to the sails in that flux of the souls way toward God But Faith moderateth and lesseneth all these in relation to the creature so the Faith which hath its direct aspect toward eternity and looketh on the shortnesse of sliding away time and the transâ—ent wheeling away oâ— the poor figure of this world 1 Cor. 7. v. 29.31 turneth all these acts into but half a face on thâ— creature and into leasurely and leaden motions or to half non-acts as if made up of heavenlâ— contradictions v. 29 30 31. Having wives having no wives Weeping no weeping Rejoicing no rejoicing Buying no possessing Vsing the world not using the world When the Saints throng through the presse and croud of the creatures for the world is a bushie and rank wood thorns take hold of their garments and retard them in their way Faith looseth their garments riddeth them of such thornie friends as are too kind to them in their journy who diggeth for Iron and Tin in the earth with mattocks of Gold What wise man would make a Web of cloth of gold a net to catch fish Expences should over-grow gains There 's much of the mettall of heaven in the soul Faith would forbid us to wear out the threds of this immortall spirit such as are love joy fear sorrow upon peeces of corruptible clay Alas is it Faiths light that setteth men a work to make the soul a golden-needle and the precious powers and affections thereof threds of silver to sow together peeces of sackcloth and old rotten rags What better I pray you is the finest of the web in the whole systeme of creation Certainly the heavens must be a thred of better wool then the clay-earth yet if you should break your immortal spirit and bend all the acts to the highest extent of your affections to conquer thousands of Acres of ground in the Heavens and intitle your soul to that inheritance as to your onely patrimonie without Christ Faiths day-light should discover to you that this finest part of that web of Creation with which you desire to cloth your precious soul is but base wool and rotten thred and though beautifull and well dyed to the eye yet Psal. 102.26 The heavens even all of them shall wax old like a garment And the wisdome of Faith knoweth a shop where there 's a more excellent suit of clothes for the soul 2 Cor. 5.1 2. And a more precious peece of the Heaven to dwell in even a House which is from Heaven with which you shall bee clothed When life shall eat up death and mortality 2. The creatures are below the affections of the believer and his affections conquer them as having the vantage of the mount above all the creatures So Paul maketh an elegant contrariety Phil. 3.19 20. Between those whose heart senses minde findeth neither smell taste nor wisedome but in earthly things for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to minde things of the earth importeth all these and those who by Faith look to Heaven and dwell there And the temporaries heart is below the world and the creatures are up in the mount above him So Mat. 13. v. 7.22 The thorns or cares of riches have the fore-start of the earth and sap above Faith or the good seed For the seed was cast in the earth when the thorns had been there before and had the vantage of the season and the soil both The first love is often strongest The Martyrs Heb. 11.35 had poor and weak thoughts of this life and would not accept and welcome life and deliverance from death but had strong acts of Faith and love toward a better resurrection It s a souls strong Faith that bringeth him to nil admirari and to wonder at nothing Never to love much nor fear much nor sorrow much nor joy much nor weep much nor laugh much nor hope much nor dispaire much when the creature is the object of all these acts there is nothing great not the worlds All things or their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to him who is possessed with that Righteousnes which is of God by Faith Phil. 3.8 9. Men that talketh with good will and all their heart of their learning books of their own Acts good Works Wisdom Court Honour valour in War Flocks Lands Gold Moneys Children Friends Travels are to Examine If Faith be not a chaste thing and that acts of whoredome with the creature and of believing in Christ are scarce consistent Let your affections move toward the creature without sound of feet 3. There must be self-forsaking in believing 1. An affirming and an ay to grace is a negation and deniall to it self 1 Cor. 15.10 I laboured more abundantly then they all Yet not I but the grace of God which was with me To deny that you are Christs or that you have any grace if Christ have any thing of his in you is not self-deniall but grace deniall and God-deniall deny the work of the spirit and deny himself It s a saying of humility Cant. 1.5 I am black and of Faith but comely as the tents of Kedar as the curtains of Solomon And Cant. 5.1 I slept but my heart waked It s Faith to hold fast your state of adoption Lord I am thine 2. When our self maketh a suit to self and putteth in a bill to the flesh O pitie thy self Rejoice O young man in thy youth It s self-renouncing to deny this request to the flesh And Faith only can give an answer to self-declining the crosse He that denieth me before men him will I deny before my Father and his holy Angels saith Christ. And another answer Faith giveth Rom. 8.12 I am not debtor to thee O flesh I owe thee nothing And its Faiths word of answer Eccles. 11.9 But know thou that for all these things God will bring thee unto judgement 3. Faith putteth the soul in that condition that self may be plucked from self without great violence as an apple full of the tree and of harvest-sap is with a small motion pluckt off the stalk Act. 21.13 I am ready 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have my self in readinesse not only to be bound but also to dye at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Certainly Faith saw here more in Jesus of excellency and sweetnesse then there could be of bitternes in bonds and death to self 4. There 's a deniall of the creature and a bill of defiance sent to all the lovers of the world when Ephraim is brought to this act of believing Hos. 14.3 For in thee the Fatherlesse findeth mercy Then it s said Ashur shall not save us We will not ride upon horses That creature that we trust on we ride upon it as Israel did upon the horses of Assyria and Aegypt But in this regard Faith dismounteth the believer and abaseth him to walk on foot All the creatures are ships to the believer without a bottome They are empty and weak David forbiddeth us to ride on a Prince
