condition of comprehending what is the breadth and length and depth and height of the love of Christ which passeth knowledge He doth not speak of a full or absolute comprehension of this love For this no Creature whatsoever how deeply and firmly soever rooted and grounded in love is capable of Yea the Apostle himself presently speaking of the love of Christ saith it passeth knowledge meaning that the compass or riches of this love are greater and more vast than to be fully estimated and computed by men yea or by any finite or created understanding whatsoever but he speaketh of such a comprehension or apprehension rather which the nature of man may by means and helps be advanced and carried up unto which is a comprehension comparatively I mean in respect of that narrow imperfect and obscure knowledge hereof which is generally found amongst the Saints themselves because the hearts of so few of them serve them to be at the costs and charges of that which is more raised and would do double the service of the other But first What doth he mean by being rooted and grounded in love Sect. 4 Secondly Why doth he require such a qualification as this a being rooted and grounded in love to put them into a capacity of comprehending the heights and depths and lengths and breadths thereof of the love of Christ I suppose these dimensions here spoken of do denote four special things considerable in the mystery of the love of Christ First The breadth of it I conceive imports the extent of the love of Christ as it is held forth and declared in the Gospel in reference to the Persons to whom it is vouchsafed and born As concerning this dimension the breadth or extent of it he had a little before viz. in the former part of this Chapter and all along the second taught them that it was Commensurable unto the World and that it did not contain it self within the bounds of the Jewish Nation but dilated and spread it self over the whole World and rejoyced over all the Nations of the Earth Secondly The length of it seems to note the duration of it which reacheth from Eternity to Eternity or in the Scripture expression from Everlasting to Everlasting It was conceived in his breast of old before the Foundations of the World were laid from thence it brake forth and discovered itself in time and now it runs along and hath continued in and with the World and will continue together with the glorious fruits and effects of it to Eternity Thirdly The depth of this love may point at either the great and most profound Condescention whereunto Christ was drawn by it for the benefit of men as when he stooped from the height of all glory in the highest Heavens to seek for a lost World in the heart or lower parts of the Earth having undergone by the way a most dolorous painful and ignominious death or else at the peculiar manner of the efficacy or working of this love in that it wrought downwards even to the depth and bottom as it were of that misery wherein the World lay plunged and out of which there had been no redemption for it had not the love of Christ we speak of by its most adorable virtue strength and vigour made its way to it and wrought the Cure Fourthly and lastly By the height of this love the Apostle questionless signifieth either the lifting up and magnifying of it self over and above the high misdemeanours and provocations of the World by which it was not turned out of its way nor so much as put to the least stand Or else the efficacious and successful tendency of it to raise the blessedness of those that should reap the fruits of it exceeding high Now to put you into a capacity to comprehend these dimensions of the love of Christ to comprehend them I say as they may be comprehended by you to your unspeakable comfort and joy you must be rooted and grounded in love But what is it to be rooted and grounded in love For this was the former question propounded I answer Some by the love here spoken of wherein the Apostle requests of God that they might be rooted and grounded understand the love of God that is that love which God beareth unto mankind and expresseth in the Gospel But though it be good to be rooted and grounded in this love yet is not this the meaning of the Holy Ghost here As for other reasons so more especially for this That this love is upon the matter and for substance the same thing which he would have them to be in a capacity of comprehending For the love of God and of Christ are in effect the same Now to be rooted and grounded in any love whatsoever cannot be said to be a means to make us able to comprehend in the sense lately declared the same love Because it must thus be comprehended before we can be rooted and grounded in it Therefore doubtless the love here spoken of is that affection of love which is or ought to be in men whether towards God or towards man or both though I judge it best to understand it of both But what is it to be rooted in this love Rooting in a tree implies a kind of conveying working or infinuating it self into the Earth by those parts of it which we call the root which are given unto it by God in Nature for that end and purpose By this means it comes to have a kind of firm footing and standing in the earth where also being once rooted it grows Now to be rooted in love seems to import some such thing as this Namely that a man hath by the use of his Reason Judgment Understanding and Conscience faculties and powers given unto him for this and such like purposes as it were conveyed himself into the midst of such Reasons Motives and Arguments whereof there are plenty in the Scriptures yea and many in the book of Nature and Conscience also which are effectual and proper to fill him heart and soul with these affections of love to God and men Many there are that may be said in a sense and that according to truth to love God and to love men that yet are not rooted and grounded in this affection Either they have conceived or taken hold of some light thoughts perswading them to the love of God and men or convincing them of their duty in this kind Or it may be there being in men a kind of natural love to God as in Children to their Parents they are under some impressions of this affection But then a person man or woman may properly be said to be rooted and grounded in love when they have considered over and over and throughly beaten their hearts and souls and consciences with such considerations and motives which are as natural and proper not only to provoke and ingage them to love both God and men but also to continue resolute and firm in
this affection as the Earth is to give unto the Trees fixedness and fastness of standing where its place at present is of standing when it hath once shot its roots into it and wrapped them about the stones of it as Job 8.17 When a tree is thus rooted it will bear a strong gust of wind without being borne down or overturned by it So when a man hath had his soul judgment and conscience much exercised with interessed and ingaged in when he hath throughly pondered and kindly digested those great and blessed truths which have a kind of imperious and commanding influence upon men to cause them to love God and men he will become one spirit with this heavenly affection and so as it were incorporated in soul with it that the strength of death it self will hardly be able to separate him from it much less is he in any great danger of being overcome by other temptations For the other Metaphor of being grounded or rather as the word signifies founded in love this I conceive notes the constant exercise or practice of the affection as the former of rooting pointed at the method or means of introducing and setting it in the soul And as an house or building for from these it is borrowed stands firm and fast upon its foundation and is not removed of and on at any time So he prayes for the Ephesians That in order to the end mentioned they may be and continue as uniform and constant in shewing love both unto God and men as well in doings as in sufferings without interruption or declining at any time But to come to the latter Question propounded how Sect. 5 or why a being rooted and grounded in love should make men capable or able to comprehend the love of Christ in the four Dimensions specified There are two things to be considered in the business First Love is of a dilating and enlarging nature it opens the heart to a greater wideness and makes it capacious to receive many things which otherwise it would not Charity or Love 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Apostle believeth all things hopeth all things 1 Cor. 13.7 meaning that it disposeth and inclineth men to believe and hope the best in all things concerning others viz. where there is no apparent ground to judge otherwise Whilst the heart of a man is destitute of the love of God and men it is scant and narrow and as it were clung together there is no room in it for things of any great extent or compass to be received or entertained there Men that love none but themselves their hearts are shut up against God and men and they think that all other hearts are so likewise Whereas if a man be sensible that he himself hath a large heart can do and suffer thus and thus can spend and be spent upon the Service of God and the Generation of men round about him such a man will be ready to say of others it may very well be that they likewise are the same or rather greater in goodness with my self That men find themselves inclined by nature to give good things unto their Children that ask them is as Christ plainly intimateth Mat. 7.11 a rise and advantage unto their Faith to believe that God much more is ready and willing to give good things unto those that shall by prayer ask them of him Therefore when a man shall find his heart drawn out in this heavenly affection of Love far beyond his Children even unto God his Father and unto all his Brethren descending from the same Progenitors and partakers of the same flesh and bloud with him and shall for some space of time have had the experience of the real genuine and constant working of this affection in him this must needs facilitate and prepare the way of his Faith throughly to believe all that immense love which Christ bare and yet beareth unto the World as it is held forth and asserted in the Gospel And this is in the Apostles Phrase before us to comprehend the love of Christ in all the Dimensions of it This then is one Consideration in which to be rooted and grounded in love must needs be conceived to enable men to the said comprehension Or else another thing may be that God considering how highly he doth honour and prize this heavenly affection of Love where he findeth it how greatly he delighteth in it in his Creature therefore hath reserved such a great and excellent reward as that comprehension we speak of to stir up the hearts of men to desire and possess themselves of it And haply this may be the meaning 1 Cor. 2.9 As it is written eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him The place hath formerly been understood as if it were meant of the enjoyments in Heaven but now men more generally and more truly understand that by the things here spoken of are meant the hidden and secret things of the Gospel the several strains and contrivances of the manifold wisdom and counsel of the righteousness and love of God that are couched there Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things c. Some understand the heart of a natural man or of a person not yet converted But I conceive he means as well the heart of a man converted but meanly and weakly furnished with the Love of God as unconverted God is said to have prepared in the Gospel things of most rare and wonderful consideration for those that love him meaning those that love him like himself that love him as Peter speaketh with a pure heart fervently because he reserveth for and intendeth the discovery and revelation of His most wise and profound Counsels here unto such persons judging them the only meet and worthily qualified subjects for such Communications Love and true Friendship are the most reasonable and equitable grounds of imparting secrets unto men according to that of our Saviour to his Disciples Henceforth I call you not Servants for the Servant knoweth not what his Master doth but I have called you Friends that is have dealt with you as with Friends knowing that you truly love me for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you Joh. 15.15 The Gospel consists of the plain and easie things of God and of the deep things of God as the Apostle distinguisheth 1 Cor. 3.10 Now the spirit of a man by the ordinary assistance only of the Spirit of God may search and comprehend the easie and plain things of God in the Gospel but it must be the Spirit of God which he is wont in special manner to give to those that obey him Acts 5.32 that is who express their love to him by obeying him Joh. 14.21.23 which Spirit is called the Spirit of Revelation Eph. 1.17 that searcheth that enableth men to
search and dive into the deep things of God in the Gospel which deep things are very emphatically and significantly expressed by what the eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor have entred into the heart of man c. meaning that they are things so transcendently wonderful for the excellency and ravishing import of them that nothing like unto them in such a consideration ever came within the apprehension either of any of the senses or of the understanding or imagination or discoveries of men Amongst the deep things of God there are none deeper or more profoundly wonderful none more remote from the ordinary thoughts and apprehensions of men than the dimensions of the love of Christ specified the breadth and length and depth and height of this love Now as God is said to have prepared things of so mysterious and glorious an import to impart in a way of friendship or friendly retribution unto those that love him so doubtless he is more free and large-hearted in these Communications unto those that are rooted and grounded in this affection that is who have expressed most love to him and hereupon are most likely to continue herein unto the end Thus then we see that men are not like ever to know what the rich and glorious Consolations of the Gospel mean unless they take a regular and due course to interess themselves in so high a priviledge and more particularly unless they shall be rooted and grounded in love as hath been shewed The third and last particular of the three mentioned Sect. 6 was this that they who are not children of the richest and highest Consolations of the Gospel are not in any competent posture or worthy capacity for shewing forth the vertues or lovely things of God which yet is every man's duty to do as hath been declared For the proof of this it is to be considered First That a competent posture as I call it or richness of capacity for any worthy service or employment especially relating unto God requireth these two things First That a mans heart be full of the work that he hath a strong propension to be active in it Secondly This is required also that he hath skill or strength dexterity and abilities otherwise for the worthy and due performance of it For if either of these be wanting viz. either a good will to the service or else skill and dexterity to manage it the work will suffer either in the performance or by the non-performance of it First It is clear that no man's heart will be full of the service we speak of unless the strength of the Gospel-Consolations hath taken his heart kindly and made it in a sense like unto the heart of God himself Secondly As evident likewise it is that he that hath not been made drunk with the New Wine of the Gospel that hath not drank deep of the sweet and rich Consolations of it must needs be defective in point of dexterity and skill how to manage such a work For first That the heart of a man will never be full of the excellency of the work or service unless it hath had intimate and familiar converse with those rich Consolations of the Gospel we may conceive upon this account Such a frame and temper of heart and soul as we now speak of that is carried out with strength of desire to be shewing forth the vertues of God in the World cannot reasonably but be supposed and judged such a frame and complexion of soul which is morally distant by many degrees from that which we call though not so truly or properly the natural frame of it or that frame which at first commonly it worketh or reduceth it self unto For take the heart of a man in the natural frame and temper of it that is wherein it was found before the Gospel came at it and made an alteration in it and compare it with the frame of the heart we now speak of the distance between them will be found as great as that betwixt Heaven and Earth the heart before the Gospel touched it was a dull heart full of it self of its own thoughts of its own interest of its own lusts no thought stirring or moving in it of the least contriving or intendment to bestead the name of the great God of Heaven and Earth upon such terms not the least impulse or inclination to bring forth the vertues and heavenly things of God into the World The Soul until it be Evangelically inspired is at as great a distance from such a constitution or frame wherein it should be active for God and zealously addicted to the declaring of his Name unto the World as lightly can be imagined Now then consider that as the Heavens and the Earth being at so great a distance the one from the other and so fixed to their respective Centers as they are can never greet or kiss one another nor touch one another nor ever change places or situation but it must be by a strong and mighty and out-stretched arm So likewise in case we shall suppose so great and wonderful an alteration in the heart and spirit of a man that whereas it was full of it self and no place found in it for any thought concerning God for the magnifying of him or for the doing any great thing for him it is now altered and changed in such a strange manner that it comes to be filled to the brim with zeal for the glory of God and with a desire to have him great in the World and to have his Name exalted upon a high Throne amongst men this change I say must needs be supposed to be brought to pass by the intervening of some means or other of an admirable and transcendent vertue of such an efficiency which is proper and likely to effect it This must of necessity be supposed For Reason will not endure to think of Effects brought to pass without proportionable Causes great Effects without great and weighty Causes answerable unto them Now the change of the heart mentioned being so wonderful and incredible a change it is next to that which is impossible to conceive or for the understanding of Men or Angels to imagine how such a Change as this should be brought to pass as namely that a man should be wholly driven out of himself and out of his own heart and soul that all his foolish and unworthy desires to advance and seek himself should be cast out of him And that desires of glorifying God in the World like unto himself should spring up in their stead Nothing I say lightly imaginable that should alter the property of the heart of a man upon such terms as these but the soul-ravishing Consolations of the Gospel and that joy in the Holy Ghost which is unspeakable and full of glory These being all spirit and life and of an heavenly activity are a means rationally promising even as great and strange a turn in the soul of a man as this As
