in Flattery 's Mirrour How glorious was Alexander M. while he rejected Fawners How lovely but how Eclips'd how despicable when he believed and loved them which the Athenians did generously enough witness when they fined their Envoy ten Talents for calling him a God and put to death Evagoras for Adoring him There was more than ordinary in Herod which gave him the Name of Great but when he over-loved the Praise of men God left him a Monument and Warning to all Posterity giving up so contemptible a Slave of his own vain-glory to the most contemptible loathsome and shameful death Lice bred in his own Bowels destroy his Body as the Vermin of Self-love and Self-admiring reflections had destroy'd his Mind Look first on the deformity of a Self-admirer next on the beauty of a self-denying Humility and this will cure this distemper As the sight of the Putrid Carkass once cured the fond desire of Friends who doted on their own Fancy for his Picture whilest living or as the sight of the Loathsomeness in Serapis's Temple cur'd the Superstitious Aegyptians So the sight of the deformity of our Love of the undue Praise of men would cure this disease But 3. Thou who lovest to be unduly praised come with me 3. Deplorable miseries of it view the many great deplorable miseries it hath fill'd the World with read the Tragedies it hath acted and all these mostly upon it's Friends as it would cure the excessive praises men bestow on the great Commanders of conquering Armies if they would recount with themselves how many fair and goodly Countreys they laid desolate how many Cities they razed how many millions of Souls Innocent and peaceable they Sacrificed to their Ambition so here the bloody Pawes of the disguis'd Lion would cure us of our dotage on the Foxes Skin It hath ever proved a Mortal and †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deadly Cup. If you Travel through waste and desolate Kingdoms and enquire who ruin'd them you 'l find the Flatterers about Prince and Court so true is that known Observation of the Historian * Regnum saepius ab assentatoribus quam abbostibus everti solet Q. Curtius de gest Al. Flatterers do more frequently overthrow a Kingdom than open Enemies But did Flatterers find such great ones Ears stopt and their minds fortifi'd against or alienated from their flatteries the danger were not considerable The Flatterer can but attempt our Love to the flattery gives the success the Head and Shaft of the Arrow cannot fly to endanger the Eagle 't was his own Feathers that contributed to his Wound and Death Scarce a City Family or Person whose Calamities were fit to be noted in the World but you may find some Parasites some close undermining Flatterers charged as a great occasion of those Calamities and the love affection and delight those Flaterers found much more the Cause of those fatal Calamities Ahab fell more by his own Love of Flattery than by the Artifices of the Son of Chenaanah and his Accomplices 1 Kings 22. So in the Parable Ezek. 13.12 16. the Wall fell for the Builders built it with untemper'd Morter and the People loved to see the building thus go forward Scarce one that dislik't it as Ezek. 22. ver 28. observeth the consequence of which is ver 29. I saith the Lord have poured mine Indignation upon them I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath c. When Prophets prophesie falsely and Priests bear rule by their means and the people love to have it so what will you do in the end thereof Jer. 5.31 In a word can you love that flattery which never had extorted a Tear a Sigh a Grief or complaint from you if you had hated it which hath filled you or yours whole Families Cities Kingdoms yea the whole World in all ages with the complaints and sorrows which Treachery loved and trusted could bring upon those that were so much over-seen We shew you the scatter'd bones about the Dens mouth and desire to ask whether you think fit to Love the Couching Lion which lurks in it 4. Would you be cur'd of immoderate Love of an undue praise then so often as you perceive any one soothing you therewith suspect there may be and search what likeliest is the design such have upon you We may with good manners question the Integrity of his purpose who doth on our Knowledge transgress the rules of Truth in the words we hear from him such men lye for advantage the discovery of this designing wheedling Projector will if you have any Spirit of a man in you take off your Love yea turn it into hatred No man can love to be impos'd upon be assured there is a snare hid search after it keep a watchful Eye upon it in time you will discover what you prevented and never love what endanger'd you in vain is the Net spread in the sight of any Bird. And there 's much in that of Diogenes to a Flatterer Nihil proficis cum te intelligam Seneca in Epist It is the great care of these Lurkers to lye conceal'd and to hide their purposes and to blind-fold those they lead for 't is but one labour to expose them to our view and to our hatred Could weeping Parents give their seduced Children Eyes to see the seducing projects of corrupt Flatterers they need be no farther solicitous their Children would find Hearts to hate them There is nothing truly amiable in flattery and none that know it approve or love it Solomon therefore takes so much pains for discovery of the designs of a flattering Mouth and then counselleth us to decline and reject it Prov. 5. The monster in the dark doth not but in the light he will make us recoil with abhorrence Find him out then Adulatio periculosa est quae latet view him exactly and I know 't will do much toward your Cure 5. If you would be cured you must resolutely and peremptorily reject the Friendship of the man who turns due praises into Flattery Let such know they please least when they praise most and that you make their first offence an opportunity to inform them that the second offence in this kind is and shall be unpardonably punisht with loss of your Friendship I know not any reason why I may not interpret that of Flatterers which David speaks of Liers He that telleth Lies shall not come into my House Psal 101. This he did know was the way to prevent Love of Flatteries and Flatterers to keep them out of his presence This Tympany is never cured while Sycophants are suffered to blow up weak minds with conceits of worth greater than is due to their Persons It is not unfitly resembled to those distempers which increase on us by our Indulgence It 's an Itching humour runs in our blood as Sigismund the Emperour observed and when it breaks out the tickling Flatterer doth increase it if you would cure you must let
and comfortable day They are arrayed with the robe of righteousness and garment of Salvation which adorn them more than garments of wrought gold Christ leads them into his Banquetting-House and there spreads over them the banner of his love which affords the surest protection and the sweetest shade Who but themselves are able to tell or conceive what unspeakable and glorious joy they have what triumphs and exultings of Soul when their best beloved Jesus kisseth them with the kisses of his lips and by his own Spirit witnesseth with theirs that they are the Children of God and with his most ravishing consolations doth delight their Souls what are mines of gold and rocks of Diamonds what are Lordships and mannors what are Crowns and Scepters what Kingdoms and Empires to one drachme of grace one smile from Heaven one whisper of divine love one embrace of a Saviour Cursed said noble Galeacius be that man who counteth all the world worth one hours communion with Jesus Christ and if one hour of Communion be so precious what O what is a life of Communion But then stay till the winding up of the bottom till that last and great day shall dawn in which there will be a revelation of the righteous Judgment of God and of the marvellous goodness of God wherein the wicked shall be stript of all their honour and power of all their riches and pleasures and turned into Hell for the wrath of God and the worm of Conscience eternally to feed upon them And those who have believingly closed with Christ and bowed to his Scepter and walked closely with God and studied the power of godliness and strictness of Religion shall enter into peace and be cloathed with glory and sit upon Thrones possessed of a fulness of joy and sporting themselves in Rivers of pleasure under the brightest and warmest beams of divine love and in the most endearing embraces of the Lord Jesus and in the plenarie uninterrupted enjoyment of those things which eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor have entred into the heart of man without any disquieting apprehensions or fears of being ejected out of that possession or disturbed in it Then all the world the most stupid and unteachable part of it will be throughly convinced that there is a reward for the righteous a God that Judgeth in the Earth and that true godliness is profitable for all things both for the life that now is and for that which is to come and that however things go now yet it was not in vain to serve God And therefore in the mean time though Clouds and darkness are round about the Throne yet let us rejoyce in the firm belief of what the Prophet tells us Psalm 145 17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works The last thing promised for the proof of the point that Gods governing the world may well support us in the midst of all distractions is to present to your consideration several things more particularly relating to the Church and People of this God And they are these 1. The nearness dearness and intimacy of that relation in which the Church and Saints stand to God What may not the wife and children of a loving and mighty King promise themselves from his government Certainly they may well be assured so long as he keeps his Throne and hath power in his hand they shall want neither defence nor comfort The Church is Gods Vineyard and will he not water it and keep it every moment lest any hurt it She is the Spouse of Christ and will he not be tender over her and kind to her He is a Father to his people and will he not look after them and afford them maintenance and necessary supplies He is more than a Mother to them and will he not draw out his breasts of consolation that they may suck and be satisfied milk out and be delighted Doubtless they may believingly expect all good from him all kindness all comforts from him who hath been graciously pleased to put himself into all relations unto them In the 23. Psal v. 1. holy David looked with an eye of Faith but to one Relation in which God stood to him the Lord is my Shepherd and from thence he saw sufficient encouragement to conclude that he should not want What mayest thou then O believer argue from all Gods relations He is my God my King my Master my Father my Husband therefore surely I shall not want He is a Sun and Shield a Sun for comfort and a Shield for security In his beams then his children shall rejoyce and in his shadow shall they sit safely and no good thing shall he with-hold from them that walk uprightly Jerusalem is the City of the great King and if she be Gods City God will be her security Never fear that O Saints for he is known famously known in her Palaces for a refuge 2. The special interest which God hath in his Church and People they are his Portion and Inheritance And no one will if he can help it lose his portion Naâ—oth would not part with his Inheritance upon any termes neither fell nor change it much less will Christ with his who is so greatly taken with it as to count the lines fallen to him in a pleasant place and that he hath a goodly heritage His people are his Jewels and will he suffer them to be lost They are his Treasure and what shall his enemies rob him of that no no where his treasure is there his heart is also and where his heart is there shall his eye be watching and his hand of power shall be stretched out and his wings of protection shall be spread abroad and Salvation it self shall be for Walls and Bulwarks The interest which God hath in all the world is not comparable to that interest which God hath in the Church The rest are but his Slaves these are his Children the rest are but the rude wilderness the Devils waste these are his Gardens inclosed In others he sees his power but in these his Image and his Son Others are the work of his hands but these are the Workmanship of his Spirit 3. That most endearing and entire affection which he beareth unto his Church and People As be stands in all relations to them so he hath all affections for them You that understand what love is do feel within your selves what a noble active liberal principle it is and what a mighty power and vigour there is in it Now there is no love in the world comparable to the love of God He hath a flame to our spark an Ocean to our drop The dearest of Gods love is placed upon Christ and in and for Christs sake the same love is placed upon the Church and people of Christ thou hast loved them as thou hast loved me And what will not such love do it will awaken care and call forth power and engage wisdom and open the
our principal perfections in Heaven and Earth These he recommends by the most affectionate and obliging the most warming melting Perswasives the superlative Love of God to us and our Communion with the Saints in Nature and Grace In the former Verse the Apostle argues for the reality of the effect as an evidence of the Cause Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ that is the Saviour of the world foretold to the Prophets and expresses the truth of that Faith in a sutable conversation is born of God and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him Grace is not less powerful in producing tender reciprocal affections between the off-spring of the same heavenly Father than the subordinate endearments of Nature The pretence is vain of Love to God without loving his regenerate Children And in the Text he argues from the knowledge of the Cause to the discovering of the sincerity of the Effect By this we know that we love the Children of God with a holy affection if we love God and keep his Commandments There is but one difficulty to be removed that the force of the Apostles reasoning may appear 't is this a Medium to prove a thing must be of clearer evidence than what is concluded by it Now though a demonstration from the Cause be more noble and scientifical yet that which is drawn from the Effect is more near to Sence and more discernable And this is verified in the Instance before us for the Love of God who is absolutely spiritual in his Being and Excellencies doth not with that sensible fervour affect and passionately transport us as Love to his Children with whom we visibly converse and who are receptive of the most sensible testimonies of our Affection Accordingly the Apostle argues He that loves not his Brother whom he hath seen how can he love God whom he hath not seen As the Motives to love our Brethren from our conjunction in Nature and familiar Conversation are more capable to allure our Affections and more sensibly strike the Heart than the invisible Deity who is infinitely above us by the same reason we may more easily judge of the truth of our Love to them than of our Love to God To this the Answer is clear the Apostle doth not speak of the Love of God as a still silent contemplative affection confined to to the superior Faculty of the Soul but as a burning shining affection like Fire * Lumine qui semper proditur ipso suo active and declarative of it self in those effects that necessarily flow from it that is voluntary obedience to his Commands and thus it becomes manifest to the renewed Conscience and is a most convincing proof of the sincerity of our Love to the Saints The Text being cleared affords this Doctrine Doctrine The sincerity of our Love to the Children of God is certainly discovered by our Love to God and Obedience to his Commands For the Illustration and Proof of the Point I will briefly shew 1. Who are described by this Title the Children of God 2. What is included in our Love to them 3. What the Love of God is and the obedience that flows from it 4. How from love to God and willing obedience to his Commands we may convincingly know the sincerity of our love to his Children To explain the first we must consider that this Title the Children of God is given upon several accounts 1. By Creation the Angels are called the Sons of God and Men his off-spring The reason of the Title is 1. The manner of their production by his immediate Power Thus he is stiled The Father of Spirits in distinction from the Fathers of the Flesh For though the conception and forming of the Body be the work of his secret Providence yet 't is by the hand of Nature the Parents concurring as the second Causes of it but the production of the Soul is to be entirely ascribed to his power without the intervention of any Creature 2. In their spiritual immortal Nature and the intellectual operations flowing from it there is an Image and resemblance of God from whence this Title is common to all reasonable Creatures and peculiar to them for though the Matter may be ordered and fashioned by the hand of God into a figure of admirable beauty yet 't is not capable of his likeness and image so that neither the Lights of Heaven nor the Beasts and plants of the Earth are called his Children II. By external Calling and Covenant some are denominated his Children for by this Evangelical Constitution God is pleased to receive Believers into a filial relation Indeed where there is not a cordial consent and subjection to the Terms of the Covenant visible Profession and the receiving the external Seals of it will be of no advantage but the publick serious owning of the Gâ—â—pel entitles a person to be of the Society of Christians and filius and foederatus are all one III. There is a Sonship that arises from supernatural regeneration that is the communicating a new nature to man whereby there is a holy and blessed change in the directive and commanding Faculties the Understanding and Will and in the Affections and consequently in the whole Life This is wrought by the efficacy of the Word and Spirit and is called by our Saviour Regeneration because it is not our original carnal Birth but a second and celestial 'T is with the new man in Grace as with an Infant in Nature that has the essential parts that compose a man a Soul endowed with all its faculties a Body with all its organs and parts but not in the vigor of mature age Thus renewed Holiness in a Christian is compleat and entire in its parts but not in perfection of degrees there is a universal inclination to all that is holy just and good and a universal aversion from sin though the executive power be not equal And regenerate Christians are truly called the Children of God for as in natural generation there is communicated a Principle of Life and sutable Operations from whence the Title and Relation of a Father arises so in Regeneration there are derived such holy and heavenly qualities to the Soul as constitute a Divine Nature in man whereby he is partaker of the Life and Likeness of God himself from hence he is a Child of God and has an interest and propriety in his Favour Power and Promises and all the good that flows from them and a Title to the eternal inheritance Secondly I will shew what is included in our Love to the Children of God 1 Pet. 1.22 1. The Principle of this Love is Divine The Soul is purified through the Spirit to unfeigned Love of the Brethren Naturally the Judgment is corrupted and the Will depraved that carnal respects either of Profit or Pleasure are the quick and sensible incitements of Love and till the Soul be cured of the sensual contagion the
and we are made up of nothing else but Dependency and Frailty Luc. 22.61 Now this active principle is chiefly Faith and Love Faith working by Love Faith gives us union to Christ and maintains that Union Now as we are kept by Faith so we and our Faith are kept both by the power of God to salvation 1 Pet. 1.4 5. Our Inheritance is kept in Heaven for us and we are kept in Earth for it till we possess it in Heaven Quis custodiet ipsos custodes We should be poorly and Miserably kept if the Lord were not our keeper How did Adam keep his Estate and the Angels theirs and Esau his Birth-right and the Prodigal his Portion when all was trusted in their own hands One lost all for an Apple and another for a Mess of Dainty Broth and another for his carnal pleasures but happy Believers whose All is in better Trustees hands 1 Pet. 4. ult even the hand of a Faithful God IV. He that will keep himself in the Love of God must keep himself free from the Love of the World because the Love of this World is contrary to the Love of God 1 Joh. 2.15 16. and therefore inconsistent with it 1. Because the Love of the World and its Trinity or threefold Lust is a dangerous Heart-thief it Steals away the Heart from God as Absolom stole away the Hearts of the People from David by his Kisses 2 Sam. 15.5 6. and Flatteries Hos 4.11 What the Prophet speaks of Wine and Whoredom is true of all other worldly things 2. The Love of the World makes God jealous because Worldlings make an Idol of it and it is the worst Idolatry being that of the first Commandement Mâ—t. 6.24 So is Covetousness and Mammon when the Heart is inordinate upon Creatures Silver Gold Relations that is our Treasure Luc. 12.34 Colos 3.5 Therefore saith the Lord take heed and beware of Covetousness Luk. 12.15 A double caution all little enough And of this nature is Luxury and Epicurism also Phil. 3.18 19 20. Drunkenness the Love of Pleasure more than God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Belly-gods Nay thus it is likewise in the inordinate Love of Children which is soon done and they become Idols and God in his jealousie breaks them 1 Sam. 2.21 or breaks us for them as he did old Eli honouring his Sons above God And he that loveth Son or Daughter more than me is not worthy of me Math. 10.37 saith Christ 3. Because the Love of the World is a Choak-pear to all that 's truly good as is clear in the Thorny Ground Math. 13. v. 7.22 Experience teacheth this universally and the nature of the things being contrary one to the other and killing one of another * Like the Torment of Mezentius putting the Living to the Dead which corrupts and kills the Living one being Spiritual and Heavenly the other Carnal Sensual and Destructive yea both are destroyers of each other Rom. 7.24 Who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death Do not we see what mortal Enemies worldly men are to Divine things The Word saith the world lyeth in wickedness the Devil is the Prince of the wicked World and ruleth in the children of disobedience it feeds the Flesh and nourisheth the carnal part and is not subject to the Law of God nor can be Rom. 8.7 Yea it is a deadly thing to the Soul Rom. 6.6 Gal. 5.17 Rom. 8.13 Gal. 6.14 Gal. 2.20 Gal. 5.24 and such deadly things are these two Lovers that is these two Lusts that they hunt for the life of each other fighting against each other to the death and the quarrel alwayes ends in the death of one or th' other If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the flesh ye shall live See the Scriptures in the Margin 4. The Love of the World hath Sorcery and Witchcraft in it when once men drink of the Worlds Cup they are intoxicated We read of Simon Magus how he bewitched the People Act. 8.9 We read of Jezebels Witchcrafts 2 King 9.22 Nahum 3.9 Rev. 17.2 3 4. Falsus fallax est mundus exterius aurens interius lutens N. N. and Babylons Sorceries and Witchcrafts and it is joined with the Works of the Flesh Gal. 5.17 to ver 21. Sixteen in number Rev. 22.15 Maxima totius orbis venefica The greatest Witch in the world is the World Her Honours are bewitching Honours Her Delights and pleasures are bewitching Her Riches and Profits are bewitching How then is the Love of the World consistent with Gods Love Therefore for the Love of God love not the World 5. The Love of the World makes Men Apostates from Christ So it made Demas 2 Tim. 4.10 and so it hath made thousands more and thee among the rest if thou lookest not well to thy Self 6. Psal 17.14 Phil. 3.18 19 20. Because the Love of the World makes men take up their Heaven on this side Heaven Of those men the Apostle could not speak without Weeping This is like the Prodigal that preferred a Tavern and a Brothel-House before his Fathers House Luc. 15.13 V. He that will Love God and keep himself in the Love of God must not be a Self-lover there is no greater Enemy to the Love of God than to Love our selves 2 Tim. 3.2 Mark the place for it is a remarkable place He tells you of perilous times a coming and there gives nineteen marks of such men as make the times perilous Of all which Lovers of themselves leads the Van for where once this Principle prevails it opens a Floodgate to all Sin and shuts the door upon all Holy Motions If Self be beloved admired and idolized it is the worst Idol in the World this is an Idol in a secret place continually adored this is Dagon set above the Ark and a Man above God and provokes to jealousie this perverts the course of Nature and Gods order who is one God and uppermost and only to be adored and men set up themselves in Gods Throne and Ungod him by deifying themselves and for one God they set up millions of gods as many gods as Creatures This is mans misery by losing the Integrity wherein God made him and seeking out many Inventions And when the Lord Christ came into the World he he speaks our Love and wooes us for it and commands self-denyal as the first Lesson to be learned in his School Mat. 16.24 25. Mat. 10.37 whereby the great Stumbling-block to Gods Love is taken away VI. If ye would keep your selves in the Love of God be very shy of Sin both in the Risings of it and as to the Temptations to it For the love of God and the love of Sin are more contrary to each other than Heaven and Hell Because they are Morally contrary Rom. 8. 1. Sin is Enmity against God in the Abstract 2. Sin is hatefull
to God therefore inconsistent with the Love of God These six things the Lord hateth yea seven which his Soul hateth Prov. 6.16 Psal 97.10 Math. 6.24 Therefore ye that love the Lord hate evil These are two Masters which we cannot hate and love both 3. Sin separates from God therefore we cannot keep our selves in the love of Sin and in the love of God Sin makes us depart from God and God to depart from us Therefore Conversion reconciles God to us because it mortifies Sin in us by vertue of Christs Death for us VII He that will keep himself in the Love of God must clear up his Interest and Union to Jesus Christ 1. Because Jesus Christ was sent us as the greatest Instance and the greatest Token of Gods Love in the World 1 Joh. 4.9 2. Because the Lord Jesus purchased the Love of God to us when we were the greatest Enemies to each other Rom. 5.8 10. 3. Because Jesus Christ is the Souls Love Cant. 3.1 4. Because Jesus Christ is all Loves Cant. 5.16 5. Because this was the End of Christs coming into the World to save us from our sins the sole cause of Gods hatred to Sinners Math. 1.21 6. Because the Father loveth whom Christ loveth and he loveth them that love Christ Joh. 16.27 7. Because our Interest in Christ puts a Soul out of all danger Rom. 8.1 Rom. 5.1 Chap. 7.24 25. 8. Because the Lord Jesus makes the Fathers Love to him the measure of his love to us As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue in my love Joh. 15.9 i. e. By this ye keep in Gods Love 9. Because the Lord Jesus teacheth us the way how to keep in his Love Joh. 15.10 Consider all this and how cogently they prove this Head of clearing up our Interest and Union unto Christ to keep our selves in the Love of God VIII An eighth way of keeping our selves in the Love of God is by keeping Gods Commandements I do not mean as to a Covenant of Works but upon a Gospel account If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my Love as I have kept my Fathers Commandments and abide in his Love John 15.10 Vers 14. Ye are my Friends if ye do whatsoever I command you O! mind that Again mark this Joh. 14.21 He that hath my Commandments and doth them he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and we will make our abode with him This Love is the fulfilling of the whole Law and the Gospel too There be many that will complement a Love to God but will do nothing for him The greatness of Abraham's Love to God and of David's Love and of Peter's Love and of Mary's Love of Paul's Love and of the Martyrs Love was in doing and in dying for him And is not the greatness of Gods Love and of Chists Love to us Joh. 15.13 in Doing and Suffering We read of Labour of Love because true Love is Laborious as it was in Jacob's Love for Rachel There is nothing God hates more than pretending to love therefore the Lord hates Hypocrites Not every Mat. 7.21 one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into Heaven but he that doth the Will of my Father which is in Heaven As God saith This People Deut. 5.29 have well said in all that they have spoken O that there were such a Heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my Commandments alwayes So I say of Professors and great Pretenders that shew much kindness with their Mouth but their Heart is not right with God O that there were such a Heart in them that they would make Conscience to do the Will of God If the Lord loved the young man that was in a fair way of keeping the Commandments of God and was not perfect and thorow-pac'd how much more will he have a Love for them that have a respect to all the Commandments of God Psal 119.6 IX The way to keep our selves in the Love of God is to walk closely with God in wayes of strict Holiness This is a Commendation and Character upon Record of Gods chiefest Favourites Thus it was with Abraham Gen. 17.1 Thus it was with Enoch Gen. 5.22 Thus it was with Noah Gen. 6.9 Thus it was with Caleb Num. 14.24 And thus David Psal 73. ult Now we shall see how such a one is to God who desires to keep in the Love of God We have known 1 Joh. 4.16 and believed the Love that God hath to us God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him O sweet dwelling You shall shall find that the Holyest Persons were alwaies the highest Favourites of God Witness those before-mentioned and these following Instances Job 1.1 2 3. How did God bless him and praise him and trie him and reward him for his eminent Holiness Zachary and Elizabeth Luk. 1.6 7. How singularly did they shine in Holiness and in the Favour of God to whom God gave a Son in their old age the Harbinger of Christ Mary the Mother of Christ Luk. 1.28 how was she for her Holiness pronounced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 highly favoured And Simeon Luk. 2.25 c. and Anna vers 36 37 38. Holiness and Purity brings us to the fight of God which is called Beatifical which is the Souls highest Happiness and ultimate end Math. 5.8 Psal 24.4 Heb. 12.14 and therefore is pronounced Blessed Psal 119.1 2. X. They keep themselves in the Love of God who do not wave or abate their Profession and Practice of Godliness in evil times and do not baulk the wayes of God under severe Providences and sharp Tryals this was eminent in all Christs Worthyes Thus David Psal 44.17 to vers 22. Mind that Place Though they were sore broken and smitten into the Place of Dragons and cover'd as with the shaddow of death yet we have not forgotten thee nor declined from thy way c. Job 13.15 cap. 3.17 18. Thus Job Though he slay me yet I will trust in him Thus Habakkuk Although the Fig-tree shall not blossom the Vine Olive and Field shall fail of their Fruit and not any Flocks or Herds left yet I will rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of my Salvation The Lord God is my strength And thus all the Champions of God Let Paul be one Instance more Rom. 8.35 36 37 38 39. Reason Prov. 3.11 12. 1. A Friend loveth at all times and a Brother is born for the day of Adversity Prov. 17.17 2. They know the Lords Chastenings are in Love Heb. 12.6 Rev. 3.19 Psal 119.67 71 72. 3. They know that all the Lords Severities are for good many wayes To drive them to Ordinances and Duties to sweeten them and to teach them to profit by them to know more of the Will of God by them and to give us a better Relish of the
Word by the Rod as Shepherds let loose their Dogs to hunt the stragling Sheep into their Bounds As Parents use Bug-bears to make their Children run into their Arms all in Love and to keep them in it by keeping them from excursions XI Another Means to keep our selves in the Love of God is to keep in our Hearts a quick sense of the Pardon of Sin of the wonderfull love of the Lord to a poor sinfull Soul to pardon great and many sins This puts such an Obligation upon a Sinner that he cannot chuse but express his great love to the Lord for it See a famous Instance of this in Mary Magdalen who having received this great Mercy from the Lord Luc. 7.38 47. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 came where he was in Simon the Pharisees house kneeled down at her dear Saviours feet and instead of Water her Eyes were Ewers and she wept tears upon the feet of Christ and washed his feet with them so abundant were they and then instead of a Towel she wiped his washen feet with the hair of her Head and not only so but kissed his feet All which thô the envious Pharisee blamed yet the Lord Jesus allowed and highly praised with tart reflexion upon the proud Pharisee who omitted those Civilities which that humble loving Convert performed Moreover the Lord that knew her Heart testifies for her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 she did it all in much love to him for the forgiveness of her many sins 1. Because Forgiveness of Sin is an act of the greatest Grace condescension and kindness of God to a poor Soul Because by the guilt of Sin a Soul is bound over to eternal Death and Wrath in Hell there to make satisfaction which will be ever a doing and never done Pardon of Sin loosneth the Sinner from that by Christs satisfaction for him 2. Because every one thus Pardoned Psal 51.12 Vphold me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with thy ingenuous or generous Spirit is made truly sensible of the Kindness of God to him in it and by converting Grace hath an ingenuous and noble Spirit created in his heart that will never suffer him to forget it nor think he can ever sufficiently prize or express it XII A further Means to keep our selves in the Love of God is not only to love the Lord but to keep up our Love to him to the height Such a love as the Bride and Bridegroom have to each other which is brisk and highest then Jer. 2.2 Rev. 2.4 5. I remember saith the Lord the love of thine espousals And again I have somewhat against thee because thou art fallen from thy first love repent and do thy first works The Lord commands our Love towards him in the most intense degree of Affection with all the heart with all the soul with all thy might Cum omni valdè tâ—o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all thy utmost power Deut. 11.1.13.22 Cap. 19.9 Cursed be the deceiver that hath this Male in his flock Mal. this Masculine Love and yet giveth God the lame and the lean The highest Love of the Soul is a Present for the greatest King in the world Therefore labour to keep up thy Love to the height towards God Thou canst never be excessive in thy Love to God to the Creature thou mayst and commonly art But behold the perversness of Man in this Affection We stint our Love to God where it should know no bounds nor measures and we are boundless in our love to Creatures which alwayes ought to be bounded XIII If we will keep our selves in the Love of God let us labour to grow in Grace and to carry on the work of it in our Souls to the highest perfection This is grounded upon the Verse immediately before the Text viz. Ye beloved building up your selves in your most holy Faith where the Participle building agrees with the Verb in the Text keep your selves in the love of God Noting this growth in Grace and Knowledge to be an effectual means to keep our selves in the Love of God Whether we understand this Clause building up your selves in your most holy Faith to be understood of the Doctrine of Faith or the Grace of Faith or of both for we cannot well sunder them they being helps to each other according to that of Peter who puts them both together to grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and this is a Soveraign Remedy against falling away 2 Pet. 3.17 18. Now there is good reason why our growth in Grace and particularly in Faith is a principal means to keep our selves in the Love of God 1. Because the Power of God goes with Faith to keep us firm unto salvation 1 Pet. 1.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are kept thereby as with a strong Guard 2. Because by building up our selves in our most holy Faith we please God without Faith we cannot do that and we gain upon his Love for we are in the way of God and doing his Will this is the Will of God even our Sanctification He that hath my commandments and doth them Joh. 14.21 he it is that loveth me and he that loveth me my Father and I will love him Joh. 15.9 10. As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue in my love If ye keep my commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers commandments and abide in his love XIV A great Means of keeping our selves in the Love of God is this to Pray in the Holy Ghost ver 20. the verse after my Text Now we shall see how forcible and cogent this means is Consider 1. All good things come from God Jam. 1. Prayer is the Key of Gods Closet and Treasury we are meer Beggers and have nothing of our own but are fain to beg our daily Bread of God who keeps us from Hand to Mouth God will have it so because he will have us know to whom we are beholding for all Moreover he Loves to see our Face and hear our Voice and the oftner the more welcome And this he doth as tender Fathers use to do with their Children who know what they need but will have them come to them for all with bended knees for their Fathers Blessing nor shall they come in vain 1. For the Lord commands it and approves it Mat. 6.9 2. He hath annexed great Promises to Prayer 3. Even the Holy Spirit Rom. 8.15 26 27. And hath given us a Mediator to Intercede and plead for us by Office Heb. 4.15 16. and this is the great Office of his High-Priest-hood Heb. 2. two last verses By all which we see how seasonably the duty of Prayer and the Priviledge of Prayer is here annexed ver 20. to keep our selves in the Love of God How can Friends maintain their Amity without frequent converse Abraham was called the Friend of God Jam. 2.23 Gen. 18.17