love Christ. This truth is in it that in such a pain and sad condition of suffering as the damned are in sin despair or Gods hating of them excepted Saints can believe and love Christ Psal. 22.1 at least desire to have leave to love Christ for the evill of sinne may the evill of punishment cannot quench the love of Christ which is stronger then death then hell Cant. 8.6 7. The soul at the lowest condition is like the man who hath ingaged his lands for so great a sum as may be a Just price to buy the land and so in effect he hath sold the land but with a reversion he keepeth the reversion and so by Law within such a time he may redeem his morgaged inheritance The weakest of believers at his lowest ebbe keepeth the reversion of Christ He may by some grievous sinne be under such a terrible desertion as to put the inheritance of Heaven to a too great hazard of being lost and in appearance and in his own sense and in the sense of many all is gone yet then to say nothing of the invisible chain of Gods unchangeable decree of Election which the strongest armes of Devils and Hell cannot break there is fire under the embers sap and life in the root of the Oak tree God saith of the bud of this Vine tree though the man neither see nor hear it destroy it not for there is a blessing in it As touching the second The Question may be What remaineth for him in this condition to know his condition or what can he do I answer 1. When Christ hath left his bed and is gone he is to keep warm the seat that Christ was in I do not say that the Church Cant. 5.6 was at the lowest ebbe yet a desertion there was and a sad one But in this condition she openeth her heart to Christ I rose up to open to my beloved 2. vers 5. There be some droppings of Myrrhe from her hands some sense of Christ. 3. I called him but he answered me not there remaineth a faculty of praying 4. A love-sicknesse hence it is evident in the lowest and ebbest condition of a fainting faith there is something answerable to this and this is to love the smell of Christ that he hath left behinde him when he himself is gone it is to desire to behold with love and longing the print of his feet the chair of love that he sate in hence though you feel no work of sanctification his seat is kept by some spirituall meditations as to consider what a kinde of love it is that Christ hath bestowed on sinners for that he loved his own before he died for them his love being the cause why he died for them and still after the purchased Redemption he loveth them and intercedeth for them up at the right hand of God and this is as much as to say Christ hath loved you and repenteth not of his love love made him die for you and if it were to do again he would die over again for you Rom. 8.33 34. 1 Tim. 3.16 And suppose we that there were need that CHRIST should die twice or foure times or an hundred or millions of times and that he had ten thousand millions of lives and that our sins should have required that he should first die for one believer and then die again the second time for another and then the third time for another and so that hee must for every severall Elect person have died a severall death Love love should have put him upon all these deaths willingly and therefore if the beleever had ten loves as many loves in one as there be Elected men and Angels all had been too little for Christ and when the believer hath been serving and praising up in the highest Temple as many millions of ages of years or a tract of Eternity answerable to that duration of ages as the number of the sand on all the coasts in earth of all the stars in Heaven of all the flowers hearbs plants leaves of trees that hath been or shall be from the Creation of God to the taking down of the workmanship of Heaven and earth yet shal he be as much in Christs debt for this infinit love when that time is ended as when he first opened his mouth in the first breathing out of praises in the state of glory 2 He may turn over in his minde all the promises and the literall revolution of them in the minde though it be but a deed or act of the understanding and memory may cast fire on the affections in which there resideth a habit of grace though there be no fire in the bellows yet blowing with the bellows may waken up and kindle fire in the hearth where there is little The habit of grace is often as sparks of fire on the hearth under the ashes and may be kindled up and made a fire 3. When Faith is weakest and the soul under a winter and a dead eclipse its fit to keep the heart in a passive frame of receiving of him again as to sorrow for sin and to put to door unrepented sins as when the King goeth abroad sweep the Chamber for his return Missing of Christ longing for his return inquisition for him Watchmen saw ye him Love-sicknesse for him putteth the soul in a sweet passive capacity to receive him again Cant. 3.1 2 3 4 5. 4. When the Church is in bed sleeping yet she is charged to open Cant. 5.2 to weep at the noise of Christs knock when you cannot rise is somewhat a prisoner may stir his legs and cause the iron fetters tinckle though he cannot get out there is some strength when we are bidden Heb. 12.12 Lift up the hands that hang down and the feeble knees Motion will make fire 5. Especially Christ sleepeth least when his childe is in a high feaver Love watcheth then most at the bed side SERMON XXIV THY Faith Faith is so Christs as the fountain and the cause that it is ours as agents moved and acted by Christ. Hence it s a foul errour to say that there 's no inherent Rightoousness in the Saints and no graces in the souls of believers but in Christ only There 's water even the spirit powred on the dry ground Isa. 44.3 Gods spirit put within us Eze. 36.26 27. The spirit of grace and of supplication powred on the house of David Zach. 12.10 A well within the saints springing up to life everlasting Joh. 4.14 The Father and the Son through the operation of Grace take up house in them Jo. 14.23 Such a new stock and plant of Heaven set in them as they have the Anointing dwelling in them 1 Joh. 2.27 The seed of God abiding in them 1 Joh. 3.9 Vnfained faith dwelling in Timothy 2 Tim. 1.5 Grace in them as fire under ashes 2 Tim. 1.6 And a new Divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 An inward man 2 Cor. 4.16 Col. 1.27 Christ in