we speak of to qualifie them for the high places in the World to come is of easie demonstration and proof both from the Scripture and otherwise Be you therefore perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect Mat. 5.48 It might be translated more emphatically you shall therefore be perfect for so the Future Tense in the Indicative Mood is many times used instead of the Imperative only with the greater seriousness and weight As he that enjoyneth or commandeth when he would signifie and express his authority to the height he doth not simply say unto him that he would have him to do a thing do this or that but he saith unto him you shall do it or you must do it So here You shall be perfect as your Father which is in heaven is perfect as if he should say I impose it upon you as a matter of soveraign concernment both unto me and to your selves that you give out your selves to the utmost in striving to imitate the perfection of your heavenly Father and to be as absolute in all things appertaining unto you to do as he is in all things that are honourable and proper for so great a Majestie to do you must not indulge the Flesh nor be careless or loose hearted in observing this my charge which I lay upon you but endeavour with all your might to express all the goodness and sweetness and excellency in every kind which you see in your Heavenly Father Your consciencious submission unto this my Command will both honour me highly as you are my Disciples and I your Lord and Master and will make your faces also to shine in glory above theirs who shall be more remiss or negligent in obeying it Therefore if you regard me or your selves you must remember it And so of Mar. 10.21 to the young man that came to him to know what he should do to inherit eternal life If saith Christ thou wilt be perfect go and sell all that thou hast and give unto the poor and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven Surely our Saviours meaning was not to leave the young man at liberty whether he would be perfect yea or no whether he would be a complete Christian and Disciple of his own but rather to impose this by way of Command upon him Certainly Christ did not tolerate or allow any man in any imperfection He is indeed very graciously and mercifully indulgent unto men in pardoning many weaknesses and imperfections but yet he never so hideth them as not to let them understand that they fall short of what they ought to do or to reprove them for it Again 2 Cor. 13.4 11. This also we wish even your perfection So that perfection that is compleatness in all the Will of God as the Apostle somewhere expresseth it is nothing but what is matter of duty imposed upon all Saints There is no fear in love but perfect love saith the Apostle 1 Joh. 4.18 casteth out fear By the way perfection in love argueth perfection in every thing besides for love is said to be the keeping or fulfilling of the whole Law But why should he say there is no fear in love The meaning questionless is not That there is no fear mingled with the affection of Love or that fear was not any part or ingredient in it These are too flat Notions for the Holy Ghost No but there is no fear in Love that is with Love * The Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in is frequently used for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with so that where Love hath place proportionably to the degree of it there is no fear that is there is no reasonable occasion much less any necessity of fear viz. That God is a man's enemy Love doth not admit I mean if the nature and genius of it be duly considered and consulted it incourageth all those that have it not to admit so much as a disposition of fear in the same lodging with it But saith he perfect Love that is Love when it is sincere and cometh to any perfection to any considerable maturity and strength that it beginneth to fill the soul of a man and commandeth all things to be done which the nature of Love requireth now it casts out and dischargeth the heart and soul of such a troublesome and fad Companion as Fear is he speaketh of Fear that hath torment or pain or rather punishment as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth meaning for sin in it It is a certain sign that he that feareth that is that feareth wrath and vengeance and destruction from God is not perfect in Love towards God but his Love is maimed and weak and acteth at a low rate Now when a man's Love is thus broken it is not of sufficient authority and power to do the execution we speak of but Fears and Jealousies of God's displeasure will keep possession in the same heart with it and will be ever and anon â—nsulting over it But saith he being made perfect and grown to any strength that it filleth the soul now it throweth off all such fears The reason in a word why or the manner how Love casteth out the fear specified when perfect may be thus conceived A man when he loveth God perfectly with an intireness and throughness of affection he cannot lightly but know that he doth love him A man can hardly carry fire in his besome and not know it But when his Love acteth brokenly and is at many defaults in the course of it as if it had a miscarrying womb now a man is apt to suspect whether indeed he doth really and truly love him or not because they that love him not may now and then by fits and by starts as we use to say and in a good mood quit themselves both in words and in deeds like unto those who do truly and unfeignedly love him Yea those many things which Herod did at the preaching of John were such a kind of fruit which the true love of God oft-times beareth Now when a man cometh to reflect upon himself as one that truly and unquestionably loveth God it is not likely that he should be jealous whether God loveth him or no only supposing that he certainly knoweth and believeth that God knoweth as well nay much better than himself that he loveth him Men loving themselves and their own welfare and peace cannot so far destroy nature out of them as to seek the prejudice or ruine of those whom they certainly know to be their fast and faithful Friends Nor can the Judgments or Consciences of persons that know least of God be so far ignorant or misprizant of him as to think that he intends the misery or destruction of any of those whom he most infallibly knows to be with their whole hearts and souls devoted in love unto him and to his glory But this by the way to give a little light to a Scripture of most rich and precious importance to those that either desire
their souls is effectually declared and held forth and betake themselves unto that which will feed their fansies with vain and windy speculations and conceipts and let their Lusts be quiet and not disturbe them The great Apostle Paul Prophesyed long ago 2 Tim. 4.2 3 4. where having most solemnly charged and adjured Timothy before God and the Lord Jesus Christ reminding him that it was he that should judge both the quick and the dead at his appearing and Kingdom That he preach the Word that he be instant in season and out of season that he rebuke reprove exhort with all long suffering and Doctrine He subjoyneth this as his reason why he did thus deeply adjure and importune him to lay about him in the work of the Ministry For saith he the time will come when they i e. men and women will not endure sound Doctrine but after their own or according to their proper or private Lusts shall heap to themselves Teachers having itching ears and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto Fables the time will come that they will not endure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctrine that is healthful and sound i. e. such a Ministry which is likely and proper to keep them spiritually healthful and sound free from lusts and from sinful dispositions and desires from erronious and fond conceipts and imaginations which do corrupt and endanger the spiritual constitution and frame of the soul as well as lusts and inordinate desires themselves do Such a Ministery as this saith the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they will not bear or endure it will be after a time irksome wearisome and burthensome unto them as a burthen is to a tender or crazie shoulder when it hath lain upon it long and been carried any considerable way he that beareth it will as soon as he can ease himself of it Now the persons of whom he thus Prophesyeth that the time would come that they would not endure wholsome Doctrine are not only the Professours of Christianity in that Generation wherein he wrote this but he speaketh here of a sad distemper which he knew would be incident to Professours in succeeding Ages also For there is no reason that Christians or Professours of the Gospel in Paul's time should be worse or weaker at this turn more apt I mean in time to grow weary and impatient of sound Doctrine and to heap up Teachers according to their own humours and lusts than in after Generations Nay of the two it is more like that Professours generally in his time should be less obnoxious or exposed unto danger in this kind than in after Ages because the Ministry of the Gospel now reigned in greater power and glory than afterwards and so was more efficacious and likely to engage men and women unto it and to the love of the truth delivered and asserted in it with constancy and perseverance Therefore if Professours under this Ministry were like to miscarry and expose themselves to ruine in such a way as we speak of much more now The reason why Professours of Religion Sect. 4 after they have lived some considerable time under a Ministry able and faithful and sound are notwithstanding in time apt to withdraw from this Ministry I mean from this species or kind of it by what person or persons soever it be exercised and betake themselves to a Ministry of another kind which standeth in airy Notions and windy Speculations in uncouth and unheard-of Strains whether of Phrase or Doctrine or both c. the reason I say or reasons why men and women are apt to exchange Ministry for Ministry in this kind are or probably may be these First The nature of man especially when it falls in conjunction with opportunity and time apt either to awaken or feed such a disposition or humour is apt to be tempted with curiosity I do not say that in such a conjunction it is alwaies overcome with this sinful vanity no nor yet that it is actually so much as tempted by it but this I say That in such a conjunction of Circumstances as I speak of it is apt or obnoxious to be thus tempted and by means of the temptation to be overcome Now that which is incident to the nature a man in such or such cases though it be not found in all men whose case is so or so yet it is very like to be found in many and this is that which we now assign for a reason why many Professours who have for a time and this it may be with approbation and delight sate under a fruitful and worthy Ministry yet may grow after a while out of love and liking of this Ministry when a Ministry of another kind which vaunteth things above what is written and which haply hath as the Apostle speaks in a like case a shew of wisdom in it and no more cometh in their way Curiosity is such a distemper in the heart or soul of a man or women which disposeth it to linger and lust after things that are rare and which we know are enjoyed but by few and withal are unnecessary and yield no benefit unto those that know and enjoy them but rather are prejudicial and hurtful unto them for if the knowledge and enjoyment of things be really necessary and profitable all things considered the desire of knowing or enjoying them is no waies sinful and consequently not favouring of Curiosity but regular and approved by God But when men and women in matters of Religion and things appertaining to God shall by degrees decline and wither in their affections towards the hearing of such things which are wholsome and sound and edifying in faith and love and shall affect a knowing of spiritual things higher and more mysterious and secret than those which are written and communicated by God unto the World in and by the Scriptures and shall delight in the discourses of such men who as the Apostle describeth them Col. 2.18 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intruding themselves into those things they had not seen i. e. boldly thrusting themselves forward to teach and affirm such things of the truth and certainty whereof they have no substantial ground or bottom this savours strongly of that sinful distemper of the soul which we call Curiosity Secondly Sect. 5 Another reason of that sad miscarriage we speak of in Professors may be an affectation of novelty or of change When men and women have for any considerable space of time been acquainted with or accustomed unto things or persons though never so profitable and worthy yea and pleasing and contentful unto them at the first their affections after a while are apt to wear flat and dull to abate and lose their first vigour and strength in which case they are under a temptation to seek new Objects and this Temptation nor being rejected nor resisted as it ought to be prevaileth over many Thus Christ challengeth the Jews as rejoycing Joh. 5.35
to the Creature in a lower sense Thirdly It is here said that the love of God when it is perfect in the sense declared casteth out fear meaning that the Genius or property of this holy and heavenly affection is to work or cast our fear viz. that kind of fear which hath pain or torment in it as he presently expresseth himself perfect love casteth out fear viz. when it is set on work and imployed accordingly for no passion or affection in man acteth or moveth but only upon some apprehensions or other answerable to that affection especially spiritual affections or affections when spiritualized and as such do not produce the effects that are most natural and proper to them but by the mediation and engagement of the understanding The reason hereof seems to be because such affections as these are not natural unto men but are as it were grafted and implanted upon or into their natures by the Spirit of God associating himself in the work by means whereof their effects and consequents especially some of the richest and choicest and most excellent of them are like strangers unto them they cannot be produced by the affections themselves but by the intervening of the Reasons and Judgments and Understandings of men consulting with the Scriptures or Word of God Now where such affections take place in men the affection is ready to produce the fruit that is natural and proper to it so that when it is said Perfect love casteth out fear it doth not import that this is alwaies done but only that it may be done that there is that in the nature of love that is sufficient and proper to do it We lately gave you this Rule that Verba agendi quandoque naturam seu vim tantùm innuunt Verbs properly signifying action many times only declare the natures and properties of things and what they are able apt and likely to do as when the Apostle saith that knowledge puffeth up but charity or love edifieth 1 Cor. 8.1 the meaning is not that knowledge alwaies puffeth up but only it importeth that there is a kind of property in knowledge which is apt to puff up And so when he saith Charity edifieth the meaning is not that this grace is alwaies working thus but it only declares the genius of this famous grace viz. That it is apt to provoke men and women to seek for their spiritual enriâ—hing with the light and knowledge of God So here Perfect love casteth out fear i. e. it is the nature and property of love to cast fear out of the heart viz. when it is grown perfect in the sense lately declared If it be here demanded Sect. 12 but if it be the nature or property of love to cast out fear Why is the effect here appropriate unto perfect love and not rather unto love simply in what degree soever Things that are essential to the nature of things are not suspended upon their degrees To this I reply if the act or effect here spoken of the casting out of fear did proceed simply and solely from love let the degree of it be what it will doubtless love in the lowest degree of it as well as in that perfection or strength here required would do the service But as in another case faith is said to act or work by love so in the case in hand Love in casting out fear worketh by knowledge As thus a man must not simply love God but he must know he loveth God for otherwise our love to God will not be found to have such power to cast out fear as a Sun-Dial the use and end of it being to shew the time of the day yet will do nothing in this kind but only when the Sun shineth upon it So it is in this case if the love of God be in the heart of man yet if it be not shined upon by the understanding and so have strength and vigour added to it it will be insignificant and do nothing towards the casting out of fear Or as the Well of water near Hagar Gen. 21.19 did not refresh her nor minister any hope of life until she knew where it was So likewise is it with the love of God if it lieth unknown to the mind of a man it will be as if it were asleep it will not stir nor do any thing that is worthy of it If a man or woman who loves God but a little yet really and truly could certainly know that they do thus love him this lower degree of this affection would cast out fear So that the reason why this great effect of casting out fear is appropriated to love when it is perfect is because usually it is not nay it very hardly can be known but only where it sheweth it self like the Sun in the Firmament of Heaven otherwise a man will be alwaies questioning whether he love God yea or no. Now when a man cannot be thoroughly satisfied that he loves God it cannot be that his love should cast out fear But if he have the knowledge that he loveth God this love of God though but small would cast out fear as well as the other which is perfect If it be further demanded But why should love though perfect cast out fear What is there or what may there be conceived to be in the nature of it that should have that kind of antipathy against fear so as to remove and not to suffer it to abide in the heart and soul I answer The reason of this effect as proceeding from love is to be found as well in the nature of that fear which is cast out by it as in love it self or the nature hereof For it is not the property of love to cast out every thing else as well as fear Therefore the Reason at least somewhat of the reason why it worketh here by way of antipathy doth depend upon the nature and genius of this fear and the reason here given of this effect of love is in reference only to the nature of fear Perfect love saith he casteth out fear because fear hath Torment so that it is that fear which is apt to offend grieve disquiet and discourage the hearts of men that is cast out by perfect love But why should that fear which hath this property in it namely to torment give an opportunity to love to throw it out of the hearts of men The Reason hereof again is because the love of God is a grace of such high acceptation with God and renders those wherever it is found Friends of God and God is not willing that any of his Friends any of those that love him should taste any thing that is grievous or obstructive unto their peace and therefore he hath given perfect love this property he hath put enmity between this principle of love in men and between whatsoever doth pain or trouble or torment them and whatsoever it hath of this kind of property to discharge all fear that hath torment in