to the end and ye see what power he had with God in Prayer for wicked Sodom God communicated his Secrets to him as one Friend to another and Abraham made Intercession to him as Favourites of Princes for Malefactors So did he for Sodom and ye know how far he prevailed for he was a Righteous man Jam. 5.16 and such a mans Prayer prevaileth much And what was Abrahams Righteousness even the Righteousness of Faith by Imputation Rom. 4. and this Faith living and working XV. We keep our selves in the Love of God when we declare a publick Spirit for the Cause of God in his Church against the Enemies of it by being zealous for his Glory and valiant for his Truth in our Station Judg. 5. This is lively asserted in the Song of Deborah and Barak who after she had praised some for their appearing and others for not appearing in this Cause dispraised the Lord she praised above all for his presence with his People and for that Spirit of Love he poured out upon them in these Words vers 31. So let all thine Enemies perish O Lord but let them that love him be as the Sun when he goeth forth in his might Now the Reason why this publick Spirit in the Cause of God is expressed by our Love to God is this Because God is so much concerned in it 1. As to his Honour to defend and deliver his People from his and their Enemies as the Midianites were 2. As to his Power in reducing thirty thousand to three hundred Jud. 7. as in Gideons case all that lapped He as a poor Barley Cake tumbled all the Enemies down and by a small company And a Woman in Deborahs case that is by her self and Jael Judg. 4.21 destroyed Jabin and Sisera's mighty Host To omit many other instances of publick Hearts in this case signally owned by God because they signally appeared for God Thus Moses Exod. 2.11 13. Judg. 5.9 This was their Love Thus saith Deborah My Heart is towards the Governours of Israel that offer themselves willingly bless ye the Lord. Zebulun and Napthali jeoparded their lives unto Death in the high places of the Field and thus did Issachar ver 15. But Reuben Gad Manasseh Dan and Asher are branded for their Cowardise I say all this appearing in the defence of all that was dear to God and them is called Love to God Therefore we may in no wise exclude this Noble publick Spirit in the cause of God and his People from the Love of God for there is no principle in the World like to the Love of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 3.8 Deum odisse in sacris literis peculiariter illi dicuntur qui falsos deos colunt Maimon Which love me and keep my Commandments Illa praecipuè quae ad arcendas pravas superstitiones pertinent Grot. Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pij dicti sunt Ezek. 16.33 36 37. chap. 23.5 Jer. 2.2 I remember the love of the Espousals to animate and inflame the Soul to do great things for God This Spirit was marvellous in David whose very Name was from Love Therefore it is the duty of every Child of God to pray for the Spirit of God which only sheds all divine Love abroad in the Heart Rom. 5.5 which God inspires as he pleaseth XVI A great means of keeping our selves in the Love of God is to be Sincere and Sound in the Worship of God Mark this well for herein lyes the Love or Hatred of God as appears plainly in the second Commandement Exod. 20. ver 6. Therefore Idols and Idolaters are called our Lovers Hosea 2.5 7. Jer. 8.1 Hosea 13. They kissed the Calves ver 2. Therefore our Hankering and embracing of a false Worship provokes God to jealousie Therefore the Lord deals with Superstition and Idolatry in his People after the Law of Harlots and Adulterers The Scripture is full of this Language There is no higher Act of Love in God than to espouse a People to be his own and to give them a Rule of Worship of his own Institution and to hold them to it as he did Israel And when a People follows God and serves God according to his own appointments there are no higher Acts of Love towards him in Gods account God is enamoured with such a People God in his highest acts of jealousie was inraged against his Idolatrous people Psal 78.59 They kissed their Idols giving them all the tokens of Love and Homage 1 King 19.18 Job 31.27 They burnt their Children to them as the costlyest Sacrifice as Abraham would his Isaac in Love to God but God only tryed him by it Mark 7.7 Colos 2.22 Mat. 15.2 3 6. Rev. 17.4 5. he calls them his Hephsibah and his Beulah Isa 62.4 We see it also in the instance of good Kings how the Lord prized and praised them for this very thing for Reforming and setting up the true Worship of God as David Asa Jehosaphat Hezekiah Josiah how the Lord prospered them because their Hearts were right and perfect with God in this thing On the other side how he hath branded and blasted all those that were false herein For this was David a man after Gods own Heart fulfilling all his Wills which is chiefly meant in the point of Gods Worship Act. 13.22 As for the Wills of men in the Worship of God by their Inventions Traditions and Commandements he tells you he hates them and they are Abomination to him And no wonder for what intrencheth more upon the Honour of Gods Wisdom and Soveraignty than this That he doth not know best how to appoint his own Worship but must be fain to be beholding to Man for his devices and dictates in the Case This though it seems very gay is Whorish and Poysonous this golden Dress and Cup is intoxicating XVII A great Means of keeping in the Love of God is keeping up the Communion of Saints in all the parts and duties of it What this is we shall see according to Scripture The Communion of Saints is our Participation of all the good things of God in common whereunto all the Saints and only they have right consisting in our Union to God as our chiefest good this is with God as a Father with the Son and Holy Spirit 1 Joh. 1.3 2 Cor. 13.13 1. We have Communion with the Father as Children and all in the greatest Love 1 Joh. 3.1 Rom. 8.16 17. This is procured by Christ 1 Joh. 2.23 only obtained by Believing Joh. 1.12 And maintained by the Spirit Rom. 8.14 Who walk not in darkness but in light 1 Joh. 1.6 7. 2. We have Communion with Jesus Christ the Son of God By which we are made partakers of him of his Nature and of his Grace and of his Glory all which is done by Faith that uniteing and marrying Grace and this works such Conjugal Love between Christ and his Church as makes them
Now let me propound a few Incentives to blow and stir up the dying embers of Divine Love in our Souls 1. No man can love God truly unless he know God truly 1 Cor. 8.3 If any man love God the same is known of him therefore examine what knowledge thou hast of God especially what practical Knowledge It is clear practical Gospel Knowledge to know God in Christ this is saving and brings Life Eternal Joh. 17.3 This is Knowledge that transforms 2 Cor. 3.18 This is a Sanctifying Knowledge Ephes 4.21 22. This is a justifying Knowledge or the Knowledge of Faith Isa 53.11 Philip. 3.8 9 10. This Light and Knowledge comes in to the Soul by the Illumination of the Spirit of God turning our darkness into light and is the teaching of God and the anointing of God teaching all things Joh. 6.46 Joh. 2.20 27. This principally teacheth us these two things 1. The Love of God in Christ to us 2. The Loveliness of Christ to inflame our love to him by his Beauty and Excellency Now when we clearly see and duely consider this our Hearts are marvellously drawn out in Love to the Lord And without this knowledge of God we can never truly love him O pray for it and attend and improve the Means of it This is that which the Apostle points at as the most transcendent of all other in the World which carnal Hearts are no wayes capable of without the work of Gods Spirit in the Soul 1 Cor. 2.9 to the end read and mind that Scripture well There are some things which we can never see in their Excellencies without the help of Telescopes and Perspective glasses by reason of the weakness and dimness of our sight In like manner we can never see the Amiableness of God in Christ without the help of Gods Spirit This sets the Soul upon the Top of a high Mountain as Moses upon the Top of Pisgah whereby he gains a prospect of the Heavenly Canaan or as Christ and his Disciples upon Tabor in the Transfiguration 2 Pet. 1.17 18. 2 Cor. 12.2 3 4. from that excellent Glory Or such a sight as Paul had in his Rapture 2. A second means and Motive to blow up the Flame of Divine Love in us is to consider That the Lord is incomparably the most lovely Object in the World Psal 119.68 Mat. 19.16 17. being the chief of all good and goodness For which reason our Saviour saith Why callest thou me good there is none good but one that is God If we Love a drop of good in the Creature how should we be ravished with an Ocean Psal 36.7 8.9 10. many Oceans in God! Happy he that enjoyes the Fountain of good for with him is the well of Life c. God is purely good without Mixture infinitely good without Measure absolutely good without Dependency communicably good without Failure eternally good without End say the Schools therefore most amiable O consider this And this good this God is ours for ever and ever may every Believer say O let this inflame our Love to this good 3. Examine thy Faith in the Truth of it and labour for the growth of it and observe the working of it for true Faith works by Love and the stronger thy Faith is the stronger thy Love is Gal. 5.8 The Apostle Peter shewing the excellency of Faith and of a tryed Faith that it is more precious than Gold he saith by it we love Jesus Christ though we never saw him with our bodily Eyes and we love him by Believing and rejoyce in it with unspeakable glorious Joy 1 Pet. 1.7 8. Aug. Tract 7. in 1 Joh. Faith is the first Principle and chief root of all Operation in the Soul and it is therefore a vain thing to talk of loving God without Believing Bern. for whatsoever is not of Faith is Sin God doth not put the Oyl of his Mercy but into the Vessel of Faith We believe therefore we speak saith the Apostle we believe therefore we love What made the Saints not value worldly Treasures and Delights What made them Love not their lives to the Death What made them so wonderful in their Active and Passive Obedience for Christ but their Faith by seeing him that is invisible for there is not such an Eye on Earth Heb. 11.24 25 26 27. that see Spiritual things in their Spirituality and notwithstanding their remotest distance such a Faith doth break forth in the flames of Love to God that thereby the Heart where it is is ravished by it the Lord saith his Heart is also ravished with that Eye Cant. 4.9 4. Consider that God best deserves thy Love All the World cannot vye with God in loving us therefore are not worthy to be Rivals with him It is a horrid and an amazing thing how the glorious God should so far be provoked by such Rivals and bear so long Of this he complained severely in his People of old Jer. 2.5 11 12 13 31 32. Read the Prophets and that one Chapter for instance And this is true of the greatest part of the World one silly Idol or other courts all of them yet they never did any man any good nor can it but hurt By loving them they cannot love us again they cannot save us in our trouble they cannot hear us when we cry Jer. 2.28 no more than Baal did his Priests 1 Kings 18.26 Our love is lost upon them they distress us but help us not Like Summer-Brooks that are dry when we most need them Job 6.15 16 17 18. What say you doth not the Lord best deserve your Love what is there that he hath not done for you you owe him not only for your Blessings but for your Being You stand indebted to him for all things pertaining to life and godliness for all in hand and hope And how many grow fat and wanton under the Mercyes of God Deut. 32. yea Jeshurun kicking at his Bowels and beating the Breasts that feed them Strange degenerate Brats Isa 1.2 3. Jer. 3.1 so far that the Lord cryes out to Heaven and Earth to be astonished at it yet for all this continues loving them still and like a good Shepheard seeks after straying Sheep that of themselves would never return without fetching Will any Creature in the world whom thou Idolizest do this for thee Is this after the manner of men No it is the peculiar kindness of God only think on it 5. Consider if thou love the Lord truly and keep thy self in his Love thy heart will cease to love any thing else in the World and be dead to Creatures and they will be dead to thee Gal. 6.14 Si cor amore Christi inardescit omnis creatura vilescit All things are contemptible to one that truly loves God Phil. 3.8 When the Sun shines the Stars vanish and when it shines upon a Fire it puts the Fire out So doth the Love of God in the Soul
aversation It intimidates the Child destroyes his mettle and courage for any honest or honourable undertaking smothers yea extinguishes all his fire and vivacity transforms him into a meer sot mope dullard block utterly unfit for use and service nay more it often throws him into the deepest gulph of grief and melancholy sickness death and then it may be when too late the unhappy Parent will see cause to relent and abhorr himself for his unjust severity 6. Parents remember they are Children and but Children Their age may be some Apology for them Their Heads are green yours are grey More years may teach them better manners They are your Children your own Flesh Blood Bowels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Aristotle your Children If the stream be corrupt it derives it from your selves the Fountain Psal 51.5 The young Serpent came from the old Cockatrice 7. Since Severity will not do the feat see what sweetness mildness gentleness holy tenderness and indulgence will do Peragit tranquilla potestas quod violenta nequit The pillow may help to break the flint which the Hammer and Anvil cannot It prevail'd with flinty Saul 1 Sam. 24.16 The cordial may prevail where the corrosive cannot The sight of the pardon more commands the heart of the desperate Traytor than that of the Ax or Gibbet 8. To All these adde Scriptural admonition fervent Supplication Patient waiting on and humble Submission to the Will of God Mic. 7.7 8 9. Thus much concerning Sinful Severity we proceed to the Second and that is Sinful Indulgence Our Apostle knowing right well how apt Parents are to swerve from the golden mean of Parental discipline and whilst they Labour to avoid the Rock of Sinful Severity how prone they are to plunge themselves into the gulph of Sinful Indulgence doth in the same Text prescribe a Soveraign Antidote against that fatal pleurisie of fond Affection in these words but bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. Whilest the severe Parent is breathing a vein in his distemper'd Child he cautions him to take care he doth not pierce an Artery Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath But on the other Hand if the Child labours under an imposthume and needs the Lâ—ncet our Apostle doth here command the discreet use of it and â—â—ll by no means permit that the sinking Child should be sooth'd or stroakt and demulc'd into certain ruine Children must be nurtur'd thô they may not be provok'd Parents must not be cruel Ostrichès and leave and expose their young ones to harm and danger nor yet must they be such fond Apes who are said to hug their Cubs so closely as that they kill them with their embraces And that on this Account because 2. The wickedness of unconverted Children is too too often occasion'd yea and advanced by the sinful Indulgence of their godly Parents Sinful Severity with Saul hath slain it's thousands sinful Indulgence with David it 's ten thousands Poor cocker'd Children when 't is too late find the little Finger of a fond Mother to weigh far heavier and to sink the Soul far deeper than the weighty Loins of a severe Father and at a long run will find more of Sting in a Rod of Roses than in a scourge of Scorpions In the Stating of this case I shall proceed as before and shew you 1. What Sinful Indulgence is not And so 1. Natural ordinate moderate parental Love and such as is mixt with the most yerning bowels most deep and tender compassions is not sinful Indulgence Nay to be without these Natural Affections Rom. 1.31 is not only wretched Stoicisme but sinful cursed and more than brutish astorgy Even the Storks and Sea-monsters will teach us to love our Off-spring Love my Children I may and must 1. With all the sorts and kinds of Love of desire of Union and Communion with them of the sweet enjoyment of them of benevolence and good will willing ready and prepared to desire and wish them all good of beneficence and bounty Tit. 2.4 Gen. 21.19 1 King 3.25.26 1.7 10 18 19. 1 Tim. 5.8 actually endeavouring to do them all good possible both as to their Souls and Bodies All our Spiritual gifts must be for the profit of their Souls for their Direction Consolation Salvation and as for their Bodies their Backs must be our Wardrobes their Bellies our Barns and their Hands our Treasuries And with a Love of Complacency and delight Our Children may and ought to be the joy and rejoycing of our Hearts no greater joy than to see our Children like Olive-plants round about our Table specially if we see and find them walking in the Truth John 2. Ep. 4. John 3. Ep. 4. 2. With all the properties of parental Love viz. Sincere and unfained a Love not in word and tongue only but from the Heart in Deed and in Truth A forward chearful Love not drawn or driven but flowing as from a Fountain An expensive open-handed as well as open-hearted Love A fruitful Love producing not only fair Leaves Buds and blossoms of pleasing smiles and large promises but the mature fruits of beneficial performances An holy just fervent constant Love a most gentle dear tender compassionate Love whereby we are ready to Sympathize with them and forward to succour them in their misery to regard them when they neither regard us nor themselves To take in good part the desires of their Souls when they find not to perform To accept of a sigh in regard of a service a mite instead of a Talent a groan instead of a duty the very stammering of my Child above the eloquence of a Beggar Mal. 3.17 Looking on a returning Prodigal as a Son and pitying as a Father not punishing as a Judge Psal 103.13 14. Remembring their frame and knowing that both they and we are poor dust All this and much more is not sinful Indulgence To carry them in our Bosoms as Moses did the Israelites Num. 11.12 or so in our Hearts as to be willing to impart our very Souls unto them in and for God because they are dear unto us as Paul 1 Thes 2.7 8 11. To Bless them in Gods Name Faith Fear as Jacob did Gen. 49.28 To countenance and encourage them in and reward them for well doing 1 Pet. 2.14 Est 6.3 To Love those most that Love God most to give such Benjamins five messes a double treble Portion an Isaak's Inheritance this is not sinful Indulgence 2. What sinful Indulgence is It stands in the Excess and exuberancy of our Love and affections and in too much slacking and remitting the reins of Government When we do as it were abandon and give up our minds and studies to coax and please and gratifie the humours yea satisfie the Lusts of our foolish Children when we make their Wills our Laws our Rules when the doting Parent is led by the Heart shall I say or Nose by his audacious Child and must be at his
they may have thereby they will give them up to be an easie prey unto the other Designers And there are two Engines that are applied unto this purpose the one is Ignorance the other is Prophaneness or Sensuality of Life Whenever either of these prevails the Experience intended must necessarily be lost and excluded And the means of their prevailing are want of due Instruction by those who are the Leaders of the People and the encouragement of Sensuality by Impunity and great Examples This is the only formidable Conspiracy against the Profession of the Truth in this Nation without whose Aid all power and force will be frustrate in the Issue And as there is a great appearance in Divine Permission of such a state of things at present amongst us so if they be manag'd by Counsel also and that those ways of Ignorance and Sensuality are countenanced and promoted for this very End that the power of Truth being lost the Profession of it may be given up on easie terms there is nothing but Sovereign Grace that can prevent the Design For the Principle which we have laid down is uncontrollable in Reason and Experience namely That the loss of an Experience of the power of Religion will issue one way or other in the loss of the Truth of Religion and the Profession of it Whence is it that so many corrupt Opinions have made such an Inroad on Protestant Religion and the Profession of it Is it not from hence that many have lost an Experience of the power and efficacy of the Truth and so have parted with it Whence is it that Prophaneness and Sensuality of Life with all manner of corrupt Lusts of the Flesh have grown up unto the shame of Profession Is it not from the same Cause as the Apostle expresly declares it comes by 2 Tim. 4 2 3 4 5. One way or other the loss of Experience of the power of Truth will end in the loss of the profession of it But I proceed unto the Instance which I do design in the Church of Rome for the Religion of it at this day is nothing but a dead Image of the Gospel erected in the loss of an experience of its spiritual power overthrowing its Use with all its Ends being suited to the Taste of men carnal ignorant and superstitious This I shall make evident by all sorts of Instances in things relating to the Person and Offices of Christ the State Order and Worship of the Church with the Graces and Duties of Obedience required in the Gospel And in all my principal Design is to demonstrate what is the only way and means of securing our own Souls any Church or Nation from being insnared with or prevailed against by Popery 1. It is a general Notion of Truth that the Lord Christ in his Person and Grace is to be proposed and represented unto men as the principal Object of their Faith and Love He himself in his divine Person is absolutely invisible unto us and as unto his humane Nature absent from us For the Heavens must receive him until the time of the restitution of all things There must therefore an Image or Representation of him be made unto our Minds or he cannot be the proper Object of our Faith Trust Love and Delight This is done in the Gospel and the preaching of it for therein he is evidently set forth before our eyes as crucified amongst us Gal. 3.1 So also are all the other Concerns of his Person and Offices therein clearly proposed unto us yea this is the principal End of the Gospel namely to make a due Representation of the Person Offices Grace and Glory of Christ unto the Souls of men that they may believe in him and believing have eternal Life John 20.31 Upon this Representation made of Christ and his Glory in the Gospel and the Preaching of it Believers have an Experience of the power and efficacy of the divine Truth contained therein in the way before mentioned as the Apostle declares 2 Cor. 3.18 For we all with open face beholding as in a Glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from Glory to Glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Having a Spiritual Light to discern and behold the Glory of Christ as represented in the Glass of the Gospel they have experience of its transfoâ—ming power and efficacy changing them into the likeness of the Image represented unto them that is of Christ himself which is the saving effect of Gospel-power But this Spiritual Light was lost among men through th efficacy of their Darkness and Unbelief they were not able to discover the Glory of Christ as revealed and proposed in the Gospel so as to make him the present Object of their Faith and Love And this Light being lost they could have no experience of the power of Divine Truth concerning him changing them into his Image They could make no affecting discovery of him in the Scripture All things therein were dark and confused or at least seemed an inaccessible Mystery which they could not reduce to practice Hence those who had got the publick conduct of Religion drove the people from Reading the Scripture as that which was of no use but rather dangerous unto them What shall these men then betake themselves unto shall they reject the notion in general that there ought to be such a representation made of Christ unto the minds of men as to inflame their devotion to excite their Faith and stir up their affection to him This cannot be done without an open Renunciation of him and of the Gospel as a Fable Wherefore they will find out another way for it another means unto the same end And this is by making Images of him of wood and stone or Gold and Silver or painting on them Hereby they supposed he would be made present unto his Worshippers That he would be so represented unto them as that they should be immediately stirred up unto the embraces of Faith and Love And herein they found sensible effects unto their great satisfaction For their minds being dark carnal and prone to superstition as are the minds of all men by nature they would see nothing in the Spiritual Representation of him in the Gospel that had any power on them or did in any measure affect them In these Images by the means of sight and imagination they found that which did really work upon their Affections and as they thought did excite them unto the love of Christ And this was the true Original of all the Imagery in the Church of Rome as something of the same nature in general was of all the Image-worship in the World So the Israelites in the wilderness when they made the Golden Calf did it to have a representation of a Deity near unto them in such a visible manner as that their Souls might be affected with it so they expressed themselves Exod 32 1. Wherefore in this State under a loss of
would perswade you to submissive patience Especially make conscience of a setled discontent of mind have you not yet much better than you deserve And do you forget how many years you have enjoyed undeserved mercy Discontent is a continued resistance of Gods disposing will that I say not some rebellion against it Your own wills rise up against the will of God It is Atheistical to think that your sufferings are not by his providence and dare you repine against God and continue in such repining to whom else doth it belong to dispose of you and all the world And when you feel distracting cares for your deliverances remember that this is not trusting God Care for your own duty and obey his command but leave it to him what you shall have tormenting care do but add to your afflictions It is a great mercy of God that he forbiddeth you these cares and promiseth to care for you Your Saviour himself hath largely though gently reprehended them Math. 6. and told you how sinful and unprofitable they are and that your father knoweth what you need and if he deny it you it is for just cause and if it be to correct you it is yet to profit you and if you submit to him and accept his guift he will give you much better than he taketh from you even Christ and everlasting life III. Set your selves more diligently than ever to overcome the inordinate love of the world It will be a happy use of all your troubles if you can follow them up to the Fountain and find out what it is that you cannot bear the want or loss of and consequently what it is that you overlove God is very jealous even when he loveth against every Idol that is loved too much and with any of that love which is due to him and if he take them all away and tear them out of our hands and hearts it is merciful as well as just I speak not this to those that are troubled only for want of more faith and holiness and communion with God and assurance of Salvation These troubles might give them much comfort if they understood aright from whence they come and what they signifie For as impatient trouble under worldly crosses doth prove that a man loveth the world too much so impatient trouble for want of more holiness and Communion with God doth shew that such are lovers of Holiness and of God Love goeth before desire and grief That which men love they delight in if they have it and mourn for want of it and desire to obtain it The will is the love and no man is troubled for want of that which he would not have But the commonest cause of passionate melancholly is at first some worldly discontent and care either wants or crosses or the fear of suffering or the unsuitableness and provocation of some related to them or disgrace or contempt do cast them into passionate discontent and selfwill cannot bear the denial of something which they would have and then when the discontent hath muddied and diseased a mans mind temptations about his soul do come in afterwards and that which begun only with worldly crosses doth after seem to be all about Religion Conscience or meerly for sin or want of Grace Why could you not patiently bear the words the wrongs the losses the crosses that did befal you Why made you so great a matter of these bodily transitory things Is it not because you overlove them were you not in good earnest when you called them vanity and covenanted to leave them to the will of God would you have God let you alone in so great a sin as the love of the world or giving any of his due to creatures If God should not teach you what to love and what to set light by and cure you of so dangerous a disease as a fleshly earthly mind he should not sanctifie you and fit you for heaven souls go not to Heaven as an arrow is shot upward against their inclination but as fire naturally tendeth upward and earth downward to their like so when holy men are dead their souls have a natural inclination upward and it is their love that is their inclination they love God and Heaven and Holy company and their old godly friends and holy works even mutual love and the joyful praises of Jehovah And this Spirit and Love is as a fiery nature which carrieth them heavenward and Angels convey them not thither by force but conduct them as a Bride to her marriage who is carryed all the way by love And on the other side the souls of wicked men are of a fleshly worldly inclination and love not heavenly works and company and have nothing in them to carry them to God but they love worldly trash and sensual beastial delights though they cannot enjoy them as poor men love riches and are vexed for want of what they love and therefore it is no wonder if wicked souls do dwell with Devils in the lower regions and that they make Apparitions here when God permits them and if holy souls be liable to no such descent Love is the Souls poise and spring and carrieth souls downward or upward accordingly Away then with the earthly fleshly Love How long will you stay here And what will Earth and Flesh do for you So far as it may be helpful to Holiness and Heaven God will not deny it to submissive Children but to overlove is to turn from God and is the dangerous Malady of Souls and the poise that sinks them down from Heaven Had you learnt better to forsake all for Christ and to account all but as Loss and Dung as Paul did Phil. 3.8 you could more easily bear the want of it When did you see any live in discontent and distracted with Melancholy Grief and Cares for want of Dung or of a Bubble a Shadow or a merry Dream If you will not otherwise know the world God will otherwise make you know it to your Sorrow IV. If you are not satisfyed that God alone Christ alone Heaven alone is enough for you as matter of felicity and full content go study the Case better and you may be convinced Go learn better your Catechism and the Principles of Religion and then you will learn to lay up a Treasure in heaven and not on Earth and to know that its best to be with Christ and that death which blasteth all the glory of the world and equalleth the rich and the poor is the common Door to Heaven or Hell And then Conscience will not ask you whether you have lived in pleasure or in pain in riches or in want but whether you have lived to God or to the Flesh for Heaven or for Earth and what hath had the preheminence in your hearts and Lives If there be shame in Heaven you will be ashamed when you are there that you whined and murmured for want of any thing that the flesh desired upon
the more weighty and momentous affairs of their Dominions and leave things of smaller importance to their inferiour Officers But this is not the manner of the God of Jacob nor doth he count his care of the meanest and most minute beings to be any reflexion upon him unless it be of honour and glory Therefore he expresly tells us in his Word that the young Lyons seek their meat of God that he giveth to the Beasts their food and to the young Ravens when they cry He cloathes the Lillies and Sparrows are not forgotten by him not one of them falls to the ground without him the vâ—ry hairs of our head are numbered he knoweth our wanderings counteth our steps and puts our â—â—ar into his Bottle And what dishonour can all or any of this be to him is it possible that his doing so should render him cheap to the children of men nay it is not enough to commend him to all wise and thinking persons that he is so great a God as that he can extend his care to so many millions of Objects and so graciously condescending as to look after the lowest of the works of his hands Surely since iâ— was not unworthy of his divine Power to make the meanest Creature it cannot be unworthy of his goodness to maintain and order it If his eternal Power and Godhead are clearly seen in the things that are made then his goodness doth likewise display it self in providing for them and his wisdom in Governing and directing them It is true he humbles himself when he beholds those things which are above much more when he regards those that are here below but that humbling of himself is glorifying of himself and it doth deservedly commend and endeare him to his People Psalm 36 6 7. O Lord thou preservest man and beast how excellent is thy loving kindness 5. Lastly Our God is abundant in mercy and goodness He is the Father of mercies and a God of compassions and as that doth render him fit to Govern the world so it may work in us an assurance that he doth and will do it Shall we fancy him like unto the Ostrick concerning which it is said Job 39 14. That she leaveth her Eggs in the Earth and warmeth them in the dust and forgetteth that the foot may crush them or that the wild beasts may break them she is hardned against her young ones as if they were not hers Thus to do is utterly inconsistent with the divine goodness to fancie such a thing of God would be to blaspheme him He hath a love and kindness for the works of his hands as such and that will carry him out to a caring for them and ordering of them The world will love its own and doth not God much more A good Prince who is the Father of his Country and deserves that name will to the best of his skill guide and rule his Kingdom at the helm whereof Providence hath placed him that his own honour and his peoples welfare might be secured and promoted That man deserves not the place nor name of a Master who neglects to make provision for his own Family and keep up order in it That is an unnatural Father unworthy indeed to be called man who doth not according to his best knowledg and abilitie mind his children and Govern them Now tampius nemo tam Pater nemo none is so good as God none such a Father as God no love comparable to his love All that love which may be found in the Creatures is but a drop from his Ocean a spark from his flame and as I have said all the world is his own and all that is therein the works of his hands He built this huge and stately Fabrick and he furnished it with all its Inhabitants from the highest and most glorious Angel to the meanest and most contemptible Insect and how can we possibly think otherwise but that the pitty and love which he hath for the works of his own hands will draw out his wisdom and power and care for the ruling and directing of them For any one to deny this care nay to hesitate about it would be an unworthy base disparagement dishonour and affront to him The third thing we have to do is to shew how our belief of Gods Governing the world may support us in all worldly distractions this is a great question very seasonable and of singular use and that we may draw out the sweetness of this truth and fetch comfort from it we must consider these following particulars 1. Gods accomplishment for the work 2. The extent of his Government 3. The properties thereof 4. Several things relating to the Church and its living Members First God is most fit and accomplished for this great work It is indeed a business too hard for a Creatures hand to dispatch and a burden too heavy for a created shoulder to bear up under some ambitious Princes have been and are said to be aspiring afteâ— an Universal Monarchy which they never did nor never shall attain it is bigger than their graspe a thing too high and too hard for them And indeed those Princes which rule well and mind their work and duty find the Crowns which they have are lined with cares enough to make their heads ake and their hearts too sometimes But to Govern the world is a thing utterly impossible to a created Being not only to the wisest man on Earth but also to the highest Angel in Heaven None can Govern the whole world but He that did create it Creation is peculiar to God the greatest Angel cannot create the smallest spire of grass nor a contemptible flea no not the least atome The most minute drop of being can proceed only from him who is the Original and Fountain of all Being So the Government of the whole world is peculiar to God because there is so much contraritie in it so many antipathies things lye so cross men have unruly passions they interfere in their several interest and while they are carrying of them on quarrel and jossle one another and who but God can order all and direct them to most noble and excellent ends who but God can take these several scattered sherds and unite them together in one curious and amiable piece of workmanship who but God can take these jarring discords and turn them into an admirable and delightful harmonie That God is perfectly accomplished for the work so that he can not only do it but the doing thereof will be no pain nor trouble to him may thus appear 1. He is an immense Being Heaven is his Throne and the Earth his footstool Those that have many Irons in the fire business scattered up and down must needs suffer some of those Irons to cool some of that business to lye by neglected because they themselves are confin'd and limited Creatures Some things may be amiss and out of order under the Government of the most prudent and pious Prince
inclination can never be directed and the desires fastned on the supernatural Image of God in his Saints As Holiness in the Creature is a Ray derived from the infinite beauty of God's Holiness so the love of Holiness is a Spark from the sacred Fire of his Love 1 John 4.7 St. John exhorts Christians Let us love one another for Love is of God Natural Love among men is by his general Providence but a gracious Love to the Saints is by his special influence The natural Affection must be baptized with the Holy Ghost as with Fire to refine it to a divine purity 2. The Qualifications of this Love are as follows First It is sincere and cordial it does not appear only in expressions from the Tongue and Countenance but springs from the integrity of the Heart 'T is stiled unfeigned Lâ—â—â— of the Brethren 't is a Love not in Word and Tongue only but in Deed and Truth A counterfeit formal affection set off with artificial colours is so far from being pleasing to God the Searcher and Judge of hearts that 't is infinitely provoking to him Secondly 'T is pure the attractive Cause of it is the Image of God appearing in them Our Saviour assures us that Love shall be gloriously rewarded that respects a Disciple upon that account as a Disciple and a righteous man as a righteous man The holy Love commanded in the Gospel is to Christians for their Divine Relation as the Children of God as the Members of Christ and Temples of the Holy Ghost Thirdly From hence it is universal extended to all the Saints The Church is composed of Christians that are different in their Gifts and Graces and in their external Order some excel in knowledge and zeal and love in active Graces others in humility meekness and patience that sustain and adorn them in sufferings some are in a higher rank others are in humble circumstances as in the visible world things are placed sutably to their Natures the Stars in the Heavens Flowers in the Earth and our special respects are due to those whom the Favour of God has dignified above others and in whom the brightness and power of Grace shines more clearly for according as there are more reasons that make a person deserving Love the degrees of Love should rise in proportion but a dear affection is due even to the lowest Saints for all have communion in the same holy Nature and are equally instated in the same blessed Alliance Fourthly It must be fervent not only in Truth but in a degree of Eminency St. Peter joyns the two Qualifications See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently Our Saviour sets before us his own Pattern as a Pillar of fire to direct and inflame us Joh. 15.12 This is my Commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you As I have loved you Admirable Example His Love was singular and superlative a Love that saves and astonishes us at once for he willingly gave his precious life for our Ransom This we should endeavour to resemble though our highest expressions of love and compassion to the Saints are but a weak and imperfect imitation of his divine Perfection I shall add farther this Love includes all kinds of Love 1. The love of Esteem correspondent to the real worth and special goodness of the Saints 'T is one Character of a Citizen of Heaven that in his eyes a vile person is contemned Psal 15. however set off by the Glory of the world and the ornaments of the present state that as a false Mask conceal their foul deformity to carnal persons but he honours them that fear the Lord though disfigured by calumnies though obscur'd and depress'd by afflictions and made like their blessed Head in whom there was no Form nor Comliness in the judgment of Fools In our valuation Divine Grace should turn the Scales against all the Natural or Acquired Perfections of Body or Mind Beauty Strength Wit Eloquence humane Wisdom against all the external Advantages of this Life Nobility Riches Power and whatever is admired by a carnal Eye The Judgment and Love of God should regulate ours A Saint is more valued by God than the highest Princes nay than the Angels themselves considered only with respect to their spiritual Nature He calls them his peculiar Treasure his Jewels the first Fruits of the Creatures sacred for his Use and Glory in comparison of whom the rest of the world are but Dregs a corrupt Mass They are stiled his Sons being partakers of that Life of which he is the Author and Pattern and what are all the Titles on Earth compared with so Divine a Dignity 2. The Love of Desire of their present and future Happiness The Perfection of Love consists more in the Desire than in the Effects and the continued fervent Prayers that the Saints present to God for one another are the expressions of their Love 3. The Love of Delight in spiritual Communion with them All the Attractives of humane Conversation Wit Mirth Sweetness of Behaviour and wise Discourse cannot make any Society so dear and pleasant to one that is a lover of Holiness as the Communion of Saints David whose Breast was very sensible of the tender Affections of Love and Joy tells us That the Saints in the Earth the Excellent Psaâ— 16. â— were the chief Object of his Delight And â—â—equent to this there is a cordial Sympathy with them in their Joys and Sorrows being Members of the same Body and having an interest in all their good or evil 'T is observable when the Holy Spirit describes the sweetest humane Comforts that are the present reward of the godly man the enjoyment of his Estate in the dear Society of his Wife and Children there is a Promise annext Psal 128. that sweetens all the rest That he shall see the good of Jerusalem and peace upon Israel Without this all temporal Comforts are mixt with bitter displeasure to him There is an eminent Instance of this in Nehemiah Nehem. 2. whom all the Pleasures of the Persian Court could not satisfie whilst Jerusalem was desolately miserable 4. The Love of Service and Beneficence that declares it self in all outward Offices and Acts for the good of the Saints And these are various some are of a sublimer nature and concern their Souls as spiritual Counsel and Instruction compassionate Admonition and Consolation the confirming them in good and the fortifying them against evil the doing whatever may preserve and advance the life and vigour of the inward man others respect their Bodies and temporal Condition directing them in their Affairs protecting them from Injuries supplying their wants and universally assisting them for their tolerable passage through the world And all these Acts are to be chearfully performed there is more joy in conferring than receiving a Benefit because Love is more exercised in the one than the other In short the highest effect of Love that