forgivenesse it were not folly to a condemned person having receied a pardon and being assured of it to fall down and say Pardon me my Lord the King Ans. What Protestant Divines say in this we acknowledge but if we seek only a fuller certainty of forgivenesse in this Petition and not also the application of the generall pardon as appropriated to the sins we daily fall in I see no other thing we seek but a greater measure of faith to lay hold on remission I should ask a warrant of Scripture to prove that forgiveness of sin signifieth assurance of the pardon of sin 2. That to seek forgivenes daily is to glorifie and magnifie him from whom we once received forgivenesse is not to purpose for that is a generall in all Petitions that we put up to God no lesse then in this 3. If a pardoned malefactor having assurance he were pardoned should fall down and begge pardon of the King and not rather tender him thanks and blessings for a received pardon I should believe he called in question the Kings favour but should he every day when he eateth bread beg pardon from the King as we beg daily forgivenesse he might be charged with more then ordinary folly M. Denne God loves us in blood saith he and pollution as well before conversion as after conversion and though faith procure not Gods love and favour yet it serveth us for other uses that we may be sealed by believing Eph. 1.13 and may thereby know the love of God It is said he that believeth not is damned not because his believing doth alter or change his estate before God but because God hath promised that he will not only give us remission but also faith for our consolation and so faith becometh a note and a mark of life everlasting as finall infidelity is of eternall condemnation Ans. 1. It is true God loveth the elect before conversion equally as after conversion in regard of that free love of election that moved him to give his Son to death for them Joh. 3.16 and to call them effectually 2 Tim. 1.9 Eph. 2.1 2 3 4. Tit. 3.3 4. 4. Propos. It is a palpable untruth that the elect by believing in Christ and being translated from death to life in their conversion to God are equally loved of God before conversion as after conversion if we speak of Gods love of complacency for though the inward affection and love of God as it is an immanent and indwelling act in God be eternall and have not its rise in time and be not like the love of man to man which is like the Sea ebbing and flowing or the Moon which admitteth of a cloudy and dark visage and of an enlighted and full condition yet as the same love of God is terminated upon sinfull men or rather that which is called the love of complacency which is indeed the effect of Gods love it is not every way one and the same after conversion and before as it is the same fountain and spring that runneth in its streams toward the South which by Art and industry of men may be made to run toward the North the change is in the streams not in the fountain yet we say the fountain now runneth not Southward as it did afore but Northward also give me leave to doubt if these same very visible Sun beams that did fall upon Adam and Eve doth this Summer fall upon us yet I doubt not but the same Sun that did shine the first six hours of the Creation on the Garden of Paradice shineth upon all our gardens and orchards that now are So Gods love is one the same toward the elect before time and while they are wallowing in the state of sinfull and depraved nature and now when they are changed in the spirits of their mind But it may well be said that God loveth his Church as washed as fair and spotlesse Cant. 4.7 and that he doth now say of her Cant. 4.10 How fair is thy love my sister my Spouse how much better is thy love then wine and the smell of thine ointments then all spices whereas the Lord said before of her Eze. 16.3 Thy birth and thy nativity is of the Land of Canaan thy father was an Amorite thy mother an Hittite 4. As for thy nativity in the day that thou wast born thy Naevell was not cut neither wast thou washed in water to supple thee thou wast not salted at all nor swadled at all 6. And when I possed by thee and saw thee polluted in thy blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood live and all this the Lord might speak to the same Church yet unconverted and at that time the Lord could not utter that expression of love to say to a bloudy and polluted Church as he doth Can. 4.7 Thou art all fair my love there is not a spot in thee now could it be said that the Father and the son loveth such a Church as such as loveth the Father and keepeth the words of the Son as it is Ioh. 14.21.23 what the Church was not fair not spotlesse but filthy polluted not washed not justified as yet and though it be true that faith procure not Gods love and favour it is a calumnie that ever Protestant Divine taught any such thing for the work of Gods eternall love in election to Glory or his hatred in reprobation is not the yesterday or the daies-birth of our faith or our unbelief yet that believing or our effectual conversion maketh no alteration or change in our state before God is a grosse untruth Faith and conversion maketh indeed No change of any state in the ancient of days in the strength of Israel who cannot lie or repent and putteth not God from the State of a Reprobating or hating or a