root of bitternesse all the thoughts and imaginations of his heart are only and altogether evill God is a God of knowledge perfectly knowing himselfe and all things else but carnall man neither knowes God nor himselfe God is a God of love he loves himselfe and them that beare his Image but the carnall man hates God and all them that are like God he loves evill and hates good God is a God of truth a true and faithfull God the carnall man is full of hypocrisie and deceit his heart is deceitfull above measure God delighteth himselfe he taketh pleasure in them that feare him he delighteth in them that are upright in the way To the
carnall man the thought of God is terrible he taketh pleasure in unrighteousnes and delighteth in the frowardnes of the wicked and thus his contrariety to God proclaims his alienation from God 2. By carnall mans estrangement from the life of God alienated as Paul saith from the life of God without the life of grace God lives not in him by his Spirit regenerating and quickning him The body alienated from the soule without the soule living in it is dead unprofitable unsavoury an uncomfortable spectacle Man alienated from the life of God is dead in sinne unprofitable to God to his Church to his owne soule unsensible of his sinne uncapable of the word unsavoury and abominable in the nostrils of God a very monster in the eyes of God more ugly then any leper toad or lothsome creature the dead body is earthy inclining to the earth fit only for the grave The carnall man is earthly minded inclining onely to things here below and is ready to be cast into the grave of Hell fit for an infernall funerall with the damned in outer darkenesse He that wants the life of grace is far from the God of grace whosoever is not spiritually quickened by God is miserably estranged from God 3. By the carnall mans estrangement from the knowledge of God Of such the Psalmist saith they have no knowledge no knowledge of God as a Father of Christ as a Husband of the Spirit as a Sanctifier and comforter of the word as of a light guiding and food feeding and nourishing them to life eternall they have no spirituall knowledge no principle of spirituall light to perceive the things of God which are spiritually discerned no experimentall knowledge of Gods worke upon their souls in the vivification illumination sanctification and gracious change of their hearts no affective knowledge they know not God as a child knows his father as a wife knows her husband with fervent love hearty affection no submissive knowledge they know not God as a Subject his Soveraigne a souldier his Centurion yeelding hearty free cheerfull obedience unto him no appretiative knowledge they know not God as the rich man knowes his jewell esteeming it farre above all his straw and common lumber in his house as the people knew David accounting him better then many thousands of themselves they doe not prize God above the creature and themselves they doe not repute all base and vile as nothing in respect of God no appropriative knowledge they know not God as the wife the husband selecting and taking God unto themselves and making him their God as the wife doth the husband they take not God unto them as their King Crowne portion and as all in all to their soules no consolative and delightfull knowledge they know not God as the 〈◊〉 the Sun rejoycing in the light of the Sun they delight â—n God their soules take not up their sweet repose in the botome of God the meditation of God is not sweet unto them no satiative knowledge they know not God as the thirsty the full fountaine they are not filled with God they meet not with contentation in God their desires are not terminated in God and satisfied with God they know not Gods All-sufficiency they take not up their full and eternall rest with God they are still stepping out from God with Judas they are not content with Christ but they must have the bag too and as the blinde is a stranger to the Sun so is the blinde soule a stranger to God 3. By the carnall mans estrangement from the love of God he is a stranger to the love of God Passively it is a Sun with whose beames his soule was never warmed a wine which his palate never tasted a banner under which he was never covered God never communicated the sweet sence and feeling of his love unto him none but the Bride hath the sence of the Bridegroomes love he is a stranger to the love of God actively he is a stranger to the love of union with God he declines not the things which separate from God he delights not in the meanes which unite the soule to God he desires not spirituall conjunction and communion with the Church and people of God he grieves not at the absence of the efficacy of the Spirit he longs not after the full fruition of the blessed and gracious presence of God he is a stranger to the love of Complacency in God he neither abhorres the things which are adverse to the will of God nor highly prizeth the Society of the Saints of God nor is sensible of that joy and sweetnesse which is found in the exercises of godlinesse nor knowes that delight which a gracious soule meets with by holy walking and maintaining a sweet communion with God he is not comforted and well-pleased in and with God as the eye with the Sun and the thirsty pallate with the cleare and full fountaine but hath more pleasure in the creature then in the Creator he is also a stranger to the love of benevolence and welwishing towards God having no zeale for Gods glory nor yeelding any filiall and sincere obedience to Gods precepts Whatsoever be the pretences of a carnall mans loveâ— God he loves himselfe more then God his love is the lovâ— harlots whose love is more to strangers then to their husbands Want of free full and fervent love to God ever argues an unhappy estrangement from God 4. By the carnall mans estrangement from the spirituall soule-sanctifying and soule-saving ministrations of God The carnall man is an empty house there is nothing of God dwelling there he is a Tree twice dead and plucked up by the roots there is no ministration of spirituall life Christ doth not live in him he sits in darknesse and the shadow of death the God of this world hath blinded the eyes of his understanding as the Philistines put out the eyes of Sampson there is no ministration of spirituall and saving knowledge God hath not shined into his heart he hath not the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ he lyes in the prison of the prince of darknesse like Peter in Herods prison his lusts fettering him Satan on his right hand the world on his left hand like two strong and vigilant souldiers keeping him There is no ministration of spirituall freedome he is led captive by sin the Devill and the world he is full of sinne as Naamans flesh of leprosie there is no ministration of grace and sanctification God hath not powred out his Spirit like cleane water upon him he is like the troubled Sea which cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and durt his conscience accusing his heart condemning him there is no ministration of spirituall peace no seale of the pardon of sinne no attonement between God and his soule where there is no light the Sun appeares not where there is no ministration of grace God dwels