were common between them And in the next succeeding Ages this fraternal Love was so conspicuous in the Professors of his Sacred Discipline Tert. Apoâ— c. 3â— that their Enemies observ'd it as a rare and remarkable thing See how the Christians love one another see how ready they are to die for one another Now the same gracious Principle that inclines us to do one Command will make us universally willing to observe all for sincere Obedience primarily respects the Authority of the Lawgiver which binds the whole Law upon the Conscience James 2. And as he that breaks the Law wilfully in one point is guilty of all because the violation of a single Precept proceeds from the same Cause that induces men to transgress all that is contempt of the Divine Majesty so he that sincerely obeys one Command does with consent of heart and serious endeavors obey all And from hence 't is clear that without a religious and unreserved regard of the divine Commands 't is impossible there should be in any person a gracious affection to the Saints that is the product of Obedience to God and consequently the observance of his Precepts is the certain proof of our Love to his Children 2. Spiritual Love to the Saints arises from the sight of the Divine Image appearing in their Conversation Now if the Beauty of Holiness be the attractive of our Love it will be fastned on the Law of God in the most intense degree The most excellent Saints on Earth have some mixtures of Corruption their Holiness is like the Morning-light that is checquered with the shadows and obscurity of the Night and 't is our wisdom not to love their infirmities but to preserve an unstained affection to them But the Law of God is the fairest Transcript of his Nature wherein his glorious Holiness is most resplendent Psa 19.7 8. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul the Commandment of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes This ravish'd the heart of David with an inexpressible Affection O how I love thy Law Psal 119. it is my Meditation all the day And he repeats the declaration of his Love to it with new fervor upon this ground I love thy Law because it is pure Now Love to the Commands of God will transcribe them in our hearts and Lives As affectionate expressions to the Children of God without the real supply of their wants are but the shadows of Love so words of esteem and respect to the Law of God without unfeigned and universal Obedience are but an empty Pretence 3. The Divine Relation of the Saints to God as their Father is the Motive of spiritual Love to them And this is consequent to the former for by partaking of his Holiness they partake of his life and likeness And from hence they are the dearest Objects of his Love his eye and heart is always upon them Now if this Consideration excites Love to the Children of God it will be as powerful to incline us to keep his Commands for the Law of God that is the Copy of his Sacred Will is most near to his Nature and he is infinitely tender of it Our Saviour tells us that it is casier for Heaven and Earth to pass away Luk. 16.17 than for one tittle of the Law to fail If the entire World and all the Inhabitants of it were destroyed there would be no loss to God but if the Law lose its Authority and Obligation the Divine Holiness would suffer a Blemish The Use of the Doctrine is to try our Love to the Children of God to which all pretend by this infallible Rule our Obedience to his Commands This is absolutely necessary because the deceit is so easie and so dangerous and it will be most comfortable if upon this Trial our Love be found to be spiritual and divine The deceit is easie because Acts of Love may be expressed to the Saints from other Principles than the Love of God Some for vain-glory are bountiful and when their Charity seems so visibly divine that men admire it there is the Woâ—m of vanity at the root that corrupts and makes it odious to God The Pharisees are charged with this by our Saviour Mat. 6 2. their Alms were not the effect of Charity but Ostentation and whilst they endeavoured to make their Vices virtuous they made their Virtues vicious There is a natural Love among persons united by Consanguinity that remains so entire since the ruine of Mankind by the Fall and is rather from the force of Nature than the virtue of the Will and this in all kind Offices may be express'd to the Saints There is a sweetness of Temper in some that inclines them to wish well to all and such tender Affections that are easily moved and melted at the sight of others miseries and such may be beneficent and compassionate to the Saints in their afflictions but the Spring of this Love is good Nature not divine Grace There are humane Respects that incline others to kindness to the Saints as they are united by interest Fellow-Citizens and Neighbours and as they receive advantage by Commerce with them or as obliged by their Benefits But Civil Amity and Gratitude are not that holy Affection that is an assurance of our spiritual state There are other Motives of Love to the Saints that are not so low nor mercenary in the thickest darkness of Paganism the Light of Reason discovered the amiable excellence of Virtue as becoming the humane Nature and useful for the Tranquility and Welfare of Mankind and the Moral Goodness that adorns the Saints the Innocence Purity Meekness Justice Clemency Benignity that are visible in their Conversations may draw respects from others who are strangers to the Love of God and careless of his Commandments And as the Mistake of this Affection is easie so it is infinitely dangerous for he that builds his hope of Heaven upon a sandy foundation upon false Grounds will fall ruinously from his Hopes and Felicity at last How fearful will be the disappointment of one that has been a Favourer of the Saints that has defended their Cause protected their Persons relieved their Necessities and presum'd for this that his Condition is safe as to Eternity though he lives in the known neglect of other Duties and the indulgent practice of some Sin But if we find that our Love to the Children of God flows from our Love to God that sways the Soul to an entire compliance to his Commands and makes us observant of them in the course of our Lives What a blessed Hope arises from this Reflection We need not have the Book of the Divine Decrees opened and the Secrets of Election unveil'd 1 Joh. 3.14 for we know that we are past from Death to Life if we love the Brethren This is an infallible Effect and Sign of the Spiritual Life and the Seed and Evidence of Eternal Life Quest What must we do to
are given for as the rigid Dominicans do certainly make God the Cause of Sin whether culpable or not culpable is not the Question even so do the Scotists and Molinists for they both include in the matter of Sin somewhat more than what is meerly Natural even somewhat that is morally Vicious and yet assert that this Matter is the immediate effect of Gods Causality only the one says That God does as it were take man by the hand and lead him to Sin the other That man determines the Efficiency of God and the Scotist says That the first and second Cause do walk hand in hand to the Sin but whether I lead another to the Sin and help him to commit it or whether I am taken by the Sinner and determined to help him to produce what is sinful in the Act or whether I walk with him stil I am at least a Concauser of what is sinful in the Act so that neither the Scotist nor the Molinist give me any satisfaction in this Matter The Result therefore of my thoughts is as follows I am sure that no Natural Being ever has been is or can be without the Efficiency of God the first Cause and yet I am as confident that no Moral Evil is in any sense the Effect of the Physical Efficiency of God The Moral Undueness that is considered as that which is the Foundation of Sin cannot be from God but yet how satisfactorily to reconcile these things or how to comprehend the Modes of Divine Operation is above us we cannot reach unto it it transcends our Understandings 5. There are also several Doctrines which have a special Aspect on those Transactions that are about the carrying on Fall'n Mans Salvation to the Illustrating the Glory of the divine Perfections which are very profound The Doctrines of the Fall of Man the Transition of Original Sin from Adam to his Posterity the Methods taken for the Recovery of the Elect the Covenant of Reconciliation between the Father and the Son from all Eternity the Incarnation of the Son of God and the many surprizing Doctrines with reference thereunto even about his several Offices as Mediator and in special That of his Being a Priest after the Order of Melchisedek his Suretyship how our Sins were imputed to him and his Righteousness made ours beside those Doctrines about the Nature of the Mystical Vnion that is between Christ and Believers and how this is the ground of Imputation and many other momentous points might be spoken unto to evince That though there is nothing of Contradiction in these Doctrines yet there is very much that transcends the most enlarged Capacity They are points that the Angels themselves are prying into but cannot fully comprehend But these things I must wave and go on to acquaint you with some of the many Providences that do in like manner transcend our Understandings II. Among the many amuzing Providences that are before Us I will single out a few 1. That the greatest part of the World should lye in Wickedness unacquainted with the Methods of Salvation is an amuzing Providence Look we into the remotest parts of the World we find nothing but a strange Ignorance of the true God or of the true Worship of God Oh how great a part of the World is over-run with Paganism Mahometanism and Judaism Come we nearer home and take a view of the Christian World behold how small is it in comparison of those parts where the abovemention'd false Religions prevail and of the many thousands who are called Christians how many Invelop'd with the thick clouds of Ignorance and Error and how â—ew free from the Influence of Idolatry and Superstition A multitude of those who have been baptiz'd into the name of Christ have not the opportunity of looking into the sacred Oracles which reveal the true way to Life everlasting and of those who have the happy Advantages of consulting the sacred Scriptures how few can understand them The which is not without a Providence of God But can we compare these Providences with those discoveries that are made of the Infinite Compassions of Almighty God towards the Children of men and comprehend a consistency between them In the Scriptures 't is said That God would have all men be saved and to that end come to the Knowledg of the Truth even when but a very small spot of the Earth have any suitable means afforded 'em for the obtaining such knowledg In the Scriptures the Proclamation is general to all Ho every one and the Expostulation with Sinners is Turn ye Turn ye why will ye dye as I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of a Sinner of a Sinner indefinitely q. d. of any Sinner but rather That he would Turn and Live Besides did not Christ die for this end namely to shew the unexpressible greatness of Gods Love to the world God so loved so so loved the World as if it had been said the Love of God to the World is so transcendent that no words could sufficiently express it nothing would fully represent it but the Delivery of the Son the only begotten Son of God to the Death the cruel the shameful and the reproachful Death of the Cross for the salvation of the World on their Believing and this even when God left Millions of Angels to continue in everlasting Chains of Darkness notwithstanding all which it is manifest That they cannot believe in him of whom they have not heard and cannot hear unless a Preacher be sent unto them and that no such thing has been done no Preacher has been sent or if in one Age yet not in another How can we reconcile these Providences with the Discoveries that are given us of the infinite Compassions of God to Mankind when so few are made partakers of it What of Grace is there in leaving the greatest part of the World in a very little better condition than the fallen Angels I know that there are many things offered towards the satisfaction of a thoughtful Person as Who can tell but there are thousand of Worlds above us whose Inhabitants are in a better capacity to receive and improve the Instances of Divine Love and that this world is but a Spot in comparison of them and if this whole World should perish 't is but as the hanging up a few Malefactors to shew that God is just as well as merciful but how does this solve the Difficulty which is not meerly taken from the Notion we have of Gods meâ—ciful Nature in it self considered but from the Revelations made thereof unto the Children of men in the Scripture about which we cannot have any solid satisfaction but from things which are obvious before us not from what is so fully out of our view and knowledge and concerning Creatures of another kind 'T is true there are some intimations in the Sacred Scriptures which apart and by themselves considered afford Relief such as these The Gentiles which have not
But he giveth more grace James 4.5 6. Yet seeing Grace is imperfect in the best of Men on Earth it behoveth them to take heed lest they be overcome of evil Grace so far as they have it makes them strong but the remainders of Corruption makes them weak I have heard that it hath been said of an eminently holy man That he had Grace enough for two men yet upon some occasions he was found not to have enough for himself 4. He that takes not good heed so as not to be overcome of evil will be altogether unable to overcome evil with good How can he overcome evil in another that is overcome by it himself How wilt thou say to thy brother Mat. 7.4 Let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye and behold a beam is in thine own But that we have a farther duty lying upon us than not to be overcome of evil comes in the next place to be shewn in speaking to the second Branch of the Point which is 2. Bran. Every Christian ought to endeavour what in him lieth to overcome evil with good This Lesson was not much taught in old time Our Saviour tells us the Scribes and Pharisees were wont to teach the contrary Mat. 5.43 It hath been said Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy For which and other such Doctrines as they taught he calls them blind leaders of the blind Mat. 15.14 The like darkness had blinded the eyes of the old Philosophers for the most part Some of them indeed as Plato and Seneca have excellent Precepts tending toward the Point in hand but these may be thought to light their Candle at their Neighbours Torch Vide Gatak destylo N. Instrum cap. 44. Plato was much conversant in and well acquainted with the Writings of the Church of the Jews and Seneca lived in the days of Paul and 't is probable was acquainted with him or with his Doctrine and so might come to a more refined Morality But these remaining still in unbelief as to the great Doctrines of Faith in Jesus Christ could not see themselves nor shew to others the true ground of love or the great motives to it It was Jesus Christ who came to reconcile us when enemies and died for the ungodly and did with his own mouth preach his own and his Fathers love therein that brought to light such Precepts as these Love your enemies and overcome evil with good Not that these were new Commandments brought first into the world when God was manifest in the flesh No they were old Commandments Thus we read Lev. 19.18 Thou shalt not avenge or bear any grudg against the children of thy people but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self And John speaking of love says 1 John 2.7 I write no new commandment unto you but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning tho in the next verse he calls it a new Commandment it being renewed by Christ who may be said to set forth a new Edition of it amplified and enlarged A new commandment John 13.34 says he I give unto you that you love one another as I have loved you which is such an as as no tongue is able fully to express In speaking to the Point we shall shew 1. That every Christian ought to endeavour to overcome evil with good 2. What good means should be used to that purpose 3. How they should be used that they may be the more effectual to that end 1. That we are to endeavour to overcome evil with good doth appear by this We are called to be followers of God Eph. 5.1 and to be of the mind of Christ and to follow his steps Phil. 2.5 and 1 Pet. 2.21 As every godly man is in some measure like unto God and every true Christian of Christ's mind and way so he is to endeavour still to be more like to both Otherwise to profess Godliness and Christianity is to take the Name of God and Christ in vain The Name which God proclaimed as his Exod. 34.6 was The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth These are Attributes which God delights to magnifie He glories in this Jer. 9.24 I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness How often is it said of him Nehem. 9.17 Joel 2.13 Jonah 4.2 Gen. 6.5 That he is slow to anger and of great kindness God did wonderfully exercise these his Attributes toward the old World When the wickedness of man was great on the earth and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually how slow to anger was he then He did not presently send the Deluge but his long-suffering is said to wait while the Ark was a preparing 1 Pet. 3.20 And this time of waiting was no less than One hundred and twenty years Gen. 6.3 His loving-kindness appeared also in that he sent Noah who preached righteousness and called them all this while to repentance 2 Pet. 2.5 The like long-suffering and great kindness he exercised toward the people of the Jews from Egypt the House of Bondage from whence he delivered them to Canaan and in that good Land which he so freely gave them too They were no sooner brought miraculously through the Red Sea but they began to provoke and not long after you may hear God complaining of them Numb 14.11 How long will this people provoke me and ver 22. he says They have tempted me now these ten times Nor were they better after this for he was then grieved with them forty years long Psal 95.10 After the same rate they carried it when they came into Canaan as you may see by reading the Historical Books of the Old Testament You have a short sum of the Kindnesses of God to them and their great Miscarriages in the 9th Chap. of Nehem. Nehem. 9.26 30 31. where you will find one yet after another and one nevertheless after another God was good to them nevertheless they sin and provoke They sin and provoke nevertheless God is good to them The greatness of their sin and God's great goodness to them are both set forth in Isa 65.2 I have spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people a people that provoke me to anger continually to my face Their sin is here called Rebellion which was not only once or twice but continually and that to his very face And the goodness of God to them is set out by the spreading out of his hands which shewed great desire of their coming in and a readiness to embrace them in so doing and this is said to be not once or twice but all the day That this Scripture is to be understood of the Jews we have the Apostles Warrant Rom. 10.21 To Israel he saith All the day long have I stretched out my hand to a disobedient and gain-saying people Thus matters stood between God and them all the days of old Isa 63.9
A CONTINUATION OF Morning-Exercise QUESTIONS AND Cases of Conscience PRACTICALLY RESOLVED BY SUNDRY MINISTERS In October 1682. 1 THESS II. 4 5 6. But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel even so we speak not as pleasing men but God which trieth our Hearts For neither at any time used we flattering words as ye know nor a cloak of Covetousness God is witness Nor of Men sought we glory neither of you nor yet of others c. LONDON Printed by J. A. for John Dunton at the Sign of the Black Raven in the Poultrey over against the Stocks-Market 1683. To the READER WHat I have formerly endeavoured in these Exercises I need not here tell you My design is still the same when too many are contending about comparatively trifles or worse I would do my utmost by calling in better help than mine own to promote practical Godliness I 'll not mention the Cases unavoydably some by Sickness some otherwise omitted and for those here should I place them in this Preface as I intended them in the Book tbô it might somewhat rectifie their Order 't would not add to their Vsefulness and therefore take them as they are and the Blessing of God go along with them and certainly 't will as to you if you are willing it should pray try else 1 We are surrounded with Vanities let your Conversation be in Heaven you 'l be above them But be sure your 2 Godliness be such that you may feel its excellency and expose their Folly that deride it Then 3 God will not only be your Rewarder but your exceeding great Reward And 4 as you mind Religion mind Vnity be of a healing temper And 5 mourn for their sins from whom you must separate When 6 you can say thrô Grace you love God abide in his Love And 7 be as solicitous for your Childrens Salvation as your own 8 Do not flatter your selves to think that you need not be caution'd against Flattery 9 Let those of us that are Ministers thirst after the Conversion of Souls And 10 the practical Love of Truth will best preserve from Popery 11 Let not Melancholy persons neglect their Remedy And let all Persons 12 press after a growing Knowledge of Christ 13 Then whatever God doth in the World cannot but be well done because God doth it 14 What you hear and read do not let it slip 15 Let your obedient Love to God evidence your Love to his Children 16 Avoyd spiritual Pride as a mischievous Sin 17 Count a midling Condition best as to the World thô not as to Religion 18 Admire and improve those Truths and Works of God which are to you incomprehensible 19 Do all you do with an eye to God thô you meet with unanswerable returns from men 20 Still mind your present Duty 21 Mind something that 's better than the tricking of your Bodies 22 Let Child-bearing Women who dread the danger of their Travail take God's Prescription for their temporal Salvation 23 Take care of your Souls according to their worth And 24 follow the Conduct of the Holy Ghost to do it And 25 thereby you 'l be raised to a divine Vnion 26 To which your thoughtfulness of Eternity will much contribute 27 And singularly promote Communion with God Which 28 those that have are prepared for whatever God will do with them And 29 thô God hide his face he will not finally forsake them But 30 God will priviledge them at present to be the Strength of the Nation And 31 to all these Truths as well as to all Gods Praises let 's believingly say Amen These are the Cases several of them had been more polisht had not the Authors and their Books been separated and I must confess that the tolerable Errors of the Press are as many as an ingenuous Reader can well pardon what then can I say for those which are inexcusable Bear with this word of alleviation 't was next to impossible for every one in our present Circumstances to Correct his own Sermon and none else could so well do it I 'l add but this they are Cases most of them of great moment and daily use Do but bring or endeavour to get an honest Heart to the Perusal of them and I doubt not but you 'l bless God for them and I hope put up a Prayer for April 9. 1683. Your Soul-Servant Samuel Annesley The CONTENTS Serm. I. HOW is the adherent Vanity of every Condition most effectually abated by serious Godliness Eccles 6.11 12. Serm. II. How may we experience it in our selves and evidence it to others that serious Godliness is more than a Fancy 1 Pet. 3.15 Serm. III. How is God his Peoples great Reward Gen. 15.1 Serm. IIII. What may most hopefully be attempted to allay Animosities among Protestants that our Divisions may not be our Ruine Coloss 2.2 Serm. V. How ought we to bewail the sins of the places where we live 2 Pet. 2.7 8. Serm. VI. What must we do to keep our selves in the Love of God Jude vers 21. Serm. VII What may gracious Parents best do for the Conversion of those Children whose wickedness is occasioned by their sinful Severity or Indulgence Mal. 4.6 Serm. VIII How may we best cure the Love of being Flattered Prov. 26.28 Serm. IX By what means may Ministers best win Souls 1 Tim. 4.16 Serm. X. How is the practical Love of Truth the best Preservative against Popery 1 Pet. 2.3 Serm. XI What are the best Preservatives against Melancholy and over-much Sorrow 2 Cor. 2.7 Serm. XII How may we grow in the Knowledge Estimation and making Vse of Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 3.18 Serm. XIII How may our Belief of Gods governing the World support us in all worldly distractions Psal 97.1 2. Serm. XIV What are the Hindrances and Helps to a good Memory in Spiritual things 1 Cor. 15.2 Serm. XV. What are the Signs and Symptoms whereby we know we love the Children of God 1 John 5.2 Serm. XVI What must we do to prevent and cure spiritual Pride 2 Cor. 12.7 Serm. XVII Wherein is a middle worldly Condition most eligible Prov. 30.8 9. Serm. XVIII How may we graciously Improve those Doctrines and Providences which transcend our Vnderstandings Rom. 11.33 Serm. XIX How ought we to do our Duty towards others thô they do not do theirs towards us Rom. 12.21 Serm. XX. How may the well discharge of our present Duty give us assurance of help from God for the well discharge of all future Duties 1 Sam. 17.34 35 36 37. Serm. XXI What distance ought we to keep in following the strange Fashions in Apparel which come up in the days wherein we live Zeph. 1.8 Serm. XXII How may Child-bearing Women be most encouraged and supported against in and under the hazard of their Travail 1 Tim. 2.15 XXV for Serm. XXIII How may we best know the worth of the Soul Matt. 16.26 XXVI for Serm. XXIV How may we get Experience
industriously conceal themselves from being serviceable they are guilty of a civil Self-excommunication while they shut out themselves from those Employments wherein they might be useful God hath made every thing for use to rust in a Corner for the avoiding of Trouble can proceed from nothing but uncharitable Pride or wilful Ignorance from base Pride you think the Neighbourhood not good enough to be blest with your endowments or slothful weakness which you are conscious of but won't take pains to cure In short to choose retirement for love of ease is an envious kind of Life and therefore far from Happiness But what can Religion do in this case One that is Serious in Religion can best manage an obscure Station whether it be forc't or voluntary 'T is only he that is crucified to the World that can scorn the Worlds scorns and contemn the Worlds contempt He that hath learnt the great lesson of Self-denial in the School of Christ is well pleas'd with his Secresie for Communion with God In short his Religion keepeth him from being fond or weary of worldly Obscurity Thus I have run over the †1 Joh. 2.16 beloved Disciples Summary of all worldly Vanities and their Contraries and how Godliness in the Power of it corrects the Vanity and extracts the Excellency of all those But let these pass and let 's examine things of a higher Nature for which more may be pleaded than can for these be pretended and here you 'l find that without Serious Godliness their Vanity is intolerable IV. Who knows whether Wisdom and Learning and the endowments of the Mind be best for a man or whether to be without these and their troublesome Attendants Now we come to a close and inward Search For Wisdom and Learning and intellectual accomplishments they are of such incomparable Excellency that he is scarce worthy the Name of a man that slights them a Eccles 2.13 Wisdom excelleth Folly as far as light excelleth darkness This is Solomons sentence even then when he is sentencing all worldly Vanities But and who mistrusts such a but here the wiser men are the more they are exempted from the ordinary Comforts of humane Society they meet with but few and those but seldom that they can converse with to any Satisfaction the more Learning they have the more Sense of and Sorrow for their Ignorance b Eccles 1.18 In much Wisdom is much Grief and he that increaseth Knowledge increaseth Sorrow Hence it is they affect an uncomfortable Solitude that they are fain to force themselves into a sociable complyance where they seldom meet with any thing but what they slight or pity they are ordinarily the objects of their own grief and of others envy There 's nothing more ordinary than for Persons of lower accomplishments to carry their designs and attain their ends before them they can't sneak and flatter like lower-spirited Animals that while they are pursuing a Notion others catch Preferment and while they are inriching their Minds others are filling their Coffers What doth Serious Godliness in this Case 'T is this alone that makes wise men truely wise and Learned men truely learned Unsanctified parts and Learning may in some respects be reckoned among Christs worst Enemies aye and among his worst Enemies that have them they furnish him with Cavils which they call unanswerable Reasons against the Simplicity of the Gospel they fill him with those prejudices that nothing but Grace can remove c Rom. 8.7 The carnal Mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be But where Grace is graffed upon good Natural parts there Wisdom and Learning are excellently beneficial it is they that have the clearest Understanding of Gospel Mysteries 't is these who are the most substantial grounded Christians these are the only Christians who are able to defend the Truth and convince gain-sayers d Job 33.3 't is their Lips can utter Knowledge clearly e 1 Cor. 14.3 't is they that can best speak or write to Edification and Exhortation and Comfort What then can be said for the want of parts and Learning Those that have no considerable Parts nor Learning that do not trouble themselves nor others about the difficulties of Knowledge or Practice but take those things to be Truth that are commonly received these are more satisfied than those thar are more inquisitive Besides these better suit the generality they live among They are wise enough to get Estates for men are ordinarily afraid to deal with those that are wiser than themselves lest they be over-reacht and they are esteem'd in the World and what care they They don't impair their health by study nor perplex themselves with great matters What can be more desired to make them happy Happiness as it were drops into their mouth unawares for when they compare their Condition with others they find it more eligible thô they did nothing to make it so But alas what use do these make of their Souls A lazy neglect of improving of parts and of getting of learning who is able to express the Sin and Mischief of it To be contented to live and die but one remove from a Brute who can express the baseness of it Ignorance may well be the Mother of their Devotion whose Religion is a Cheat but the Scripture tells us and we believe it f Prov. 2.10 When Wisdom entereth into thine Heart Knowledge is pleasant unto thy Soul And without it neither Heart nor State can be good But what doth Serious Godlinesse in this Case These thô they have not any considerable Parts and Learning yet they bewail their Ignorance and are willing to learn they get a savoury Knowledge of necessary practical Truths and they increase the knowledge of them by practice thô they are Fools to the World they are wise for their Souls and wise for Eternity and this is the best Wisdom They have learned Christ which is the best Learning This you shall find those great Doctrines of Christianity which Learned men bandy to and fro in doubtful disputation such as these viz. The unaccountableness of Predetermination the supra or infralapsarian aspect of Election the controverted extent of Redemption the manner of the concourse of the Divine and Humane will in Vocation the formality of Justification In these and such like Doctrines wherein the most eminently learned can neither give nor receive satisfaction Serious Christians of but ordinary Knowledge are so far satisfied as to admire the Grace of God in Christ and press after such Holiness of Life as adorns their Profession and muzzles Revilers So that by what hath been said you may plainly see that both the excellency and deficiency of intellectual endowments are best managed by Serious Godliness without which whatever can be said for either is not worth the mentioning V. Having named several things of real worth and compared them with other things that others think so
without 'em a Prov. 1.32 The Prosperity of Fools destroyes ' em What doth Religion in this Case The Truth is there needs a great exercise of Religion to carry us safe thrô Freedom from Affliction b Job 1.5 Jobs extraordinary devotion upon his Childrens ordinary rejoycing in their prosperous Condition may Convincingly instruct us that there 's more danger in Freedom from Affliction than we are willing to suspect and it is more difficult to love and fear and trust God when we have the world than when we want it so that without Serious Godliness 't is impossible to withstand the insinuating and pleasing Temptation of flattering Prosperity and unless Faith be in Exercise we cannot do it with it What then is an afflicted Condition to be preferr'd Some that have had experience of both say Yes they have been afraid to come from under their Afflictions some sick Persons have been even afraid of Health thô they desir'd it lest what they got in their Sickness they should lose in their Health But yet the continuance of Afflictions breaks the Spirits and hinders that chearful serving and praising of God which is or should be the Life of a Christian thô many are better'd by Afflictions yet none are allowed to pray for Afflictions but against them and use all good means to avoid or remove them 't is one thing makes Heaven desirable the putting an end to all our Afflictions In short c Heb. 12.11 no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous whatever be the after-fruit of it This therefore is clogg'd with Vanity But what doth Religion in this Case Serious Godliness by Afflictions becomes more Serious God makes great use of Afflictions for the working and promoting of Piety and in this I think all experienced Christians are agreed they reckon sanctified Afflictions among the choicest Providences of their lives I commend the enlargement of this by your own Thoughts out of your own experiences And thus including these three Cases as in a large Parenthesis there 's one Case more that I would cautiously speak to which the Church Catholick truly so called may have more cause than ever tremblingly to consider and to seek more satisfying resolution than I can give for it's determination VI. What man upon Earth can peremptorily assert whether Peace or Persecution be just at such a time infallibly best for the Church of Christ 'T is easily granted that we must at all times pray for and endeavour the universal both outward and spiritual Peace of the Church and this that we may at all times do any thing but Sin to avoid or put an end to Persecution but let 's consider each as in the former instances That the Peace of the Church is beyond Expression desirable he is no Christian that denyes it those that are the greatest troublers of the Churches Peace do usually proclaim their Friendship to it calling their Affection to a party Love to the Church and the welfare of their party the Peace of the Church Now thô their Charity is too narrow to contract the Church into a party their Notion of Peace is large enough they would have it commensurate with the Church So that I need not be large to prove what no body denies Outward Prosperity was so much the Blessing of the Old Covenant that some confine it to that but others upon better Grounds expect more under the Gospel for d Luk. 1.74 75. this was no inconsiderable end of Christs coming into the World to deliver us out of the hands of our worldly Enemies to serve him without affrighting fears of men in Holiness before God and Righteousness before men all the dayes of our Life Which Prosperity when the Church hath enjoyed according to Christs purchase and Promise then they have walkt in the filial fear of the Lord and in the encouraging e Acts 9.31 Comforts of the Holy Ghost were multiplyed in number of Converts and increase of their Graces that were formerly converted But here as we use to say of pleasant weather 'T is pity fair weather should do any harm so 't is pity the Churches Prosperity should do any harm But alas the Church of Christian as little bear continual Prosperity as long Adversity a Calm is sometimes as dangerous as a Storm Many are the Temptations and Snares of a Prosperous condition it breeds Hypocrites Errors and Heresies spring up like Weeds in rank ground Professors are apt to grow Remiss and Careless Wanton and Secure to be too fond of the Present and to hanker after more Temporal Happiness than God judges good for them How hardly were the very Apostles awakened from dreaming of Christs temporal Kingdom and the very best of 'em from suing for great Offices at Court O the Divisions among Brethren when Pride makes them quarrelsome When the World favours the Church the Church slides into the World then their worldliness spoils their Christianity and their Christianity palliates their worldliness and so those things are mixt which can never be compounded But now Serious Godliness is the best Preservative against Surfeiting on Prosperity 'T is Grace in the Exercise and Growth that powerfully enables and necessarily provokes to improve the Churches Peace to all Spiritual advantages The Church of the Jews was never in such a flourishing condition as in Solomon's Reign and is it not well worthy our observation that the Posterity of his Servants who became Proselytes to the Jewish Religion were several Ages after his death doubly recorded by a Neh. 7.57.60 the Spirit of God above the Proselytes of former Ages 'T is Serious Godliness that keeps them humble and always upon their Watch against flattering Temptations that keeps them low in their own eyes and from despising others and what on this side great Grace could make David who had a b 1 Chron. 22.14 greater Summe of ready Money than ever any had in the World either before or since preferr that little of Scripture that was penn'd in his time before an innumerable Treasure c Psal 119.72 He had also a List of Worthies d 2 Sam. 23. never the like in the World yet he e Psal 16.3.119.63 preferrs the Communion of Saints before ' em To have our Conversation in Heaven when 't is best with us upon Earth this can only be effected by the Power of Godliness believe it Christians this is no easie matter What then Is a State of Persecution more Eligible Before I dare speak a word to this I must premise this Caution Let not Persecutors take encouragement to be more outragious in their Persecution and then scornfully tell you this is good for 'em their Pastors tell 'em 't is sometimes better for 'em than Peace This is like Julian who in every thing he did with a deep Reach and greater Malice than former Emperors to undermine and worm out the Christian Religion he still twitted the Christians with some advice