not loving and choosing God whereas before he was such who did love and chuse us to salvation the Lord is our witnesse we asserted the contrary doctrine of Free-grace against Arminians and Papists 5. Prop. Our believing and conversion to God doth alter and change our state before God 1. Because God esteemed an unbeliever that which he was even an unbeliever a child of wrath one that is disobedient serving divers lusts a soul unwashed polluted in his blood before his conversion to God but being once converted and graced to believe his state before God is altered and changed even in the Court of Heaven in the Lords Books he is another man he goeth now for a fair and undefiled soul the Church that was in a polluted filthy and miserable condition Ezek. 16.3 4 5 6 7 8. Is now in Christs heart as a seal Cant. 8.6 so fair as her beauty ravisheth the heart of Christ now Christ nameth things according to their nature 2. The condition is so changed before God that Hos. 1.10 It cometh to passe That in the place where it was said to them ye are not my people there it
sign even as the day-star maketh not the Sun to rise it being only a signe that the Sun shall rise and that justification is as old a childe of free-free-love as election to life Then say I Paul might have taken the like pains to prove these Propositions We are chosen to glory before the world was by faith and not by the good works of the Law and this men are reprobated from eternity by finall unbeleef For sure it is that we come to the knowledge of our election to glory by beleeving not to say that Pauls large dispute with justiciaries was not whether we know and apprehend our own justification by the works of the Law or by faith in Christ. 3. If Antinomians say That Christ was slain for our sins from eternity not actually but only in Gods eternall purpose and they must say either he was the Lamb actually crucified for us from eternity which is a new eternal world we are actually justified from eternity and our sins imputed to Christ and actually translated off us and laid on him and so our sins are actually pardoned from eternity Or then they must say Christ was the Lambe slain from eternity not actually not really but only in the decree and gracious purpose of God now that is I grant sound Divinity Christ died not from eternity but God only decreed and purposed that in the fulnesse of time he should die But then it must follow that God did not actually charge sin on Christ from eternity and that Christ did not actually from eternity justifie the ungodly but onely in his eternall purpose he did justifie the ungodly Then the ungodly are justified in time and when is this time I believe the word of God that it is never while the poor soul believe even as the sinner is condemned and under wrath but never while he mis-believe and reject the Son of God But 4. if the meaning that Christ is the Lamb slain for our sins from eternity be that he is slain only in Gods purpose then are we no more justified and pardoned from eternity and so before we beleeve then the world was created from eternity Now in the Antinomian sense as we are justified by faith that is we come to know that we were in Gods minde actually justified Then it may be said The world was created by faith For Heb. 11.2 Through faith we understood that the world was created and God laid our sins upon Christ by faith and Christ died for us and bare our sins on his own body on the tree by faith For by faith we come to know that God made the world but because the knowledge and apprehension of the creation may some say is not a point serving for peace of conscience and Christian consolation which yet is false every point of saving faith is apt to breed peace and consolation yet certainly we came to know and apprehend that God laid our sins upon Christ by faith Isa. 53.6 and that Christ died for us and bare our sins on his own body on the tree by faith and by faith only to our peace and consolation and so if justification by faith be nothing but the manifestation of Gods love to us in imputing our sins to Christ and have no subordinat organicall act in our justification but we be justified before we believe and that from eternity upon the very same ground God created the world by faith Christ died for our sins by faith 5. Yea in this sense the world must be created from eternity and all things which fell out in time fell out in eternity because as Christ was the Lamb slain from eternity in Gods eternall purpose so were all things and the world created from eternity in Gods purpose and decree but things that only have being in the decree of God are not simply nor have they any being at all and therefore our free justification from eternity had no being but only was to be and actually is when God giveth us faith to lay hold on the remission of our sins Nor is it enough to say That faith is only given for our joy and consolation and not for the alteration and change of our state that of unjustified we may be justified For this layeth down these false grounds 1. The believer is so â—n every moment of time to rejoice as he is never to sorrow for sin nor to confesse sin because â—ins were pardoned from all eternity but so neither after a soul believe nor before he believe is he to confesse sins or mourn for them because both after and before yea from eterniâ—y sins are not at all but removed in Christ. 