generally will never look into their hearts nor reflect seriously or to any purpose upon themselves till they be some way or other amused and struck with admiration If we shall not reduce the World to some such pass as to marvel and to wonder and to think strange of us what manner of persons we are or what we mean or whence we have our Principles c. we shall never come at the dull hearts and at the sleepy Consciences of worldly and carnal men They must see signs and wonders of Righteousness Goodness and Humility Love Patience Meekness and other like Christian Vertues whereof they are capable Otherwise they will think themselves excusable in their not believing So then this is a third reason of the Doctrine Without being filled with the Spirit we are never like to be any great Benefactors to the World CHAP. V. The fourth Reason of the Doctrine propounded and argued Men are not capable of receiving the rich Consolations of the Gospel unless they be filled with the Spirit 1 Pet. 2.9 in part opened So Heb. 6.17 18. Eph. 3.17 19. 1 Pet. 1.8 Eph. 1.18 Jam. 2.13 Prov. 19.16 Acts 17.28 Mar. 4.5 and 6.16 Sect. 1 The fourth Reason It is therefore a duty lying upon every man and woman especially upon those who pretend to the honour of the high Calling of Saints to be filled with the Spirit of God because otherwise they will be in no capacity to receive from the hand of God and to be filled with those rich and strong Consolations during their abode here in the World which God hath provided for them in the Gospel And which he will actually confer upon all those that shall be found meet to receive them In this reason as in the former we suppose one thing and affirm another The thing we suppose and take for granted as not questioning the truth of it Yet for the satisfaction of those who possibly may question it we shall a little put to the consideration The thing is this I mean that which the reason supposeth viz. That it is every mans duty and more especially every Believers to desire and seek after part and fellowship not only in the Consolations of the Gospel but in the highest and richest Consolations which the Gospel administreth or which are attainable by means of it Upon what account this is or may be a duty will appear presently by inquiring into it But that which we affirm in the Reason is this That without being filled with the Spirit of God we are not meet Subjects nor Vessels regularly prepared to be filled with the strong and excellent Consolations of the Gospel For the former of these the thing supposed That it is every mans duty and more especially the duty of all that look upon themselves or are looked upon by others as Believers to thirst after the sweetest and richest waters of life that the heavenly Fountain the Gospel from any place or vent of it one or more sendeth forth and to break through all impediments all difficulties to come at them is evident enough upon this ground viz. That we all stand bound to declare and testifie unto the World and this as well by deeds or real demonstrations as by words or verbal account or assertion the unsearchable riches of the grace and great bountifulness of God towards the Children of men in this present world as well as in that which is to come 1 Pet. 2.9 But we are a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People Why all this To shew forth the praises or vertues or as the Etymology of the word imports the pleasing or lovely things of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light c. That you may shew forth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies to speak out or declare aloud so that all may hear that your sound may go forth into all the World Now when he minds them that they are a chosen Generation a Royal Priesthood c. that they should throughly and effectually shew forth the vertues of God He plainly sheweth that it was Gods intent in honouring and enabling them in making them Kings and Priests and Princes by the Gospel to put them into a way or capacity of informing the World upon terms of the best advantage as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth to shew or declare out imports to make known unto the World what manner of God he is how abounding in all excellent desirable and delightful properties and dispositions and with whatever else is likely to commend him and his service and waies unto his Creatures the Children of men Now if God desires such a thing as this casting such a Spirit of Glory upon men by the Gospel in making them a separate and choice people that they should thus publish and proclaim all that which is excellent and glorious in him certainly it is their duty to do it and this upon the most worthy terms they know how and consequently to enlarge their Capacities to the utmost that they may do it effectually that they may do it with authority and power Yea if it be possible to the astonishment and holy amazement of the World round about them This certainly is the duty of men to contrive and cast about how they may recover or gain the best ground of advantage for the performance of such a service as this is unto God So then this is that which we said that all that claim the dignity of Saintship especially stand bound by vertue of this claim above other men to steer such a course to use such means that they may be Children of the richest and most glorious Consolations of the Gospel because otherwise they will stand upon a lower and less advantageous ground for the service they will be but in an under capacity to make known unto the World the things that God hath prepared for them that love him they will not be able to publish them without some detriment and loss of their transcendent worth and excellency which inconvenience they might in a great measure at least have prevented by the course mentioned For first the Consolations administred by the Gospel take them in their height and strength where they rise highest they are very glorious unspeakably glorious Secondly Such persons who do not provoke and stir up themselves mightily that do not lift up their hearts to such means which are proper to obtain them are not likely to obtain them Thirdly and lastly they that are not possessed of them that do not enjoy them are in no better posture to shew forth the vertues or lovely things of God like themselves and as they might and ought to shew them than Zatheus by reason of the Iowness of his stature was to see Christ in a great throng and press of people until he climed up into the Sycamore tree Luke 19.3 So long as men have their Vessels only washed
with the water of life and not filled up to the brim they will never be upon such terms of advantage to do that great Service for God whereunto the Law of their high and heavenly calling obligeth them First That the Consolations of the Gospel Sect. 2 especially where they have most of God and of the Gospel in them are very rich and glorious need not be any mans doubt or question if he considers a little what the Holy Ghost speaketh of them in the Gospel Wherein God saith the Apostle willing more abundantly to shew the Heirs of the Promise the immutability of his Counsel confirmed it by an Oath that by two immutable things by which it was impossible for God to lye we might have valid or strong Consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us Heb. 6.17 18. We see God hath raised the Pin of the Gospel to such a height that it is not only able to furnish men and women with a good proportion of comfort and peace but he hath put so much of himself of his grace and love bounty and magnificence into it that it powreth out unto men abundantly of the highest and strongest Consolations although there be very few that understand how or where to hold their hearts that these pourings out of the Gospel may run or fall into them Now the Consolation which is strong and potent indeed is able not only to suppress and subdue its enemies discouragements doubts fears c. and withal to maintain it self in peace against them but also to discourage as it were and dishearten these Enemies from ever attempting any thing against it For he properly is strong whose strength being known maketh an enemy to have no mind to meddle with him but causeth him to fear to rise up in opposition against him by means whereof be enjoyes himself with little or no trouble or disturbance Such is the Consolation of the Gospel and is accordingly found by men when it is received in the power and glory of it It is not only able to suppress and keep under fears and doubtings and sad apprehensions in every kind which are enemeies to it But to enjoy it self in fulness of peace and security without any danger of being infested or annoyed by them This is the height of the Consolation of the Gospel he that is baptized into the Spirit of it enjoyeth himself with a divine security in the frailty of a weak and mortal man To this we may add that of Peter 1 Pet. 1.8 Whom having not seen ye love in whom though now ye see him not yet believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory Now in telling them that believing they rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory I suppose his meaning was not that they did now at this time actually enjoyce at the rate he speaks of however at other times they may be pensive and said But that they were in such a state or condition and had such a Gospel preach'd known and believed amongst them whereby they might and ought to rejoyce habitually and as oft as they should set their hearts about it For in Scripture Phrase Persons many times are said to do that not only which they actually or at present do but which they may or have opportunity and means and are like to do And sometimes it speaketh of men as doing that which is their duty and what they ought to do whether they actually and indeed do it or no. Thus Rom. 1.21 it is said of the Heathens when they knew God that is when they had opportunity and means to know him they stood upon account to him as men that did know God so that if they did not walk and act and glorifie him as became men and women that did really and truly know God they were as deep in condemnation as such persons would be who did know him and yet refuse or neglect to glorifie him So 1 Joh. 4.2 Hereby know ye 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Spirit of God c. that is you may at any time know and discern this Spirit Thus Rom. 13.3 Rulers are said to be not a terrour to good works but to the evil not that they are actually or alwaies are either the one or other I mean no terrour to good works but unto evil too frequent experience proves the contrary viz. That they are a terrour to good works and not to evil but because they ought to be so so Verse 8. they are said to attend continually upon this very thing the Service of God in the due execution of their places not that they do thus attend but because the Law of their Institution binds them unto it they ought to attend continually hereupon This kind of expression occurs frequently in the Scripture We might add that of our Saviour Joh. 10.10 I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly I am come upon such terms unto the World and have brought along with me such a Gospel out of the bosome of my Father and opened unto men such Counsels and gracious intendments of his touching his love and favour and that affection towards the world that they may have life in what measure or proportion they please They may have life that is comfort and peace joy happiness c. for life in Scripture frequently imports a being with much contentment death the contrary more abundantly viz. than ever they will seek or endeavour to have and enjoy or more abundantly that is that they may have it with all the variety of pleasures and delights they can desire So likewise Luke 1.14 That he would grant to us that being delivered out of the hands of our enemies we might serve him without fear c. To serve God without fear my Brethren this also doth amount to matter of strong Consolation For what can a man or woman desire more for their comfort than to be exalted above fears sorrows troubles and every thing that is of a discouraging and disconsolating nature in or from the World The horn of Salvation is lift up to such an height in the Gospel that by beholding of it in its Elevation we may serve God without fear of any enemy or evil whatsoever and that not only for such a time day or year as when or whilst we are or may be extraordinarily acted or superacted by a spirit of joy but even all the daies of our lives This horn of Salvation is so raised in the Gospel that peace and joy may flow in the hearts and souls of men uniformly as a great River whose waters fail not Secondly We added this that they whose hearts do not serve them Sect. 3 to quit themselves like men indeed for obtaining that incomparable prize we speak of the first born of the Consolations of the Gospel are not like to obtain it It was the saying of an Heathen man Deus omnia labore vendit God
we see New Wine because of the spirit-fulness the heat and activeness of it being freely drank will make men that are of a slow speech or discourse backward and indisposed to much talk will make I say even these men to forget themselves and to pour out words apace after the manner of those that love as we say to hear themselves talk the pleasant vapour of the Wine over-coming with the warmth and heat of it the coldness of the Brain and so giving free motion unto the Tongue under such a provocation or encouragement as this even men that are naturally slow will speak and utter themselves at another manner of rate than ever they were known to do before Even so when the strong and high-spirited Consolations of the Gospel have once taken the head and the heart and soul of a man and seated themselves there they will soon alter and change the inward constitution and temper of the man So that whereas before he was dull and heavie yea and as dead unto God and could savour and relish nothing but his own things his own personal interest as his ease pleasure and the like Now he is as it were turned quite about and is all for God these Gospel Consolations when they are apprehended clearly in their strength and height and set to work in the soul accordingly then they are operative like unto themselves and have such a property and peculiarity of vertue in them so to affect the heart and soul that they will not be able to refrain or contain themselves but will be still speaking of their great and heavenly Benefactor When once they shall have received a strong sense and feeling of that abundant grace from him which the Gospel presenteth and tendereth unto the World and are possest of those matters of joy and high exaltation of spirit all the waters of this World will never be able to quench this flame but they will be ever and anon breaking forth against all oppositions of the Flesh and all carnal Interests whatsoever laughing all these to scorn and if it be possible they will lift up the Name of the Great God that hath done such great things for them that hath in effect prevented them with life and immortality already Secondly Sect. 7 Unless a person hath drunk liberally of the Consolations we speak of unless he be like a Prince in his spiritual estate and demesns and lives in high satisfaction of soul he will never be able to speak out like an Angel the vertues the pleasant and lovely things of his God he will never attain unto a lip of excellency for the service But the expressions of such a man whether by words or actions will be lean and starveling no waies Commensurable nor holding out with the Heights and Depths with the great and worthy things of God No man can discourse the Royal state and excellency of a King or Prince but an observant Courtier that hath had Communion with the grandeur and glory and goodly things belonging thereunto So a man that hath but lightly tasted of the grace goodness and bounty of God in the Gospel that hath alwaies kept in the valleys of the visions thereof and had Communion only with the rudiments and first beginnings of Evangelical knowledge can never be able to shew out the the vertues of God or bring them forth into a perfect light Something in this kind such a person possibly may do he may as it were whisper and stammer out in some broken manner somewhat of the transcendent excellencies of God And verily this is the length of such a mans arm he can lift up the Name of God no otherwise or upon no better terms in the World But now persons that have for a considerable space of time dwelt much in the upper Regions of the Gospel which border upon the third Heavens where life and immortality dwell as it were bodily persons that have with a clear eye of Faith seen the unsearchable riches of the grace of God in Christ and know not how to fear or whereof to be afraid being full of the love of God which casteth out fear they are the only men that are able to speak a Dialect proper to express those glorious things of God which are otherwise hard to be uttered especially unto the World being so dull of hearing in this kind the only men that know how to translate the vertues of God into such a Language whether by words or actions that the World may come to some reasonable and competent knowledge of them To this purpose the Apostle Peter admonished his scattered Saints to whom he writeth thus 1 Pet. 2.9 You are a Royal Priesthood that you should shew forth the praises of him that calleth you meaning that they were Evangelical Priests of a Royal and Princely Extraction and had withal spiritual or Evangelical Demesns and Revenues of joy peace and heavenly contentments answerable to both their great dignities of Kings and Priests Rev. 1.6 and that they had received these great things from God that hereby they might be fit and in a capacity to shew forth the vertues of God and of Jesus Christ that had called them out of darkness c. clearly implying That they which are not Royal that is royally spirited and so far from all servility and slavishness of spirit through fear are not in a condition to shew unto the World either their Creator or Redeemer in all their glory or like unto themselves It is the Prayer of David Psal 51.15 O Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise Now God hath no way or means at least none so proper to open any man's lips to a due wideness for the shewing forth of his praise as by causing him to know that by the bloud of Jesus Christ his Conseience is purged from dead works see Heb. 9.14 And thus we see the second thing also cleared that they that are not the Sons and Daughters of the richest and choisest Consolations of the Gospel are in no advantagious or worthy capacity to shew forth or make a declaration unto the World of the vertues or lovely things of God And if they shall attempt to do any thing in this kind they will do it to loss and disadvantage I mean comparatively in respect of what they might have done had they stood upon an higher ground of Gospel peace For otherwise in simple consideration it is most true which the Levites acknowledged Neh. 9.5 that the glorious Name of God excelleth or is exalted above all blessing and praise Consonant whereunto are these sayings of the Son of Sirach What power have we to praise him For he is above all his works Praise ye the Lord and magnifie him as much as ye can yet doth he far exceed c. Ecclus. 43.28.30 And thus we have done with the proof of that which was supposed and taken for granted in the Reason which was That it is every man's