best time do more for his People than their present Faith and Hope can grasp and as we need the understanding of these dark Scriptures God will unriddle them to us But at present the Churches Persecution is grievous to it and that upon many accounts In times of Persecution Hell seems to be let loose as to all manner of Wickedness when nothing but the Service of God is Criminal the Service of the Devil seems Meritorious Some will be frighted from the entertainment of the Gospel and dye in their Infidelity and they are lost for ever Others so far shrink that they lose their Peace thô they do not lose their Souls and never recover it more And the Spirits of the strongest will be apt to faint if the Sufferings be sharp and long t Dan. 7.25 They shall wear out the Saints of the most high When Persecution comes to its height u Mat. 24.21 except those dayes should be shortned there should no flesh be saved but for the Elects sake those dayes shall be shortned But what 's to be done at that time that what 's intolerable to flesh and blood may be born with triumph that we may be so far from stumbling at the Cross of Christ that we may humbly glory in it †Act. 5.41 Rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer Shame for his Name In a word How may the time of their Persecution be the best time of their life By Serious Godliness by a more vigorous Exercise of all the Graces of the Holy Ghost When we feel what there is in that life of Faith we have at other times but talkt of What thô the Furnace be heated seven times hotter than ordinary may we be but seven times more purified than ordinary Christians let this be your great care never to suffer as evil doers but so walk that your Enemies may despair of ever finding any occasion against you except they find it against you concerning the Law of your God Persecutors will never own it that they inflict evil upon Persons for doing good but always pretend something Criminal As when Paul and Silas preacht Christ at Thessalonica y Acts 17.5 6 7. the Jews which believed not moved with envy took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort and gathered a Company and set all the City in an uproar and assaulted the house of Jason and sought to bring them out to the People and when they found them not they drew Jason and certain Brethren unto the Rulers of the City crying These that have turned the World up-side down are come hither also and these all do contrary to the Decrees of Caesar When Paul was afterwards taken and arraigned z Act. 23.1.9 he earnestly beholding the Council he could look them boldly in the face said Men and Brethren I have lived in all good Conscience before God untill this day And thô this Plea enraged some of his Persecutors others became his Advocates saying We find no evil in this man therefore let us not fight against God And when he was afterwards in this Process brought before a Heathen Magistrate corrupt enough and thereby prejudiced against him yet there a Acts 24.25 as he reasoned of Righteousness Temperence and Judgment to come Felix trembled Nothing so ruffles the Consciences of Persecutors as the uncontrollable blamelesness of Sufferers As Job told his prejudiced Friends b Job 19.28 Ye should say Why persecute we him seeing the root of the matter is found in me I 'le close all these Propositions with Job's resolution which I request may be this c Job 27.5 6. Till I dye I will not remove my integrity from me my righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live And now thô I have thus made out what I proposed in behalf of Serious Godliness yet I am sensible 't is not done beyond contradiction I shall therefore next endeavour to remove the Objections that are of moment and leave the Cavils to die of themselves Object 1 If our present Condition be for ought we can possibly know best for us why should we seek to alter it why should we seek Health when we are sick or right our selves when we are wrong'd or why should we seek peace of Conscience when we are under trouble of Conscience This seems to make a confusion in our very Prayers to hinder praying and to stagger our Faith in Prayer for our Prayers are for the altering of things for the better that is the Summe of all our Petitions Now if we be wavering in our minds about what is good for us how can we think to receive any thing of the Lord d James 1.6 7 8. A double-minded unresolved man is unstable uncertain in all his wayes Answ This is so far from hindering or confounding our Prayers that next to the Spirit of God 't is our best Guide and Instructor for Prayer This will teach us that our Petitions are not to direct God what to do nor may we expostulate with God in a quarrelling manner as if God wrong'd us if he do not humour us Whatever we pray for that cannot but be good for us e. g. Renewing strengthening stablishing Grace these cannot but be good for us for these we may insist with so much earnestness as not to be contented with a denial God hath no where made it our Duty to be willing to be damn'd to be his Enemies to hate him and Blaspheme him for ever And therefore herein if a pretended Angel from Heaven for God never sent any holy Angel upon such an errand should tell us as from God that God would not hear us nor bestow his Grace upon us we might tell him God never denied his Grace to any that were not willing to be denied and therefore where God hath by preventing Grace so far engaged the Will restlesly to desire Grace he hath given a token for good that he is plâ—ased with our Importunity and therefore peremptorily to resolve humbly to lye at Gods foot and to live and dye with this Petition for Grace your endeavours being answerable to your Prayers you may comfortably believe never any perisht that did it But now in things not necessary to Salvation and of such things is the question we must pray in another manner we are to consider our Circumstances the Promises that suit them how far God useth to fulfill such Promises in the Letter of them how in his wise Love he fulfills a Spiritual Promise when they are earnest for a Temporal and we shall never have hard thoughts of God thô he deny us any thing in this world for which we are most earnest And the truth is let but serious praying Christians deeply reflect upon their own hearts how they have been differently affected in Prayer according to the things they pray'd for and they will certainly find that whatever their expressions
Confession of Faith that Christ never commended any like it but would prescribe to Christ an exemption from Suffering not considering that Mankind would have been undone by that advice but Christ with a sharp reproof bids d Mat. 16.16.23 Get thee behind me c. In all cases about settling in the World getting Estates seeking Preferment entring into Marriage removing from one place to another be not self-conceited nor hasty to run before God nor to go out of his way but follow him follow his Commands in a way of Obedience follow his Providence in a way of Observance follow God and you may expect his Blessing Remember these two words thô you forget all the rest of the Sermon Vse 5 viz. CHRIST and HOLINESS Holiness and Christ Interweave these all manner of wayes in your whole Conversation Press after Holiness as much as 't is Possible had you no Christ to befriend you for 't is a shame to mind Holiness the less for any benefits you expect from Christ and rest as intirely upon Christ as if there were nothing else required for the best of your Holiness doth not merit acceptance 'T is serious Christianity that I press as the only way to better every condition 't is Christianity downright Christianity that alone can do it 'T is not Morality without Faith that 's but Refined Heathenism 't is not Faith without Morality that 's but downright Hypocrisie It must be a Divine Faith wrought by the Holy Ghost where God and man concur in the operation such a Faith as works by Love both to God and Man a Holy Faith full of good Works e Ephes 2.10 For we are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them f Phil. 3.3.8 9. Worshipping God in the Spirit rejoycing in Christ Jesus and having no Confidence in the flesh yea doubtless counting all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus that we may be found in him not having not trusting in our own Righteousness but that which is thrô the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith that we may be found in him c. I 'le close all with this of Solomon of whom 't is said g 1 King 4.32 33. He spake three thousand Proverbs and his Songs were a thousand and five and he spake of Trees from the Cedar that is in Lebanon even unto the Hyssop that springeth out of the wall he spake also of Beasts and of Fowls and of creeping things and of Fishes Now consider his Treatises of Natural Philosophy are utterly lost thô we may well suppose them the best that ever were writ Nay of his three thousand Proverbs those that were not divinely inspired are lost and those that were are some of them collected by other hands h Prov. 25.1 not his own but his two last and best Treatises Ecclesiastes and Canticles the one to abate our Love of the World and the other to increase our Love to Christ These are the Books these are the things with which he did with which we should close our Lives Quest How may we Experience in our selves and Evidence to others that serious Godliness is more than a Fancy SERMON II. 1 PET. III. 15. Be ready alwayes to give an Answer to every man that asketh you a Reason of the Hope that is in you CHristianity was no sooner come into the World than it was assaulted by Satan and his Instruments persecuting Believers and either Reproaching their Religion as Impious or censuring it as Madness or ridiculing it as Folly the Holy Ghost in the Scripture foreseeing this not only forewarns them of it but arms them against it and among others of his holy Penmen employs this Apostle to fence those Saints to whom he wrote against this Temptation and to direct them what to do if it came to be their Case 1. He encourageth them under Sufferings of all sorts for righteousness sake tells them that so to suffer would be so far from making them miserable that it would be their Happiness v. 14. happy are ye answerably to what his Master had before told him and the rest of his hearers Matth. 5.11 Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you c. 2. He directs them how to carry themselves 1. When persecuted and that 1. Negatively v. 14. Be not afraid of their terror c. Be not daunted nor affrighted with those fears your Enemies would work in you This passage relates to that of Isa 8.12 Neither fear ye their fear nor be afraid where the Saints are bid not to fear what others were afraid of but here with a little variation they are exhorted not to give way to or be overcome by those terrors their adversaries would strike into them 2. Positively sanctifie the Lord in your hearts v. 15. Fear him more than your Persecutors stand in awe of his Power more than their Rage fear him so as not inordinately to fear them he so afraid of offending him as not to fear suffering by them And this advice likewise is agreeable to that our Saviour gives Math. 10.28 Fear not them which kill the body c. but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell 2. When reproached or scoffed at or traduced by their Enemies If they accuse or mock your Religion as impious or childish or unreasonable if they demand a reason of you why you Believe or Practise as you do Be always ready to give them an answer to give an account of your selves and shew upon what grounds ye are Christians and to make it appear that your Faith is reall and your Obedience reasonable Three things only in the words call for a little Explication 1. What is meant by Hope Either hope here is the same that Faith is and so it is in divers other places and then to give a reason of their Hope Calvin in loc Grot. is to make a Confession of their Faith so some take it Or it may be taken Synechdochically for the whole of their Religion as others And indeed the hope of a Christian being one of the most eminent Acts of Religion and seeming withall to the profane and ignorant World one of the most strange things in it and which was most cavil'd against and laugh'd at †Act. 17.18.32 for men to expect a Life after death a glorious Resurrection after a dishonourable lying in the grave and to renounce all Worldly enjoyments and expose themselves to the bitterest sufferings meerly in hope of something they did not see nor expected to enjoy till after they were dead it might well be put for the whole of Religion as being so remarkable in it 2. What is meant by this Answer they were to give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is elsewhere frequently rendred by defence Act. 22.1 Phil. 1.7.17 it is rendred answer as here 1
them with acting out of Fancy or humour or any thing but a fixed and stable Principle Besides what hath been spoken by way of Direction in answer to the Question some further Improvment of this Doctrine may be made Vse 2 1. By way of Information If true Christians may give an account of their Christianity 1. They then are no true Believers no true Christians of whose Religion no good account can be given either how they came by it or whereon it is grounded 1. How they came by it when they pretend to be Saints but cannot in the least tell how they came to be Saints have found no real change in themselves are the same they have alwayes been they have they think loved God and believed in Christ and had hopes of Heaven ever since they can remember but know not how any of these things were wrought in them or by what means such a Faith I dare say is but a Fancy and so is their Hope and their Love and whatever Grace they pretend to 2. Whereon it is grounded 1. When their Faith is not rightly grounded it is no better than a Fancy When it is built on the Authority of a Church or the Traditions of men and not on the Word of God or on the Word misunderstood or misapplied or divided or maimed when they believe Promises without respect to Commands believe Christ is their Saviour and yet never receive him to be their Lord believe they shall See God though they be not pure in Heart follow not after Holiness and such indeed is the Faith and Hope of Prophane Worldlings and whoever live in Contradiction to Gods Commands and yet expect the benefit of his Promises 2. When their Practice is not rightly grounded it is no better than Folly how fair soever and plausible it may seem When men set up a Religion meerly of mans devising contrive new wayes of Worshipping God which he himself never appointed and so indeed impose upon him and prescribe to him what they think must certainly please him This is unreasonable for men to think that their Inventions or others Traditions can be more acceptable to God than his own Institutions that Sacrifice can go further than Obedience would have done They would themselves be served according to their own minds and not their Servants pleasure and why should not God They would not have their Commands neglected that their Servants Will might be performed and how foolish is it then to adhere to their own Inventions though with the slighting of Gods Institutions and yet how few be there that are so addicted to Humane Observances but they are careless of Gods Appointments Gods Commands being the Great and only Warrantable reason of all Divine Worship whatever Worship is uncommanded cannot be but unreasonable 2. How great is their sin that Question nay Deride the Grace that is in Believers as not being a real thing count the most Serious powerfull Godliness to be no better than Humour of Fancy All the Religion they own consists but in a few outward Forms or some moral Actions and whatever is above this they look upon as not real and so they leave us a Lamentably empty Religion when they condemn our Faith as Fancy our Practice as Folly and casheer all our Comforts as meer Delusions This usually proceeds either 1. From the Atheism and Infidelity of such mens Hearts some Question all Religion and so the true Religion among the rest they are themselves for none and therefore Quarrel with all they think all Religion is but Fancy or Policy and so the Christian Religion too They do not really believe the Grounds of Christianity and therefore laugh at them that do 2. Or from Pride and Conceitedness of their own Wisdom and Reason they magnifie their own Notions are in love with their own Wisdom and so contemn all else like the Athenians Acts. 17.18.32 that laugh'd when they heard of Jesus and the Resurrection The high Opinion they have of their Reason makes them deny the reality of Faith what they cannot themselves comprehend they will not believe nor allow others to do it they will scarce allow of any thing between Demonstration and Fancy and this makes them Innovate so much in Religion and Scoff at the Faith by which they should be Saved 3. Or from Ignorance of Spiritual things and their not Experiencing the Power of Grace in their own Hearts They will believe nothing in Religion but what they have themselves felt They never found the Light of Divine Truths shining into their dark Minds and overcoming their Carnal Reason nor the Power of Grace renewing their Wills and subjecting them to Gods Will breaking the force of their sinfull Inclinations mortifying their Lusts regulating their Affections changing the habitual temper and disposition of their Spirits nor the Efficacy of Faith in the Purification of their Hearts their resting upon the Promises cleaving to Christ and fetching in supplies of the Spirit from him nor the Love of God shed abroad in their Hearts enlarging them in Duties quickning them in his wayes supporting them under Burthens strengthning them against Temptations and comforting them under Afflictions and therefore they Question all these things and take them to be nothing else but canting Phrases and unaccountable Fancies A man that never was at Rome or Constantinople might at the same rate deny there ever were such places one that never tasted Honey might deny it to be sweet or a blind man laugh at Colours because he never saw them though contrary to the Experience of thousands that had with as much reason as they who live meerly by Sense and never Experienced any better pleasures deny a higher Principle by which Believers are acted and more Spiritual Comforts which they enjoy Vse 2 Of Exhortotion 1. Labour to Experience the reality of your Religion in your selves So live as that you may not be deceived and may know that you are not So act Grace as that you may feel it working and from thence conclude the Principle to be in you and may tast the sweetness of the comforts it brings with it Labour to be fully satisfied that you do not live by Fancy and act by Fancy think you believe and hope when you do not that Grace in you is as real a Principle as Reason is 1. This becomes you as reasonable Creatures as such you should know the reason of your own Actings upon what Grounds you do what you do and believe what you believe You would think a man very weak and foolish in the concernments of this present Life that could give himself no account of his own Actions or expectations should have high hopes of great things but not tell why he entertained them How unreasonable then is it for a man to hope for greater things in the other Life to engage in a Religious Course be diligent in Duties deny himself as to his Worldly Interest and yet not know why he doth so 2. It
It would be considered how really difficult the controversie is about the ceremonies and some other parts of conformity Perhaps few metaphysical questions are disputed with more subtilty than that controversie is managed with by Arch-bishop Whitgift Bishop Morton Doctor Burgesse Doctor Ames Cartwright Calverwood and others And how very easily possible and pardonable is it to unlearned persons or of weaker intellectuals being obliged in order to their practice to give a judgment in reference to these things one way or other to judge amiss Why should we expect every sincerely pious man to be able to hit the very point of truth and right in matters that belong as Bishop Davenant once said in another case non ad fidem fundamentalem sed ad peritiam Theologicam fortasse ne ad hanc quidem sed aliquando ad curiositatem Theologorum not to the foundation of our Faith but to the skill of Divines and perhaps not to this neither but sometimes only to their curiosity What were to be done in reference to so nicely disputable things made part of the terms of Christian communion is more the matter of our wish than hope till by a gracious influence God better mens minds or by a more deeply felt necessity bring us to understand what is to be done Our case is ill when only vexatio dat intellectum when nothing but sorrow and suffering will make us wise which is very likely from the righteous hand of God to be our common lot In the mean time 't is hard to think that he cannot be a sincerely pious man whose understanding is not capable of so difficult things as to make a certainly right judgment about them In absoluto facili stat eternitas And why should not the communion of persons going into a blessed eternity have the same measure And besides the different size and capacity of mens understandings and consequently of their conscientious determinations 2. There are also as differing relishes of these things which Christian love would oblige a man to consider with equanimity so as thereupon to refrain hard censures All good men have not the same relish of the various forms and modes of dispensing the Truths and Ordinances of Christ Some of our suffering Brethren in Q. Maries dayes are said to have found great spiritual refreshing by the Common Prayer And in our own dayes some may profess to have their hearts warm'd their affections rais'd and elevated by it They are no rule to us but it would less become us hereupon to suspect their sincerity than our own Others again cannot relish such modes of worship when in the Ministry of such as use them not they find a very sensible delight and savour And this by the way shews the great difference between such things as have their evidence and goodness from God himself and those that borrow their recommendableness only from humane device All good men in all the times and ages of the Christian Church have a constant value and love for the great substantials of Religion which have in them that inward evidence and excellency as commands and captivates a rectifi'd mind and heart whereas the meer external forms of it the outward dress and garb are variously esteem'd and despised liked and disliked by the same sort of men i. e. by very sincere lovers of God not only in divers times and ages but even in the same time How different hath the esteem been of the Liturgick forms with them who bear the same mind full of reverence and love towards Religion it self As that habit is thought decent at one time which in another is despicably ridiculous whereas a person in himself comely and graceful is alwaies accounted so by all and at all times Now this various gust and relish cannot but have influence more remotely upon the conscientious determination of our choice concerning our usual way of worshipping God For how should I edifie by what is disgustful to me Thô it be true that our spiritual edification lies more in the informing of our judgments and confirming our resolutions than in the gusts and relishes of affection yet who sees not that these are of great use even to the other And that it is necessary that at least there be not a disgust or antipathy What is constantly less grateful will certainly be less nutritive That is usually necessary to nourishment Thô alone it be not sufficient As it is in the matter of bodily repasts Who can without great prejudice be bound to eat alwayes of a food that he disrelishes though he may without much inconvenience for a valuable reason do it at some time And they that think all this alledged difference is but fancy shew they understand little of humane nature and less of Religion Thô they may have that in themselves too which they do not so distinctly reflect upon even that peculiar gust and relish which they make so little account of For have they not as great a disgust of the others way as they have of theirs would They not as much regret to be ty'd to theirs Have they not as great a liking of their own And doth not common experience shew that there are as different mental relishes as bodily How comes one man in the matters of Literature to savour Metaphysicks another Mathematicks another History and the like and no mans Genius can be forc't in these things Why may there not be the like difference in the matters of Religion And I would fain know what that Religion is worth that is without a gust and savour that is insipid and unpleasant much more that would being used in a constant course this or that way be nauseous and offensive If indeed men nauseate that which is necessary for them the Gospel for instance or Religion it self that is certainly such a distemper as if the grace of God overcome it not will be mortal to them and we are not to think of relieving them by withdrawing the offending object which it self must be the means of their cure But is there any parity between the substance of Religion which is of Gods appointing and the superadded modes of it that are of our own Upon the whole nothing is more agreeable either to this divine principle of Love nothing within our compass more conducible to our end the ceasing of our differences which are most likely to die and vanish by neglect or their ceasing to be inconvenient to us than to bear calm and placid minds towards one another under them to banish all hard thoughts because of them If I can contribute no way else to union from this holy dictate and law of the Spirit of love I can at least abstain from censuring my fellow Christians It is the easiest thing in the world one would think not to do Especially not to do a thing of it self ungrateful to a well temper'd mind and a great priviledge not to be obliged to judge another mans conscience and
your selves in the Love of God And then the Case and Question is this What we must do to keep our selves in the Love of God A solemn and weighty Question and wherein every Soul of us is nearly concerned There are three things that require some Explication Q. 1. What is meant by your selves A. Every one himself and every one each other so far as he can 2. What is meant by the action which each is to see put forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to keep to observe to preserve firmly safely constantly I have kept the Faith 2 Tim. 4.3 Thus we keep and thus God keeps us Jam. 1. ult John 3.22 Rev. 12.17 Joh. 17.11 John 17.15 In all which Places the word is the same in the Text to keep fast and safe and faithfully with all Care and Diligence and Conscience as we would keep a thing for our Life Prov. 4.23 Keep thy Heart with all Diligence for out of it are the Issues of Life From all which thus explain'd ariseth this Proposition It is the Duty of every Child of God Obs to keep themselves in the Love of God This Proposition is grounded upon a threefold Supposition 1. That some men are in the Love of God really and eternally 2. That this Love wherewith God loveth his Chosen Rom. v. 8. 11 12 13. is a special Love a peculiar and distinguishing Love 3. That it is a Duty as well as a Priviledge to keep our selves in the Love of God our Activity as well as Gods Act. Which will be hereafter more explained Before we come to the main Question we will answer this Question How Love can be said to be in God for Love is a Passion in the Creature and Passions are Imperfections which are contrary to Gods Perfection A. 1. It is true Nothing of Imperfection is in God but Love is in God as a Perfection because Love is in God in the abstract that is essentially for Abstracts speak Essences God is Love 1 John 4.8 The Love of God is either natural or voluntary thus Divines distinguish and that well Mat. 3.17 Joh. 3.35 Joh. 5.20 Joh. 17.24 1. The Natural Love of God is that wherewith God loves himself That is the reciprocal Love whereby the three Persons love each other This Essential Natural Love of God is therefore necessary God cannot but love himself 2. The Love of God is voluntary thus he loves his Creatures with a general Love 1. Because he made them and made them good therefore he preserves them Gen. 1.31 for though Sin be really evil and none of Gods making but contrary to God and hated of God yet God loves the Creatures as his Creatures although sinful with a general Love Mat. 5.44 45. 2. He loves some Creatures with a special Love and by this he loves Jesus Christ as Mediator Joh. 3.35 Eph. 1.6 1 Joh. 4.9 Rom. 8. ult 1. This Love of God to Christ as Mediator is the Foundation of Gods Love to his Elect. 2. By a special Love God loves his Elect. John 13.1 Of this Love it 's said that it is inseparable Now this is the peculiar Love which God bears to some above others Not because they were more lovely than others nor because God foresaw they would believe and love him but because God loved them first antecedently to all those things Eph. 1.3 4 5. Deut. 7.6 7 8. Eph. 2.3 4 c. to 10. and because he loved them therefore Christ shall come and die and therefore they shall believe in him and love him The summ is this Our Love to God is the Effect and not the Cause of Gods Love to us yea Christ himself as Mediator is the Effect of Gods Eternal Love This is primitive Doctrine John 6.37 All that the Father hath given me shall come unto me V. 44. No man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him 1 John 4.19 He hath loved us first Rom. 10.20 I am found of them that sought me not Rom. 5.8.10 God commended his love toward us that while we were yet Sinners and Enemies Christ died for us Upon which I would have old and new Donatists which make God to love all alike in order to their Salvation and that there is no special Grace let them read St. Augustine Tom. 9. Tract 102. on John Tom. 7. Lib. contra Donatistas post Collat. p. 403. also pag. 402. likewise in Brevic. p. 387. Collat. cum Donatistis Collat. tertii diei Item Tom. 9. Tract 87. on John Item Tom. 2. Epist 48. p. 118. and many more places I have therefore named all these because there is a sort of Men risen up among us Gal. 1.6.7 corrupters and perverters of the Word and Wayes of God who raise up Donatism and Pelagianism from the Death I know some make this Love of God in the Text to be meant not of Gods Love to us at all but of our Love to God only Contrary I judge it spoken principally of Gods Love to us not excluding our Love to God but comprehending it as a great sign that God loves us when we truly love God According to this sence I shall proceed to speak to the present Case which is a practical Question How Christians shall do to keep themselves in the Love of God Quest 1. In General One whom God loves and favours Answ must do as the Favourite of a Prince useth to do to keep himself in his Princes Love and Favour He will study what the will of his Prince is and will do all that he can to please him He will set himself wholly to promote his Princes Interest and Honour and to gratifie his Desires yea he will be infinitely shy of displeasing him So will a Child of God carry himself towards God to keep himself in the Favour and Love of God This is a great Art to study Ephes 5.17 to know what is the will and Pleasure of God and to conform to it The Reason whereof is this Because 1. The Will of God is a Sovereign Will to all the World therefore to thine and mine there is no controuling of it Who can say unto God What dost thou When any mans will comes in competition with Gods Will thou knowest what thou hast to answer Dan. 3.16 17. and what thou hast to do Act. 4.19 But if mans commanding Will be agreeable to Gods revealed Will which is the Standard then we please and not displease God in submitting to man because subordinate things do not clash 2. Because the Will of God is a holy Will and we can never keep our selves in the Love of God 1 Pet. 1.15.16 but by what is agreeable to his Holiness and that is when we our selves are Holy because this is not only the Will of God but the Image of God Eph. 4.24 created after God Now God loves Children that are most like him for Likeness is the Cause of Love Thus much in General
2. But now more particularly I. He that will keep himself in the Love of God must he himself love God for Love deserveth Love and Love begetteth Love Gods Love worketh thus towards us and therefore our Love must work towards God Prov. 4.6 Prov. 8.17 Our Love to God is but the Reflection of the Beams of Gods Love upon us Love Wisdom and she shall love thee I love them that love me And thus the Beams are doubled and the Love of God to the Soul and the Souls love to God encreaseth the heat betwen both as it is with the Sun shining on the Earth II. He that loves God loving him Magnes amoris amor is drawn to God by the attractive Beams of Divine Love these are called the Bands of Love Hos 11.4 He that loves God loving him is inflamed with Gods Love as it is in a Burning Glass This is a Heavenly Fire kindled from Heaven and not easily quenched Cant. 8.7 He that loves God loving him finds the strongest Obligation upon him to Love God as constrained to it 2 Cor. 5.14 and God endears him to love God from his Heart for Love ravisheth the Heart beyond all things in the World The Lord and his Spouse ravish one another Cant. 4.9 III. He that will keep himself in the Love of God must mind and meditate on four Attributes and Properties of Gods Love which will have great influence upon his Heart and Love 1. On the Eternity of Gods Love to him which hath been ever of old time out of Mind yea before all Time he hath been thy Friend and thy Fathers friend therefore forget him not Prov. 27.10 Because Election which is the effect of Gods Eternal Love is Eternal Ephes 1.4 And because he is Love essentially 1 John 4.8 therefore his Love is Eternal as himself Hos 14.4 2. On the Freeness of Gods Love All the Arguments of his Love are drawn out of his own Breast therefore this free Love of God is called Grace 2 Tim. 1.9 which is no Grace unless it be gratuitous and free Not according to works saith the Apostle the great Champion of Free Grace which Bradwardin calls the Cause of God but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus Rom. 11.5 6. before the world began And again There is a remnant according to the election of grace and if by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace O meditate on this How should the consideration of this keep us in the Love of God! ¶ Mark and mind this well Free Grace and Love sent Jesus Christ into the World and all the train of Spiritual Blessings Joh. 3.16 1 Joh. 4.9 1. The free Love of God was the Cause of Election Rom. 11.5 2. The free Love of God is the cause of our effectual Vocation Gal. 1.6.15 3. The free Grace and Love of God is the cause of our Adoption Eph. 1.5 6. 4. The free Love and Grace of God is the cause of our Justification Rom. 3.24 5. The free Love and Grace of God is the cause of the Pardon of Sin Rom. 5.20 6. The free Grace and Love of God is the cause of true and thorough Conversion 1 Cor. 15.10 7. The free Grace and Love of God is the Cause of true Faith Act. 18.27 8. The free Grace and Love of God is the cause of Christs suffering for us Heb. 2.9 9. The Free Grace and Love of God is the Cause of that inestimable Jewel and Blessing the Word of God Act. 14.3 10. The free Grace and Love of God is the cause of our Salvation Eph. 2.5 8. ¶ O meditate and mind the infinite free Love of God in all the sweet Streams of it and dwell upon the meditation of it and be ravished with it and give the God of Grace and Love the Glory of it for ever 3. Mind the Immensity of Gods Love This is so vast an Ocean that thou wilt find neither Bounds nor Bottom in it Hear the Apostle upon it Eph. 3.18 That ye may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the Breadth and Length and Depth and Height and to know the Love of Christ which passeth knowledge To know it to pass all knowledge The Consideration of this alone hath so amaz'd some devout Souls that they have been in an Extasie above and besides themselves with it 4. Mind and meditate on the Unchangeableness of Gods Love This is grounded upon two immutable things by which it is impossible for God to lie This O! Heb. 6.17 18. this gives sure Anchor-hold and comfort to a true Believer in a Storm v. 19. This Assurance God hath given his People of old Jer. 31.3 I have loved thee with an everlasting love Rom. 8. ult Joh. 13.1 It is an Inseparable Love It is a final Love but not finite Love It is to the end and without end It is Invincible Love Cant. 8.6 It is an Vnquenchable Love Cant. 8.7 Obj. If this be so what need then of the Apostles Exhortation to keep our selves in the Love of God Answ 1. Because Gods Promises and Believers Priviledges do not exclude but include the use of Means For instance Phil. 2.12 13. Work out your own Salvation with fear and trembling for it is God that worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure Eph. 1.5 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundaon of the World that we should be holy and without blame before him in love 2 Pet. 1.4 to verse 10. He tells them God hath given them exceeding great and precious Promises yet bids them to give all diligence to make their Calling and Election sure by adding Grace to Grace Ephes 2.3 He saith we are saved by Grace through Faith which is the Gift of God without Works and yet he saith we are created to good Works that we should walk in them and this God hath ordained v. 9 10. 1 Thes 5. After he had Exhorted them to many Dutyes he adds this Faithful is he that hath called you who also will do it Mark our Text and compare it with the Context after when he bids us keep our selves in the love of God he saith Vers 24. God is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy 2. God who prevents us with his Grace and works upon us and in us unto Conversion and Regeneration hereby puts into us an Active Principle and helps and recruits it continually by auxiliary Grace Our habits of Grace cease acting if God suspends the influence of Grace as we see in Peters ease both upon the Waters when he began to Sink till the Lord gave him a Hand and went on denying his Master till the Lord looked upon him and melted him into Tears God will ever have us beholding to him and lean upon him h. 15.4 5.