2. It â—ayeth down this ground that we are justified no more by faith then by the works done by the saving grace of God after regeneration â—nd that Paul in the Epistle to the Romanes â—nd Galatians does contend with justiciaries â—ow these who were from eternity justified shall come to know and apprehend for their â—wn peace joy and consolation that they were â—ustified and elected to glory whether men â—ay know this by faith in Christ or by the works of the Law But 1. this is not the state of the question between Paul and the Justiciaries For Rom. 3. Paul concludeth strongly we are really and indeed changed from a state of sin unto a state of justification even before God not because by keeping the Law we know we are justified but because all have sinned and are come short of the glory of God and so are inherently wicked abominable doers of ill and condemned therefore before God from Davids testimony Psal. 14. Psal. 53. This Argument concludeth reall and intrinsecall condemnation v. 19. not the knowledge of condemnation nor the knowledge that we are not justified by the works of the Law Rom. 4.2 Paul proveth that we are justified as David and Abraham was Now they are not said to be justified by faith because they come by faith to the knowledge of their justification for Abrahams righteousnesse and the blessednesse of the justified man opposed to the curse of the Law from which we are freed in justification Gal. 3.10 11 12 13. is the reall fruit of justification and of believing in him that justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. But this blessednesse and freedom from the curse of the Law is not any fruit or effect or consequent of our knowledge and apprehension of our justification in Christ as if we were before we believe blessed and freed from the curse of the Law because ever the Elect before they believe are under the curse and are not blessed 1. Because they are before they believe the children of wrath Eph. 2.2 Ergo They are under the curse 2. Because Paul and the Elect before they be under grace and belief were under the Law and so under wrath Rom. 6.14 15 16 17. Rom. 7.4 Wherefore my brethren ye also are become dead to the Law by the
body of Christ that ye should be married to another 5. For when we were in the flesh the motions of sins which were by the Law did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death 6. But now we are delivered from the Law that being dead wherein we were held we should serve in newnesse of spirit and not in the oldnesse of the Letter Hence it is clear that there was a time in which Paul and the Elect at Rome were servants of sin Rom. 6.20 21. Under the lusts and motions of sin which work in their Members to bring forth fruit that is sins to death eternall Ro. 7.5 Ergo They were then under the curse of the Law and so far from blessednesse and the servants of sin Rom. 6.20 and persons in the flesh But the case is changed they are now not the servants of sin but servants of righteousnesse Rom. 6.22 Married to a new husband Iesus Christ Rom. 7.4 Whence came this change of two contrary states yea and before God contrary for before God it cannot be one state to be servants of sin under the Law and servants of God and under Grace Certainly from Faith on our part or some other grace in us at least there must be something of grace by which the alteration from a cursed estate to a blessed estate is made then faith is not a naked manifestation of the blessednesse of justification to the which we was intitled before we believed for before we believed we was in a cursed estate This also may be added that if Faith be but a Declaration or manifestation that we are justified before we believe Paul had no reason to deny that we are justified that is that we know to our comfort by works of holinesse that we are justified for works of sanctification are evident witnesses that we are in Christ and are justified 2 Cor. 5.17 1 Joh. 3.14 1 Joh. 2.3 Jam. 2.24.25 2 Pet. 1.10 3. It layeth down this false ground that grace is nothing in us but a meer comfortable sense and apprehension of Free-love and Grace is conceived to be only and wholly in Christ so that there is no inherent grace in the Believer by which he is differenced from an unbeliever sanctification and duties flowing from the habit of grace are nothing but dreams of Legall men Christ justifying the sinner is all and some in the Elect strict and precise walking conduce nothing to salvation To think that it can do any thing in order to salvation is to worship saith Mr. Denne an angry deity 2. To satisfie justice with our works fasting tears duties Therefore our 6. Propos. Is that it is a vain distinction of Master Denne who would have a reconciliation of God to man and of man to God 1. Because we read that man is reconciled to God Rom. 5.10 2 Cor. 5.18 19 20. Col. 1.20 21. Eph. 2.16 Man is the enemy whereas in Adam he was a friend and in Christ the second Adam he is made a friend but that God is reconciled to man or changed toward his own Elect from an enemy and a God that hateth their persons into a friend and lover of them I never read if at any time God be said to be comforted toward his people or eased these are borrowed speeches 2. Love of Election yea the love that putteth God on work to Redeem Call Justifie Sanctifie the Elect is no love bought with hire yea the price of Redemption which Christ gave for sinners cannot buy eternall love blood and the blood of God shed cannot woodset ancient love all the sins of Devils of men cannot forfeit it make sins floods and seas and ten thousand worlds of rivers they cannot quench that eternall coal and flame in the brest of so free a Lover as God in a word the shed blood of Christ is an â—ffect not a cause of infinite love 3. What â—hen doth reconciliation place any new thing in God No Doth it turn him from an Hater to a Lover No Reconciliation active on the Lords â—art is a change of his outward dispensation not â—f his inward affections Fury is not in me he â—ith himself Isa. 27.4 He cannot wax hot and â—â—ry in the Acts of his spotlesse and holy will Reconciliation turneth not the heart but the hand of the Lord upon the little ones as he speaketh so that he cannot deal with or punish his elect as otherways he would do The Lords justice may be satisfied his love cannot be budded or hired and the effect of justice the inflicting of infinite wrath is diverted as a River that runneth East hath been made to run West and an issue of blood in one member of the body hath been diverted to run at another channell justice was to run through the Elect of God in the due legal punishing of the sinner which yet is extraneous to the just and eternall will of God but infinite wise mercy caused that River to run in another veine through the soul of Iesus Christ. 