duty and more especially the duty of every Believer to desire and seek after part and fellowship in the highest Consolations which the Gospel administreth and which are attainable by men thereby because without being baptized with such a baptism as this men will not be in that singular and signal capacity to shew forth the vertues or pleasant and lovely things of God which they ought to lift up their hearts and desires unto That which as we said is asserted plainly in the Reason Sect. 8 is that without being filled with the Spirit men and women will never be able to reach the Consolations of the Gospel where they run high and carry in them a strong savour of life and immortality Now for the opening and clearing of this unto you you are to take knowledge and consider that men and women may so go to work may stand upon such terms before God and the Gospel for many years together that according to the ordinary and settled course of Divine Providence in the World and the exigency of second causes they will not be like I mean whilst they continue in such a way to know what the Consolations of the Gospel in those veins of it in which they are most soveraign rich and glorious mean Yea the truth is considering the present experiment which persons of both Sexes generally give of themselves in the World there is scarce one of a City or two of a Tribe whose hearts do in any measure serve them to live up to such terms which are like to render them capable of eating the fat and drinking the sweet of the Gospel For First men that savour as the Scripture speaks the things which are of men and love this present World are not in any likely capacity but only upon the changing of the frame of their mind and of their course of life ever to know what is the hope of their Calling as the Apostle speaks either in respect of the ground of it what pregnant lively and abundantly satisfactory arguments and grounds there are why they should hope for and expect all the great things which the Gospel promiseth or else what is his hope in respect of the object of it how glorious excellent and wonderful these things are which are now hoped for and will be found of all those that shall with Faith and Patience wait upon God for them Men and women I say that stick fast with their minds and hearts in the mire and clay of this present World are never like to know what the hope of the Gospel-calling is in either consideration and consequently not to inherit or enjoy in this World the riches of the glory of the Gospel Consolations The Reasons hereof are many we shall hint only two First Because when the intellectual powers and faculties of the Soul are drunk up with worldly and sensual engagements or over-acted upon the things which are seen they become aukward indisposed and unserviceable for spiritual negotiations and imployments about heavenly things By such low and mean Converse as this they contract an habit of a kind of intellectual rudeness and disingeniousness by reason whereof they know not how to quit or behave themselves about more noble and high-born objects nor indeed care not much to have to do with them or come into their company Even as persons that have been alwaies bred and brought up inter sordes amongst rude and rustical people of course and rough behaviour cannot presently change their temper and disposition and so become capable of conversing orderly and according to the principles of Civility with persons of better quality and more refined carriage and by reason of a consciousness to themselves in this kind they avoid as much as well they may the company of such persons In like manner those divine discoveries made in the Gospel those veins of wisdom and of the knowledge of God there upon which I mean upon the apprehension of which the high raisings and liftings up in Evangelical Consolations of which we speak chiefly depend being of a very fine spinning very spiritual and remote from the common thoughts and apprehensions of men and much more from the thoughts of such minds and understandings which have accustomed themselves wholly in a manner to this Worlds affairs persons of this Character knowing that these things lie out of the way of their Genius and that they are not able to conceive of them with much contentment to themselves nor to speak of them with contentment unto others in these respects take little or no pleasure to enquire after them nor to engage themselves to any purpose in the study of them So then this is one reason why such persons who are over-intent and bent upon this present World are not like to ascend in spirit into the Region of light where the Consolations we speak of have their dwelling and are to be found viz. because by continual digging in the earth with their reasons apprehensions and understandings they make them blunt and dull and altogether unapt to take the Genuine and through impressions of such Gospel-notions wherein the riches of the comforts thereof are laid up as in a store-house Secondly Another Reason hereof is because as we lately heard the revelations and discoveries of these Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge that are hid in the Gospel in the understanding and clear apprehension whereof as we lately likewise shewed the strength of the said Consolations lye are made over or as we may speak safely enough and yet more plainly are promised by God by way of reward unto those that love him and proportionably the fuller measure of them to those that love him above the rate of his ordinary friends Now the Holy Ghost expresly informs us 1 Joh. 2.15 That if any man love the World the love of the Father is not in him Yea the Apostle James goeth somewhat further or at least speaketh more plainly affirming That the friendship of the World is enmity with God and that whosoever will be a friend unto the World is an enemy unto God James 4.4 If the love of the Father of God the Father be not in men the deep things of God in the Gospel such as eye hath not seen nor ear heard c. are not prepared or made ready to be communicated unto them nor indeed are they prepared or fit to receive and understand them This then in a word is another Reason why persons much addicted to this present World are not like to sit at the upper end of the Table which is spread with the Consolations of the Gospel Secondly Sect. 9 Neither are they like to taste of the Feast we speak of or be filled with the best and choycest of the comforts of the Gospel who are hard of bowels cruel unmerciful hard to forget and forgive injuries yea who have not eyes and hearts full of commiseration and of pity hearts well exercised with mercy For as mercy in the Apostle Jame's
in Mat. 20.16 Instances hereof might be given For Thirdly This very saying The first shall be last and the last first may be understood either in a more general and comprehensive sense as comprehending all kinds or any kind of priority together with the persons possest of or enjoying any priority in one kind or other and so lastness or worstness in estate or condition as well in one kind as another together with the persons reduced to any such condition or else in a more particular and restrained sense viz. importing only a firstness or precedency before others in matters of Religion and things appertaining unto God together with the persons invested at present with the priviledge of such a precedency and so a lastness opposite to such a priority or precedency together with the persons either prevented with or reduced to this lastness or poorness of condition Again admitting this restrained sense yet the meaning of the Saying may be either that the first in this sense shall or will prove so secure negligent and unworthy in their way that they will be cast behind those that sometimes were far behind them in their spiritual estate yet not so as wholly to Apostatize or make shipwrack of Faith or not to be saved in the end and so that they that were sometimes nothing or worse than nothing in things relating unto God shall before they die quit themselves at such a worthy rate of wisdom zeal and diligence in approving themselves unto God that they shall obtain a greater interest in his favour and love than those that had been highly interessed in these long before they began to look after them or else the meaning may be that those that were at first and for a time zealously forward in good waies will afterwards suffer themselves to be so enticed away from them by the World and by the Flesh as to make shipwrack of all and of Salvation it self at the last Whereas many who for a long time walked in the paths of Death and savoured not in the least the things of God shall at last lay hold as it were with both their hands on eternal life Besides the Proverbial Saying we speak of may be understood of Nations or greater Communities of People in their succeeding Ages and Generations as well as of particular or individual persons so as to import that such Nations Cities or Countries who embraced the true Worship and Service of God before others or with greater zeal and vigour of Profession many times after a while fall from their first love and suffer others other Cities or Countries even those who had been a long time without God in the World to take away their Crown And in this sense we find it used by our Saviour Luke 13.30 and applied to the National Apostacy and rejection of the Jews who alone for many Ages past of all the Nations on the earth had a zeal for the true God and professed his true Worship and to the gracious entertainment of the Gentiles by God for his people upon their free and cordial entertainment of the Gospel But Fourthly and lastly in which of the senses mentioned the Parable of the Penny which our engagement is to reconcile with the Point in hand the different advancement of the Saints in glory by God may be conceived to be the confirmation or illustration of it as by the consent of almost all Expositors it is and by the express tenour of the Context must needs be as hath already been proved and how it may be interpreted so as not to favour that equality of the Saints in glory which some maintain hath yet some difficulty in it Yea those Expositors who unanimously conclude that it holds no intelligence or correspondency with that opinion are yet much divided in their judgments about the carriage of it and the sense of several passages in it I shall not trouble you with the variety of their notions in this kind but briefly acquaint you with mine own and with what I judge most agreeable unto the truth First Sect. 5 I suppose the Parable in hand to be an Explication or proof of the Saying Many that are first shall be last c. taken in the more restrained sense of the two mentioned and that the tendency of it is to declare and shew that many who in matters of Religion and in priviledges depending hereon were in one sense or other viz. either in reality and truth or in their own opinion before others would yet be found at last far inferiour in both unto those in respect of whom they had formerly a signal preheminency in both and that these in the issue would have the Crown of their preheminence or precedency awarded and given unto them This I presume the express tenour of the Parable maketh manifest Secondly It is not to be questioned but that our Saviour in this Parable did overture and insinuate at least the rejection of the Jews plainly enough characterized by those that were first called into the Vineyard who only are said to have been hired by express Compact for a Penny a day and to have murmured against him that hired them for not valuing their work above theirs who were called into work after them and laboured not so long as they both symptomes of a Jewish temper together with the receiving of the Gentiles into grace and favour with God signified by those that were called into the Vineyard after the others though not all at the same time but some after others as we know the Gentiles in their respective Countries and Cities were called as likewise by their greater ingenuity and more Evangelical temper than were found in the other in that they did not indent with the Housholder God for any certain wages or hire but were content to refer themselves for their work and labour unto his good will and pleasure It was the manner of Christ rather to insinuate somewhat darkly and covertly unto the Jews their approaching rejection together with the calling of the Gentiles than to declare it openly or in plainness of words In the following Chapter Mat. 21.45 Luke 20.19 It is said that when the chief Priests and Pharisees had heard his Parables they perceived that he spake of them meaning of them and their Nation They perceived that is as we use to say they smelt fire they had a strong jealousie and somewhat more that the persons or people against whom his Parables were bent were they and their Nation Therefore Thirdly Whereas it is said that the first hired likewise received every man a penny viz. as the others had done it is not to be supposed that those signified by them received the same recompense of reward from God especially if by the Penny they received we understand the Kingdom of Heaven which the other Labourers had received For there is no murmuring against God nor envying of their Fellows amongst the Saints in their Heavenly Kingdom a Consideration strongly insisted
reclaimed from his dissolute and destructive courses are emphatically represented ver 20.22 23 24. although he is said to have had another an elder Son who had been regular and well ordered all his daies Yea when this Son made himself agrieved that greater respects were shewed by his Father to his Brother that had lately and for a long time together been a Son of Belial than unto him who had alwaies been observant of his Counsels and Commands his Father pleads not simply the lawfulness but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the meetness or comliness of that which he had done in that case in these words It was meet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 oportebat or it was as it should or ought to be that we should make merry and be glad For this thy Brother was dead and is alive again and was lost and is found Ver. 32. So that the way of God in making the last first and the first last a way wherein he frequently walketh that is his giving the precedency of reward unto those who having lived long in a lost condition and whose repentance was against hope and above expectation yet unfeignedly repent and turn with their whole heart unto him at the last rather than unto such who from the dawnings of their daies have plodded on in a regular course and profession of his Worship and Service without any scandalous or reproachful deviation at any time this way of God I say is justifiable by the like demeanours of the generality of men in like cases But Notwithstanding this or any thing formerly argued or pleaded Sect. 7 to evince the equity and fairness of those proceedings of God between his last and his first his Evening and his Morning Converts which have been mentioned yet nothing hinders but that they who began early and were the first in service or of the first may if they quit themselves accordingly keep their place of priority unto the end so as never to be cast behind or come into the number of those that shall be last in reward For if they shall all along their progress be diligent to stir up themselves daily to be like unto those that come late into the work and service of God in their love their zeal their humility their self-denial and chastity of dependence upon the grace of God in Christ for their Justification and Salvation and their other Christian excellencies and shall not grow drowsie or sleepy because the Bridegroom tarrieth nor wax weary of well doing nor suffer their love to wax cold nor let their left hand know what their right hand doth in works of righteousness nor stumble at any other of those stones which are commonly laid in the way of a long profession by the Flesh the World and the Devil doubtless they shall have equal respects from God in their reward with the best of his late Proselytes or Converts Nor is it impossible on the other hand but that even they who have waxed old in the service of Sin and Satan and so upon their repentance have had much forgiven them and withal more reasonable advantages and engagements than their Brethren early called to excell in holiness and so to approve themselves towards and in the close of their daies upon terms of highest acceptance with God and upon this account to be of the first in reward may notwithstanding before they die through an unmanlike oscitancy and the allurements of the Flesh and of the World turn their backs upon all the great advantages of their late Conversion and either suffer themselves to be overtaken with the usual drousiness dulness or formality of old Professors and so become last in reward in the better sense of the clause or which is much more sad cast in their lot with final Apostates and so become last in the worst and hardest sense of all As it was no part of the intent or meaning of Christ in presenting the Lord of the Vineyard in the Parable yet in hand giving order to his Steward to pay the Labourers their wages in this order beginning at the last unto the first in the sense so oft and at large declared either to discourage men from remembring their Creator in the daies of their youth and believing with the first but only to caution and admonish those who shall thus believe that they take heed of those evils which are so incident to a long race of Profession and that they be careful so to grow in grace daily all along their course that every new day may seem to be the first day of their conversion unto God or to encourage men to defer their Repentance unto old age and until sin hath abounded but only to encourage those for whom Satan hath been too hard all or the greatest part of the best of their daies yet to repent at the last by assuring them that though it be very late in the day of their lives ere they repent and turn unto him yet their repentance shall be most acceptable and their entertainment by him with more or greater respects of grace and favour than he is wont to vouchsafe unto their Brethren who have been of far more ancient standing in his service As these I say were the things intended and not intended by Christ in the passage in hand so neither is there any other thing intended in all that explication that hath now passed on it The gloss doth all homage and reverence unto the Text and trembleth to make it speak any thing which is not in the heart and inward parts of it Yea and would not willingly conceal any of those gracious and comely things wherewith the heart of it is full even to the brim And for a cloze I shall here subjoyn this that it is the sense of some good Expositors and this so probable that I could with very little regret of Judgment espouse it and make it mine own that the passage last insisted on Give the Labourers their wages beginning from the last unto the first is the Master vein in the Parable and that all the passages in it besides are subservient to it and face towards it as well those in the rear of it as those in the front and that they were framed by Christ either only or chiefly to make way for a rational and commodious introduction of it However by that narrow and large survey that hath been taken of the Parable it sufficiently I presume appears that which way soever it be managed or the interpretation and sense of it carried so it be with reason and with due respects to the ground or occasion and so to the scope of it or conclusion intended by Christ to be illustrated by it together with the proper import of the principle clauses and passages in it That there can nothing reasonably be inferred from it in favour of that opinion which undertaketh to reduce all the Crowns of righteousness that shall be set upon the heads of the Saints