extinguish all worldly love And this is an infallible sign of the love of God in the Soul for they two are contrary and mortal Enemies one to the other and seek the destruction of each other The reason is plain 1. They differ in their Rise and Offspring one is Heaven-born Gal. 5.17 the other is Earthly 2. They differ in their Quality one hates what the other loves 3. They differ in their Objects One loves God the other loves the Creature 4. They differ in the Means of their Attainments one minds the Will and Word of God to follow that only the other minds the Wills and Lusts of the flesh to fulfill them Ephes 2.2 and to make provision for them Rom. 13. last v. 5. They differ in their End The love of Creatures is disappointed and lost the Love of God enjoyes him for ever Psal 42.1 2. and rests satisfied in that enjoyment and not before 6. Consider thou canst never keep thy self in the Love of God if thou art not quit and utterly disengaged from the love of the World in the Lusts and Vanities of it by thy inordinate desires and hankerings after it God never comes into the Soul till the World go out Taulerus and then the Soul moves nobly when it moves to its Principle This makes the Circular motion of the Heavens to be most Noble because it returns alwayes to the same point where it began Thus Noah's Dove found no rest out of the Ark but returned to it after long fluttering about because it found no food among the Carrion but the Raven did and therefore abode by it A Bird as long as it flyes aloft in the Air is free from the Fowlers Gin but when it lights down on the ground and falls a picking in the Earth then is nearest unto danger Thus it fares with men of the Earth O poor Soul saith St. Aug. how dost thou debase thy self thou lovest earthly things and thou art better than them thou admirest the Sun and thou art more beautifull and excellent than the Sun only God is above thee and thou wert made to love him only A Child of Heaven and a Son of the Earth differ in this as much as Heaven and Earth Phil. 3.18 19 20. 2 Pet. 3.10 The Ground is cursed and this World shall be burnt up why art thou enamour'd with it Therefore the Lord imbitters the Worlds Breasts to his Children that they may be weaned and no longer suck of them and then when the world begins to be bitter to us the Lord begins to be sweeter to us Math. 17.4 When Peter had found some Sweetness on Mount Tabor he was loth to come down and would dwell there above the World in that heavenly Company That Wife never truly loved her Husband that loves her Jewels above him Did not Israel do so when they made a Calf of the Jewels God gave them and a God of that Calf and themselves Beasts in worshipping of it What abominable Idolatry what Apostasie what Ingratitude is here 1. All that hath hitherto been said of this great Duty of Keeping our selves in the Love of God is Practical and carryes Application with it containing true signs of such as keep themselves in Gods Love What is that but a great Use of Examination of our State and of our Practice 1. Whether we are in the Love of God 2. Whether we do indeed walk so as to keep our selves in it Be not deceived compare your State Heart and Life with these Rules be serious and solemn in it 2. You have had by way of contrary sufficiently hinted the cross Practice of the greatest part of the World herein who keep themselves out of Gods Love by keeping in an evil State of Enmity between God and them And though God hath long beseeched them by his Embassadours to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.20 yet they will not but stand out in open defiance against God Job 21.14 and desire not the knowledge of his wayes they preferr the Love of men before the Love of God They preferr the love of Money and carnal Delights before the love of God Luk. 8.14 2 Tim. 3.4 They hate the Knowledge of God they hate the People of God they hate the Wayes of God they love those that hate God and whom God hates Can these think themselves in the Love of God Can they keep themselves in the Love of God before they are come into it And this carryes in it a Use of Reprehension Conviction Discrimination and Lamentation all of them respectively O mind and consider it well 3. We have a Use of Exhortation The Text is properly such a Use It contains a Duty to be practised all your Life perform the Duties of that State study what doth please God Qui in amore Dei se custodiunt suaviter habitant instar apum in alvearibus in favis meilis ut Sponsa in finu Sponsi Cant. 1.2 3. cap. 2.4 5 6 12 13. take heed of that which doth offend God shun all that is inconsistent with the Love of God Meditate on the happy Priviledge of such a State Thou art a Candidate of Heaven a Favourite of God such are out of the reach of danger they have a sweet Calm and Sun-shine in their Conscience They have a pleasant Spring of singing of Birds and like the fragrant smell of a Garden of Spices and the fill of Divine Flagons in Christs Banquetting House Cant. 4.16 Cap. 5.1 4. If thou keep thy self in the Love of God thou needest not to fear the Hatred of men This is to be feared of all that are not in the Love of God Those that are in Gods love have no cause in the world to fear worldly mens hate they have the strongest security against it 1. From the Power of God which is omnipotent Gen. 15.1 2. From the Promise of God which is faithful and never fails Rom. 8.31 to 39. Heb. 13.5 6 8. 3. From the Eternity of Christ the same to day as yesterday and for ever He hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that we may boldly say The Lord is my Helper and I will not fear what man can do unto me Read Deut. 33. and the four last Verses God will be a wall of fire about those that are in his Love Zach. 2.5 Read Deut. 32.9 10 11 12 13 14. What higher expressions can be uttered to set forth the tender love of God to his People while they are under his Wing Will ye have more consider that of the Prophet Isaiah in Chap. 60.5 As one whom his Mother comforteth so will I comfort you and you shall be comforted And when ye see this your heart shall rejoyce and your bones shall flourish like an herb 5. If ye mind this Duty aright to keep your selves in the love of God 1 You must labour to understand the love of God to his Elect truely and then meditate
and perfect Love because our Souls find rest in God only St. Bernard makes four degrees of our Love to God 1. When a man loves Himself for himself but herein he can have no rest nor content for it is not to be found in him 2. When he loves God for himself and not for God when he would have God make him happy 3. When he loves God for God himself as judging him most worthy of all love 4. When he loves himself and all things else for God only and is therein satisfied desiring nothing more This is indeed to love God when we love him for himself and our selves and all other things subordinately unto God in him and for him only Our Soul as Noahs Dove hath no rest till it return to this Ark. This Injoyment satisfies Psal 17. ult ye shall be abundantly satisfied Psal 36.8 9. because it is the water of life which being once drunk of quencheth thirst for ever I conclude all with this that considering the Circumstances into which we are cast it is our Duty Wisdom and Priviledge to keep our selves in the Love of God from the transcendent Advantages we have by it above the love and favour of men which is hard to get and yet not worth the pains when gotten yea when gotten it is as hard to keep and yet not worth the keeping yea it is easily lost and better lost than kept Therefore never labour to keep thy self in the Love of Men by which thou mayst lose the love of God but keep your selves in the Love of God and that will keep you safe here and for ever The Lord gives it as a Reason why he would not cast off his People though he threatned them as if he would do it Hos 11.8 9. Because saith he I am God and not Man It is not after the manner of men to be constant in their Love but is like Himself and never breaks off or keeps in his Love Ezek. 16.5 6 7 8. The Lord will be called Husband of his People and is he not the best and dearest in the World Doth he take any People or Soul to Wife for rare Beauty or rich Dowry Alas there is none Did he not find us in our gore-blood and yet loved us when such vers 8. Now whom he loves he cleaves to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 2.24 Ephes 5.31 Thus he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit 1 Cor. 6.16 The word is glued to shew the close Union of divine Love Pray then to God for the Holy Ghost which he hath promised to give to them that ask that he may shed abroad the love of God in your hearts 2 Thess 3.5 Rom. 5.5 for hereby you will keep your selves in the love of God Quest What may gracious Parents best do for the Conversion of those Children whose wickedness is occasion'd by their sinful Severity or Indulgence SERMON VII MAL. IV. 6. He shall turn the hearts of the Fathers to the Children and the hearts of the Children to their Fathers THis intricate Text propos'd to me on which I preacht speaking but indirectly and by consequence only as I then said to the Question propos'd upon mature deliberation I have thought good to adjoin Another which I conceive looks with a more direct aspect on both the parts of our Bipartite Question Viz. EPH. VI. 4. Ye Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath but bring them up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord. AS Malapertness frowardness sauciness self-will stubbornness sullenness disobedience yea contempt and scorning of Parents specially the more indulgent and weak are Vices too common with Children and Youth So on the other side Parents unless modell'd and confirm'd by the Word and Spirit of God are very prone to fall into one of these two extreams either immoderate severity and rigid abuse of the Parental Authority or fond indulgence and sinful neglect of just and discreet discipline Against Both these extreams our Apostle doth here Arm and fortifie gracious Parents by instructing them how equally to hold the Ballance and Discreetly to manage the reins and rudder of their Parental Power and Discipline so as they may not provoke their Children to a just disgust and wrath on the one side nor expose themselves to a base contempt and scorn on the other And this he doth 1. By forbidding a Vice Ye Fathers provoke not your Children to Wrath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad iram ad irae exuberantiam ne provocate ne irritate q. d. Fathers I know your Children are apt to be Vain rash foolish disobedient stubborn able to roil the most sedate Spirit to try the patience of a Job and 't is fit yea necessary that you admonish reprove rebuke chastize them but yet take heed that while though they provoke you to a just displeasure you by an unjust abuse of your just authority in a too strict rigid immoderate severity against them give your offending Children any just occasion of or urgent temptation to any sinful anger or inveterate wrath against you whilst you are correcting for one sin do not provoke them to commit another Whilst you are plucking them out of a gulph do not dash them against a Rock Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath But Observe we here the Apostles prudence Having vers 1 2 3. allotted to Children their share viz. Obedience Children obey your Parents in the Lord and backt it both with divine Precept and Promise the just consequence seems to require that he should have invested the Parents with Command and Government for their Portion but he fairly waves that and as supposing he had sufficiently fixt the Parents Authority by putting their Children under the yoke of Obedience he now consults the childs interest or rather the mutual comfort both of Parent and Child by advising Parents to use the Power that God had given them moderately and tenderly on the one hand he sweetens the Obedience of the Child on the other tempers the Authority of the Parent That the precept of Obedience may not fright the Child nor the Prerogative of Power swell the Parent let them both know The child that he is in subjection and must obey but then 't is his Father who either doth or should love him and the Father that he hath Authority and may command but whom 'T is his Child whom he must govern with that tenderness as not in the least to provoke Thus by forbidding a Vice 2. By enjoining them the contrary Grace or duty But bring them up in the Nurture and admonition of the Lord. Children as they must not be provoked to wrath so they must not be indulged in folly As they must not be discouraged so they may not be cocker'd Our Children naturally are too too like the wild Horse or Asses colt who if they once begin to know their strength and get the bit between their Teeth will first cast their Rider and then run in a full
would not have accomplisht and by that cunning fetch of the Woman of Tekoah brings into the light that birth of desire whereof he knew David was both bigg and ashamed 2 Sam. 14.21 See here the mask of Royal Indulgence It is not David that recalls Absalom Not He he only does it to answer the humble Petition of an importunate Subject and to follow the advice of Joab a discreet Councellor The King said Behold now I have done this thing that ye desire go therefore bring the young man Absalom again But stay Another fetch Let him turn to his own House and let him not see my face v. 24. for fear the People should cry shame on this unjust Indulgence 2. Absalom the Rebel Absalom the Traitor 2 Sam. 15.10 Having prepar'd the People for a Rebellion by a wicked insinuation of his Fathers unjust Government he sets up as King in Hebron and the Conspiracy was strong His Eye is on the Metropolis His first March must be to Jerusalem To make room for the young Rebel the poor old Father must pack up and be gone v. 14. with an heavy heart weeping eye cover'd head and bare feet as it were Never did he with more Joy come up to this City than now left it with Sorrow And how could he do otherwise when the Insurrection of his dearly beloved Son drove him out from his chief City and Throne yea from the Ark of God 1. His first Prank was a sufficient Earnest of what was like to ensue An Act of the highest incestuous Uncleanness that ever the Sun saw They spread Absalom a Tent upon the top of the House and Absalom went in to his Fathers Concubines in the sight of All Israel 2 Sam. 16.2.22 23. The Practice was like the counsel v. 22. as deep as Hell it self An Act uncapable of Forgiveness Beside the usurping the Throne to violate the Bed of his Father unto his treason to adde incest is no less unnatural that the World might see that Absalom neither hoped nor cared for the reconciliation of a Father And as if the villany could not have beâ—n shameful enough in secret he sets up his Tent in the top of the House and lets all Israel be witness of his own sin and his Fathers shame Ordinary sins are for Vulgar Offenders but Absalom sins like himself eminently transcendently and doth that which may make the World at once to blush and wonder The filthiness of the Sin is not more great than the impudence of the Matter 2. His pursuit 2 Sam. 15.14 Absalom is now on his High march ready to make his onset David rallies up all the forces he could make not so much to Assault his Son as to defend himself But see his charge 2 Sam. 18.5 The King commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai his three Generals saying Fight neither against small nor great for they poor deluded Souls are come forth in the simplicity of their hearts are meerly drawn in and Know not any thing 2 Sam. 15.11 but against the Head and Ringleader of these Rebels that Son or traitor rather that came forth of my Bowels and seeks my life 2 Sam. 16.11 Is not this Davids Charge No not such a Syllable in their Commission But thus which is not to be mention'd without a blush Deal gently for my sake with the young man even with Absalom 2 Sam. 18.5 But stay what do I hear Is this the voice of David what that David that formerly was forced to employ his Arms for his defence against a tyrannous Father-in-law and is now forced to buckle them on against an unnatural Son What he that has muster'd his men commission'd his Generals marshal'd his Troops what is this his charge and word and signal for the Battel Doth he at once seem to encourage them by his eye and restrain them with his tongue Oh! David what means this ill-placed Love this unjust cruel mercy Deal gently with a traitor of all Traitors with a Son of all Sons with an Absalom The graceless murtherous incestuous traiterous Son of so good so tender a Father And all this for my sake whose Crown Kingdom Blood he hunts after For whose sake must this wretch be pursued if he must be forborn for thine He was still courteous thô hypocritically to thy followers affable to Suitors plausible to all Israel that so he might be perfectly cruel to thee Wherefore are these Arms if the sole cause of the quarrel must be the Attractive perswasive motive of Mercy Yet thou sayst Deal gently We see even in the holiest Parents on Earth corrupt Nature may be guilty of most unjust tenderness of bloody Indulgence But let 's advance a step farther 3. The Battel is joyn'd The God of Justice takes part with Justice lets Israel foolish Israel feel what it is to take part with and to bear Arms for a traiterous Usurper 2 Sam. 18.6 to 9. the Sword devours twenty thousand of them and the Wood devour'd more than the Sword Among the rest the loyal Oak singles out the Ringleader of this horrible Conspiracy and by one of his spreading Arms becomes at once his Gaol and Gibbet The Justice of God twists an Halter of his locks and no marvail if his own Hair turn'd traitor to him who durst rise up against his Father Joab is inform'd that the Beast is noos'd comes and sees him hanging makes no demurr but immediately thrust three darts through the Heart of the bloody Traitor Wâ—â—t the poor Souldier forbore to do in obedience v. 12 13. that the General doth in zeal v. 14. not fearing to preferr his Sovereigns safety before and beyond all little respects whatever as being more tender of the Life of his Prince and the peace of his People than the weak or strohg affections of a misguided Father v. 14 15. 4. Now for the Catastrophe the last Scene the Battel 's ended David hears the Trumpets sound a Retreat What news Our Care is wont to be where our Love is How fares the Army Joab Abishai Ittai my Generals how is it with them My Crown does it stand more firm and fixt or is it fallen Speak Ahimaaz say Cushi None of this in the least but to the everlasting reproach of fond Parents Is the young man Absalom safe v. 29. Ahimaaz prudently answers The Lord hath deliver'd up the men that lift up their hand against my Lord the King v. 28 29. Ahimaaz turn thou aside and stand thou here Behold here comes Cushi with a joyful heart and open mouth Tydings my Lord the King for the Lord hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee v. 32. But these are not the Tidings that David so much pants after Cushi thou must learn to distinguish betwixt the King and the Father and tell him plainly Is the young man Absalom safe v. 32. That murtherous incestuous Traitor whom thou callest the young man is dead O King And let the Enemies of my Lord the King and
Hammer to be fear'd 3. A servile Hungry flattery 3. Hungry when the flatterer Croucheth for a Morsel of bread as 2 Sam. 2. ult and magnifieth the gift of a meals meat to the Skies such as Rom. 16.18 is serving of the belly by fair words 4. A Cowardly flattery when men dare not tell what is 4. Cowardly and what they think the truth concerning the Vertues or Vices of men 5. A Covetous Flattery which aims at Gain 5. Covetous and increasing our wealth by advantage on the flattered 6. An Aemulous and Envious flattery wherein the Good virtuous 6. Aemulous praise-worthy Qualities or Practices of any one of our Own party are extolled and magnifi'd above all measure So the old Hereticks so the present dividing Parties in the world exclude others from the number of Virtuous Wise Learned Pious and Loyal this is a kind of Flattery which prevails at this day Loved too much by all and dangerous to all Were that true which such factious flattery suggests how very small a remnant sho'd escape with their Life In all these there is an officiousness or pretence of Kindness Honour and Zeal for your Good your Credit your Advantage and Right which draws your Affection and Love to these undue courses and which is the disease to be Cured And what this is What Love to be Flattered is we are to enquire in the second place Love to be flattered a disease of humane nature I wo'd rather call 2. General a Love to be praised in Good or excus'd in Evil more than justly may be I cannot conceive any one who understands the falshood of a Flatterer and his foul designs can love the flattery but yet we all are prone to love the Praises and Apologies are made on our behalf by those that indeed do Flatter and unduly praise or excuse So that in the General an affecting and liking of mens praises and apologies above the nature and circumstances of our Good and Evil is the Love to be flatter'd in our Case I will present it to you in it's distinct parts It is 1. An immoderate desire 1. In immoderate desire of praise that our best and worst might be represented in fairer colours than those that are native that where Good we may seem better where Evil we may seem less evil than we are as other Species of Love first appear in our desire so here a great weakness and distemper of our nature thus to desire the forbidden fruit When this desire prevaileth we 2. Believe what the Flatterer saith thô he believeth not himself 2. In blind credence of all that is said for us in the Praise or Apology he makes for us A blind secure unsearching credence and belief of what is glozingly and deceitfully said by this deceiver makes a part of this Love As other Love so is this Credulous and in a high degree Confident believes a strangers mouth in bar to our own Eyes and in affront to our own senses Credit a Lying Elogy And then 3. In valuing ourselves by them 3. Set the value on our selves by what such affirm of us the valuation and Love mankind hath for any thing are inseparable indeed Love is an appretiating affection and so 't is here when the False Coiner hath been suffer'd to stamp the base alloy'd mettal of our Imperfect Vertues with the impress of divine Perfection we deceived mortals Prize and Love them as if they really were what they seem to be So did Alexander M. think his extract was Divine and valued himself on his suppos'd Divinity so did Herod the Great when he believed their flattery The voice of a God and not a man 4. Affecting occasions to set forth our praise 4. Another branch of Love to be Flatter'd is an Affected seeking to our selves or giving unto others unnecessary occasions of setting forth the worth of our Persons Actions and qualifications according to the standard of flatterers He loves flattery who loves to search out his own praise we know he dotes on the person who unseasonably breaks out into their commendation and wo'd have every mouth as †Resonabant Phyllida Sylvae he fancied every Wood did echo the praises of his Love 5. Acquiescence in what is given as our praise 5. A well-pleasedness to hear the Great and Good things by dissembling Flatterers ascribed to us which either we never did or did in manner much below what they report them it is a disease of the mind that thus is pleas'd with vanity with a Lying vanity yet sick of this disease are the besotted Culleys How sick were the Pygmees mind who should be perswaded to think his Stature and strength equal to Goliah's and his feats against the Cranes equal to the great atchievements of David the Macchabees or those mighty Captains who purchased to themselves the Sir-name of Great 6. Choice of such for our Company 6. A choice of such for our intimate and inseparable Companions with Licence given them without controul to lye for us He is deeply in love who cannot live without what is loved Many thousands among great ones and rich ones cannot live without such extravagant applauders of their Persons and Menages And we justly wonder how they bear with patience the extravagant notorious and incredible falsities of these Parasites This I have made the last part of this culpable Love of flattery which as other Love discovers it self by its choice Summarily Every part of this Love is a particular weakness and distemper of the mind wherein it is and the whole is much more it's disease This Love of being flattered is a very immoderate Affection longing after and delighting in ungrounded praises a feeding upon lies the effect of a secreter disease self-Self-love and cause of many culpable Distempers in our life Love to undue praise is pernicious 3. General Nullum animantium genus assentatoribus perniciosius Lud. Gr. It is to conclude this point originally formally and effectively a malady of mankind and unless cured proves pernicious and destructive which is the Third thing proposed Solomon tells you in our Text that it worketh ruine And beside the unaccountable multitudes of those who have perished by it already the Scriptures assure us that where 't is not cured it doth kill Psal 5.9 Where there is no faithfulness in the mouth i. e. where flattery and glozings are the inward part is wickednesses destroying wickednesses An open Sepulcher and a flattering tongue are inseparable If the Glutton diggeth his own Grave with his Teeth the designing Flatterer digs other mens with his Tongue Psal 12.1 2 with the 5. ver you find ruine attending on prevailing flattery the Poor opprest the Needy sigh when such unfaithful tongues are successful Prov. 5.3 Words that drop as an Honey-Comb and Mouth softer than Oyl Which is an accurate description of the visible part of Flattery but what is conceal'd from our eye is Bitterness and
Wounds ver 4. And thô this place speak of the Flattery of a strange woman whose flattery in some cases may be more dangerous and deadly yet the Flatteries of others strange Sons is dangerous and destructive also Psal 55.21 The words of such are smoother than Butter Perniciem aliis ac postremò sibi inveniunt Tacit annal l. 1. but war is in their Heart softer than Oyl yet drawn Swords Wherewith others are first slain and which doth first or last enter their own bowels God doth in his own season send forth commission'd Officers to destroy an hypocritical Nation as Isa 10. ver 6. In a word wheresoever you find Flattery predominant and culminating it presages an approaching ruine whether in Kingdoms and States or in Church in Families or particular Persons Flattering and Fawning Counsellors ruine Princes and Principalities Flattering Clergy ruine the Church Flattering Captains their General Lawyers their Clients Physicians their Patients and flattering Companions destroy those that keep them Company For fuller declaration of this Affection to undue praise destroys I will tell what is ruin'd by that flattery which becomes predominant by our love to it under the Notion of Praise and friendship due to our vertues Uncured Love of such praise and smoothing us is pernicious 1. To Good moral Principles and vertuous Habits 1. Vertuous principles implanted by the care and wisdom of such as had the Educating of us so we may observe Men and Women too often degenerate and wear out the Impressions of vertuous Habits and imbibe the quite contrary Vices Of Modest become Impudent of Chaste become Unclean Adulterers and Adulteresses c. How many in our Age have by the help of Flatterers conquer'd their vertuous Education and triumph'd over it in a debauched Bravery which is to glory in their shame 2. To All the remainders of any tolerable innate 2. Natural Inclinations to Good and congenite capacity of receiving Good advice Examples and helps for their recovery The very Stock is corrupted that no Graffe of Vertue can be planted on them They become reprobate to every good work There is in many from the Birth a promising Receptivity we look on them as more susceptible of Vertue than others Now love to vitious Flatterers and hearkening to them very frequently overthrows these very foundations on which we might build that the person remains for ever a Cage of unclean Birds and leaves such hopeless 3. To their Wealth and Estates 3. Estates So many an imprudent and unexperienced Heir is gull'd out of his Estate and Inheritance The Flatterer by his wiles derives the Substance and Labours of the deceas'd Father from the Children to himself and his Solomon notes this Prov. 5.10 as the consequencé of love to be flatter'd Strangers are filled with the wealth of such 4. Reputation 4. To their Honour and Reputation A vitious Seducer hearkned to and his Flatteries yielded to will blast all the Credit of those that are seduced how great soever their Reputation might have been before their turning aside Solomon proposeth this as argument to disswade us from hearkning to Flatteries Prov. 5. vers 9. 5. Safety and Life 5. To the Safety Peace and Life of the imprudent lover of Flattery When nothing else remains nor surviveth the wasting and consumptive mouth of a Flatterer but the disgraced impoverisht and miserable Life of the deceived this is made a prey too and the unthankfull unsatiate and unmerciful Seducer hunts for the precious Life also 6. Soul and its Happiness 6. To the Soul and its happiness The Flatterer is too powerfull and too successeful an Instrument in promoting sin and ruining of Souls he drawes into Sin into remisness and neglect of Good Such seduced ones call evil Good and then do it think great evil little and repent not of it are perswaded their Good is great enough already and are surpriz'd in a sinful and Impenitent state Thus pernicious is Flattery loved A dangerous disease you see yet curable if proper means be apply'd And what those means are which may best effect this Cure 4th General is the last but chiefest of our Enquiry these in the Fourth place we must speak of And here I propose that 1. Ill name of Flattery 1. You would impartially consider the bad name that Flattery hath ever had and still hath and ever will have among all sorts of men How all condemn it as unworthy of the least degree of their love as worthy of their utmost hatred and abhorrence * Mellitum venenum Circes pocula It is sugred Poyson a bewitching Cup the greatest Plague in Societies and the most barbarous Torturers †Nulla in amicitiis pestis est major quam assentatio c. for they pick out the Eyes and flay off the flesh of the Living worse than hungry Crows as Antisthenes observed Like corroding Worms which eat out the substance verdure and life of the root they were bred in That very man who too soon was perverted by Flattery to think himself greater than to be Philip's Son Dignior eras qui eodem pracipitareris yet in soberer temper judged a Flatterer worthy to be thrown into that River in which his flattering History was cast and drowned Thô Aeneas Sylvius de dict Sigism as Sigismund the Emperour observed we affect pleasant flattering Companions yet he professed he hated them like as he hated the Plague Would you look on the Flatterer as Condemned and most worthy to be cut off from humane Society you would neither over-love him or his Flatteries It is but rarely that a foolish Virgin falls in Love begs the Life and chooseth the most intimate converse of a Condemned Felon Let us look on this condemned Vice as most do on the handsomest condemned Felon and Murtherer A fair and goodly outside but not worthy to live 2. Look how ill an uncured love of Praise becomes another 2. Ill becomes other men see how great a blemish and stain it is to them how it lessens all other commendable Qualities It is to dote on our own Shadow and perish in the Love of it as the Mythologists report of Narcissus Such one is the most unfit of all men for humane Society whether in a Converse of Friendship Service or Command A most untractable and useless piece not fit to rule others who wants a Prudence to rule himself nor fit to receive Commands while he admires himself and dotes on his own contrivance not fit to be a Friend since all his Love runs waste on himself The Emblem of such Persons is ingeniously drawn from the Ape the ugliest as the Lord Bacon observes of Creatures the most mischievous in his Pranks useless and saucy And are such worthy to be loved How comely a sight do you think an ill shap't Ape grinning on his own Features in a flattering Glass would be Such is the man that loves to see himself
Heb. 10.19 21 22. In these things I say doth the true Glory of Evangelical Worship consist and if it doth not it hath no Glory in comparison of that which did excel in the Old Legal Worship For the wit of man was never yet able to set it off with half the outward Beauty and Glory that was in the Worship of the Temple But herein it is that it not only leaves no Glory thereunto in comparison but doth unspeakably excel whatever the wit and wealth of men can extend unto But there is a Spiritual Light required that we may discern the Glory of this Worship and have thereby an Experience of its Power and Efficacy in reference unto the Ends of its appointment This the Church of Believers hath They see it as it is a blessed Means of giving Glory unto God and of receiving gracious Communications from him which are the Ends of all the Divine Institutions of worship and they have therein such an Experience of its efficacy as gives Rest and Peace and Satisfaction unto their Souls For they find that as their worship directs them unto a blessed view by Faith of God in his ineffable Existence with the glorious actings of each Person in the dispensation of Grace which fills their hearts with Joy unspeakable so also that all Graces are exercised increased and strengthned in the observance of it with Love and Delight But all Light into all Perceptions of this Glory all Experience of its Power was amongst the most lost in the world I intend in all these Instances the time of the Papal Apostacy Those who had the conduct of Religion could discern no Glory in tâ—â—â—e things nor obtain any experience of their Power Be the Worship what it will they can see no Glory in it nor did it give any satisfaction to their minds for having no light to discern its glory they could have no Experience of its power and efficacy What then shall they do The Notion must be retained that Divine Worship is to be beautiful and glorious But in the Spiritual Worship of the Gospel they could see nothing thereof wherefore they thought necessary to make a Glory for it or to dismiss it out of the world and set up such an Image of it as might appear beautiful unto their fleshly minds and give them satisfaction To thiâ— end they set their Inventions on work to find out Ceremonies Vestments Gestures Ornaments Musick Altars Images Paintings with prescriptions of great bodily Veneration This Pageantry they call the Beauty the Order the Glory of Divine Worship This is that which they see and feel and which as they judge doth dispose their Minds unto Devotion without it they know not how to pay any reverence unto God himself and when it is wanting whatever be the Life the Power the Spirituality of the Worship in the Worshippers whatever be its efficacy unto all the proper ends of it however it be ordered according unto the prescription of the Word it is unto them empty indecent they can see neither Beauty nor Glory in it This Light and Experience being lost the introduction of Beggarly Elements and Carnal Ceremonies in the Worship of the Church with attempts to render it dâ—corous and beautiful by Superstitious Rites and Observances wherewith it hath been defiled and corrupted as it was and is in the Church of Rome was nothing but the setting up of a deformed Image in the room of it and this they are pleased withal The Beauty and Glory with Carving and Painting and imbroidered Vestures and Musical Incantations and Postures of Veneration do give unto Divine Service they can see and feel and in their own imagination are sensibly excited unto Devotion by them But hereby instead of representing the true Glory of the Worship of he Gospel wherein it excels that under the Old Testament they have rendred it altogethâ—â— â—inglorious in comparison of it for all the Ceremonies and Ornaments which they have invented for that end come unspeakably short for Beauty Order and Glory of what was appointed by God himself in the Temple scarce equalling what was among the Pagans It will be said that the things whereunto we assign the Glory of this Worship are spiritual and invisible Now this is not that which is enquired after but that whose Beauty we may behold and be affected with And this may consist in the things which we decry at least in some of them though I must say if there be Glory in any of them the more they are multiplied the better it must needs be but this is that which we plead Men being not able by the Light of Faith to discern the Glory of things spiritual and invisible do make Image of them unto themselves as Gods that may go before them and these they are affected withal but the Worship of the Church is spiritual and the Glory of it is invisible unto eyes of Flesh So both our Saviour and the Apostles do testifie in the Celebration of it We come unto Mount Sion and unto the City of the Living God the Heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable Company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first born which are written in Heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the Spirits of Just men made perfect and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the Blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things than that of Abel Heb. 12.22 23 24. The Glory of this Assembly though certainly above that of Organs and Pipes and Crucifixes and Vestments yet doth not appear unto the Sense or Imaginations of men That which I design here is to obviate the Meritricious Allurements of the Roman Worship and the Pretences of its efficacy to excite Devotion and Veneration by its Beauty and Decency The whole of it is but a Deformed Image of that Glory which they cannot behold To obtain and preserve in our hearts an experience of the power and efficacy of that Worship of God which is in Spirit and Truth as unto all the real Ends of Divine Worship is that alone which will secure us Whilst we do retain right Notions of the proper Object of Gospel-worship and of our immediate approach by it thereunto of the way and manner of that approach through the Mediation of Christ and assistance of the Spirit whilst we keep up Faith and Love unto their due exercise in it wherein on our part the Life of it doth consist preserving an experience of the spiritual benefit and advantage which we receive thereby we shall not easily be inveagled to relinquish them all and to give up our selves unto the Embraces of this lifeless Image SECT III. It is an universal unimpeachable Perswasion amongst all Christians that there is a near intimate Communion with Christ and Participation of him in the Supper of the Lord. He is no Christian who is otherwise minded Hence from the beginning this was always esteemed the principal Mystery in the