7. Propos. Joy of the holy Ghost is a fruit of the Kingdom of Grace Rom. 14.17 But not that joy spoken of Rev. 21.4 and Is. 35.10 Which excludeth all tears death sorrow crying all sighing as Mr. Denne dreameth so as joy can no more be separated from the Subjects of that kingdom then light from the Sun heat from the fire or ebbing and flowing can be stopped in waters as he saith far lesse is it true that actuall love and obedience doth inseparably follow this condition except we were made Angels when we are once justified nor is the Kingdom of God spoken of 1 Cor. 6.9 10. And the seeing of God Heb. 12.14 The Kingdom or state of Grace or the seeing of God in a vision of Faith here in this life but of the Kingdom of glory and of the vision of God in the other life as M. Denne expoundeth it that he may elude all necessity of holinesse but that which floweth from no obligation of any Law or Commandement of God But which is in our power of love to perform or not perform if we perform it not it s no transgression of any Law of God 1. M. Denne himself granteth pag. 84. God is not like some nigardly man who will not bid us welcome to his house unlesse we bring our cost with us Nor is holinesse required of us without Faith and before we believe and enter Citizens of the kingdom of Grace Nay by this interpretation 1 Cor. 6. We must be Justified and washed before we can inherit this Kingdom v. 9 10.11 But we are not to be washed and justified before we inherit the Kingdom of Grace and before we believe for so we should be justified and washed before we be justified and washed and the like I say of the Kingdom of God John 3.3 For it should follow that a man must be born again ere he be born again if he must be born again ere
swooning and death Gracious love produceth love sicknesse Cant. 2.5 Swooning Cant. 5.6 the Martyrs have died to injoy him and refused to accept of life because of the love of a Union with him Heb. 11.37 How many deserted souls come to this I die if I injoy not Christ. Posit 7. It s good that the affections be ballanced and loaden with Heavenly and spirituall lights Lower vaults and under houses send up smoak to the fair pictures that are in the higher houses lusts dominion over light maketh a misty and unbelieving mind so when the light is carnall and nothing but worldly policy it s like the highest house which if ruinous and rainy sendeth down rain and continuall droppings on the lower house Minde and affections vitiate and corrupt one another Grace in either contributes much to the spirituality of the actions one of another so the mockers of eternity and judgment are ignorant because they will be ignorant 2 Pet. 3.5 And Elies sons will be abhominably lustfull in their affections because they know not the Lord and are ignorant of God 1 Sam. 2.12 Mathew heareth and seeth Jesus and he followeth him Matth. 9.9 The more that Mary Magdalen followeth and loveth the more she knoweth and seeth the excellency of Christ Joh. 20. ver 1.11.12.13.14 compared with ver 17 18. Posit 8. When the desires are naturall then Heavenly objects are desired and sorrowed for in a naturall way Balaam desires to die the death of the righteous but Esau weepeth for the blessing in a carnall way when the desires are spirituall earthly objects are desired in a spirituall way Even bread as it savoureth of Christ Math. 6.9 compared with ver 11.12 And so the woman seeketh deliverance to her Daughter spiritually and with a great Faith Posit 9. The believer saith if the creature will go along with me to my Fathers house welcome if not What then There I must lodge though Gold refuse to go with me See how God in a manner resigneth his own freedom in giving and transferreth this honour on the womans desire God keeps pace with a sanctified will in satisfying when the will keeps pace with God in acting longing and desiring 1. He putteth Heaven upon the choice of a sanctified heart Deu. 30.19 Choose life that both thou and thy seed may live Rev. 22.17 Whosoever will let him take of the waters of life freely Isa. 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters 2. Heaven is put upon the quality of the wil and what it desires Joh. 4.10 If thou knewst that gift of God and who it is that sayes to thee give me drink thou wouldst have asked of him and he should have given thee water of Life Rev. 21.6 I will give unto him that thirsteth of the Fountain of the water of life freely There 's an edge upon the word Fountain for the Fountain and first spring of the water of life is above the streams this is promised to him that hath a heavenly and spirituall thirst for Christ. 3. God putteth himself and the measure or compasse of heaven upon the measure and compass of the bensil and pitch of heavenly desires Pro. 2.3 If thou cryest after knowledge liftest up thy voice for understanding 4. If thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hid treasures 5. Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord find the knowledge of God There be four words here to expresse the bensill of the will and desire we are to cry for wisdome the Chalde reads the other part of the ver if thou call understanding thy mother that the cry spoken in the former part may be such a high cry as children use when they weep cry after their Mother The other word is To give the voice to wisdom The other two words do note sweating digging in the bowels of the earth casting up much earth to find a treasure of silver or gold Ps. 81.10 Open thy mouth wide and I will fil it Vatablus Seek what thou wilt and I wil grant it It s a doubt if any man by inlarged desires can put Gods giving goodnes to the utmost extent 4. God maketh his fulnesse in giving far beyond our narrownesse in seeking Eph. 3.20 He is able to do this is as much as he is willing to do Rom. 11.23 Jud. v. 24. exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that worketh in us This is considerable that when Christ shall put the Crown of incomparable glory on the head of the glorified soul there shall be thousand millions of