understand and compute the just and exact weight and worth of every mans service and to set out respectively unto the persons to be rewarded rewards exactly proportionable must needs argue and declare a mighty depth a marvelous comprehensiveness and exquisiteness of wisdom in him Christ maketh it a Point as well of wisdom as of faithfulness in a Steward being made Ruler over an Houshold to give them their portion respectively in due season Who is then that faithful and wise Steward Who c. Luke 12.42 The transcendent excellency of that wisdom and understanding which God gave unto Solomon is thus expressed And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much and largeness of heart even as the sand that is on the Sea-shore 1 Kings 4.29 So where we read his understanding is infinite spoken of the understanding of God himself Psal 147.5 the Margent out of the original hath it Of his understanding there is no number To accommodate a great multiplicity of various and different occasions so that none of them suffers through any defective or undue management requireth an understanding either very numerous or rather without number This is another reason to prove that God intendeth to walk by the Rule of proportion not of an uniform or absolute equality in rewarding of his servants Fourthly and lastly If God will punish differently more or less according as men have sinned more or less according to the different degrees of their demerits then there is little question to be made but that he will proportionably reward men more or less according to the different degrees of their righteousness and faithfulness Now the reason of this Consequence viz. That if God will punish sinners more or less according as they have sinned in greater or lesser measures then is it reasonable to conceive that he will reward righteousness accordingly the reason I say of this Consequence is because otherwise he would seem to be more intent upon the punishment of evil doers than he is upon the rewarding of the righteous We see that he is intent and resolved upon a course of Justice in the punishment of wicked men both according to the nature and measure of their wickedness which sheweth that he hateth sin with a perfect hatred So that if he should not reward righteousness where it is exalted to a greater degree and shines with greater beauty answerable to the line and lustre of it it would argue that his affection of love were but cold and dead to righteousness in her greatest advancements in comparison of what his affections of hatred and revenge are unto sin in the high provocations of it But it is a common saying among learned Divines and questionless not more common than true that God alwaies punisheth all sin citra condignum short of the demerit and desert of it Yet it is more unquestionably and apparently true of the two that he rewardeth all righteousness ultra condignum over and beyond the worth and desert thereof This many expressions in the Scriptures concerning the bounty of God in rewarding his Saints do fully manifest That passage of Christ in the Parable of the Talents Mat. 25. which he putteth into the mouth of the Lord personating himself as speaking to his good and faithful servants one after another sufficiently evinceth it Well done thou good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things c. ver 21 23. So again he confirms the same where he saith And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a Disciple verily I say unto you he shall in no wise lose his reward meaning according to the notion and import of the figurative expression he shall be abundantly rewarded Mat. 10.42 Those expressions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verily I say unto you and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he shall in no wise lose c. shew both that Christ is very intent upon and as it were taken up with thoughts and purposes of rewarding even the meanest services of his Saints and likewise that such services as these shall most assuredly be rewarded the redoubling of the Negative Particle in the Greek Tongue fortifying the Negation And whereas the services performed unto God by sufferings for righteousness sake are deservedly judged the greatest and highest of all services yet even of these the Apostle saith For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4.17 compared here with Mat. 5.10 11 12. But the truth of this Point That God in rewarding righteousness surmounts all merit thereof needs little proof being I suppose acknowledged by all that are called Christians And as for that which was the bottom and ground-work of the Argument in hand viz. That God doth punish sin and sinners differently the Scripture is yet more manifest Luk. 12.47 48. And that servant that knew his Lords will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes But he c. Nothing can be more plain than that men that shall sin against knowledge and contrary unto knowledge shall be punished more than they that sin out of ignorance especially if it be not voluntary or affected So again Mat. 11.21 22. It shall be easier for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment c. And so easier for Sodom and Gomorrah c. which clearly sheweth That God doth intend different punishments proportionable to the several degrees of sin and wickedness committed in the World Rods for lesser and fewer Scorpions for greater and more sins Nor shall we need to say more for the clearing of this the matter being so evident And for the reason built in the Consequential way upon this foundation it cannot reasonably be denied as was formerly argued viz. That if God hateth sin in all the degrees and aggravations of it proportionably and punisheth it accordingly with greater and lesser punishments it can with no good congruity of his love unto righteousness in all the measures and advancements of it be supposed but that he intends to honour it with rewards answerable in proportion unto them all and so with greater where he finds it in a greater clevation as with lesser where it only reacheth an inferiour line Only against this Doctrine two or three things may be objected Sect. 10 which we shall briefly propose and answer 1. Eternal life is said to be the gift of God Rom 6.23 If so then must it not be supposed that he giveth it freely and so may give it uniformly unto all his Saints and without any unequal distribution of it unto them according to their several attainments in righteousness respectively I answer 1. That Eternal life may be called the gift of God because the collation of it proceedeth from the free purpose and good pleasure of God to
followeth Sect. 11 He that receiveth of another is not God the Holy Spirit doth so i. e. receiveth of another therefore he is not God The Minor is witnessed from Joh. 16.14 The Major is proved thus God is he that giveth all things unto all wherefore if there be any one that receiveth of another he cannot be God The Antecedent is plain from Acts 17.25 Rom. 11.35 36. The Consequence is undeniable because he that is deficient is not God he that receiveth from another is deficient therefore he is not God The Major is unquestionable for to say one is deficient which implyeth imperfection and yet is God is in effect to say that he is God and not God This is the compass likewise of the fifth Argument the strength of this Argument such as it is is easie enough to be discerned the stress of it resteth upon these words of Christ as you may perceive concerning the Spirit Joh. 16.14 He shall take of mine and shall shew it unto you because he is here said to be a Receiver therefore our Adversary cannot allow him to be God because saith he God is he that gives all things unto all and it implieth a contradiction that he that giveth all things unto all should receive any thing from any but amongst all his Arguments this is the first born amongst the poor For I reply first Though God in a sense be said to give all things unto all yet withal he is said also in a sense proper enough to receive several things and this without any contradiction at all He is said to receive the Prayers of his Saints Psal 6.9 To receive the Saints themselves Psal 49.15 73.24 To receive comfort Isa 57.6 And so to receive glory and honour and power Rev. 4.11 Therefore this Proposition is most untrue He that receiveth of another is not God yea he may be and is God who receiveth something from another as we have heard Nor is it the proper notion of dependency to receive of another these things are very loosely and unduly affirmed God is sometimes in Scriptures said to give all things unto all because he giveth unto all all things which they stand possessed of He gives them Faculties Principles Strength and means to do all things which they do and in this sense he may be said to give them all the actions motions and workings also which they act and work and consequently those very Praises and acknowledgements which yet he receiveth from them too As for example He that gives a man money wherewith to buy such a commodity he may very properly be said to give him the things which are purchased with the money And so the Scripture Phrase runneth for he is thy money speaking of the Servant So when God eâ—dneth a Creature with strength and power to get wealth he may be said to give him wealth it self which he did allow him by means of that power and understanding infused into him God's giving all things unto all in this sense doth not hinder but that he may receive also many of these very things which he giveth in the sense declared therefore it is no infallible Character of a true God not to receive from another The Apostle himself in that very Scripture which the Argument citeth Acts 17.25 saying That God is not to be worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing clearly implieth that God may receive things from his Creatures but not upon any such account as this viz. As if he needed any thing meaning for he bettering of his own condition or compleating of his happiness and unless our Adversary can prove that the Holy Ghost received what was Christs for his own necessities and supplies The simple receiving of it doth no way incumber the plea of his Godhead 2. When our Saviour speaking of the Holy Ghost saith He shall receive or shall take as the word signifieth and is accordingly translated in the next verse of mine and shall shew it unto you he doth not imply as if the Holy Ghost had not then when Christ thus spake received or taken that or those things of his for it is certain that he had taken these things of Christ under the Old Testament and had revealed them unto the Prophets of God and other holy men and by these unto the World as is very evident from many Scriptures yea certain it is that he had received them from Eternity but our Saviour's meaning in the Clause or Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He shall take of that which is mine seems to be this That whereas the Holy Ghost had viz. in his mind or understanding both at present and ever before abundance of that which was Christs even his whole Treasury his relation to his Father his Godhead his Incarnation his Infinite Grace Love Sweetness Holiness c. together with all his Counsels Purposes and Intentions concerning the World c. He should when he should visibly be given and come unto them take not simply this or all this But he should take viz. of himself and out of the Treasury of his own understanding so much or such particulars concerning Christ to reveal unto them which should be necessary for them to know either for their own comfort or to furnish or accomplish them for the great Office and work of Apostles in the World So that the word take in this place The Holy Ghost shall take of mine is used in some such sense as when a man is said to take a thing which is already his own or in his own possession only in order to the doing of something with it in this sense God saith Zach. 11.10 I took my staff even beauty and cut it asunder The staffe he speaks of was in his possession before only he is said to have taken it in order to cutting it asunder So again The Kingdom of Heaven Mat. 13.33 is like unto Leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal to name no more places in this kind ver 31. The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of Mustard-seed which a man took and sowed in his Field 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So in the words before us The Spirit shall take of mine and shall shew it unto you i. e. From amongst many other things which he knows concerning me he shall take such and such which shall be needful for you to know and shall reveal them unto you Even as a prudent Minister or Scribe instructed for the Kingdom of heaven As our Saviour speaks out of the rich and full treasure of his understanding taketh and chuseth such and such particular notions and veins of spiritual truth relating unto God and Jesus Christ which he judgeth meet to be delivered and imparted to such and such a people The words taken in such a sense as this do no way favour the dangerous conceit of our Adversaries that the Holy Ghost is not God There is another sense likewise wherein the
arguing of this great Controversie might have been better spent in arguing other things they suppose that these kind of notions are not so affecting unto the hearts of men neither do they tend unto the establishing of them nor are so proper for the building of men up in their most holy Faith nor so powerful to excite unto Action But the truth is my Brethren though such discourses as these and the laying out of such things for substance as these are though they do not so much stir the heart as some other subjects may and might have done yet nevertheless these have somewhat which will make you unmovable in the waies of Christ And if this be but duly cast up by you you will find it every way as profitable unto you it will amount to every whit as great a sum of comfort and of peace as those Sermons whose property is to quicken and work upon men at present For what will it avail you if you should be carried up into the Heavens one day by a Sermon full of affection and another day a deceiver cometh and layeth a stumbling block in the way and should make you call in question and drive you quite off from these great Truths of the Godhead of Christ and of the Holy Ghost I am very confident that few of you that have heard me in this question but know that there are many young men that are able to puzle you and to put you to such a stand in these great Principles of Religion that you would not otherwise be able to vindicate your selves nor your credit nor deliver your Judgments from their snares and entanglements And whereas it is objected and supposed by some Sect. 20 that such Sermons as these are sublime mysteries and that the secrets of the Trinity discoursed do not furnish Christian men and women Masters of Families with matter for repetition in the Evening of the day to their Families To this I answer briefly in a word That it is to be presumed that you that have been Professors so long as generally you have been are able of your selves out of your own Treasure to speak things that are most commodious and fitting to be spoken unto your Servants and especially unto your Children and not alwaies to expect from the publick Minister matters for your private Families Strong men desire strong meat and milk is not nourishment for them to make them grow to any considerable degree But for Babes and Sucklings that are not grown in their spiritual stature things indeed of a lower nature and of a more easie apprehension are meet and very fit So that there is no reason to desire or expect this that you should never hear from a publick Minister nothing but that which is meet and convenient for you to preach over at home No you must be provided from your selves and out of your own for such occasions otherwise you must resolve never to thrive and grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ but alwaies to stand at the same stay And of how dangerous a consequence it is that in this case you should have your desires viz. That from time to time the first rudiments only of Religion should still be discussed in your hearing do but consider this one place Heb. 6.1 2 3. Therefore leaving the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ the Doctrine of Baptisms c. And this will we do if God permit What is that Go on to perfection That is carry on your Judgments to the most mysterious things of God But mark now upon what ground it is that he resolveth upon this that this he would do and desires them to go along with him For saith he it is impossible for those who were once enlightned c. How doth this Motive hang upon this Exhortation or Admonition Doubtless thus that when Christians shall come to this pass that this shall be the temper and state and present frame of their hearts that they care to go no further nor to understand no more in the Mystery of their Profession this is a certain or at least a dangerous sign that they are in a condition near to that of falling away and relapsing from those very principles and foundations themselves which they had embraced And if you will but consider how it is in the course of nature you shall observe that it is the nature of every Creature to advance and go on still to move and to wax But whensoever this Creature cometh to a stand and goeth no further evermore the next motion is to relapse The Sun in the Firmament of Heaven when he comes to his Meridian and can rise no higher begins immediately to decline towards his setting The Waters wax and flow and encrease but ever when it is standing water then is the reflux in a short time it altereth its course backwards from whence it came Just thus is it in this great and important business of your Souls and of your Eternal Peace it is well with you so long as you are growing and gathering so long you are in a safe condition and out of danger of falling away But when you come once to such a pass that you desire to rise no higher it is a thousand to one but that the next news that will be heard will be that you will begin to decline and lose ground and to fall back again into your former ignorance and unto the love of the World and something which is of an utter inconsistency with your Salvation CHAP. IX The Second Question propounded namely How or by what means a Believer or any other Person may be filled with the Spirit of God Some difficulties removed with one direction propounded and largely discoursed whereby men and women may understand the intent of the Exhortation and what it is that is required of them when they are commanded to be filled with the Spirit VVherein also the Grace of God and the free working of his Spirit is clearly vindicated and asserted HAving formerly finished the Demonstration and proof of the truth of the Doctrine for the clearer understanding it Sect. 1 and making better way to the Use and Application we propounded three Questions to be taken into consideration and resolved the Questions were these First Who or what kind or manner of Spirit it is of whom both the Text and Doctrine speaks and particularly whether a finite and created Spirit or an infinite and uncreated Spirit God himself We have stood somewhat the longer upon the debate and arguing of this Question partly because of the great weight and importance of the truth lying either on the one hand of it or on the other partly also because there is a Spirit lately after a long banishmen and silence come forth again into the World and is now at work amongst us which opposeth with might and main that part of this Question where the truth heth as I trust we have made manifests and denieth the