and they have it not to pay them its hard to keep all this from going too near the heart and hard to bear it with obedient quiet submission to God especially for Women whose Nature is weak and liable to too much Passion 2. And this Impatience turneth to a setled Discontent and Vnquietness or Spirit which affecteth the Body it self and lieth all day as a Load or continual Trouble at the Heart 3. And Impatience and Discontent do set the Thoughts on the Rack with Grief and continual Cares how to be eased of the troubling Cause they can scarce think of any thing else and these Cares do even feed upon the Heart and are to the Mind as a consuming Feaver to the Body 4. And the secret Root or Cause of all this is the worst part of the Sin which is too much Love to the Body and this World Were nothing ovâ—â—loved it would have no power to torment us if Ease and Health were not overloved Pain and Sickness would be the more tolerable if Children and Friends were not overloved the Death of them would not overwhelm us with inordinate sorrow if the Body were not overloved and worldly wealth and Prosperity overvalued it were easie to endure hard Fare and Labour and Want not only of Superfluities and Conveniences but even of that which is necessary to Health yea or Life it self if God will have it so at least to avoid Vexations Discontents and Cares and inordinate Grief and Trouble of mind 5. There is yet more Sin in the root of all and that is it sheweth that our Wills are yet too selfish and not subdued to a due submission to the Will of God but we would be as Gods to our own chusing and must needs have what the Flesh desiâ—◠〈…〉 â—â—â—t a due Resignation of our selves and all our Concerns to God and 〈…〉 as Children in due dependance on him for our daily Bread but â—â—â—t needs be the keepers of our own Provision 6. And this sheweth that we be not sufficiently humbled for our sin or else we should be thankful for the lowest state as being much better than that which we deserved 7. And there is apparently much Distrust of God and Vnbelief in these troubling Discontents and Cares could we trust God as well as our selves or as we could trust a faithful friend or as a Child can trust his Father how quiet would our minds be in the sense of his Wisdom All-sufficiency and Love 8. And this Unbelief yet hath a worse Effect than worldly Trouble it sheweth that men take not the Love of God and the Heavenly Glory for their suffâ—cient portion unless they may have what they want or would have for the Body this world unless they may be free from Poverty and Crosses and Provocations and Injuries and Pains all that God hath promised them here or hereafter even everlasting Glory will not satisfie them and when God and Christ and Heaven are not enough to quiet a mans mind he is in great want of Faith Hope â—nd Love which are far greater matters than Food and Rayment III. Another great cause of such trouble of mind is the guilt of some great and wilful sin when conscience is convinced and yet the foul is not converted sin is beloved and yet feared Gods wrath doth terrifie them and yet not enough to overcome their sin some live in secret fraud and robbery and many in drunkenness in secret fleshly lusts either self-pollution or fornication and they know that for such things the wrath of God cometh on the Children of disobedience and yet the rage of appetite and lust prevaileth and they despair and sin and while the sparks of Hell fall on their consciences it changeth neither heart nor life there is some more hope of the recovery of these then of dead hearted or unbelieving sinners who work uncleanness with greediness as being past feeling and blinded to defend their sins and plead against holy obedience to God Bruitishness is not so bad as Diabolisme and malignity But none of these are the persons spoken of in any Text Their sorrow is not overmuch but too little as long as it will not restrain them from their sin But yet if God convert these persons the sins which they now live in may possibly hereafter plung their souls into such depths of sorrow in the review as may swallow them up And when men truly converted yet dally with the bait and renew the wounds of their consciences by their lapses it is no wonder if their sorrows and terrours are renewed Grievous sins have fastened so on the consciences of many as have cast them into uncurable melancholly and distraction IV. But among people fearing God there is yet another cause of Melancholly and of sorrowing overmuch and that is Ignorance and mistakes in maâ—â—â—â— which their peace and comforts are concerned in I will name some particulars 1. One 〈◊〉 Ignorance of the tenor of the Gospel or Covenant of Grace as some Libertines called Antinomians more dangerously mistake it who tell men that Christ hath Repented and believed them and that they must no more question their Faith and Repentance than they must question the righteousness of Christ so many better Christians understand not that the Gospel is tidings of unspeakable joy to all that will believe it and that Christ and Life are offered freely to them that will accept him and that no sins how great or many soever are excepted from pardon to the soul that unfeignedly turneth to God by faith in Christ that whoever will may freely take the water of life and all that are weary and thirst are invited to come to him for ease and rest And they seem not to understand the conditions of forgiveness which is but true consent to the pardoning saving baptismal Covenant 2. And many of them are mistaken about the use of sorrow for sin and about the nature of hardness of heart they think that if their sorrow be not so passionate as to bring forth tears and greatly to afflict them they are not capable of pardon though they should consent to all the pardoning Covenant and they consider not that it is not our sorrow for it self that God delighteth in but it is the taking down of pride and that so much humbling sense of sin danger and misery as may make us feel the need of Christ and mercy and bring us unfeignedly to consent to be his Disciples and to be saved upon his Covenant terms Be sorrow much or little if it do this much the sinner shall be saved And as to the length of Gods sorrow some thinks that the pangs of the new birth must be a long continued state whereas we read in the Scripture that by the penitent sinners the Gospel was still received speedily with joy as being the gift of Christ and pardon and everlasting life humility and self-loathing must continue and increase but our first great sorrows may be swallowed up with
Princes Laws that they may not suffer It is some sign of a regard to God and your Salvation that you are troubled about Religion and careful to know which is the right even Controversie is better than Atheistical Indifferency that will be on the upper side be it what it will If you cast Acorns or Pulse among them Swine will strive for it or if it be Carrion Dogs will fight for it but if it be Gold or Jewels Dogs and Swine will never strive for them but tread them in the dirt but cast them before men and they will be all togeâ—her by the ears for them Lawyers contend about Law and Princes about Dominion which others mind not and Religious Persons strive about Religion and what wonder is this It doth but shew that they value their Souls and Religion and that their Understandings are yet imper-But if you will follow these plain Directions Controversies need not break your Peace I. See that you be true to the Light and Law of Nature which all Mankind is obliged to observe If you had no Scripture nor Christianity Nature that is the works of God do tell you that there is a God and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him it tells you that God is absolutely perfect in Power Knowledge and Goodness and that man is a reasonable free Agent made by him and therefore is his own and at his Will and Government It tells you that a mans Actions are not indifferent but some things we ought to do and some things we ought not to do and that Virtue and Vice moral Good and Evil do greatly differ and therefore that there is some universal Law which obligeth us to the Good and forbids the Evil and that this can be none but the Law of the universal Governour which is God it tells all men that they owe this God their absolute Obedience because he is their most wise and absolute Ruler and that they owe him their chiefest Love because he is not only the chief Benefactor but also most perfectly amiable in himself It tells us that he hath made us all sociable Members of one world and that we owe Love and Helps to one another It tells us that all this Obedience to God can never be in vain nor to our loss and it tells us that we must all die and that fleshly pleasures and this transitory world will quickly leave us There is no more cause to doubt of all or any of this than whether man be man Be true to this much and it will be a great help to all the rest II. And as to Gods Supernatural Revelation hold to Gods Word the Sacred Bible written by the special Inspiration of the Holy Ghost as the sufficient Records of it It is not Divine Faith if it rest not on Divine Revelation nor is it Divine Obedience which is not given to Divine Government or Command Mans word is to be believed but as it deserveth with a humane Faith and mans Law must be obeyed according to the measure of his Authority with a humane Obedience but these are far different from a Divine There is no universal Ruler of all the World or Church but God no man is capable of it nor any Council of men Gods Law is only in Nature and in the Holy Scripture and that being the Law by which he will judge us it is the Law which is the only Divine Rule of our Faith or Judgment our Hearts and Lives Though all in the Scripture is not of equal clearness or necessity but a man may be saved that understandeth not a thousand Sentences therein yet all that is necessary to Salvation is plainly there contained and Gods Law is perfect to its designed Use and needeth no Supplement of mans Hold close to Scripture-Sufficiency or you will never know what to hold to Councils and Canons are far more uncertain and there is no agreement among their Subjects which of them are obligatory and which not nor any possible way to come to an Agrement III. Yet use with thankfulness the help of Men for the understanding and obeying the Word of God Though Lawyers as such have none of the Legislative power you need their help to understand the Use of the Law aright And though no men have power to make Laws for the Church Universal yet men must be our Teachers to understand and use the Laws of God We are not born with Faith or Knowledge we know nothing but what is taught us except what Sense or Intuition perceiveth or Reason gathereth from thence If you ask Whom must we learn of I Answer of those that know and have learnt themselves No Name or Title or Relation or Habit will enable any man to teach you that which he knoweth not himself 1. Children must learn of their Parents and Tutors 2. People must learn of their able faithful Pastors and Catechizers 3. All Christians must be Teachers by Charitable Helps to one another But Teaching and Law-making are two things To Teach another is but to shew him that same Scientifical Evidence of Truth by which the Teacher knoweth it himself that the Learner may know it as he doth To say You shall believe that is true which I say is true and that this is the meaning of it is not Teaching but Law-giving and to believe such an one is not to learn or know though some humane Belief of our Teachers is necessary to Learners IV. Take nothing as necessary to the Being of Christianity and to Salvation which is not recorded in the Scripture and hath not been held as necessary by all true Christians in every Age and Place Not that we must know men first to be true Christians that by them we may know what Christian Truth is but the plain Scripture tells all men what Christianity is and by that we know whom to take for Christians But if any thing be new and risen since the Apostles writing of the Scripture that can be no Point essential to Christianity else Christianity must be a mutable thing and not the same now as it was heretofore or else there were no Christians before this Novelty in the world The Church were not the Church nor were any man a Christian if they wanted any essential part of Faith or Practice But here take heed of Sophisters deceit Though nothing is necessary to Salvation but all sound Christians have still believed yet all is not necessary or true or good which all good Christians have believed or done much less all which the tempted worser part have held For though the Essence of Christianity have been ever and every where the same yet the Opinions of Christians and their Mistakes and Faults have been none of their imitable Faith or Practice Humane Nature is essentially the same in Adam and in all men but the Diseases of Nature are another thing If all men have Sin and Error so have all Churches their Christianity is of
God but the Corruptions and Maladies of Christians are not You must hold nothing but what Christians of old have held as received from Gods Word but because they have all some Faults and Errors you must not hold and do all those V. Maintain the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of Peace with all true Christians as such and live in Love in the Communion of Saints That is with them that live in the Belief and in holy Obedience to the Christian Faith and Law By their Fruits you shall know them The Societies of Malignants who suppress true Practical Knowledge and Piety and hate the best men and cherish Wickedness and bloodily persecute those that in Conscience obey not their Usurpations and Inventions are not the Communion of Saints Wolves Thorns and Thistles are not the Sheep or Vines of Christ VI. Prefer not any odd or singular Sect before the Universal Consent of the Faithful in your Learning or Communion so far as the Judgment of men is to be regarded Though we take not our Faith from the Number of Believers and though the most be usually none of the best and some few are much wiser than the most and in a Controversie a few men of such knowledge are to be believed before the multitude of less knowledge yet Christ is the Head of all true Christians and not of an odd Sect or Party only and he hath commanded them all to live as Brethren in Love and holy Communion And in all Sciences the greater number of agreeing men are liker to be in the right than some stragling persons who shew otherwise no more ability than they At least which side soever you like best in less necessary Points you must always be in unity with all true Christians and not unnecessarily differ from them VII Never set a doubtful Opinion against a certain Truth or Duty reduce not things certain to things uncertain but contrarily uncertain things to certain for instance It is certain that you ought to live in Love and Peace with all that are true Christians and to do good to all and wrong to none Let not any doubtful difference make you violate this Rule and hate and slander and backbite and hurt them for a doubtful indifferent or unnecessary thing Set not your Mint or Cummin Tythes or Ceremonies against Love and Justice and the great and certain things of the Law It 's an ill Sect or Opinion that is against the Nature and common Duty of Christianity and Humanity VIII Faithfully serve Christ as far as you have attained and be true to all the Truth that you know sin not by omission or practice against the Knowledge which you have lest God in justice give up your Understanding to believe a Lie IX Remember that all men on earth are ignorant and know but as in a Glass and in part and therefore the best have many Errors No man knoweth the smallest Grass or Worm with an adequate perfect knowledge And if God bear with multitudes of Errors in us all we must bear with such as are tolerable in each other It 's well if men be humble and teachable and willing to know As we have seen few more imperfect than the Sects that have asserted sinless perfection so we see few so fallible and erroneous as the Roman Sect which pleadeth their Infallibility when they tell you that you must believe their Popes and Councils that you may come to an end of Controversie Ask them whether we may here hope for any end of Ignorance Errour and Sin if not what hope of ending all Controversies before we come to Heaven where Ignorance is ended The Controversies against the Essentials of Christianity were ended with us all when we became true and adult Christians and the rest will be lessened as we grow in knowledge Divinity is not less mysterious than Law and Physick c. where Controversies abound X. Yet stiâ—t not your selves in Knowledge nor say we have learnt enough but continue as Christ's Scholars in Learning more and more to the Death the wisest know little and may still increase There is a great difference in Excellency Usefulness and Comfort between men of clear digested Knowledge and confused undigested Apprehensions These ten Rules practised will save you from being perplexed with Doubts and Controversies of all Pretenders in Religion II. But if your trouble be not about Doctrinal Controversies but about your Sins or want of Grace and Spiritual state digest well these following Truths and Counsels and it will cure you I. God's Goodness is equal to his Greatness even to that Power that ruleth Heaven and Earth His Attributes are commensurate And Goodness will do good to capable Receivers He loved us when we were Enemies and he is essentially Love it self II. Christ hath freely taken Humane Nature and made Satisfaction for the Sins of the world as full as answereth his Ends and so full that none shall perish for want of sufficiency in his Sacrifice and Merits III. Upon these Merits Christ hath made a Law or Covenant of Grace forgiving all Sin and giving freely everlasting Life to all that will believingly accept it so that all mens Sins are conditionally pardoned by the Tenor of this Covenant IV. The Condition of Pardon and Life is not that we sin no more or that by any price we purchase it of God or by our own works do benefit him or buy his Grace but only that we believe him and willingly accept of the Mercy which he freely giveth us according to the Nature of the Gift that is that we accept of Christ as Christ to justifie sanctifie rule and save us V. God hath Commissioned his Ministers to proclaim and offer this Covenant and Grace to all and earnestly intreat them in his Name to accept it and be reconciled to him he hath excepted none VI. No man that hath this Offer is damned but only those that obstinately refuse it to the last Breath VII The Day of Grace is never so past to any Sinner but still he may have Christ and Pardon if he will and if he have it not it is because he will not And the Day of Grace is so far from being past that it is savingly come to all that are so willing and Grace is still offered urgently to all VIII The Will is the Man in God's account and what a man truly would be and have he is and shall have Consent to the Baptismal Covenant is true Grace and Conversion and such have right to Christ and Life IX The number and greatness of former Sin is no exception against the pardon of any penitent converted Sinner God pardoneth great and small to such where Sin aboundeth Grace superaboundeth and much is forgiven that men may be thankful and love much X. Repentance is true though Tears and passionate Sorrow be defective when a man had rather leave his Sin than keep it and sincerely though imperfectly endeavoureth fully to overcome it No Sin
shall damn a man which he more hateth than loveth and had truly rather leave than keep and sheweth this by true endeavour XI The best man hath much evil and the worst have some good but it is that which is preferr'd and predominant in the Will which differenceth the Godly and the wicked He that in estimation choice and life performeth God and Heaven and Holiness before the world and the pleasure of sin is a true godly man and shall be saved XII The best have daily need of Pardon even for the faultiness of their holiest Duties and must daily live on Christ for pardon XIII Even Sin against Knowledge and Conscience are too oft committed by regenerate men for they know more than others do and their Consciences are more active Happy were they indeed if they could be as good as they know they should be and love God as much as they know they should love him and were clear from all the Relicts of Passion and Unbelief which Conscience tells them are their Sins XIV God will not take Satans Temptations to be our Sins but only our not resisting them Christ himself was tempted to the most heinous Sin even to fall down to the Devil and worship him God will charge Satans blasphemous Temptations on himself alone XV. The Thoughts and Fears and Troubles which Melancholy and natural Weakness and Distemper irresistably causeth hath much more of Bodily Disease than of Sin and therefore is of the least of Sins and indeed no more Sin than to burn or be thirsty in a Fever further than as some Sin did cause the Disease that causeth it or further than there is left some power in Reason to resist them XVI Certainty of our Faith and Sincerity is not necessary to Salvation but the Sincerity of faith it self is necessary He shall be saved that giveth up himself to Christ though he know not that he is sincere in doing it Christ knoweth his own Grace when they that have it know not that it is sound It is but few true Christians that attain to certainty of Salvation for weak Grace clogged with much Corruption is hardly known and usually joyned with fear and doubting XVII Probability of Sincerity and Trust in Christ may cause a man justly to live and die in Peace and Comfort without proper certainty else few Christians should live and die in peace and yet we see by experience that many do so The common Opinion of most Church-writers for 400 years after Christ was that the uncontinued sort of Christians might fall from a state of Grace in which had they continued they had been saved and therefore that none but strong confirmed Christians at most could be certain of Salvation and many Protestant Churches still are of that mind and yet they live not in despair or terror No man is certain that he shall not fall as heinously as David and Peter did and yet while they have no cause to think it likely they need not live in terror for the uncertainty No Wife or Child is certain that the Husband or Father will not murder them and yet they may live comfortably and not fear it XVIII Though Faith be so weak as to be assaulted with doubts whether the Gospel be true and there be any Life to come and though our Trust in Christ be not strong enough to banish our Fears and Troubles yet if we see so much evidence of Credibility in the Gospel and Probability of a better Life hereafter as causeth us here to fix our Hopes and Choice and to resolve for those Hopes to seek first the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness and let go all the world rather than sell those Hopes and live a holy Life to obtain it this Faith will save us XIX But God's Love and Promise through Christ is so sure a ground for Faith and Comfort that it is the great Duty and Interest of all men confidently and quietly to trust him and then to live in the joy of holy Trust and Hope XX. If any man doubt of his Salvation because of the greatness of his Sin the way to quietness is presently to be willing to forsake them Either he that complaineth is willing to be holy and forsake his Sin or not if you be not willing to leave them but love them and would keep them why do you complain of them and mourn for that which you so much love If your Child should cry and roar because his Apple is sowr and yet will not be perswaded to forbear to eat it you would not pity him but whip him as perverse But if you are truly willing to leave it you are already saved from its damning guilt XXI If you are in doubt of the Sincerity of your Faith and other Graces and all your Examination leaveth you uncertain the way is presâ—ntly to end your doubt by actual giving up your self to Christ Do you not know whether you have been hitherto a true believer you may know that Christ is now offered to you consent but to the Covenant and accept the offer and you may be sure that he is yours XXII Bare examining is not alwayes to be done for assurance but labour to excite and exercise much the grace that you would be assured of The way to be sure that you believe and love God is to study the promises and goodness of God till active Faith assure you that you believe and you love God and Glory till you are assured that you love them XXIII It is not by some extraordinary act good or bad that we may be sure what state the soul is in but by the predominant bent and drift and tenor of heart and life XXIV Though we cry out that we cannot believe and we cannot love God and we cannot pray aright Christ can help us without his grace we can do nothing but his grace is sufficient for us and he denieth not his further help when once he hath but made us willing but hath bid us ask and have and if any lack wisdom let him ask it of God who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not with former folly but gives his spirit to them that ask him XXV This sin called the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost is the sin of no one that believeth Jesus to be the Christ nor of any that fear it no nor of every infidel but only of some few obstinate unbelieving enemies for it is only this When men see such miraclâ—â— of Christ and his spirit as should or could convince them that he is of God and when they have no other shift they will rather maintain that he is a Câ—njuâ—â—r 〈◊〉 wrought them by the Devil XXVI Though sinful fear is very troublesomâ—â—nd not to be cherished God often permitteth and useth it to good to keep us from being bold with sin and from those sinful pleasures and love of the world and presumption and security which are far more dangerous and to take down pride
concerned than we are The Church is much concerned in the present motions and commotions Antichrist and his Jesuits are fishing in these troubled waters but let us be comforted God is concerned in the Church and that more than we all are Who should speak his glory and live his praise and load his Altars if the gates of Hell and endeavours of Rome should prevail against the Church would Atheists Papists or profane Persons exalt and advance his honour As to this lower world Gods stock of glory lyes in the hands of his Church and People and his Revenue is brought in by them and will He not look after them let us not fear where no fear is let us not fear in the midst of fears We may be confident that God will wisely steer the course and carry the Ship of the Church safe into its Harbour in which he hath his Name and Honour imbarqued He will never give his glory to another nor his praise to graven Images and if not to graven Images then not to Papists Suppose those cursed Philistines should take the Arke yet know assuredly the captivated Ark will be too hard for Dagon graven Images and all Idolatry shall fall before it 9. Lastly let us comfort our selves with this that the Government is laid upon Christs shoulder and the Scepter put into his hand and all power both in Heaven and Earth is committed to him God the Father hath set him up for his King upon his holy Hill of Zion and hath so established and fixed his Throne that he looks with scorn and contempt upon all the attempts of his enemies And all that power which He hath was committed to him and is to be employed by him for the continuance and comfort of his Church He is made Head over all things to the Church Whatsoever He hath as Head is for the advantage of that his mystical body And what may we not expect from such a Father as God from such a King as Jesus And with what peace and delight may we sit under his shadow well might the holy Psalmist say Psal 149 2. Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him let the Children of Zion be joyful in their King From what Christ hath done we may strongly argue to that which He will do He was incarnate for his Church He was made under the Law for her He became poor for her He humbled himself for her He laid down his Life for her He bare the rage of man and the wrath of God for her He endured the Cross and despised the shame because it was for her and therefore question not but he will rule and govern her Read and rejoyce while you read that account given of him Isa 9 7. Of the increase of his Government and peace there shall be no end upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order it and to establish it with Judgment and with Justice from henceforth even for ever And that you may not in the least doubt hereof it is added the zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this Having thus finished the Doctrinal part I come to the Application and I shall only speak to an use of Exhortation in two particulars First I exhort and advise you that are the people of God to fetch support and consolation from this sweet and precious truth The times in which we live are indeed very dark and tempestuous God is shaking all Nations Specially it is a day of perplexity and casting down in the Valley of Vision the Church of God After all our Prayers and endeavours and hopeful expectations things are come to a sad pass and Israel is brought back to the Red Sea We may now take up that complaint Isa 26 17 18. Like a Woman with Child that draweth near the time of her delivery is in pain and cryeth out in her pangs so have we been in thy sight O Lord. We have been with Child we have been in pain we have as it were brought forth wind The People of the most High in all places are in soar trouble a cup of trembling full of the Wine of astonishment is put into their hands and God carries as if he were resolved to give up the dearly beloved of his Soul for a time into the hand of her enemies The Antichristian Popish party is rampant and think they have the Ball at their foot and shall now carry all before them But at such a time as this let this support and quiet and comfort you that however things go God still governs the world And that this may be sweet to you follow these directions 1. Make sure that you be in the number of Christs Subjects such as have bowed to his Scepter submitted to his Government and are devoted to his fear If you have once kissed the Son with a kiss of love and homage you shall not perish in the way Then you may rejoyce at the thoughts of Gods governing the world when you feel and are assured of his ruling and governing in your hearts Then may the remembrance and consideration of his universal Kingdom be cordial to you when you find that he hath erected a Kingdom within you and that you are members of the Kingdom of his Grace This is firm grâ—â—nd of strong consolation and of quâ—â—â—â—â—e and assurance for ever If you have been made willing in the dâ—y of Gods power and are the Loyal Subjects of Christs Kingdom thâ—â— you are the favourites of Gods Court yea the Children of his Family and you may promise yourselves that he will carefully look after you and graciously provide for you He hath a peculiar respect to his peculiar people for them he hath his Chambers a strong Tower in which they shall be safe when he cometh out of his place to punish the Inhabitants of the Earth for their iniquity Judgment begins at the House of God and that is to make way for mercy those judgments prepare for deliverances here and glory hereafter for victories here and triumps hereafter But O! the dreadful stormes of wrath that shall fall upon the wicked and incorrigible of the world what Thunder-bolts will God assail them with that shall strike them down into that lake which burns with Fire and Brimstone and shall never be quenched Come Christians make it out that you trust in the Lord and have given up your selves unto the Lord and then you may be sure that when enemies threaten you and dangers face you and fear is on every side even then mercy shall compass you about 2. Heedfully look to it that you govern your selves according to the will and Law of God Then may you take the comfort of Gods governing the world when you are a well governed People When you wisely rule your own Spirits and order your own affections and your lives and conversations there is a promise that unto such God will shew his Salvation The Laws of a Land protect the Subjects so long as they
Actions and Accidents two things considerable 1. The Action for example such a Text was handled such a charitable Action done such a Man brake his Leg was drunk or the like 2. The Inference or Observation to be gathered from thence for all Events whether good or bad are intended by the wise God for mans Instruction Now the Memory lays up the former and can retain it a long time but the Lesson which we should learn from it that 's neglected that 's forgotten 2. Things Hurtful to us to wit Injuries These usually stick in the memory when better things slip out If any body hath spoke or done evil to us the memory is trusty enough about these As one says we can remember Old Songs and Old Wrongs long enough yea those whom we profess to forgive yet we declare that we cannot forget them Not but that a man may have a natural remembrance of an injury so that he have not an angry remembrance of it As our heavenly Father himself remembers all a Believers sins but puts away his anger so we may rationally remember them but we must spiritually forget them for else the remembrance of them generally doth us a great deal of hurt but no good at all it cools our love weakens our trust and prepares us for revenge as did Amnon towards Absolon 2 Sam. 13.32 3. Things Sinful thus we can remember a filthy Story seven years when we do forget a saving Sermon in seven hours And herein the Memory is the great Nurse of Contemplative wickedness and represents to the idle and sinful heart all the sins it wots of with renewed delight and so strengthens the impression and doubles the guilt Ezek. 23.19 She multiplyed her Whoredoms in calling to remembrance the days of her youth wherein she had played the Harlot in the Land of Egypt The depraved Memory is herein fitly compared to a Sive that lets the good Corn fall through and reserves only the chaff by which its plain that the Faculty is not lost but poyson'd So that in this respect we may say as Themistocles did to Simonides when he offered to teach him The Art of Memory rather says he teach me The art of Forgetfulness for the things which I would not I remember and cannot forget the things I would 2. The cortuption of the Memory stands in Forgetting those things which we should remember But these things being so exceeding many great and useful though I cannot enumerate them yet I shall comprize the chief of them in these following general heads 1. Our Creator and what he hath done and what he hath done for us Eccles 12.1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth And yet whom do we more forget Jerem. 2.32 Can a Maid forget her Ornaments or a Bride her Attire yet my people have forgotten me days without number And our Forgetfulness here is most inexcusable because we may see taste and feel him every moment forasmuch as he is not far from every one of us seeing in him we live and move and have our Being and yet we can make shift to forget Him which shews the great Craze we had by the Fall And then the great things which he hath done to wit in the Works of Creation and Providence especially for his Church these we early forget but should remember Psal 77.11 I will remember the Works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of Old And particularly what he hath done for us the many and great Mercies and Deliverances especially the most remarkable of them which every good Christian should have a Catalogue of in his mind or in his Book Deut. 8.2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy GOD led thee these Forty Years c. 2. Our Redeemer and what he hath suffered for us Never was there such an Instance of free and transcendent Love in the World as that the Eternal Son of God should give himself to be a Sacrifice to expiate our Sin and yet we that can profess of far less kindnesses from men that we shall never forget them can forget this else he had never instituted the Lords Supper on purpose to keep up the solemn and useful Remembrance thereof which Remembrance sets a work all our Graces our Faith Love Repentance Thankfulness c. And without the frequent Use of this Ordinance where it may be had a defect will be forced in these Graces for the greatest things wear off with time and Holy David himself found cause to charge it uopn his Soul Ps 102.3 Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits c. 3. The Truths of Religion especially the most weighty Malach. 1.4 Remember ye the Law of Moses my Servants which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the Statutes and Judgments And of these the Apostle Peter saith 2 Pet. 1.12 13 15. he would put the Christians in remembrance though they knew them that they might be established in present Truth yea he would stir them up by putting them in remembrance as long as he lived The Doctrine of God of Christ of the Creation of the Fall of the Covenant of Grace of Faith Repentance the Resurrection as in my Text and Judgment to come these things should be so ingrafted into the hearts of Christians that they should know and remember as well as their own Names or the rooms of their Houses and yet it is a shame to find how easily and almost utterly these things are forgotten by too many How few do we find that have been long Hearers of Gods Word that can give any tolerable account of the Nature of that Faith by which the Soul lives 4. The Duties of Religion The Scripture that so often requires us to remember them plainly implies that we are apt to forget them what 's the meaning of that Exodus the 20 Chap. Verse 8. Remember the Sabboth to keep it holy but that we easily forget it we are surprized by it it returns ere we are aware so that Heb. 13. Verse 2 3 16. which is called by some a Chapter of Remembrance be not forgetful to entertain Strangers Remember them that are in Bonds to do good and to Communicate forget not All which as they shew our duty so do they imply our defectiveness herein though to forget those and such like are as absurd as if we did forget to eat or sleep For as Christians we live by Faith and breath by Prayer so to forget to repent to believe to pray and to discharge the duties of our Relation Callings and all other duties toward God and toward men is to forget Christianity it self 5. Our Sins As there is a culpable so there is an useful and necessary remembrance of them when we remember sin to renew our love to it that 's damnable but when we remember it to loath it and to loath our selves for it that 's saving Ezek. 36.31 Then shall ye remember
comprizes all the rest is to die for the Brethren and this we ought to do when the Honour of God and Welfare of the Church require it Hereby perceive we the Love of God because he laid down his Life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the Brethren If Christians thus loved one another the Church on Earth would be a lively Image of the blessed Society above Thirdly The Love of God and Obedience to his Commands the Product of it are to be considered 1. The Love of God has its Rise from the consideration of his amiable Excellencies that render him infinitely worthy of the highest Affection and from the blessed Benefits of Creation Preservation Redemption and Glorification that we expect from his pure Goodness and Mercy This is the most clear and essential Character of a Child of God and most peculiarly distinguishes him from unrenewed men however accomplished by Civil Virtues Now the internal exercise of Love to God in the valuation of his Favour as that which is better than Life in earnest desires of Communion with him in ravishing Joy in the testimonies and assurance of his Love in mourning for what is displeasing to him is in the secret of the Soul but with this there is inseparably joyn'd a true and visible declaration of our Love in obedienc◠〈◊〉 him 1 Joh. 3.16 This is the Love of God the most real and undeceitful Expression of it that we keep his Commandments The Obedience that springs from Love is 1. Uniform and universal for that two principal and necessary Effects of Love are an ardent desire to please God and an equal care not to displease him in any thing Now the Law of God is the signification of his sovereign and holy will and the doing of it is very pleasing to him both upon the account of the subjection of the Creature to his authority and conformity to his purity he declares that Obedience is better than the most costly Sacrifice There is an absolute peremptory repugnance between love to him and despising his Commands And from thence it follows that Love inclines the Soul to obey all Gods Precepts not only those of easie observation but the most difficult and distastful to the carnal Appetites for the Authority of God runs through all and his Holiness shines in all Servile Fear is a partial Principle and causes an unequal respect to the divine Law it restrains from sins of greater guilt from such disorderly and dissolute actions at which Conscience takes fire but others are indulged it excites to good works of some kind but neglects other that are equally necessary But Love regards the whole Law in all its Injunctions and Prohibitions not meerly to please our selves that we may not feel the stings of an accusing Conscience but to please the Lawgiver 2. The Obedience of Love is accurate and this is a natural Consequence of the former The divine Law is a Rule not only for our outward Conversation but of our Thoughts and Affections of all the interior workings of the Soul that are open before God Thus it requires religious Service not only in the external performance but those reverent holy Affections those pure Aims wherein the Life and Beauty the Spirit and true Value of divine Worship consists Thus it commands the Duties of Equity Charity and Sobriety all Civil and Natural Duties for divine Ends to please and glorifie God Heb. 13.16 It forbids all kinds and degrees of Sin not only gross Acts but the inward Lustings that have a tendency to them Now the Love of God is the Principle of spiritual Perfection 'T is called the fulfilling of the Law 1 Cor. 10.31 not only as it is a comprehensive Grace but in that it draws forth all the active Powers of the Soul to obey it in an exact manner This causes a tender sence of our failings and a severe circumspection over our ways that nothing be allowed that is displeasing to the divine Eyes Since the most excellent Saints are Gods chiefest Favourites Love makes the holy Soul to strive to be like him in all possible degrees of Purity Thus St. Paul in whom the Love of Christ was the imperial commanding Affection declares Phil. 3.10 11. it is zealous endeavour to be conformable to the Death of Christ in dying to Sin as Christ died for sin and that he might attain to the Resurrection of the dead that perfection of Holiness that is in the immortal state 1 John 5.3 3. The Obedience of Love is chosen and pleasant This is the Love of God that we keep his Commandments and his Commandments are not grievous Those that are strangers to this heavenly Affection imagine that a solicitous diligent respect to all Gods Precepts is a melancholy Task but it is delightful to the Saints for Obedience is the continual exercise of Love to God the Paradise of holy Souls The mortification of the carnal Appetites and the restraint from such Objects as powerfully insinuate and engage carnal Hearts is with a freer complacency to a Saint than a sensual fruition of them The sharpest sufferings for Religion are allayed nay sweetned to a Saint from the Love of God that is then most sincerely strongly and purely acted The Apostle more rejoyced in sharp Tribulations for Christ's sake than in divine Revelations 4. The Love of God produces persevering Obedience Servile Compliance is inconstant A Slave hates the Duties he performs and loves the Sins he dares not commit therefore as soon as he is releas'd from his Chain and his Fear his Obedience ceases but a Son is perfectly pleas'd with his Fathers Will and the Tenor of his Life is correspondent to it He that is press'd by fear to serve in an Army will desert his Colours the first opportunity but a Volunteer that for the love of Valour and of his Country lists himself will continue in the Service The motion that is caused by outward poises will cease when the weights are down but that which proceeds from an inward principle of Life is continual and such is the Love of God planted in the breast of a Christian Fourthly We are to prove that from the Love of God and willing Obedience to his Commands we may convincingly know the sincerity of our Love to his Children There is an inseparable Union between these two Graces and the one arises out of the other Godliness and brotherly kindness are joyned by the Apostle And it will be evident that where this Affection of Love to the Saints is sincere and gracious there will be an entire and joyful respect to the Law of God by considering the Reasons and Motives of it 1. The Divine Command requires this Love These things I command you saith our Saviour that ye love one another This Precept so often repeated and powerfully re-inforc'd by him made so deep an impression on the first Christians that they had one Heart and one Soul and their Estates