moe Diamonds Rubies and Jewels of glory on that Diadem then ever your thoughts or imaginations could reach and more weight of sweetness delight joy and glory in a sight of God then the seeing eye the hearing ear yea the vast understanding and heart which can multiply and adde to former thoughts can be able to fathom 1 Cor. 2.9 When ye seek and ask Christ from the Father you know not his weight and worth when you shal injoy Christ immediately up at the wel head this shal much fill the soul with admiration I believed to see much in Christ having some twilight afternoon or Moonlight glances of him down in the earth But O blind I narrow I could never have Faith opinion thought or imagination to fathom the thousand thousand part of the worth and incomparable excellencie I now see in him You may over-think and over-praise Paradice Rome Naples the Isles where there be two Summers in one year but you cannot over-think or in your thoughts reach Christ and the invisible things of God only glorified thoughts not thoughts graced only are comprehensive in any due measure of God of heaven The glorified soul shal be a far wider more capacious circle the Diameter of it in length many thousand cubits larger in mind thoughts glorified reason will heart desires love joy reverence c then it is now We would in seeking asking praying in adoring God in Christ inlarge our own desires heart will and affections broad and deep that we may take in more of Christ broad prayers flow from broad desires narrow prayers from niggard and narrow hearts we may collect the bignesse of a ship from the proportion and quantity of its bottom in its new framing If the bottom draw but to the proportion of a small vessell which can indure no more but a pair of oares the vessel cannot be five hundred Tun or be able to bear 60. peeces of Ordnance Prayer bottomed on deep and broad hunger and extreame pain of love-sicknesse for Christ and great pinching poverty of spirit must be in proportion wide and deep O but our vessels are narrow our affections ebbe and low the ballance that weigheth Christ weak it is as if we should labour to cast three or four great Mountains in a scale of a Merchants ordinary ballance we are proportioned in our
THE TRYAL TRIUMPH OF FAITH OR An Exposition of the History of CHRISTS dispossessing of the daughter of the woman of Canaan Delivered in SERMONS In which are opened The Victory of Faith The condition of those that are tempted The excellency of Jesus Christ and Free-Grace AND Some speciall Grounds and Principles of Libertinisme and Antinomian Errors discovered BY SAMUEL RUTHERFURD Professor of Divinity in the University of St. Andrews REVEL 21 28. And I will give to him that overcometh the morning star Published by Authority London Printed by John Field and are to be sold by Ralph Smith at the Sign of the Bible in Cornhill neer the ROYALL EXCHANGE TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE LADY JANE CAMBEL Vicountesse of Kenmure Sister to the Right Noble and Potent The Marques of ARGILE Grace and Peace MADAM I Should complaine of these much disputing and over-writing times if I were not thought to be as deep in the fault as those whom I accuse but the truth is while we endeavour to gain a grain-weight of Truth it is much if we lose not a Talent weight of goodnesse and Christian love But I am sure though so much knowledge and light as may conduce for our safe walking in discerning the certain borders of divine truths from every false way suppose that searching into questions of the time were a usefull and necessary evil only yet the declining temper of the worlds worst time the old Age of time Eternity now so near approaching calleth for more necessary good things at our hands it is unhappy if in the nick of the first breaking of the morning skie the night-watch fall fast asleep when he hath watched all the night It s now near the morning-dawning of the Resurrection O how blessed are we if we shall care for our one necessary thing It is worthy our thoughts that an Angel never created as I conceive standing in his own land His right foot upon the Sea and his left foot on the earth hath determined by oath a Controversie moved by scoffers 2 Pet. 3.3 Yea and with his hand lifted up to Heaven sware by him that liveth for ever and ever who created heaven and the things that are therein and the earth and things that therein are and the sea and things that are therein that there should be time no longer Rev. 10.5 6. If Eternity be concluded judicially by the Oath of God as a thing near to us at the door now about sixteen hundred years ago it is high time to think of it What we shall do when the Clay-house of this Tabernacle which is but our summer-house that can have us but the fourth part of a year shall be dissolved Time is but a short Trance we are carried quickly through it our Rose withereth ere it come to its vigour Our piece of this short-breathing shadow the inch the half-cubite the poor span length of time fleeth away as swiftly as a Weavers-Shuttle which leapeth over a thousand threads in a moment How many hundred houres in one Summer doth our breathing clay-Post skip over passing away as the Ships of desire and as the Eagle that hasteth to the prey If death were as far from our knowledge as Graves and Coffins which to our eyes preach death are near to our senses even casting the smel of death upon our breath so as we cannot but rub skins with corruption We should not believe either Prophets or Apostles when they say All flesh is grasse and It is appointed for all to die Eternity is a great word but the thing it self is greater death the point of our short line teacheth us what we are and what we shall be Should Christ the condition of affairs we are now in the excellency of Free-grace be seen all in their own lustre and dye we should learn much wisdom from these three Christ speedeth little in conquering of lovers because we have not seen his shape at any time we look not upon Christ but upon the accidents that are beside Christ and therefore few esteeme Christ a rich penny-worth