Wine when it is red and giveth its colour in the Cup or glass when it moveth it self upright i. e. when it springs or sparkles Prov. 23.31 Look not on it when it is red c. i.e. do not fix thine eye upon it do not continue looking on it for so the word looking oft imports his meaning is not that a man should not simply see or cast his eye upon it as if there would be danger in such a case for then he could not tell when or how to observe this Precept but his meaning is if a man will fix his eye upon it there is danger of being inflamed with inordinate love unto it So our Saviour Mat. 5.28 Whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her i. e. until he lusts after her or after any such manner that he comes to lust after her hath committed adultery with her in his heart Now this sheweth when and how this lusting cometh to be propagated in the heart if there be any loveliness in the Creature this may draw our hearts forth as it were of course unto such covetings The reason why men and women hate not sin with a more vehement vigorous and perfect hatred than generally they do is partly because they do not frequently and with intenseness of mind consider the abundance of evil that is in it that violent and virulent Antipathy or contrariety that is in it to their comfort and peace in many kinds For certain it is that sin hath enough in it to set all the World on fire with enmity to it Yea as the Devil when he had sinned had that in him and upon him which being looked upon by God was sufficient to throw him down from Heaven into the bottom of Hell So likewise hath sin that in it which being clearly seen and diligently considered by men is sufficient to cast it down out of the heavens of mens love and desires into the deepest hell of their hatred and indignation So on the other hand it is as true concerning righteousness in general which Plato the Philosopher had a glimmering of And as it is with Righteousness in general so it is with and also concerning that excellent peece or member of it whereof we speak A being filled with the Spirit This is such a Master-peece of humane felicity it hath so much worth and goodness and desirableness in it that was it thoroughly known and frequently whetted upon the thoughts and minds of men and women they need take no further care how to come by such covetings after it as those now prescribed unto you as a means in the first place to obtain it unless happily it be to satisfie themselves in this that it is nothing but what is attainable For if indeed you shall look upon it as a thing absolutely out of your reach your souls will hardly put forth in coveting or desiring after it But this scruple being removed you would soon find your hearts full of those covetings and desires so full that they would not be long able to contain themselves but that they would break forth and utter themselves in such other waies and means which they shall understand to be proper and likely to obtain it If you ask me But what is there so excellent Sect. 8 so greatly desirable in this being filled with the Spirit which being known and narrowly considered by us must needs as you say set us on coveting after it and so put us into a nearer capacity of obtaining it I reply first in the general the desirableness of it is such so exceeding great that neither the Tongue of men or Angels are sufficient to express it it is of kin to the peace of God and partakes herewith in that property that it passeth all understanding so that when we shall travel many dales yea many years with our minds and understandings to search out and discover the riches of it we shall leave much hereof undiscovered and unknown But more particulary First Such a filling with the Spirit as we speak of will leave no place for foolish and hurtful lusts in one kind or other to play their parts within us which as Peter saith 1 Pet. 2.11 Fight against the soul that is against the peace comfort and prosperity of it As upon the bringing in of the Ark into the Tabernacle the Tabernacle was filled with smoak Exod. 40.34 And so in the Dedication of the Temple the Priests could not enter because of the glory there 1 Kings 8.10 11. even so when the soul when the inner Temple of the heart of a man or woman shall be filled with the Spirit of God there will be such a glory of holiness there that there will be no standing or abode for those base Companions unclean impure carnal and sensual desires and inclinations No but they will all be scattered as the Mist is scattered before the Sun when it ariseth in its might These Companions which have haunted your souls and inner man hitherto Pride Envy and Malice and inordinate love of the World Pleasure Ease and all such kind of things as these they will be sensible of the glorious presence of this Spirit of God in you they will not be able to abide it his presence will fright away all those Aliens and strangers that are contrary to him It is true the greatest filling with the Spirit that flesh and bloud is at lâ—ast ordinarily capable of obtaining will not wholly overwhelm or drown the flesh as to extinguish the motions or stirrings of it in men This is clear from many Scriptures and particularly from that of the Apostle Gal. 5.17 .. For the Flesh lusteth against the Spirit When by reason of the contrary lustings between the Flesh and the Spirit he saith they cannot do the things they would he speaks not so much indeed not at all of the species kind or substance of the Action but of the spiritual and exact manner of performing it Yea cannot do the things ye would his meaning is not that though they were willing to pray yet because of the lusting of the flesh they could not pray or though they were willing to hear the word yet they could not hear but thus ye cannot pray ye cannot hear or ye cannot give Alms as ye would that is with as much Faith with as much Fervency with as much Freedom and enlargement of Heart and Soul as ye desire The Flesh will be still interrupting and mingling it self with your actions and in preciseness and strictness of speech that which a servant of God or spiritual man properly would do is not simply to pray or simply to hear or to give Alms or the like But to do these and all other services and actions after the best and purest manner without any reluctancy or gainsayingness or interruption so that when men pray and do not pray thus when they hear and give Alms and do not both the one and the other upon such terms as these they
with men in the Scripture and Gospel by such Principles and Rules which are written in the Tables of their hearts by the Finger of Nature and which they are wont to observe and walk by in their common and Civil Affairs Thus because amongst men an Oath is the end of all strife Heb. 6.16 Therefore God will swear too and treate with men by the mediation of an Oath and so in abundance of other particulars God still applieth himself unto men and treateth with them by the same Rules and Principles which men walk by in transactions amongst themselves Now because one man is ignorant of what is in the heart of another and knoweth not how they will prove whether diligent or negligent faithful or unfaithful in matters of trust committed unto them therefore those whom they have occasion to trust they will first try them with a little that in case they should miscarry and prove unfaithful the loss may be the less and easier to be born if they approve themselves with wisdom and faithfulness in managing that little then they are encouraged to trust them yet deeper And as men are wont sometimes to try Casks or Vessels that are new made and never had Liquor put into them whether they be tight or leaky not by putting Wine or Liquor of value but water into them if they will hold water men have so much the better ground to trust them with Wine also In like manner though God as is said of Christ Joh. 2.25 needed not that any man should testifie of man Because he knew what was in man and consequently what would come out from him and what he would do So I say though God knoweth before hand how men will prove whether faithful or unfaithful in any thing committed unto them and in this respect needeth make no experiment and trial of them in reference to any trust yet because it is the manner and according to the Principles of wisdom in men to take such a course he also will do it though he hath other ends and reasons likewise for the doing of it which it is not necessary now to speak of Thus also it is in matters of reward more properly and commonly so called though he knoweth from the beginning the uprightness integrity of mens hearts and what such men in time will do all the good work all that righteousness and suffer all those things for righteousness sake which afterwards they do and suffer yet until they have given an account both unto himself Angels and men of that their integrity by waies of righteousness and well-doing he will do no great things for them he will reward men only according to their works according to what they shall do or suffer nor according to what they purposed to do or suffer unless happily they be prevented of an opportunity for that by the way least there should be mistake not as if God should have no consideration or regard of any mans faithful intentions that is not the meaning of it as many times you may find persons whose hearts are full of fruitfulness that notwithstanding are taken away by death Now it is not imaginable that God should deprive them of the reward of such services when as God himself denieth men the opportunity to do them it is not reasonable nor like unto the waies of God or his proceedings that he should deprive them of their reward in such a case or under such circumstances But the meaning is that the good things which men have done whether they be few or more these shall be rewarded accordingly So that men and women who have given testimony unto the World of their own integrity uprightness and faithfulness unto God God will give them rewards answerable hereunto We speak this for this end to shew that God's manner is not to reward nor to take knowledge of the righteousness of men until the World have taken knowledge of it until that they have given an account unto men that they are persons fearing God I say God will not take any knowledge of them until they having given some Testimony unto the World of the integrity and uprightness of their hearts a Testimony of the truth of their Faith and of the soundness of their Love that the World cannot deny but that certainly these are very worthy men then as in Scripture Phrase God is not ashamed of them but they are in an immediate capacity for him to own and to reward and do great things for As it is said of Enoch he was translated Heb. 11.6 of whom it was reported that he walked with God Gen. 6.22 Now God could suffer no disparagement in point of honour by owning of him And so 1 Pet. 1.7 That the trial of your faith being much more precious than of Gold c. might be found unto Praise and Honour and Glory It is not said that your Faith being more precious than Gold but that the trial of your Faith this is that which will turn to an account of Praise and Honour and Glory unto men in the great day c. That the trial of your Faith might be a Testimony in abundance given unto men yea unto God himself namely when their Faith shall have been tried whether it be by their constant sufferings for righteousness take or whether it hath been by a holy and blameless Conversation it is not much material if this trial of it be the making of it known and bringing it to light in the World that so it may be known and observed by men In such a case it is a thing but equal and just and well becoming God to be found rewarding of them with great and wonderful things Thirdly Sect. 8 Another means whereby we may come to be filled with the Spirit of God is to sow unto the Spirit Gal. 6.8 He that soweth to the Flesh shall of the Flesh reap Corruption But he that soweth unto the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap Everlasting Life If the Question be What is it to sow to the Spirit I answer according to the usual import of that Metaphorical Expression of sowing to sow to the Spirit is to do such things which will redound to the praise of the Spirit of God to manage Actions so that the benefit of them may accrue to another This the Apostle calleth a sowing to others If we have sown unto you in spiritual things is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things 1 Cor. 9.11 To sow unto the Spirit is to imploy a mans self about such things such waies and works whereby the Spirit may receive honour and praise which is all the harvest which the Spirit of God and so God himself is capable of receiving from men Only we may add this That when men do such things which are for the honour and praise of the Spirit they must do them with an intent that they may turn to his praise we must not do such things only which may accidentally
and that in opposition unto others Secondly A second Property of the Spirit mentioned was his grace We read Heb. 10.29 of despighting the Spirit of grace And so God is called 1 Pet. 5.10 The God of all grace meaning that he is a gracious Spirit Now grace as we have formerly opened the nature of it unto you importeth a readiness or great propenseness in the will and soul of a man to shew kindness or to do good where no engagement is from without from him unto whom kindness is shewn it differeth from mercy For the object of mercy alwaies is misery or persons in misery But the object of grace may as well be persons in a good condition and free from misery as those that are in misery for Grace only respects as it were an absence of all motives or engagements from those to whom we intend good and reacheth no further So then when the Spirit is called the Spirit of grace it doth import a freeness a readiness a willingness and propenseness of mind to do good unto such persons who never laid any engagement upon him to whom he is no waies Debtor by one Law or other When there is a propenseness in any person thus freely without engagement to deal courteously or kindly with others this is Grace truly so called Now the Spirit is said to be a gracious Spirit because he vouchsafeth to come unto men and to dwell with them and to couple and joyn himself with men whilest they are strangers unto him even whilest as yet he hath received to no kindness from them he is pleased to come unto them and to invite them Nay the truth is there is a more excellent degree of grace than this in the Spirits dealing with men when kindness is shewed not only where no engagement hath gone before but contrary to engagements on the other hand This is grace in abundance and in its exaltation when a person hath done us wrong or disgraced us unjustly and offered us injury and we notwithstanding such hard measure received from him shall yet be ready to stand by him and accommodate him then are we gracious in an excellent and eminent degree Now such lusts and sinful dispositions in men which are contrary to this Character or property of Grace in the Spirit are very distasteful unto him apt to grieve and obstruct him in his course as well as the former viz. uncleanness c. In that former place Eph. 4.30 where the Apostle had added And greive not the holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto the day of Redemption meaning by corrupt communication He immediately addeth Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamour and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice c. The motive lieth in the middle between the two Exhortations and it enforceth them both it is a motive both to that which went before Let no corrupt Communication proceed out of your mouth and unto that which followeth namely that all wrath and malice and the like should be put away Therefore this clearly shews that these kind of corruptions and distempers bitterness and malice c. are contrary to the Spirit of Grace and those gracious dispositions and inclinations of his to do good and to shew kindness and love where there is no merit yea even unto those men who have rather merited sorrow and hard measure from him But much more when men without any provocations shall be in bitterness of Spirit and full of wrath and anger and shall entertain and admit malice evil thoughts and intentions of hardness cruelty and bloud into their hearts this being so extremely contrary to that gracious and sweet property of the Spirit of God in reason must needs be signally obstructive unto him in his way of filling men with himself A third Property was the heavenliness of the Spirit of God Sect. 18 Joh. 3.31 He that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth He that cometh from heaven is above all Therefore that Lust that is contrary to this property in the Spirit of God heavenliness or heavenly mindedness this must in a way of reason be offensive unto the Spirit of God Of this kind are all lusts of Covetonsness inordinate Love unto this present World earthly mindedness when mens hearts savour the things of the earth only or mainly when the matters of this life eat out the very heart and sinews of a Man Such Lusting as these must needs likewise be of a very offensive nature unto the Spirit of God When the Holy Ghost shall come unto men and offer them life and shall be ready to lead them into the Faith Knowledge and Love of God when he shall talk and discourse with men and women about heavenly things and they answer him with their carnal and their sensual things when he discourseth unto them of Faith and Holiness and the things of their Eternal Peace and blessedness and they shall have cars only to hear of Silver and Gold and Wealth and Grandeur and Power and Honour and the like certainly if lusts of this nature be made much of and harboured in the soul of a man there can be no expectation that ever the Spirit of God should take pleasure or delight to put forth or to give out himself in his glory in such a soul A fourth and last particular was a disposition aptness Sect. 19 or readiness of mind to communicate the things of God matters of a spiritual import the Secrets of God unto the minds and consciences of men Therefore such kind of Lusts in men which are opposite to this property in the Spirit of God must needs be offensive unto him and obstruct him in this blessed work we are speaking of Which lusts and distempers are these and such like viz. such lusts by which men are invited tempted and carried away from the Ministry of the Spirit and those waies whereby the Spirit is wont to utter himself which are the Ordinances of God and especially that of the Ministry of the Gospel and more especially such a kind of Ministry which is prepared as it were by God on purpose to bring forth the mind of God unto men For as God of old appointed Moses and the People to meet at the door of the Tabernacle So now hath he appointed the World the Sons and Daughters of men to meet with him in these Ministrations of his House and to treat with him there about the great business and things of their peace If men and women therefore shall suffer the great Enemy of their peace so to bewitch them that they fall in their esteem of these appointments of his and look upon them as if there were no great matter in them this is another thing which hath a direct opposition unto and is a ready way to quench the Spirit of God Mind and compare these two verses together 1 Thes 5.19 20. Quench not the Spirit But how or which way should