with them and as a man by meanes of a whorish woman is brought to a morsell of bread so these by meanes of their fornication with this whorish woman the world they become very beggars in grace and get a blot and a staine which cannot be wiped off being without God he overprizeth the world in the siege of Samaria Doves dung was sold at a high price because they wanted bread he that wants God the bread the staffe and stay of his soule highly prizeth the dung and drosse of the earth and wanting God the world with her cares honours pleasures customes fashions and allurements overwhelmes him as the deluge did them that were without the Arke miserable is their slavery and servitude to the world who have not God graciously possessing them spiritually reigning and ruling within them 5. He that is without God is full of sinne The sluggards field in Solomon being without a diligent husbandman to manure it was full or thornes and nettles He that hath not God the great husbandman of the soule to manure him is overgrowne with the thornes bryars and nettles of all sorts of vices full of all abominations as Baals house was full of Idolaters and the Pharisces Sepulchers full of rottennesse and dead mens bones his lusts binde and chaine him as the fetters did Peter in Herods prison his understanding is full of blindnesse as the Egyptians houses were full of darknesse he sees nothing of God of Christ nor of his owne unhappy estate his will is full of perversenesse and frowardnesse no liberty no inclination there to move God-ward to intend God his glory or his soules welfare he is led away captive by his lusts as the Egyptians by the Assyrians naked and barefoot poore blinde naked miserable and wretched His thoughts are full of vanity pride basenesse covetousnesse fraude beastlinesse and what not these trade and trafficke and travell up and downe within him as swine in a stithe and make him a very dunghill and loathsome habitation as the buyers and sellers made the Temple a den of theeves his affections are full of all pollution base feare carnall confidence worldly love and fleshly joy his soule like the cup in the womans hand upon a skarlet coloured beast Rev. 17. full of abominations and filthinesse and his wayes works and particular passages of his life superscribed with names titles and characters of blasphemy against God Christ Heaven the Gospell and Christian Religion He that is without God and the Lord Jesus is the most loathsome of all Creatures 4. He that is without God is full of curses Where God is not the curse goeth mans very blessings are turned into curses his morall and temporall abilities all his possessions the wife in his bosome the children in his house the meat on his table the apparell on his backe is a snare to him Cursed is he in the City and in the field in his basket and in his store in the fruit of his body and in the fruit of his land in the increase of his kine and flocks of his sheep in his comming in and in his going out Yea the very word which he heareth Sacrament which he receiveth and Prayer which he maketh becomes a curse the savour of death unto death yea Christ himselfe the medium of all blessings to the soule becomes a stone of stumbling and a rocks of defence The Prophets pot before the meale was powred in was a pot of death the very whole of man without God turnes to a curse to man O the folly of them that blesse themselves in their havings not having God with them within them regenerating renewing and purifying and sanctifying all unto them Mans blessednesse consists not in any havings but in the having of God to him that hath God for his God the Lyon proves a hive of honey-combs the greatest crosse a sweet blessing to him that hath not God the choisest Paradise becomes a wildernesse the calmest river a tempestuous Sea his greatest prosperity his heaviest misery 5. He that is without God is without all the having of all things is as nothing if we have not God with them God is the fulnesse of every thing what is the having of a lamp without oyle a bone without marrow a vessell without liquor such is the having of all things without God he that with Senacherib hath Lordship over many Nations he that with Absolon hath all bodily beauty he that with the rich man in the parable hath more substance then his house can hold he that with the false Prophets hath all the applause of the world every mans tongue a trumpet to sound his praises he that with the man at the wedding feast hath all the Ordinances of God yet if with all this he hath not God he may say as Haman did in another case all this availe me nothing He that is without God is a house without a foundation to uphold him a besieged City without a Captaine to rescue him a sheep in the mouth or a Lyon without a Shepheard to deliver him a chased Hart his sinnes like a thousand arrowes sticking in him the venome of the infernall fiery serpent boyling and burning within him his conscience with a hideous cry pursuing him and no water-brooke to refresh him and a condemned malefactor ready every moment to come to his heart-rending soule-torturing and never ending execution without a King of mercies to pardon him The losse of God is of all losses the greatest no darkenesse like the want of this Sun no famine like the want of this bread no storme comparable to the want of this calme O the blessednesse of the soule which enjoyes God! O the slavery basenesse misery of the soule which is without God! Saul in his distresse cryed out the Philistines make warre against me and God is departed from me The carnall man will one day cry out the Devils make warre against me the fiends of Hell are come upon me and God is departed from me Had man the lively sence and feeling of future woes terrors and perplexities whereinto his being without God will cast him he would give himselfe no rest untill he had gotten the sweet and sure fruition of him O therefore be as loth to live now without God enlightening enlivening sanctifying and possessing you as you will be loath at last to perish without God pardoning helping saving and delivering you CHAP. XXIII Declaring that God is and the excellency of our interest in God THe carnall mans estrangement from God his being without God ministers matter of excitation to all men to labour 1. for cleare sure and invincible evidence of this truth That God is and 2. for sure and infallible interest in this God 1. Labour for cleare evidence a lively powerfull and working perswasion of this in your hearts that God is and that he is such a one as in his word he hath revealed himselfe to be this is the pillar and