degree you will let it alone and little trouble your selves about it This therefore is a Second thing that you must be convinced of and one would think there needed not much ado to bring you to this Conviction Pride indeed is such a hateful thing that few will own it the proudest persons would be accounted humble But if you look into your selves you will easily discover the manifest Symptoms and Indications of this evil disease run over the foregoing effects of Pride and then consider how many of them are found in your selves Effects do always imply and suppose their proper Causes Some bless themselves and say they thank God they are not proud because they do not follow Fashions and go brave in their Attire because they do not affect great Titles and high Places but would rather move in a lower sphere but let such know this Plague may be in their hearts though they have no such tokens of it in their faces Little do men think what a humble outside what contempt of honourable Places and Titles what meanness and plainness of Apparel in themselves what exclaiming and crying out against Pride in others yea what confessing and bemoaning of this sin to God will consist with the prevalency and predominancy of it in their own hearts You remember I distinguish'd in the beginning betwen fleshly and spiritual Pride and the latter is much the worser sort and more hateful to God he is a Spirit and as he likes best of spiritual worship so he hath the greatest dislike of spiritual Pride What matters it then that thou art not lifted up with aiery Titles with gay Apparel and the like so long as thou art puft up with things of a more spiritual Nature as with thy Gifts and Knowledge thy Priviledges and Enjoyments thy Graces and Duties Pride is a Worm that will breed in any of these The Apostle Paul was like to have been catch'd in this Snare by means of his being caught up into the third Heaven A Christian if he hath not a care may be proud of his very Humility it is hard starving this sin when as there is nothing almost but it can live upon But I remember I was too long in the first Direction therefore I must be the shorter in this and those that follow 3. Be much in the Meditation of Death and Judgment The serious Direct 3 and frequent meditation of Death will be a means to kill Pride Some to mortifie the Pride of their hearts have kept a Death's-Head or a dead mans skull always in their Chambers it is of more use to have the thoughts of Death always in their Minds What is man but a little living Clay and what is his Life but a Vapour that appears for a little while and then vanishes away Augustine doubted whether to call it mortalis vita vel vitalis mors a dying life or a living death One says of mans Life that it is a little warm Breath turn'd in and out at the Nostrils The Prophet Isaiah tells us that mans Breath is in his Nostrils and therefore in nothing is he to be accounted of And as for this reason man is not to be accounted of by others so neither by himself 't is but a little a very little while more and you must be gone hence and be seen no more your Breath goeth out and all your thoughts perish and you your selves will rot and perish and shall rotting and perishing things be proud things Shall man be lifted up with what he hath who shortly himself must not be I mean in this world Now you differ it may be from other men and are above them in riches and greatness in parts and priviledges but two Questions may clip your wings and keep you from soaring too high in your own conceits 1. Who made you to differ I suppose none of you will say as one once did that you made your selves to differ you 'll confess I hope that you have nothing but what you have received and so there is no room for pride or glorying therein If you excel in any gift or grace you must say of it as he of his Hatchet alas it is but borrowed 1. How long will there be this difference Death is at hand it stands at the door and that will level you with those that are lowest In the grave whither we are all hastning there is no differece of skulls there the rich and the poor the learned and the unlearned do all meet together the dead bones of men are not distinguish'd by the ornaments or abasures of this temporal Life As the meditation of Death will be a means to mortifie Pride so will also the meditation of Judgment The time will come when you must be accountable unto God for all you have and do enjoy all your mercies and enjoyments are but as so many Talents with which you are intrusted and for which you must give an account You are not owners but stewards of them and the time will come when you must give an account of your Stewardship So the Apostle Paul concludes Rom. 14.12 Every man must give an account of himself to God He must give an account of himself in his natural capacity as a man in his civil capacity as a great or rich man and in his spiritual capacity as a good or religious man he must give an account of all his Receipts of all his Expences what he hath received of God and how he hath laid it out for God A serious Reflection upon this one thing will have a double Effect 1. It will make you careful 2. It will keep you humble you will not easily over-reckon your selves for any thing when you consider the reckoning that you must make for all things Especially if this be added that the more you do receive the greater will be your Reckoning that is a sure word of our Saviours Luke 12.48 To whomsoever much is given of him much shall be required When God sows much he expects to reap much he requires not only an improvement of our Talents but a sutable and proportionable improvement of them that they should be doubled that two Talents should be be made four and five Talents ten 4. Consider the many and great imperfections of your Graces and Direct 4 Duties 1. Consider the imperfections of your Graces How much water is mingled with your wine and dross with your silver and honey-comb with your honey how much greater your ignorance is than your knowledge your unbelief than your faith how the love of the world is as much if not more than your love of God if you were perfect in Grace and Holiness then you would have no Pride at all how is it then that you are so proud and conceited when Grace is so imperfect when you are so short of what is attainable and of what others have attained should that man be proud who hath so little love to God and delight in him as thou hast
the written Law doing the things contained in the Law are a Law unto themselves by which Law they shall at the last be judged but not by the written Law and who walking according to this Law will find their Consciences to excuse them as the Transgressors thereof shall be under the Accusations of Conscience Rom. 2.13 14 15. Besides it is said in the foregoing Chapter that the great reason why Divine Vengeance was against them was not so much because they knew not God or were unacquainted with the Methods of Salvation but because when the Gentiles who had not Moses nor the Prophets for their guide but only the Light of Nature the things made for their help glorified not God as God but were unthankful and became vain in their Imaginations And to these Considerations if we add what Peter in Acts 10.34 35. has it seems as if many of the Gentiles who were strangers to the Commonwealth of Israel were saved for saith the Apostle I perceive that God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh Righteousness is accepted of him every one that walketh according to that Light he has received shall be saved If this be minded without a fixing our thoughts on other Scriptural Considerations the difficulty would be removed but when we reflect on the many other Texts that assert Christ Jesus to be the only Door to Glory and that there is no other Name under Heaven whereby we can be saved but that of Jesus Christ and the Reason of this Doctrine namely That all have sinned and have fallen short of the Glory of God that such is the essential Righteousness of God as engageth him to demand Satisfaction and that unless his Justice be satisfied no Salvation can be had and that there is none other able to satisfie the Justice of God but Jesus Christ God-Man and that all who are interested in his Merits must submit unto him I say whoever will consider the foregoing Passages with these will find himself still at a loss so that on the whole I am brought to this Result that is That notwithstanding the Spirit of God doth so very much insist on the largeness of Divine Love to the World the least part thereof are made partakers of it unless Salvation is to be had out of Christ or unless a very implicit Faith be sufficient to entitle the Heathen unto any of those special Blessings that are the purchase of Christ's Blood but when we come so far if we do but intentely mind these things we shall find our selves in the dark and though we have the greatest reason to conclude That these things are reconcileable yet must we acknowledge that they are above us they are too high we cannot attain unto the height thereof 2. That such whose Lot hath been cast into more pleasant places and who have had the advantageous Helps of Sacred Scripture for their direction in the way of Life have yet been by Providence plunged into many an inextricable Labyrinths of Difficulties is surprizing Concerning the Old Testament who can without surprize converse with the Disputes there are among the Learned about the Hebrew Copy we now have or the Septuagint as whether the former or the latter is more Authentick and must be taken for the Canon There are some momentous differences between them and therefore 't is our Concern to enquire after that which is to be our Rule if it be the Septuagint we are at a loss about its Rise for it is well known that the Greek is not that Language which the Holy Ghost used with Moses and the Prophets 't is but a Translation but where is the Original Beside whatever is said by some of the Fathers concerning the miraculous Agreement of the 72 Israelites sent from Jerusalem to Ptolomy as Translaters of the Law of the Jews 't is manifest enough out of Aristaeus of whom the Learned Vsher has writ so much that they only Translated the Law of Moses and no more Neither is it very difficult to shew that the LXX we now have is more Novel than that of the New Testament But if the Hebrew must be taken for the Canon yet as to the Books of Moses some are at a loss whether the Samaritan or the Hebrew be most Authentick But whether the one or the other 't is still queried whether we have the Autograph Yet we are still in a Labyrinth not only about the various Readings the Keri and the Chetir but about the Antiquity of the Points whether they are Coaeval with the Letters or not The Points are so necessary towards the right understanding the true Import of a Hebrew Word that without them 't is not easie to find out the true sence of the Text the least alteration of a Point makes an unaccountable change in the signification of the Words Notwithstanding which the Novelty of the Hebrew Points doth now take with many whereby we are still at a loss where to find a firm Foundation on which our Faith may lean for seeing the Sence of the Text so very much depends on these Points if these Points are of late and humane Rise so is the present Sence of the Scripture and if so how can our Faith which is grounded on the Sence of Scriptures which leans only on this Humane Invention be Divine and Unshaken But might these Difficulties be removed yet as to the greatest number of professed Christians there are others which to them are as insuperable for they understand not the Original and have for their Guidance and Conduct no other help but what either some ignorant or prophane Priest affords them Such is the Neglect the greatest part of Christendom is guilty of that where there is one learned and pious Minister to direct there are two who are either very ignorant or scandalous for which reason the greatest part of the People who are under the Ministers Conduct are either to receive help from the Ignorant who cannot relieve them or from the Scandalous who cannot be confided in How can the People put any Trust in the Honesty and Truth of such who are strangers to nothing more than to such Vertues There is very much may be said to solve these Phaenomena but yet when all that can be offered has been insisted on we shall find somewhat in the Providence that doth transcend our Understandings 3. I will mention only one Providence more that does greatly amuse and astonish many that do truly fear the Lord and that is this viz. Although it be frequently asserted in Scripture That to the Godly the Promise of the good things of this Life as well as of that to come is given yet we find the godly to be without them even when the wicked who know not God do abound Many are the Afflictions and Tribulations of the Righteous Job 21.7 c. They are hated reproached and counted as sheep for the slaughter but the wicked they live become
a religious respect to the will of God Herein lies the nature of all Practical Holiness to do every thing after a godly sort whatever you are doing be sure you be in the exercise of some Grace There can be no Godliness without Grace Grace in exercise consists in the gracious actings of a holy soul suitable to the matter or occasion that is before us for the exercise of such or such a Grace Or thus Grace in exercise lies in the various emanations of spiritual life shewing it self in suitable and seasonable actings as the matter requires The Spirit of God dwelling in Believers hath a hand in every thing they do as Saints and doth shape himself in 'em into that frame into those holy passions and affections that may best become a Saint in such circumstances i. e. the Spirit does act these things in and by our souls makes use of our faculties le ts out himself through our hearts makes us to act so and so The Spirit is said to cry Abba father because it makes us to do so For instance If the matter between God and a Soul be sin the Spirit works Faith in the Blood of Christ for our justification and pardon works repentance and humiliation brings us to self-denial in order to the mortification of sin in our hearts and lives If the matter be any lawful business that we are called to in the place and relation we stand in the Spirit directs us how to do it in the best manner so as God may be most glorified Grace in the heart guides the hand The heart is the seat of all affections The Spirit knows that man will act so or so as he stands affected and therefore the Spirit sets the affections right for God works in the heart a true love to God a holy fear of God a zeal for his glory These gracious dispositions towards God follow a Saint into all his Imployments inclining him to holiness in all his ways Object Do you Ministers take upon you to tell us what we must do in our Callings We have served an Apprentiship and know better than you what belongs to our business Ans Mistake me not for the mystery of your Craft whatever it is I meddle not with that God has left you to your own reason and understanding and so do I The directions I give you relate only to the religious manner of doing what you do tho I must tell you it is God that instructs you to discretion in all worldly business Isa 28.26 Whatever your skill and insight is in your calling prayer may make you wiser you may obtain a more excellent spirit in your way than you now have if you seek it of God Exod. 35.31 32. Tho you are left to the use of your reason as men yet Faith must go along with it as you are Christians Therefore I shall shew you how to put forth an act of reason in Faith Some think they are never to make use of Faith but when Reason fails them 'T is true in such cases Faith is of singular use Abraham found it so yet God expects that in the ordinary course of our lives in all common matters that pass thorow our Hands Reason and Faith should go together for both have their distinct parts in all our ordinary undertakings And Faith is always Superior to Reason Reason is fubservient to that as a hand-maid putting forth its utmost strength in all humane endeavours still leaving room for Faith to deal with God for a blessing that all may issue well at last Object How may we know when Reason and Faith go together Ans 1. When at our entrance upon any business we seek wisdom and understanding from God stirring up our Reason by our Faith looking up to him from whom comes every good and perfect gift that he would instruct us unto discretion 2. When in answer to Faith and Prayer thoughts â—o come in that clear up our way to us and do put us into a right method pointing out such probable means inclining to such apposite counsels as in a rational way tend to the expediting that business we are about In this case Reason owes its light to Faith and ascribes all its skill and discerning to God who opens the eyes of our Natural Understandings and causes the Spirit of a Man to move aright in giving a true judgment of what is before us Such a one can say The race is not to the swift nor the battel to the strong 'T is not in him that wills nor in him that runs but in God that sheweth mercy Therefore let not the wise man glory in his wisdom nor the strong man in his strength but only in this That he knows me 3. When under the greatest assurances of our own Reason we yet live in a humble dependance upon God for success knowing that God can come between us and our Reason and disappoint us He can dis-joynt our councils and let in his own will upon us when we have laid things never so well together God can spy a flaw in the best humane contrivances to overthrow all he can smite us between the joynts and the harness 1 Kings 22.34 and give us a mortal wound when we think we are shot-free Thus does God sometimes frustrate all mans preparations turning his wisdom into foolishness disappointing him in the height of his expectation he looks for good and behold evil comes he puts forth an act of Reason in Faith who trusts to God and not to his own Reason 'T is our duty to make use of it as men tho as Christians we ought not to trust in it 2. Consider present Providences Tho 't is Precept not Providence that makes Duty yet Providence points to Duty to the time and season of it Much of our duty lies in complying with the opportunity and occasion that Providence gives for the doing of this or that good work to every thing there is a season Eccles 3.1 and every thing is beautiful in his time ver 11. The beauty of holiness lies in timing our duties aright The godly man bringeth forth his fruit in his season Psal 1.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 6.7 meet fruit i. e. apposite fruit fruit well-placed What is done out of its place and proper season is not so comely and beautiful Do good as you have opportunity Gal. 6.9 10. If we would reap in due season we must sow in due season There is a sit season for both We are never more obliged to our duty than when we have the fittest opportunity to perform it and we must eye providence in this 'T is the Prerogative of God to appoint times and seasons not only for his own purposes but for our duty He appoints the day and the things of the day what and when it shall be done Should you order a Servant to do a business to day and he should not do it till the next day would you not count such an one a
Millions of such as perished in the deluge of the old World or to keep the bodies from destruction of those wretches that perished by fire in Sodom and Gomorrah but when Souls were in danger and rather than they should perish he comes nay he delights to do God's Will in suffering for them And what did he suffer what did he not suffer Here we must draw a vail as that Painter did who could not express grief enough to the life Go with Christ a little cannot ye watch an hour with him to contemplate this go into the Garden to the Judgment seat to Golgotha behold him on the Cross hear his strong sighs and groans they will break thy heart if any thing will and broken it must be and why did God suffer his beloved Son in whom he was well pleased to be thus tormented Why God would rather afflict him for a time than lose our Souls for ever And why did Christ who might have chosen otherwise so freely give his cheeks to the smiters Why Only he had set his love upon our Souls which he would not suffer to perish Indeed the Text supposes that there is no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or exchange for a Soul 't is a Phrase borrowed from former times when men did not pay in coin for what they bought but did exchange Commodity for Commodity as yet in some of our Islands c. and it does imply that there is nothing no not the World that bears a parity of value with the Soul Now though this be most certainly true that our Soul out-vyes in worth the whole World 1 Pet. 1.18 19. Yet the Blood of Christ which is the Blood of God by reason of the Hypostatical Union of his Humane Nature with the Divine is a sufficient ransome for all the Souls that shall believe in him nay 't is sufficient were it but applyed for the whole World But how highly does God prize a Soul seeing that when they were to be purchased he ask'd and would receive no less a rate for it from his own Son than his Life-blood and yet men barter it away as Judas and the Priests did our Saviour for thirty pence at what rate how low soever the Devil and the World will give for it 2. I might add unto God's giving of his Son for our Souls his giving of his spirit to the Soul and this too that it might not perish but have Everlasting Life that he who dwelt in the highest Heavens and whom the Heaven of Heavens is not able to contain should dwell in the Soul or Heart of man after a more excellent manner than in the most glorious Temple that ever was made and therefore it must as far exceed it It is true our Bodies are said to be Temples of the Holy Ghost 1 Cor. 3.16 1 Cor. 6 19. but they are only Temples of the Holy Ghost as they are the Bodies that are animated by such Souls otherwise they had been no more dignifyed than any other clay or earth That God should come and knock and stay and wait for entrance into our Souls until to speak with Scripture after the manner of men his head is wet with the dew of the morning and be grieved at any repulse unkindness or denyal he meets with Nay that God where he is entertain'd should never leave or depart from a Soul Nay with his good will would not absent himself for one moment from it It must needs declare his great love unto it and esteem of it Nay by thus loving of it he makes it worthy and valuable whatsoever it might otherwise have been 3. God's valuing of our Souls appears in the care and pains which he takes for our Souls dayly 1. In that he hath instituted means whereby he might come to obtain our Souls nay to strengthen and comfort them and have communion with them These are his Ordinances the Word Sacraments and Prayer He is brought in by the Prophet as one rising up early and sending his Messengers and Ministers Jer. 7.13 25. He neglects no time with the very first he is as it were seizing upon us and crying to us return why will ye dye 2. Nay secondly He bears with us and exercises a great deal of patience towards us if so be he might at length gain our Souls and says when shall it once be Every sin we commit presseth God as a Cart is pressed with sheaves All the Patience and meekness in all the best of Creatures if joyn'd together could not endure such an indignity as every sin offers to God but they would ease themselves of such a burden which yet God endures multitudes of only that his Long-suffering might be Salvation to our Souls 2 Pet. 3.15 3. Yet further His bearing with the whole World of wicked men notwithstanding their Blasphemies and open defyances of him is only out of Love to some few Souls who serve and fear him Hence the Psalmist says concerning the World Psal 75.3 I bear up the Pillars of it A gracious Soul is the true Atlas that keeps the World from falling God out of respect unto such withholds that destroying fire that shall when their number is made up consume it 4. And lastly All the Providences of God in which he worketh hitherto are intended by him for the good of our Souls and done by God out of respect unto them 1. By his Mercies God would allure our Souls to love and serve him Hosea 11.4 Plaintus these are the Cords of a man quo magis extendas eo astrugunt arctius by these God would oblige and tye our Souls the closer unto him Mercies are vocal they all have a Language or Speech which we ought to learn to understand whereby they recommend God unto our Souls and as they came from God so for this purpose they came from him that our Souls might by their means go to God who indeed sent them on that very errand to bring our Souls unto him 2. Nay the very Judgments of God in the World prove his value for our Souls who rather than miss of them does this his strange work Isa 28.21 God does not afflict willingly but rather than to be deprived of mens Souls he will do that which he is so loath to come unto Thus he does not only afflict the wicked who obstinately remain so to caution and instruct the Souls of his people as Princes Children are lessoned when their Proxyes are whip'd but he corrects his dearest Children and Servants though it goes to his heart and he himself is afflicted in all their afflictions Isa 63.9 Yet rather than their Souls should perish with the world he is ready to do nay to suffer any thing But when all is said these are but a few shreds of what might be layd before you God's Love to and prizing of our Souls need not so much to be proved I would hope that it is felt 2. But on the other side as God does endeavour 2.
God does as it were take weak Christians by the hand and communicate his strength to them by which they are enabled to do what is required of them As it follows in this Chapter with respect to Prayer likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lifts with us and against us at the other end of the Burden And so it is in all the Duties of Holiness the Spirit lifts with helps the infirmities of Believers and strengthens them thereunto I can do all things through Christ strengthning of me Philip. 4.13 That he would grant you according to the riches of his Glory to be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner man Eph. 3.16 I may allude to that of Elisha 2 Kings 13.16 He said to the King of Israel put thine hand upon the bow and he put his hand upon it and Elisha put his hands upon the Kings hands So we put our hands upon the bow attempt to believe pray mortifie sin and the like and then the Holy Spirit puts His hand upon Ours to confirm and strengthen us in all these Was it not for this we could do nothing Joh. 15.5 was it not for this Leading we could not move one step in the path of Holiness IV. A Fourth thing included in this Leading of the Spirit is his Regency and Gubernation Where he Governs there he Leads So vice versa and his Leading is ever attended with Rule and Authority 'T is like a Generals Leading an Army who Authoritatively disposes and orders all its motions like Moses his leading the People of Israel who had the Rule and Government over them As to Christ they are put together Behold I have given him for a Witness to the People a Leader and Commander to the People Isa 55.4 Such a Leading is this of the Spirit in Gracious Souls He has the Regiment of them He Commands and Orders them in their Course as he pleases they are subject to his Will steer'd by him in their Motions as the * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrys 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oecum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theophyl Ship is by the Pilot or the Chariot by him that drives it These are the Things on the Spirits part which do constitute his leading 2. To fill this up there is something on the Creatures part And that is their yielding up of themselves to the Guidance and Conduct of the Spirit Their free willing Bishop Halls Remains p. 147. Hollingsworth of the Spirit p. 65. spontaneous following of him in what he moves and dictates to them Without this 't is not Leading for that imports Motion after something that goes before And that Motion too must be Voluntary or else 't is being Hal'd and Dragg'd not Led This is the Disposition and Carriage of the Sons of God towards the Spirit He excites them to be Holy Heavenly-minded to resist and mortifie Corruption to Pray Hear Gods word perform other Religious Duties yea to take up their Cross in all they readily comply with him As David in that particular Case VVhen thou saidst seek ye my face my heart said thy face Lord will I seek Psal 27.8 He will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths Isa 2.3 Draw me we will run after thee Cant. 1.4 Here 's the Spirits Leading and the Believers following of him It 's set forth v. 1. by walking after the Spirit it supposes a Principle of Life dead things may be drawn but they cannot properly be said to be led where the Spiritual Life is such do willingly conform to what the Spirit directs them unto But this I shall say no more of in this Explanatory part it being a thing that requires our Practice rather than any large Explication of it Thus I have opened the Nature of the Spirits Leading But it being a point of great Importance and the due stating of it being highly Necessary upon sundry Accounts I will further speak to these Four things about it Four things opened about the Spirits Leading 1. The Matter or Terminus what the Spirit leads unto 2. The Rule by which he leads 3. The Way and Manner wherein he leads 4. The Extent and Measure of it The matter of it 1. The Matter what the Spirit leads unto This is of great Extent but all may be reduc'd to these two things Truth and Holiness Truth is seated in the Vnderstanding and speaks the Spirits Leading of that Faculty Holiness reaches to the Heart within and Conversation without and speaks the Spirits Leading of Both in their utmost Comprehensiveness These he leads and guides unto but not in the least to their Opposites Error and Sin Every Agent is for that which comports and suits with his own Nature and against that which is contrary thereunto Therefore the Spirit being a Spirit of Truth and of Holiness this determines him to lead to these and to these only So his Conduct is stated in Holy Writ John 16.13 When he the Spirit of Truth is come he will guide you into all Truth Eph. 5.9 The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and Truth Psal 23.3 He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his Names sake This Holiness includes in it Holy Affections the Exercise of the several Graces and these the Spirit guides unto 2 Thes 3.5 The Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ The avoiding and mortifying of sin and this the Spirit guides unto If ye through the Spirit mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live immediately it follows As many as are led by the Spirit shewing that the Mortification of sin is one special thing which the Spirit leads to Gal. 5.16 walk in the Spirit after his Guidance and ye shall not fulfil the Lust of the flesh why because he always makes this the matter of his Guidance to keep men off from the Lust of the Flesh from all sinful ways and Courses He 's a Good and Holy Spirit in himself and therefore all his Motions tend to what is Good and Holy As Satan he being the Evil Spirit suitably to his Nature does excite and urge to what is Evil Acts 5.3 John 13.2 So e contra the Spirit of God He being the Good Spirit does excite and urge to what is Good and to nothing else How do they blaspheme this Holy Spirit who do wicked things and yet presume to say the Spirit leads them thereunto This must be laid down as a Principle of undoubted verity that the sole and whole tendency of the Spirits Leading is to Purity Obedience Universal Holiness and in no case to sin and wickedness II. The Rule by which he leads The Rule of it And that in short is the Written VVord God guides by the Spirit the Spirit guides by the VVord He is our Guide and the Word is our Rule The Spirit himself as to his own Actings has no External
the Divine Nature and Person of Christ which being infinite an answerable value and excellency is derived upon this Prayer So that though it be but finite in it self as it is the proper Act of a finite Being yet it is of infinite excellency and value relatively and so far of infinite efficacy Let us suppose that all the Angels and Saints in Heaven and Earth should agree to prostrate themselves before God and joyn together in one Prayer for us and that influenced with all the Holiness inforced with all the fervour and importunity that those Heavenly Spirits and Holy Souls are capable of we would conclude such a Prayer would be undoubtedly prevalent and yet we may believe upon unquestionable grounds that this one Prayer of our Blessed Redeemer is incomparably yea infinitely more prevalent and effectual In short this Prayer is nothing else but the Will and desires of him who is God offered in manner of a Supplication and there can be no question but that Will and those Desires shall be fulfilled to the utmost 3. This Prayer was founded on merit He prayed for nothing but what he was worthy to obtain sought nothing on our behalf but what he did purchase for us and deserve of his Father He might present this Supplication for his own righteousness as the best of his people could not durst not do Dan. 9.19 he might expect to obtain what he asked from the hand of Justice not as we only from meer bounty and free mercy Christ's obedience unto Death it was meritorious and did deserve for his people all that he prayed for All the ingredients of strict and proper merit concur in the Obedience and Sufferings of Christ as I might shew particularly but that I hasten they were of equal worth with the recompence which he prays for in the behalf of his people he thereby fully satisfyed the demands both of Law and Justice and though it was the Life and Pardon and Happiness of a World of condemned Persons that he prays for yet his Obedience and Blood is of more worth than all these for they are of infinite value being the Obedience and Blood of him who was God So that Christs Obedience Active and Passive is meritorious not only ratione pacti by reason of the agreement betwixt the Father and Him he having performed all the Conditions required in order to our Redemption but ratione pretii by virtue of the intrinsick value of what he paid and performed Now to use the Apostles expression Rom. 4. to him that thus worketh the reward is reckoned not of Grace but of Debt It is Grace to us but 't is Debt to Christ and so the plea on our behalf being for a just Debt it cannot but be most effectual with the righteous God 4. It is the Prayer of him for whose sake all other Prayers were heard We have direction if we would have our Prayers not fail of success to present them in the Name of Christ i. e. to beg what we desire for his sake and he gives assurance that what we so pray for in his name or for his sake shall be granted Joh. 16.23 and 15.16 and 14.13 14. Now if the Prayers of his people will prevail for his sake there can be no question but his own Prayer will be prevalent all our Prayers are accepted through him upon his account nor can they be acceptable otherwise 1 Pet. 2.5 There is that corruption in our Natures which depraves and vitiates our Spiritual Sacrifices our Prayers particularly there is more or less of a sinful tincture in them they cannot be well-pleasing to that Holy of God who is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity till they be purged and the guilt expiated nothing is sufficient for expiation but the great Propitiatory Sacrifice by virtue whereof this guilt is expiated and we are said to be Sanctifyed in a Sacrificial Sense that is purged from guilt Heb. 10.10 Thus himself purged our sins Heb. 1.3 and thereby that which was occasion of Offence to God being removed our Prayers became acceptable through Jesus Christ in this sense he saith ver 19. and for their sakes I sanctifie my self that they also may be sanctified I sanctifie that is I offer my self an expiatory Sacrifice that they may be truly sanctifyed that is freed from guilt and so render'd well-pleasing and acceptable Now the Prayers of others being acceptable through the Mediation of Christ the Prayers of the great Mediator himself will undoubtedly be most acceptable most prevalent 3. As to the Persons prayed for they are such as on whom the Father is no less willing to bestow what is here desired than Christ was to seek them on their behalf This appears by several Expressions in this Chapter First They belonged to the Father in a special manner Thine they were ver 6. and thine they are ver 9. They were his in design and purpose before the Foundation of the World chosen Vessels set apart for him as his own peculiarly 2 Tim. 2.19 And his Actually by Effectual Calling they resigning up themselves unto him and he taking possession of them as his own ver 8. and Rom. 9.24 25. Now to whom is the Lord willing to grant these favours if not to those who are so much his own Secondly Those whom he prayes for are given to him as is many times expressed ver 2 6 9 11 12 24. and given to him that he might redeem and save them or as it is expressed ver 2. that he should give eternal Life unto them this comprizes all that he prays for on their behalf and that is the end why they are given him now the Father is as willing to promote his own end and design as the Son and so no less willing to grant what is desired in order thereto than the great Intercessour was to pray for them Thirdly Those for whom he prays are such as the Father loves with a transcendent a wonderful love ver 23. and hast loved them as thou hast loved me not with the same love which the Father hath for the Son nor with a love equal to it but a love so great as comes nearest to it of all others A greater love than any Creatures Men or Angels have for them or for one another a far greater love than he hath for any other Creatures in this World A demonstrative instance hereof we have in that he gave his Son for them which was the greatest expression of love that ever the World saw or heard of and greater than could ever have been believed if truth it self had not declared it that he should send his Son to reside on Earth not gloriously like himself but to take the form of a Servant and live as a man of sorrows and sufferings and die as a Sacrifice under the Sin and Curse of those for whom he was offered oh what manner of love was this Now as the Apostle argues Rom. 8.32 He that spared 〈◊〉 his