16 It is the first-born of improbabilities or things that are unlikely that the Church of Christ which as the Apostle styleth it is The House of the living God 1 Tim. 3.15 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The pillar and ground or stay of truth in the midst whereof Jesus Christ himself delights to be continually walking and making himself known should ever since the Apostles times now for 1600 years and upwards lie wallowing in the horrid pollutions of so foul and gross an Error as to judge him who is a Creature to be God Can any man lightly be so simple as to think or imagine a snuff of a Candle to be the Sun And is there not a far greater difference between the ever blessed and incomprehensible God and any Creature of the greatest perfection that is imaginable than there is between the snuff of a Candle and the Sun Or is it worthy the belief or thoughts of any sober Christian that Jesus Christ for so many hundred of years together should not have awakened his Beloved out of such a Lethargy or sleep of death as was fallen upon her whilest she said in effect to a Stock thou art my Maker and to a Stone thou art my Redeemer Or what is it less or less unworthy than this to say unto a Creature thou art my God They who have but any tolerable thoughts of Jesus Christ his love and care over his Church cannot have such hard thoughts of him Fourthly Nor can it reasonably be imagined that the Holy Ghost would have received with so much patience and with so much silence nay with so much acceptation from the hand of the Christian World the acknowledgements of a Deity had he not been conscious to himself that they were his due and that he neither did either God the Father or the Son the least injury or wrong in receiving them at the hands of men But were he not or had he not been God he had trespassed after a very provoking and high manner against him who is God indeed in accepting his appropriate Royalties and suffering himself to be admired and adored amongst the Churches as God Doubtless the sin of receiving any acclamation from men or any thing else which is appropriate unto God alone is a sin of a very exasperating nature As it was with Herod who was struck with an Angel Acts 12.22 And we read Rev. 19.10 22.9 when John made a tender of Divine Worship to the Angel though he did not call him by the name of God yet when he did but exhibite that which was appropriate unto God the Angel would not suffer him nor admit it The Angel seemed to be exceeding tender and jealous of receiving so much as the hint or the first fruits of divine honour John thought that he that had revealed unto him such heavenly Mysteries was worthy of all honour therefore rather than not to shew himself thankful and respectful unto him for that unspeakable kindness of the Revelation he would needs give him something and having nothing at hand to repuite this high courtesie from the Angel that revealed such hidden mysteries to him but Divine Worship and honour he would bestow that upon him but the Angel would by no means suffer him to do it The truth is our Adversaries themselves at this turn do not make much scruple of this namely that Divine Honour should be given both to the Son and to the Holy Ghost and that they may and ought of duty to accept it though in the mean time they do deny the Godhead both of the One and of the Other But into the secrets of such a Notion my soul knoweth not the way how to enter nor can I comprehend or understand how they can either make Reason or truth of such a conceit to deny the Persons to be God by Nature and yet notwithstanding to judge it lawful and meet that Divine Honour should be exhibited and tendered unto them Upon what ground they can satisfie themselves in bringing together this East and West their strange opinion on the one hand and their practice which seemeth to affront it on the other hand How they can make peace between two that are at so great an enmity and distance between themselves I am not able to comprehend unless they mean by Divine Worship only something that is more Sacred or more August than the Reverence that is due unto man Bat this will not however salve the Opinion though it be formed and put into never so artificial and handsome terms Yea though it might be salved with such a sense and interpretation put upon it yet it is not worthy a Christian and especially a Teacher of others to put the mind of God or any Notion of Truth into ambiguous terms which need more unfolding than needs must for it is good to cloath the Truth in such a manner that it may be most familiar and nearest at hand to be received by the Judgments and Understandings of men But to the business in hand May the greatest Subject in a Kingdom lawfully go up into his Sovereigns Bed or require of his fellow Subjects that they swear Loyalty and Homage unto him as unto their Sovereign Or doth not the Scriptures from place to place make it Fornication Whoredom Adultery when that Worship which is appropriately due unto God is given unto any other Fifthly Sect. 17 We know that the sin of Idolatry is from place to place in the Scripture expresly numbred amongst those high provocations and misdemeanours which absolutely and peremptorily exclude from the Kingdom of God and from Salvation 1 Cor. 6.9 10. Rev. 21 8. So that they who deny the Holy Ghost to be God do hereby First Make the whole Christian World in a manner or comparatively as hath been said Fathers Martyrs Confessors and whole Christian Churches to be Idolaters Secondly By a Scripture consequence pregnant and undeniable they do adjudge them all to the vengeance of hell fire But it is a small thing with persons of a proud and peremptory spirit to sacrifice not only the names honour and reputations of the worthiest men under heaven but even their souls and salvation also upon the service of their own opinions and conceits The Lord Christ himself must be a Samaritan and have a Devil that the Scribes and Pharisees may be presumed to be in the truth And so holy and worthy men who above all the World besides have had most acquaintance with God Ignatius Justin Martyr Ireneus Epiphanius Basil Nazianzen Chrysostome Jerome Austin and who not of all those great and famous lights of the Christian World in their daies must be all Idolaters and sent down into Hell that a Crown of glory may be set upon the head of a fond Opinion little less or rather not at all less than Blasphemy and to make way that they who deny the Godhead of the Spirit may be saved For though it be hard peremptorily to deny a possibility of salvation
rather be judged powerless and weak than powerful and glorious in efficacy and might because the greatest part of those who do partake of it are not effectually and savingly wrought upon by it nor made actually willing to be converted Take it in the time of our Lord Jesus Christ himself and in the times of the Apostles when the Ministry of the Gospel was in the heighth of its glory the greatest part of them that stood by and were under it remained still unsubdued unto it so that the efficacy of it is not to be estimated by the actual conversion no nor by the actual edification of men But Thirdly Sect. 20 The efficacy of the Ministry of the Gospel is to be considered and judged of partly in the weightiness or penetrating force of those Arguments or Motives which it layeth before men and presseth upon their souls and consciences to give up themselves unto God partly again in the demonstrative evidence of the reality and truth of the said Arguments and Motives partly also in its dispensing and deriving the Divine Spirit the Spirit of God unto those who hearken diligently and submit heartily unto it First The mighty efficacy of the Ministry we speak of stands in those stupendious formidable potent and mighty Arguments by which it urgeth and presseth and adjureth the Consciences of men to accept of those Articles or Terms of Peace and Reconciliation which the Gospel holdeth forth and calleth men unto They who attempt to perswade unto other Studies Practices or Engagements of themselves in one kind or other as some endeavour to perswade men to the study of Natural some of Moral Philosophy others to the study of the Mathematicks others to the studies of others Sciences some perswade men to good Husbandry some to Marry some to one Calling some to another but what Subject soever it be about which men treate or deal with men or seek to perswade men unto they have no such Motives or Grounds of Perswasion to make the hearts and minds of those with whom they have to do to embrace their Motions or advice The Weapons of their Warfare are but Stubble or Straw or rotten wood in comparison the nature of the Subjects doth not admit of any great Motives or any considerable Arguments to perswade unto them Whereas the Weapons of that Warfare which the Ministry of the Gospel manageth are sharp as a two edged Sword these are Arrows and Spears pointed with fire that will cut thorough and conquer the Souls and Consciences of men these will lie upon the Spirits of men like a great mountain of Lead that they shall not be able to get from under them The Ministry of the Gospel adjureth and chargeth by the love and by the tender mercies of God by the glory of the great things of the World to come by the saving of their Souls from the Wrath and Vengeance of Eternal fire these are mighty in operation they are high and terrible like fire in the bosome nor can men decline the force of them unless they will be Companions with the Horse and Mule and with the bruit Beast of the Field which have no understanding This is one things wherein the glorious efficacy of the Ministry of the Gospel consisteth and commendeth it self it hath mighty Engines and Screws whereby to manage and command the hearts and consciences of men and to lift them up to those practices and waies whereunto it exhorteth and perswadeth them In respect of the mighty efficacy and force of those great Engines Motives and Arguments we speak of the Ministers of the Gospel who are employed herein by a dexterous and faithful application or setting them home to the hearts and consciences of men are said to compel men to come in Luke 14.23 Not that all persons to whom these Engines are faithfully applied are removed from the World and carried home unto God Not that they should bring them in by head and shoulders whether they will or no as some interpret but they should compel i. e. they should make use of these kind of Arguments untill they had by an high hand of power and perswasion prevailed with them to believe and to come unto Christ Secondly Sect. 21 Another thing wherein the efficacy of the Ministry of the Gospel is considerable is that it is furnished by God with demonstrative Grounds and Arguments whereby to secure the Judgements and Consciences of men and women of the reality and truth of these Motives and Grounds of perswasion by which it manageth and carrieth on its great design viz. of bringing men from sin and from the World unto God For though these were such realities though they had as substantial and true existence and being as wither the Angels in Heaven or God himself yet if this their existence and being could not be demonstrated and made out unto men if the Ministry we speak of were not accomplished with light to convince and satisfie the Judgments and Consciences of men that the great things mentioned are no devised Fables or vain Speculations and Notions but are as real and certain in their being as things that may be seen heard or handled I say if the Ministry of the Gospel did bear it self upon no better terms than these and were not able to make good the reality and certainty of the things which it hath asserted the Consciences of men would very easily despise it as well they might do and cast it behind their backs But when it shall prove that there is such a misery and extremity that doth abide wicked and ungodly men that there is a fire that never goeth out and a worm that never dieth and that there are such things laid up in the Heavens for those that fear God that there is an equality with the holy Angels and eating of bread with Abraham Isaac and Jacob and a thousand expressions more of the same kind I say when the Ministry of the Gospel shall be able to fill the Judgements and Consciences of men with a certain knowledge and conviction of the reality and existency of such things as these this is that which furnisheth them with an executive power and maketh them Motives and Arguments of such a nature that men must be very desperate and turn-head upon nature and act contrary to their own peace safety and happiness otherwise they cannot withstand them nor go from them nor rise up against them these Chords are too strong and bind too fast and close so that unless men cease to be men they cannot burst them in sunder It is a saying in the Metaphysicks That which is not hath no manner of operation there is the same reason in Moralities or Moral Actions That which is not known and apprehended hath no influence no operation or work upon the mind or consciences of men And indeed if the Ministry of the Gospel were unprovided at this Point if it were not furnished with weight to make the great Engines move with which
notice before-hand that he was a man full of the Holy Ghost Acts 6.5 And they chose Stephen a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost lâ—st otherwise the greatness of the Actions might prejudice the belief of them in those that should read them Whereas the Reader taking notice that Stephen was a man endued with more than ordinary Power and Wisdom from on High full of the Holy Ghost they might upon this account look upon it as a thing no waies incredible that Stephen should do and speak and suffer for both 〈◊〉 did So likewise when Paul Acts 13.9 in the Condition of a stranger undertook the bold and high Contest against Elimas the Sorcerer as he is called a false Prophet being a great Favourite as it seemeth to Sergiue Paulus the chief Ruler of the Country in the Isle of Cyprus there is express mention made before-hand of his being full of the Holy Ghost Then Saul who also is called Paul filled with the Holy Ghost set his eyes upon him and said c. Implying that such a thing as this would hardly have been undertaken by Paul unless he had been carried on by the Spirit of God within him and that by some considerable fulness of him And this Paul we now speak of laboured we know in the work of the Lord more abundantly than they all he was as we may say the Lord Christ's right hand upon the Earth he drove Sathan the God of this World before him from place to place and triumphed over him every where where he came he was too hard for him and cast him down from heaven like lightning and turned the affairs of his Kingdom upside down and laid wast his power made havock and desolation in all the Territories which he had amongst the generality of men But how came it about what was the reason why this Apostle so much and to such an high degree over acted the Line of the Labours Zeal and Faithfulness of all his Follows Questionless the reason was he had a richer and fuller anointing of the Spirit than they the Sails of his soul were filled with a stronger gale of the Spirit of God than theirs himself doth in effect give this account of his heroick and high Actings for Jesus Christ in the World Col. 1.28 29. Whom we preach saith he warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus whereunto I also labour striving according to his working which worketh in me mightily he laboured for this very purpose to present every man perfect in Christ and he did it according to his working namely the Spirit of Christ which did work in him mightily or with power Where observe by the way that the Apostle saith that he did labour in conformity unto the mighty working of the grace of God or of the Spirit of God in him the meaning seems to be this that the Spirit of God that put him on and Paul were both agreed Paul as ready to go as the Spirit was to send By this means Paul went on in all those Heroick Actions which he did and made great havock and desolation among the powers of sin and darkness and unbelief in the World By means I say of the Spirit Paul submitting himself unto him and receiving his impressions and going along with them he was enabled to many great atchievements and to labour more abundantly in the Gospel and for the interest of God and his glory in the World and the good of men also than any nay all the rest of the Apostles though they were men who were also very serviceable in their Generation To instance no father the Lord Christ himself who was the Worthy of all Worthies that ever the great God of Heaven and Earth imployed in any service upon Earth who was the first-born Servant of God and Elder Brother to Paul himself who kindled a fire that never was yet quenched nor ever shall be until it hath consumed all his Enemies and laid a foundation in his own bloud to build up the Name of God in the greatest glory amongst Angels and Men to the daies of Eternity He I say was a man of these high and most transcendent Atchievements by the advantage he had of all other men in being filled with the Spirit above them all according to that of Joh. 3.34 where it is said that God gave him the Spirit without measure he was not only filled with the Spirit but had the over flowing of the Spirit never did any man attain unto his pitch of zeal and faithfulness to the service of God So that there is no question but that he that is filled with the Spirit is in a capacity to Act and cannot lightly but Act at a very high rate for God if be do but follow the motions of the Spirit of God and will go along with them then he cannot I say but be great in the sight of God great in the services of Christ and of his Saints If you desire to know the reason hereof it is because as the higher the wind bloweth that Ship whose Sails are duly trimmed runneth so much the faster and riddeth the more way upon the Seas Even so when the heart and soul of a man shall be full of the Spirit of God such a person must needs be acted and carried on with more power and vigour in a swifter manner or course and be enabled to do twice as much as another in the same compass of time who hath but a scanty presence of the Spirit of God with him You know it is our Saviours Expression Joh. 3.6 That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit I suppose he maketh mention of being born of the flesh only to shew and make things more passable to the understanding of Nicodomus to make way for that which he spake in the latter Now saith he that which is born of the flesh is flesh that thou and every man knows as the Parent that begetteth a Child is of a fleshly nature so that which is born must needs be flesh also And dost thou not know how a man shall be born again of the Spirit It is even as it is with those that be born of the flesh they partake of the same nature and receive the impressions of the flesh So it is with the Spirit that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Such as is the nature of the Spirit of God such also is that which is born or begotten of it that is those Principles whatsoever they are that he who is born of the Spirit doth receive by means of the Spirit of God must answer and be like unto those which the Spirit of God himself hath of which he is born or begotten Now you know that the Spirit of God is full of the Love of God and full of Zeal for God and set upon the magnifying of him in the World and promoting his Interest in the