and unwise to endure so much and lose so much and say they have been losers by obeying God and by their holy walking for there is no happiness after Death to be hoped for wherefore I do repent that I did not take my pleasures while I might but did you ever here a serious godly man when dying utter such words But on the contrary on their dying beds do grieve and groan mourn and lament that they have been no more holy and obedient and in suffering times if they had Gold as Dust they would count it all as Dross and if they had a thousand lives they would lose them all to keep in the favour of God and to gain the Crown of Everlasting Life 4. Then would the Floodgates of sin and profaneness be plucked up to let in an Inundation of all manner of gross abominations for if men will not be afrighted from their sin with all the threatnings of the sorest pains of Hell nor allured to leave them with all the promises of the sweetest pleasures of Heaven if they were sure there were no torments of Hell to be adjudged to nor Glory in Heaven to be rewarded by they would run with greater greediness to the commission of the worst of sins that the Devil should tempt them or their wicked hearts incline them to Quest 2. How should we Eye Eternity or look at unseen Eternal things They are said to be unseen as they are not the objects of our external sense for in this sense they are not to be seen but we must look at Eternal things that are unseen with an Eye that also is unseen and the several things denoted by the Eyes in Scripture will give some light to see with what Eyes we must look at unseen Eternal things viz. with an Eye of Knowledge Faith Love Desire Hope Our looking at Eternal things comprehends these acts of the Soul 1. It includes a sure and certain Knowledge of them as things not understood are said to be hid from our Eyes so what we know we are said to see Eccles 2.3 I sought in my heart-till I might see what was that good for the Sons of men taking away of Knowledge is called the putting out of the Eyes Numb 16.14 and the inlightening the Mind the opening of the Eyes Acts 26.18 and Looking is put for certain Knowing Job 13.27 1 Pet. 1.12 and expressed by Seeing Act. 7.34 so that the Looking at and Eying of Eternal things with the Eyes of the Understanding includes 1. The bending of the mind to study them as when a man would look at any Object he bends his Head and turns his Eyes that way 2. The binding of the mind to them as a man when he looks earnestly at any thing fixeth his Eye upon it 3. The Exercise of the mind thus bent and bound to Eternal things that it is often thinking on the unseen Eternal God Christ Heaven and the Life to come 2. This Looking is by an Eye of Faith Looking is believing Numb 21.8 Make thee a fiery serpent and set it upon a pole and it shall come to pass that every one that is bitten when he looketh upon it shall live The Object and the Act are both expounded by Christ John 3.14 As Moses lifted up the Serpent in the Wilderness even so must the Son of man be lifted up 15. That whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Eternal Life 3. This Looking is with an Eye of Love Though in Philosophy the Affections as well as the Will are blind Powers yet in Divinity the Eyes are put for the Affections Prov. 23.5 Wilt thou set thine Eyes upon that which is not and the Eye of the Lord denotes his Love Psal 33.18 and Believers that love the coming of the unseen Saviour 1 Tim. 4.8 are said to look for it Phil. 3.20 ubi amor ibi oculus We love to look at what we love 4. This Looking is with an Eye of Desire which is exprest by the Eye Numb 15.39 That ye seek not after your own Heart and your own Eyes 1 King 20.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every thing desirable in thine eyes Job 31.16 If I have withheld the poor from their desire or have caused the eyes of the Widow to fail The Eye is an Index of the desires of the Heart 5. This Looking is with an Eye of Hope The Eye is put for Hope Job 11.20 Lam. 4.17 2 Chro. 20.12 Psal 145.15 and 25.15 and things not seen are looked for by Hope Rom. 8.24 25. and things hoped for are the Objects of our Looking Tit. 2.13 Looking for the blessed Hope In short the sum is as if it had been said While we have a certain knowledge of unseen Eternal things a firm belief of them fervent love unto them ardent desires after them lively hope and patient expectation of them we faint not in all our tribulations Having opened the Eyes with which we are to look at Eternal things I proceed to the manner of our Looking There is a Looking unto them Psal 34.5 Mic. 7.7 There is a Looking into them by studying the Nature of them to know more of the reality necessity and dignity of them 1 Pet. 1.12 Which things the Angels desire to look into If Angels do Men should There is a looking for them either as we look for things that we have lost look till we find as the Man for his lost Sheep or the Woman for her lost Silver Luc. 15.4.8 or to look for a thing that is yet to come Tit. 2.13 Isa 8.17 and there is a looking at them which is not an idle gazing at the unseen Eternal World but a practical lively affecting look in this manner following 1. We should look at Eternal things with such an Eye of Faith that should presentiate them unto us though they are yet to come Hence Faith is said to be the substance or subsistence of things not seen and the evidence of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 Faith so looks at things that are far off that they have a kind of mental intellectual existence though absent as if they were present being promised as sure as if they were already possessed Faith convinceth and assureth the heart of a Believer most strongly of the truth of a thing while it looks to the Revelation and Testimony of God than any argument brought forth from Natural reason could do and doth give as firm assent to the certainty and reality of Eternal things though unseen as to any thing he beholdeth with his eyes or perceiveth by the apprehension of any Sense because our Eyes may be deceived but God neither can deceive nor be deceived Look then e. g. at the coming of Christ with such an Eye of Faith as if with your bodily Eyes you saw him descending from Heaven in flaming fire with glorious attendance as if you heard the Trumpet sounding and the Cry made arise ye Dead and come to Judgment at which command as if you saw the
Christ and converse with him if he were on Earth it is better to see this pretious Christ in Eternal Glory it is worth the while to dy to have a view of your Lord-Redeemer in the highest Heavens Oh the wonderful transporting Joyes the Soul is filled with when it first cometh into the unseen but happy World when it hath the first Glorious view of its dearest Lord. Do you think it would desire to return to live in flesh upon Earth again Do you know what you do when you are so loth to dy Do you understand your selves when you are so backward to be taken out of time It is to be loth to go into Everlasting Happiness to go and take possession of unseen Eternal Glory 5. Such an Eyeing of Eternity would make us more patient constant joyful in all our sufferings for Christs sake When we poar upon our seen troubles and do not look at rest after trouble when we see and feel what is inflicted upon us but do not look what is laid up in Heaven for us when we see the rage of men and do not look at the love of God our Hearts and Flesh do fail but if we set unseen Eternal things over against things seen and Temporal it will be strength unto us Against the power of Men which is Temporal set the Power of God which is Eternal and then you will see their power to be weakness Against the Policy of Men which is Temporal set the Wisdom of God which is Eternal and then you will see all their Policy to be Foolishness Against the Hatred of Men which in its effects to you is Temporal set the Love of God which is both in its self and in its effects to you Eternal and you will see their hatred to be no better than raging unreasonable madness Keep your Eye upon the unseen Torments in the other World and you will rather endure Sufferings in this than venture upon Sin and expose your selves to them Keep your Eye upon the unseen Eternal Crown of Glory and it will carry you through Fire and Flames Prisons and Reproaches for the sake of Christ Heb. 11.26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward 27. by Faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he endured as seeing him who is invisible 6. This Eyeing of Eternity will be a powerful preservative against the temptations of Men or Devils a Sovereign Antidote against the Poyson of Temptation I see the Invisible God looks at me shall I then yield to the suggestions of the Devil or the sollicitations of men to sin I see there is an Everlasting state of Joy or Torment that I must be shortly in as sure as I am in this place and Satans design is to bring me to that state of Torment and if I follow him I shall be excluded from yonder glorious place from God and Christ and Saints above therefore by the Grace of God I will not yield to this Temptation but strive I will and Watch and Pray I will against the assaults of this deceitful Adversary for why should I be so foolish to lose Eternal Glory for momentary Pleasures and run my Immortal Soul into Eternal pain for short delights I do plainly see what will be the end if I do yield Damnation without end banishment from God without end I do clearly see that Stealing and Murder is not a more ready road to a place of Execution upon Earth than yielding to a tempting Devil is to Everlasting Misery 7. Such Eyeing of Eternity would wean our hearts from the things of time A sight and view of Heavens Glory would darken the Glory of the World as looking at the shining Sun over your Head doth obscure in your Eyes the things under your Feet after a believing view of the invisible God and the Glory of the place above this World would appear as a very Dunghil in your Eyes Phil. 3.7 8. as where we love there we look so the more we look the more we shall love and the more we love the Eternal things that are above the less we shall love the Temporal things that are below 8. Such Eyeing of Eternity would make us more like to God and Jesus Christ it will be a transforming and assimilating look 2 Cor. 3.18 But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Therefore when we shall see Christ who is now out of sight we shall be perfectly like unto him 1 Joh. 3.2 But we know when he shall appear we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is 9. Such an Eyeing of Eternity would fill our Souls with Holy admirations of the Goodness Grace and Love of God to us When Paul had a sight of such unseen things he was in an Holy Extasie and Divine Rapture 2 Cor. 12.2 3 4. When we consider the Eternal Happiness of Heaven we shall stand as Men amazed that God should prepare such things for such men and bear such Love and shew such Mercy to such as we that are so vile and full of sin and say Lord what am I that might for ever have howled in the lowest Hell that I should hope to praise thee in the highest Heavens Lord what am I that might have been in Everlasting Darkness that there should be prepared for me Everlasting Light and Joy Why me Lord why hast thou designed me and wrought upon my heart and made me in any measure meet to be partaker of such Eternal Glory Oh! the depth of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out Rom. 11.33 How pretious are thy thoughts to me how great is the sum of them Psal 139.17 Oh how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee Psal 31.19 10. Such an Eyeing of Eternity would have this influence sure upon us to set our selves under a painful skilful serious Ministry It doth much concern you for you are going to an endless Life and Preaching is the appointed means to fit you for an endless happy Life then do you choose the most lively searching powerful Preaching it is for the life of your Souls for the Everlasting life of your Everlasting Souls If you were sick and in danger of Death when your Life lies upon it you would have the advice of an able Physitian that is serious and afraid that he no way become guilty of your Death Would you like that Physitian that seems to be unconcerned and cares not whether you live or dy if he might but have his fee Or that should merrily jest with you when you are sick at Heart and near to Death if you be not
without any mixture of the contrary Quest Why is God called Light without Darkness And what is this Light I Answer 1. Wisdom is Light and Folly is Darkness 2. Knowledge is Light and Ignorance is Darkness 3. Truth is Light and Error is Darkness 4. Holiness is Light and Sin and Wickedness are Darkness So that when he saith that God is Light he means that God is Wisdom without mixture of Folly Knowledge without Ignorance or Nescience Truth without any Error or any false Conceptions in his Eternal Mind and Holiness without the least mixture of Sin so that the way to have Fellowship with God is to walk in the Light that is to say to walk in Wisdom and not as Fools to walk according to Knowledge and not in Ignorance to walk in the Truth and not in Errour to walk in the way of Holiness and not of Sin and Wickedness Now Light in men it is either Natural or Supernatural 1. Natural which is either the Light of the Body which is the Eye Matth. 6.26 Or 2. The Light of the Soul which is the Light of Reason and Natural Conscience this we are to walk in according to the utmost Sphere and extent thereof But Supernatural Light that shines from Supernatural Revelation in the Scriptures and the inlightning Spirit of God in the Souls of Men is the Light here meant in the Text and which Christians should walk in Now this is the way to have Fellowship and Communion with God as the Text saith If we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another Now by one with another 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some say the Apostle means the Saints to whom he writes we and ye shall have Fellowship together we Apostles and ye Believers And the Vulgar Latine carries it that way and renders it ad invicem But we must rather understand that the Apostle here speaks of the Fellowship that God hath with his People and they with him And so Beza understands it mutuam habemus cum eo communionem An Ancient Greek Manuscript hath in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with him that is God and we shall have Fellowship with one another And the rather we are to understand it in this sense for the Apostle he is not speaking here of the Communion which the Saints have with one another but of our Communion and Fellowship with God as in the sixth verse If we say we have Fellowship with him and walk in darkness we lie and do not the truth And then he adds but if we walk in the Light as he is in the Light we have Fellowship one with another I shall now proceed to speak to the Subject it self and herein shall discourse of these four Generals I. What this Communion with God is II. Give some Distinctions about it III. Shew how it is to be Attained and Maintained IV. Deduce some Consequences that follow from my whole Discourse concerning it And then conclude with some practical Application General I I. What this Communion with God is The Word in the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies common and so it imports something that is common and mutual betwixt God and us as Communion among men imports something mutual on each side so that our Communion with God it is either Active or Passive Active in what passeth from us to God and Passive in what is Communicated from him to us 1. Active on our part which consisteth in the Divine Operations of our Souls towards God when the faculties of the Soul are tending towards him and terminated upon him when the Mind is exercised in the contemplation of him the Will in chusing and embracing him when the Affections are fixt upon him and Center in him when by our Desires we pursue after him by our Love we cleave to him and by Delight we acquiesce and solace our selves in him 2. Passive on Gods part and so our Communion with God consists in our participation of him and in his communicating himself to us and this Communication of God to us in our Communion with him is specially in these three things Light Life and Love 1. In Light I mean the Light of Spiritual Knowledge and Understanding whereby we are inabled to discern Spiritual things Spiritually This is called Gods shining into our Hearts by the Apostle 2. Cor. 4.6 and seeing Light in Gods Light by the Psalmist Psal 36. 2. In Life whereby we are made partakers of the Life of God though in a lower degree and are no longer alienated from the Life of God as the Apostle declared the Gentiles to be Eph. 4. And by this Life of God we must understand that which the Scripture calls Sanctification For Holyness is the Life of God in Man For when God Sanctifies a Man he quickens the Soul that was dead in Sin and makes it partake of the Divine Life or the Life of God and which elsewhere is called a partaking of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 and a renewing Man into the Image of God Col. 3.10 3. In Love God communicates his Love also in the sense and tast of it to the Soul which the Apostle calls The shedding abroad the Love of God in the Heart Rom. 5. So that in this Communion with God we have not only the Theory of his Love in our minds but some taste and experience of it in our Hearts And under this is comprehended all that Peace Joy and Consolation that springs out of this to the Soul and arising from the Communication of the sence of his Love to us The Apostle James expresseth this Communion with God in both the parts of it James 4.8 when he saith Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you And Christ expresseth them both also in these words John 14.23 If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him He expresseth the active part of Communion with God by our loving him and keeping his Commandements and the passive part by his own and his Fathers coming to us to make their abode with us The Apostle John expresseth them by our dwelling in God and Gods dwelling in us 1 John 5.16 We dwell in God either by Faith in him whereby we make him the Object of our Trust Confidence and dependance or especially by our Love to him as he there expresseth it He that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God And then Gods dwelling in us is Communion with God in the other part of it consisting in a Communication of himself to us But this Communion with God we must think soberly of it It is not a transformation of the Soul of Man into the Divine Essence and Being as if Man was made God swallowed up into him and lost his own Existence and Being in God Neither is it a mixture of Gods Being with the Being
of the Creature as Water and Wine are mingled together so that the Nature of them both is lost in that mixture For it is not thus with Angels in Heaven or the Glorifyed Spirits there for they still retain their own distinct Nature and Being though they are in the Highest Communion with God Neither is it thus between the Humane and the Divine Nature of Christ as if these two were mingled together and did lose their proper and distinct Natures in each other though the Humane and Divine Nature of Christ have a most near Union and Communion with each other But this Communion it is a Sacred and Mutual Intercourse that is between God and his People whereby they go forth and act in the Divine exercise of their faculties towards him and he comes forth in the Communication of himself in Light Life and Love to them II. I next proceed to speak of some Distinctions about Communion General II with God 1. Communion with God may be considered either with respect to this World or the World to come the one is Imperfect the other is perfect one is Mediate the other Immediate the one is Inconstant and often interrupted the other is constant fixed and uniform without any Interruption for ever 2. This Communion with God hath higher and lower degrees both in the Nether and Vpper World Both among the Saints here below and the Saints and Angels above As there are Orders of Angels in Heaven and some nearer to the Throne of God than others and receive higher Communications of God to them so it is with the Saints made perfect in that Heavenly State 3. This Communion with God is either Internal or External By Internal I mean that sacred Intercourse between God and the Soul which is managed only in the inward Man And by External I mean this Communion with God managed in some External Ordinance of his Worship in the Communion of Saints General III III. I next proceed to shew how this Communion with God is attained and then maintained I answer in General It is attained only in that way which God himself hath appointed thereunto The Heathen did aim at having Fellowship with their Gods and therefore they built them Temples to dwell in Erected Oracles for them to speak to them by and they built Altars to sacrifice to them and appointed Priests to be their Mediators or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministers of Friendship between them and their Gods they used several Charms to bring their Gods to them and keep them with them they made use of various Modes and Rites of Worship which they thought best pleased their Gods and whereby they might invite their favour to them and presence with them Yea they worshipped several Creatures though not as Gods but yet that in worshipping them they might have some Communion with those Gods that they thought did preside over those Creatures they Worshipt as Vulcan over the Fire Neptune over the Sea Ceres over the Fruits of the Earth c. But notwithstanding these vain apprehensions of the Heathen by such means to have Fellowship with their Gods yet the Apostle says they sacrificed to Devils and not to God and had Fellowship with Devils 1 Cor. 10.20 I would not saith he that ye should have Fellowship with Devils But the ways of this Communion as I said must be those which God himself hath appointed the principal whereof are Jesus Christ himself and the Holy Spirit 1. By Jesus Christ who was figured upon this account by Jacobs Ladder that stood betwixt Heaven and Earth as the Person wherein Heaven and Earth are united God and Man have Communion with each other who was also figured by the Temple whither the people came up to meet and have communion with God and God with them And particularly by the Mercy Seat where God promised to meet his people and commune with them and therefore the Apostle addeth here in the Text Our Fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ for on our part all our access to God is by him Eph. 2.18 Through him we both have an access unto the Father 2. All Gods approaches to us are also through him All that Light Life and Love which God communicates to his people is through him alone And we have this Communion through Christ with God First By virtue of his Incarnation He assumed our Nature into Union and Communion with God and so made way for our Persons Secondly By virtue of his Life he lived here in the World considered either in the Holy Example he hath left us to walk by or the Doctrine that he here preached by both which he did guide and lead Men in the right way to Fellowship with his Father Thirdly By virtue of his Death and making reconciliation for us by his Blood for if there had not been a Reconciliation and an agreement made between God and us we could never have had Communion with him How can two walk together if they be not agreed 1. This Communion with God it is some lower entrance into the Holyest of all in this World and this is said to be by the Blood of Jesus as the Apostle speaks Heb. 10.19 Fourthly By vertue of his Resurrection whereby Believers come to be raised up to newness of Life Rom. 6.4 And it is only in this New Life that we have all our Communion with God the Old Man in us is not capable of it nor the Powers of Nature till they be renewed raised and quickned through the power of Christs Resurrection Fifthly By vertue also of his Ascension into Heaven from whence descends upon Believers a Divine Influence and Power through Faith whereby they are carryed up above this World and ascend up to Heaven and into Communion with God as the Apostle argues Col. 3.1 If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth at the Right hand of God Sixthly By virtue of his Intercession For this is one great thing that he Intercedes for with his Father in Heaven that his People might have Union and Communion with them as appears by what Christ prays for John 17.21 in the behalf of his Disciples that they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they may be one in us and so have Communion with us so that all these things I have spoken concerning Christ ye see tend to this great end to bring up the Saints of God into this Communion with him 2. This Communion with God is also by the Spirit of God as the Apostle 2 Cor. 13.13 14. speaks of the Communion of the Holy Ghost The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ the Love of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost The Grace of Christ and the Love of God are communicated by the Holy Ghost So that all our Fellowship with the Father and the Son are by the Spirit Now the Spirit doth effect this Communion with
had his Transfiguration from Heaven and the Glory of God shining forth upon him while he was praying as you read Luk. 9.29 And the experience of the Saints can much witness to this what visits of Light and Love they have had and transfiguring views of Heavenly Glory in this Duty of Prayer And then 2. Keep up a constant course of Praising God Praise it is the great Ordinance of Heaven for Communion with God in a State of Perfection and as we are able to reach it in our present State it will raise the Soul into Communion with God The Soul is in its highest Operations when it is praising God and the higher the Acts of the Soul are the nearer it doth approach to him who is the most High God 4. Keep your selves pure Though by Purity I mean not an absolute Purity but watchfulness against all Sins and Temptations Resisting every Sin Living in no sin and a continued endeavour to mortifie all Sin in our selves The Purer the Soul is the fitter it is for Communion with God The promise of seeing God is by our Saviour made to the pure in Heart Matth. 5.8 and with the pure God will shew himself pure saith the Psalmist Psal 18.26 And the Apostle James speaking concerning this Communion with God James 4.8 which he expresseth by our drawing nigh to God and his drawing nigh to us adds this Exhortation Cleanse your hands ye Sinners and purifie your Hearts ye double minded And the Apostle Paul speaks to the Corinthians of the same thing 2 Cor. 6.16 17. and thereupon adviseth them to keep themselves pure What Communion hath Light with Darkness Righteousness with Vnrighteousness c. and therefore be you separate and touch no unclean things saith the Lord and I will dwell and walk in the midst of you Under the Law God appointed Porters to keep their Watch at the Doors of the Temple that nothing might enter in to defile that Temple which was his dwelling place The Soul is to be Gods Temple for him to dwell in and therefore we should watch against whatsoever may enter in to defile our Souls whereby we may be fitter dwellings for him and for Communion with him And the Priests under the Law were commanded to purifie themselves before they drew nigh to God in his Temple Yea and the People also before they came to the Passeover and those folemn Feasts wherein they did draw nigh to God they were to purifie and cleanse themselves And the very Heathen before they entred their Solemn Sacrifices would have their Cryer to proclaim to the People 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holy things are for Holy Persons And they would write this Inscription over the Doors of their Temple Nemo immundus huc ingreditor Let no unclean Person enter in here And all their Lustrations and washings they used to the Living and their purging Fires which they dream'd of for Souls after Death and which are still kept up in the Holy Water and Purgatory of the Romish Church do confirm the truth of this Notion as that which is ingrafted in the minds of all Men that purity is required as necessary in all our approaches to God and Communion with him 5. Let God be much in your Thoughts and in the view of your Mind not only when you approach some solemn Ordinance but in the whole course of your actions when you go forth and come in when ye lie down and rise up Let the Creatures you converse with the several dispensations of Divine Providence towards you present God to your Thoughts and the view of your Minds For how can Men that have seldom any Thoughts of God maintain any Communion with him Our Communion with God is not as it is with Creatures in a sensible way but it is by the inward Thoughts and Exercise of the Mind which therefore we ought to be frequent in We should with David Psal 16.8 Set the Lord alwaies before our face and not as he that he speaks of Psal 10.4 of whom it s said God is not in all his thoughts This is rather to live without God in the World than to live in Communion with him And these Thoughts of God should not be slight and transient but fixed and serious especially at some times which we should more peculiarly denote to solemn Meditation Meditation brings the Object nearer to the Soul and the Soul near to it though locally distant unites the Soul to it mixeth it self with it whereby it doth possess it or is possessed of it 6. Practise Self-denyal for he that abideth in himself and liveth in and to himself liveth at a distance from God God and Self are as two Opposite Terms we must forsake the one if we would approach to the other When Man first fell from God he fell in with himself and therefore must forsake himself if he would return to God and have Communion with him There is a twofold Self-denyal One is Internal when we can deny our selves in all high Thoughts of our selves Confidence in our selves all self-ends self applause self-sufficiency and do even annihilate our selves this is highly requisite to our Communion with God Self is that Dagon that must fall before Gods Ark that Idol that must be cast out of the Temple of Mans Soul that God may enter in and dwell there Then there is a Self-denyal that is external which God sometimes calls his people to in Order to Communion with himself As to forsake Father Mother House Land Liberty c. and all this in order to the receiving the hundred fold in this Life as our Saviour hath promised which they shall receive in this Communion with God An eminent instance of this we have in Galeacius Caracciolus who left his Countrey Kindred Estate Honour that he possest at home to enjoy Communion with God in the purer Ordinances of the Reformed Church at Geneva and being tempted by Gold and Silver to return answered His Money perish with him that thinks all the Gold and Silver in the World worth one days Communion with Jesus Christ He found all that he had left an hundred fold in this Communion he had with God and Jesus Christ 6. Walk in Love This I add because our Apostle doth so much insist upon it in this Epistle Love is an Affection requisite to all Communion To Communion with Saints among themselves and to Communion with God For God is Love and he that dwelleth in Love dwelleth in God and God in him 1 John 4.16 And this mutual indwelling is this Communion I am treating of The Philosopher saith of Love it doth transferr amantem in amatum it carries the Soul from home to live and dwell in the person or thing beloved It is vinculum Vnionis the band of Union and all Communion is founded in Union And therefore where there is no Love how can there be Communion and where Men do not walk in Love how can they walk in Communion with God If Christians
the wicked not the Graces of the godly Sinners cannot endure the Light of the Truth nor the power of Holiness in the Lives of Saints and therefore quarrel with them but are those Saints to be blamed for such troubles as only accidentally and by reason of the corruptions of others arise on their doing but their Duty Is a Bridge to be blamed for troubling the Water because keeping its place it stops the Waters passage and is the occasion of its swelling and roaring Are Sheep to be blamed for incensing the Wolves Or Doves for provoking the Hawks Truly just such incendiaries are Gods Children in the places where they live they disquiet their Neighbours only by the good things they enjoy which others love and covet and fain would get from them or by the good they do which wicked Men hate and fain would hinder in them The quarrels of the ungodly World with the Holy Seed among them are but like that of Cain with Abel he slew his Brother because his own works were evil and his Brothers righteous 1 John 3.12 3. The Sinners of a Nation are really the weakness of it It is they of whatsoever Party or Sect or persuasion they are that troubles any People and occasions their dangers and procure their ruin Righteousness exalts a Nation Prov. 14.34 it is Sin that is a reproach to it that humbles it and brings it down Wicked Men are they that betray Nations and Kingdoms expose them to Gods wrath subject them to his judgments Did Noah bring the Flood upon the old World or did the wicked of it by their wickedness Did Lot bring down Fire from Heaven upon Sodom or did the Sodomites do it by their own lewdness Did Jeremiah by his Preaching or Baruch and Ebedmelech and those few other godly in Jerusalem by their Praying and Weeping and Mourning bring on the Captivity of that People or did not they themselves by their Idolatry their Prophaneness their Swearing their Sabbath breaking their polluting Gods Ordinances their shedding Innocent Blood c. were the Apostles and primitive Christians the cause of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans or were not the unbelieving Jews by their rejecting Christ and persecuting those that adhered to him I deny not but the Sins of the best of Saints may sometimes contribute to the bringing down judgments upon others Jonahs Sin raised a Tempest upon the Mariners chap. 1. and David numbring the People brought the Plague upon them 2 Sam. 24. God will not only manifest his own Holiness by punishing them that are dearest to him when they Sin against him but teach them more care watchfulness against Sin when they find how far the direful effects of it are extended unto others And yet what is this to the numerous instances on the other side Which doth ordinarily do most mischief the Sins of the truly godly which are fewer and lesser and mourned over and repented of or the Sins of the prophane the Hypocrites the Impenitent May we not say that if the Sins of the one have slain their Thousands those of the other have slain their Ten-Thousands The greatest danger any can be in is to be liable to the displeasure of God who is Holy and cannot endure to behold iniquity powerful and able to destroy those that offend him can Arm and Commission innumerable Enemies against them raise the Posse of Heaven and Earth upon them let flie Thousands of Arrows at them and command what judgments he please to consume them And who are they that do ordinarily make a People naked and lay them open to the Wrath and Revenge of God Is it they that love God or they that hate him the obedient or the rebellious they that please him or they that provoke him they that intercede with him or they they that defie him they that mourn for the abominations of a Land or they that commit and encourage them they that tremble at his judgments or that dare his vengeance In a Word they that hinder all the Sin they can or that hinder all the good they can they that dare not be wicked or that will not be Holy 4. It is the Interest of any People where God hath a Seed of righteous ones to favour them and make much of them They are their best Friends that are Gods Friends They should favour them most whom God favours of whose good things they partake for whose sakes they are preserved receive many a mercy enjoy many a privilege escape many a judgment It is their interest to be kind to those that have most interest in God most power with him and can get most of him What Society of Men but usually favours them most whom their Prince favour most and they think it their interest to do so They know they may need them and many a good turn they may do them They that are the greatest among Men and sit at the upper end of the World may need the help of the Faith and Prayers of the meanest Saints they may need them to interpose with God for them and ward off his blows or remove his plagues and when he hath no respect to a People for their own sakes yet he may for the sake of his Servants among them 5. It is folly in any People to Persecute them that are truly Religious That is but to fall foul upon their Friends and then they lie open to their Enemies or are indeed their own greatest Enemies to pluck the Stakes out of the Hedge and turn the Vineyard into a Common to pull up the Sluces and then there is nothing to keep out an Inundation of evils to pull down the Pillars and then the House comes tumbling about their Ears It is indeed but to dig their own Graves to make way for their own destruction by destroying those that are their preservers For by this means they lose 1. The benefit of the Saints Prayers When Men go on maliciously to abuse and oppress the godly among them God may refuse to hear even their Prayers for them The Jews persecuted Jeremiah slandered him as a Traytor Jer. 37.13 smote him with their tongues devised devices against him 11 19. put him in the Dungeon and God would not hear his Prayers for them Their posterity persecuted the Lord Jesus Christ and though his Prayers were heard for many of them converted Acts 2. and afterward by the Preaching of the Apostles yet when they still persevered in their persecuting those very Apostles their Prayers could not prevail for them but God gave them up first to hardness of heart and blindness of mind Acts 28.26 and then to their Enemies Sword Or God may stop the mouths of his Saints that they shall not so much as pray for them he may as was before intimated straiten them and withdraw from them When they begin to open their lips for those whom he hath appointed for destruction Nay he may set their Hearts to pray against them
People shouted and Jerico fell down to the ground Our Amens must not drop like a cold Bullet of Lead out of the mouth of a Musquet bowing to the ground but they must be Fired by preparations of the Heart and warm affections they must be Discharged and Shot off with the utmost valde of the Soul and fervency of the Spirit Samuel Thundred in Prayer and God Thundred upon Israels Enemies So David Prays Psal 144.5 that God would bow the Heavens and come down c. Ps 1.8 9. he did bow the Heavens and come down verse 13. the Lord Thundred in Heaven the highest gave his Voice Hailstones and coals of Fire When Gods People can unite in one Voice God gives his Voice with them and for them Use The First Inference then is of Reproof for our deep silence and too much neglect of this hearty Amen which proceeds from these Four ill Causes 1. From thence whence all ill things come in upon us even from Popish ignorance and darkness When Men grew dull and stupid and neither understood or cared to understand either the word of God to us or ours to him in Prayer Religion was looked upon as a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a By-business or troublesome laborious and needless curiosity It was enough to Beleive as the Church Beleived and to Pray as the Church Prayed and so they devolved all their Devotions on a pack of idle Monks and Friers whom they called Religious Omers who should serve God supererogate and merit for them yea not only procure a freedom from Purgatory and Pardons but Paradice also for their Moneys And as soon as their Silver did chink in the Bason of the Priest out springs the Soul from Purgatory as if the sound of Money was powerful in Purgatory as true Amens are in Heaven 2. The Divisions among Christians of the reformed Religion is another Cause of this defect and neglect 1 Cor. 14.26 when ye come together every one hath a Psalm a Doctrine a Tongue a Revelation an Interpretation One was for Singing another for Reading a Third for Preaching one for Prophesying another for Interpreting the Apostle gives two Rules to oppose this and Womens talking in the Church let all things be done distinctly and in order to edification natural decency forbids all confusion In our days some have such Schismatical Phrases Notions and Doctrines in Preaching Praying and Praising that a sober Christian cannot say Amen Some so zealous for Forms that nothing else must be a Prayer but the Lords Prayer as if because Cyprian calls it a Legitimate Form all others were spurious when 't is the Sense that is the Prayer and not the words which are differently set down in Luke from Mathew as Chemitius well observes Others are so vehement against all Forms that they would reduce all Devotion to an invisible Spirituality as if they had drop'd their Bodies and were crouded within the Vail into the Triumphant Quire of Spirits in Heaven But certainly while we are in the Body we ought to glorifie God with our Bodies as well as our Spirits and with our Tongues as the Bodies Instruments in publick Worship Verbo deus laudandus quia deus verbum says Lactan God was made Flesh to speak to us therefore we ought to speak to him Psal 16.9 the Tongue is Mans Glory as it differenceth us from Beasts so it make us Priests to God Rev. 1.6 to offer up our own and the dumb Creatures Sacrifices of Praise to God to him be Glory and Dominion for ever Amen 3. Another rate of this defect is the degenerating of Assemblies from their first Constitution and Plantation For these as all Bodies contracted defilements both in Ministers and People Formality hath over-run that Zeal Piety and Charity which formerly burned among them So that many Assemblies are run down so into the Spirit of the World that they differ little from Papists How have some Ministers been thrust in upon the Assemblies by a secular hand who never understood how to preach or pray a live Prayer and many Congregations full of such ignorance and prophaness that the Arches and Vaults in the Building give as good an Eccho as their dead Amens One comes in his Drink another pipeing hot out of their Wordly Businesses a Third in huffing Finery and Bravery to be gazed on another is heavy laden with Sleep and comes for a Nap. How can they that are not concerned for Gods Glory his Church his Word the pardon of their Sins nor think themselves beholden to God for Daily-Bread or that they need daily Grace say either Our Father or Amen with any Sense When either Ministers or People Drink and Swill and Swear and roar with one another at the Tavern all the Week and yet will be the most Vocal and Loud in their responsals on the Lords Day it turns Mens Stomacks and Consciences from publick expressions as something to rankly of Hypocritical Formality That with the wise Heathen in the Ship when a Company of wicked Persons cried and prayed hold your peace sad he least the Gods know you are here and so destroy us D. Laer. Roaring at the Ale-house and bellowing at the Church are both alike beastly and ugly to be heard 4. Worldly Peace Plenty and Prosperity dirty and dull the Wheels of the Soul so as Activity and Fervency are Bird-limed 'T is unreasonable yet too true that those Tenants who have the best Farms pay God his Rent worst When Christians were kept warm by the Zeal of their Persecutors they met in Caves and Woods with the hazard of their Lives they had a Zeal for God and the Gospel they heard and Prayed as for their lives and for the life of Religion it might be their last Sermon or Prayer they might joyn in and so they had a fervent hearty love for one another which made them not only seal their Prayers with warm Amens but they sealed one another also with an holy kiss not knowing whether they should ever see one anothers Faces again in the Flesh or no they fell on one anothers Necks and kissed at parting Rom. 16.16 another expression springing naturally from strong affection truly Christian in those times which if practised in this dirty Age would be perhaps proved as well as judged a piece of wretched carnality But their Flesh was kept under by poverty and persecutions so as such filthy tentations were burnt up by the love of God and each other And we have cause to fear God hath some such Irons in the Fire to fear of that dead yet proud Flesh which in these days is bred in the hearts of many professors In the mean time this Flesh hinders our very lips from closing in a sound Amen Use 2. This then informs us that if ever the Church recover primitive purity and fervency it must have such administrations as 1. The whole Worship of God must be in a known Tongue that so all may say Amen in the