be a great piece of wordly Felicity But alas What is such an interest in the greatest or mightiest King or Prince under the Heavens being compared with that interest which such a person as we have spoken of hath in God The gleanings of him that hath the Ear of the Great God of all the Earth open to his Prayer are better than the Vintage of him that hath the Ear of the greatest Monarch in the World open unto him They who have the Ear of God open upon such terms as persons filled with the Spirit have it are in a capacity hereby not only to provide or procure for themselves as oft as they desire all accommodations regularly necessary to render their lives full of peace comfort and contentment but likewise to Umpire and order the great Affairs of the World round about them yea and to give Laws unto Nations and to rule them with a Rod of Iron For such persons as we now speak of are a first fruits of that World to come which in Scriptures is called the new Heavens and the new Earth the Kingdom of Christ and of the Saints and is much discoursed amongst us under the name of the Fifth Monarchy a Name and Notion proper enough for it and have a first-fruit granted unto them by God of those glorious Priviledges of that Interest of Power and Grandeur which shall be vested in the great Body or whole Community of the Saints in that day of which we may have occasion ere long to speak more particularly So as this shall be the Priviledge and Prerogative of all the Saints in that day that they shall rule the Nations as it were with a Rod of Iron and break them in pieces like a Potters Vessel meaning that the whole Earth shall be given unto them as it is in Daniel Dan. 7.18.27 Even so shall the persons we speak of before the Dawning of that Day before the New Heaven and the New Earth taste of the great happiness and felicity of the Chosen of God in those daies and they shall Umpire and Rule and carry and sway the great Affairs of the World as we have it in Rev. 2.26 27. He that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end that man that standeth it out in my Cause and fights it out unto death to him will I give power over the Nations and he shall rule with a Rod of Iron c. meaning that he shall have part in the great felicity of that day You know that passage in Jam. 5.17 where it is said that Elijah who was a man subject to the like passions and the like infirmities with other men I suppose he means not so much if at all sinful infirmities as corporal he was a man subject to sorrow and sickness and death as well as we or any of us are and yet he did thus by Prayer he prayed and he shut the Heavens and again he prayed and he opened the Heavens and provided rain for the Earth by his Prayer Now I suppose the Apostle inserts these words A man subject to like passions as we are to remove that great stumbling stone which might be in the minds and thoughts of ordinary Christians that are weak and poor that carry about with them a body of sickness and death and are despised in the World and not regarded and set by by the great men in the World How then should they expect that a God of that infinite Majesty which he is to whom they should pray and make their requests should regard them Especially in the gratifying of them upon any such terms that he should do any great or excellent thing more than ordinary for them Now to such the Holy Ghost here saith do not be troubled let no such thought as this arise within you upon such an occasion for I tell you that Elijah was a man as weak as you cloathed with the same flesh subject to sicknesses and pain and to be contemned and slighted by men as he was by Ahab and others yet this did not at all obstruct his interest with God his Prayer was potent and powerful with him for he did very great things as you know by his Prayer he shut the Heaven being highly offended with the wickedness of the People and their Idolatry He interceded as it were against them and sought to draw down Judgments upon them indeed he sought hereby to humble them and to bring them to the sight of their sins as it seems he did and accordingly when he saw that they did repent and were reformed in their waies he did by another Prayer turn the course of the Displeasure of God another way and drew down the love and favour of God out of Heaven upon them And Sect. 6 my Brethren doubtless the reason why the interest of Prayer is fallen so low and sunk as it were in the Christian World in comparison of what it was in the Primitive times in the daies of the Apostles and in the Ages next after them the reason I say why so little is done in the World by means of Prayer is because the Generation of those who in the Primitive times were wont to be filled with the Spirit and to be large hearted towards God is in a manner extinct and that heavenly vigour which possessed the hearts and reins and brake forth and shewed it self in the lives and waies of the First and Second Ages of Primitive Christians was not lookt after in the Generations afterwards but instead thereof many of them suffered a Spirit of ignorance and blind zeal to enter into them and to possess them which under a pretense of bestirring it self and acting for God and Jesus Christ made wrack and havock of their interest in the World And there is more than enough of this kind of spirit and vigour that is gotten into the the hearts and inward parts of many Professors amongst us who like to the Jews of old have a great zeal for God but not according to knowledge yea there is a great variety of several shapes and forms of this kind of zeal amongst us The Antinomian he laies out himself effectually for the advancement of his Opinion and waies and thinks he doth God and his Gospel the only service in the World A second sort of Professor he is as a flame of fire he is content to spend and to be spent in the Service of his way being full of confidence that even whilest he treads and tramples under foot the peace and comforts of the Children and dear Servants of Christ yet he is the only Benefactor to his Throne and Kingdom amongst men A third Party abominating the Zeal of the former riseth up early and goeth to bed late and eats the bread of much carefulness to mount upon the back of Secular Authority and if he get but his foot fast and sure upon this ground he makes account that by turning the edge of the Magistrates Sword against all that he conceipts
to be Errors Heresies Blasphemies c. and by riding over the heads of all those whom he calls Sectaries he shall set God upon the Throne and put an Iron Scepter into the hand of Jesus Christ wherewith to break all his Enemies in pieces like a Potters Vessel making full account that God will never have a Temple upon Earth unless it be of his building The Seeker whilest he throws the House of God out of the Windows as we use to say and makes an utter desolation in the Courts thereof casting out all the Ordinances and Ministrations of it as Menstruous and polluted Rags and makes an headless heartless and confused meeting of a few to speak what any Spirit one or other shall prompt them withall he conceipts and this with confidence enough too that he acts according to the heart of Jesus Christ and that persons of all other forms and waies do rather great disservice to Jesus Christ and the truth than otherwise and that he and men of his inspiration are the only persons that understand aright what makes for the lifting up of the Throne of Christ amongst men Yea the Rantor himself whose Principles and waies have no more Communion with the glory of God or of Jesus Christ than Light hath with Darkness or Christ himself with Belial yet he in his own conceipt is the first-born amongst the Friends of God and of Jesus Christ He alone it is that spreads abroad the sweet savour of Jesus Christ in the World whilest he pours out himself in all manner of abominations and sentenceth men of other Principles and Practices as strangers unto God and to the Gospel and obscurers and darkeners of the Grace of God and the fulness of Redemption purchased by Jesus Christ Yea there is another sort who is the last-born Son of Sathan that I know amongst us he finds false fire in the Zeal of all the former and therefore hath set up a new form or way for the worshipping and serving of God and though Sathan be more palpably visible in it than in any of the former yet he is confident that all other waies ought to cast down their Crowns to the ground at the feet of it yea and that they shall be made to do it Thus God hath many in the World that pretend high in Friendship to him and in Zeal for his glory who yet indeed trouble and disturbe the World And many of them labour in the very sire and some of them do as little spare their flesh as the Servants of Baal did who cut themselves with Knives and Lances which they needed not to do in case they were real Friends indeed unto God and worthy Imitators of the true Zeal and Christian fervour of Spirit which uttered themselves in the Primitive Christians So that as Solomon observing the common pretenses and professions of men one to another expresseth himself thus Prov 20.6 Mâ—st men will boast every man of his own goodness But who can find a faithful man That is a Friend indeed and indeed So may God altogether as truly say that there are many in the World men of this way and men of that way men of a third of a fourth and of a fifth who all boast of their goodness who pretend love to me and zeal for my glory but I can hardly find a faithful man amongst them a man who naturally careth for the things of my glory As the Apostle speaks concerning Timothy that did naturally mind his Affairs it is one of the hardest things in the World to find men especially any publick Society of men that do naturally mind the things of Jesus Christ But the thing I was saying unto you is that the reason why the interest of Prayer in the World I mean amongst Professors of Christianity is fallen so low as it is and is in a manner sunk in comparison of that which it was and appeared to be in the Christians of old is because that the Spirit of love to God that Heroick and vigorous Spirit is sunk in the Christian World It was upon the Wing in the times of the Apostles and some Ages after them but now among all pretenders to God certain it is that God amongst them all finds not many faithful Friends not many of that integrity and uprightness of heart and soul which was found in the Primitive Christians For as God reasoned the case with the Jews long since Isa 59.1 2. Behold the Lords hand is not shortened c. neither his ear heavy that he cannot hear So then this is a thing which needs be no mans doubt or question that to be great in the sight of God and to have his ear continually open unto a mans Prayer must needs be a treasure of comfort and peace unto him and so in consort with those three other Priviledges formerly opened renders a mans life and condition in the World as desirable as God judgeth meet to permit it to be here We further added Sect. 7 in the proposal of the Motive yet in hand that as a being filled with the Spirit would render a mans life in this World comfortable in respect of the four particulars mentioned yea most desirable So there is no other course that a man can take without this nothing that he can do besides or with a neglect of this will do it will interest a person man or woman in any or however not in all the particulars mentioned without a joynt concurrence of which there will be somewhat material and of moment wanting to the compleating of their condition in the World Let us speak a few words to this also and prove unto you that without a being filled with the Spirit none of the four particulars can be enjoyed or possessed by you at least upon any such terms on which they may be and are enjoyed by those that are filled with the Spirit and on which the desirableness of a mans life in the World is raised and maintained by them Now the reason briefly why none of the great Priviledges mentioned can be enjoyed like themselves by any other course taken or means used without a being filled with the Spirit is this because they all depend upon these cordial and high engagements for God and for the advancement of his interest in the World of which we have lately spoken and these are not likely to be found in any person or persons but in those only who are filled with the Spirit So that we have these two things to open and shew unto you First That the four particulars wherein as we have proved the life of a man in this World as to the greatest desirableness of it consists are not to be had or to be enjoyed either devisim but especially not conjunctim but only by a signal course of righteousness or a very considerable degree of activeness for God Secondly That no mans heart will ever be lifted up to such a course of righteousness as this to such
these things unto them Indeed there is this difference between beasts having Communion with men and mens having Communion with God As beasts they have no Communion with men in Principles so neither are they capable of any Discourse or Communication or of receiving the light of knowledge from men But it is otherwise with men in respect of the knowledge of God and Communion with him for though they have no knowledge of the things of God at the present yet are they capable of the knowledge of them if they be communicated unto them they can relish them and improve them And so for the fourth particular and last that great interest in God to carry things in Prayer this is such a Priviledge that me thinks every man must acknowledge and grant and cannot find any thing to oppose or object against it but that this must be the effect of an enlargement in Righteousness and this comes by the assistance of the Spirit of God For God makes a great Treasury of his Ear that is only open for persons of greatness and worth it is one of the highest means and greatest encouragement which God hath in his hand to work and draw up the hearts of men on high viz. unto a life excellent in holiness to grant them a rich interest in Heaven to have his car open to do great things for them Now if God should grant all to other persons that are low and of an ordinary conversation God would be divided against himself and should make that common which he hath set apart for great and signal Services For should he grant this great Priviledge to have his Ear open to persons of an ordinary rate or growth in holiness that when they prayed unto him for great things they might obtain them at his hand he would spoil his market for great things For who are they that would strive to out-run their Neighbours in matters appertaining to God if they apprehended that God would give as much interest in himself and in his love unto them that neither labour nor strive to gain it So that there is no question to be made but that this Royal Priviledge also is the natural and appropriate effect and product of an high excellency in Righteousness in the World and consequently shews them that have it to be filled with the Spirit of God Thus we have made good the truth of our Motive last propounded so far as it concerns this present life and the desirableness of it and have shewed and proved that he that is filled with the Spirit of God must needs be invested in and possessed of the four Priviledges mentioned And secondly that he that is possessed of these must needs live upon the most desirable and happy terms that this World can afford We cast in this likewise additionally that this blessedness of life and condition is not to be obtained by any other means but by being filled with the Spirit We now proceed to shew the like concerning the life which is to come Sect. 12 viz. that a being filled with the Spirit in this World is that which will make a mans Crown of glory to flourish on his head and this with the greatest encrease of glory in the World which is to come Only by the way we suppose one thing which I know is doubted of and questioned by some and denied by others but yet is more generally received and questionless is a truth and the Doctrine of the Scriptures themselves viz. That as the state and condition of men differ in this World some live upon better and more comfortable terms than others so shall it also be in the World to come I mean amongst those who shall all be happy and blessed some shall be greater in blessedness than others and higher in glory though it shall be well with them all and they shall all be happy and blessed Now whereas the World to come according to the more general and probable Opinion is twofold First That state of the Saints under the Kingdom of Christ which is yet to come and that condition afterwards when God shall be all in all there is no estate between these two Now take either the one estate or the other they may well be called the World which is to come that is a World which as it is future so the state and condition of it will be much different from the World that now is That which we are about to propound unto you doth relate indefinitely unto them both in all and in every of the several degrees and dispensations of God in them We shall not make any long business to argue and vindicate the truth which we now suppose as the Basis or ground-work of the next part of our discourse partly because we would not make any long digression from the main business in hand partly because as I remember we not very long since did argue the Point at large giving reply both unto such Scriptures and such Arguments which are generally opposed unto the Opinion Therefore we shall at present only take some brief notice how the Scriptures stand enclined in the Point and add a Reason or two for the confirmation of what we shall find the Scriptures hold forth in the case and when we have laid this foundation we shall go forward with the building First For the Scriptures there is a great appearance here yea doubtless more than an appearance too on the behalf of the Notion or Opinion which was lately mentioned All those passages wherein it is declared that God will judge every man according to his works and so reward every man according to his works suppose a difference in rewards unless we shall suppose that which is manifestly untrue viz. that the good works of all those who shall be saved are equal and that none of them have done either more or less nor that they have been more or less serviceable either unto God or men in their Generation but that all have been found alike righteous alike faithful alike zealous for God But supposing that the works of the Saints I mean their works of righteousness are not equal but that some have lifted up their hands higher unto the Commands of God than others then these passages of Scripture clearly suppose that there will be found a variety of rewards between righteous men and righteous men For that such places of Scripture as these are not to be understood only of the kind or general quality of mens works as if the meaning only were that God would reward all those that shall have wrought righteousness and who have done well with eternal life and that he will punish those that have done wickedly and ungodlily with eternal death now though this be a truth yet that this cannot be the meaning is apparent by the Scriptures which speak elsewhere not only of both kinds of works and the different species and kind of rewards and recompenses proper to them but also that