But there is not a Rose out of heaven but there is a blot and thorn growing out of it except that one only rose of Sharon which blossometh out glory every leaf of the Rose is a heaven and serveth for the healing of the Nations every white and red in it is uncomparable glory every act of breathing out its smell from everlasting to everlasting is spotlesse and unmixed happinesse Christ is the out-set the master flower the uncreated Garland of Heaven the Love and Joy of men and Angels but the fountain-love the fountain-delight the fountain-joy of men and Angels is more for out of it floweth all the Seas Springs Rivers and floods of love delight and joy imagine all the rain and dew Seas Fountains and floods since the Creation were in one cloud and these multiplied in measures for number to many millions of millions and then divided in drops of showers to an answerable number of men and Angels this should be a created shower and end in a certain period of time and this huge cloud of so many Rivers and drops should drie up and rain no more but we cannot conceive so of Christ for if we should imagine millions of men and Angels to have a co-Eternall dependent existence with Christ and they eternally in the Act of receiving grace for grace out of his fulnesse the flux and issue of grace should be eternall as Christ is for Christ cannot tire or weary from eternity to be Christ and so he must not he cannot but be an infinite and eternall flowing sea to diffuse and let out streames and floods of boundlesse grace say that the Rose were eternall the sweet smell the lovelinesse of greennesse and colour must be eternal O what a happinesse for a soul to lose its excellency in his transcendent glory What a blessednesse for the creature to cast in his little all in Christ his matchlesse Al-sufficiency Could all the streams retire into the fountain and first Spring they should be kept in a more sweet and firme possession of their being in the bosom of their first cause then in their borrowed channels that they now move in Our neighbourhood and retiring in to dwell for ever and ever in the Fountain-blessednesse Jesus Christ with our borrowed goodness is the firme and solid fruition of our eternall happy being Christ is the spheare the connaturall first Spring and element of borrowed drops and small pieces of created Grace the Rose is surest in being in beauty on its own stalk and root let life and sap be eternally in the stalk and root and the Rose keep its first union with the root and it shall never wither never cast its blossome nor greennesse of beauty its violence for a gracious spirit to be out of his stalk and root union here is life and happinesse therefore the Churches last prayer in Canonick Scripture is for union Revel 22.20
that God bringeth out of his work lyeth under ground Dispensation is as a woman travelling in birth and crying out for pain but she shall be delivered of two men Children Mercy to the people of God Justice to Babylon wait on while the woman bring forth though you see not the Children 2. We trust possession in our part more then Law and the fidelity of the promise on Gods part feeling is of more credit to us then Faith sense is surer to us then the word of Faith many weak ones beleeve not life Eternall because they feel it not Heaven is a thing unseen and they finde no Consolation and Comfort and so are disquieted If we knew that beleeving is a bargaining and a buying we should see the weaknesse of many should any buy a field of Land refuse to tell down the money except the party should lay all the Ridges Acres Medows and Mountains on the buyers shoulders that he might carry them home to his house he should be incredulously unjust If any should buy a Ship and think it no bargain at all except he might carry away the Ship on his back should not this make him a ridiculous Merchant Gods Law of Faith Christs concluded atonement is better and surer then your feeling all that sense and comfort saith is not Canonick Scripture it is Adultery to seek a signe because we cannot rest on our Husbands word SERMON III. Quest. BVt cannot Christ be hid Ans. Not of himself It s hard to hide a great fire or to cast a covering upon sweet odours that they smell not Christs Name is as a sweet oyntment powred out he is a Mountain of spices and hee 's a strong savour of Heaven and of the higher Paradice You may hide the man that he shal not see the Sun but you cannot cast a garment over the body of the Sun and hide day-light From which it appeareth that Christ cannot be hid 1. In his Cause and Truth the Gospell is scourged and imprisoned when the Apostles are so served yet it cometh to light and filleth Jerusalem and filleth all the world What was done to hide Christ when he and his Gospel is buryed under a great stone yet his fame goeth abroad Death is no covering to Christ Papists burn all the Books of Protestants they kill and slay the Witnesses Antiochus and the persecuting Emperours throw all the Bibles in the fire but this Truth cannot be hid it Triumpheth As soon pull down Jesus from his Royall seat at the right hand of God as Babylon Prelats Papists Malignants in these three Kingdoms can extinguish the People and Truth of Christ. 2. Beleevers cannot hide and dissemble a good or an ill condition in the soul The welbeloved is away and the Churches bed cannot keep her All the Watchmen all the streets all the Daughters of Jerusalem yea Heaven and Christ must hear of it Cant. 3.1 2 3. Cant. 5.6 7 8. Mary Magdalens bed and a mornings sleep and the Company of Angels and Apostles cannot dry her cheeks Woman what ayles thee saith the Angel O she weepeth O what ayleth me They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him O Apostles Where is he O Sir Angell tell me if you saw him O Grave O Death Shew me is my Lord with you The Love of Christ is no Hypocrite I grant some can for a time put a fair face on it when Christ is absent but most of the Saints look as a Bird fallen from the Raven as a Lamb fallen out of the Lions mouth as one too soon out of bed in the morning O sick of Love O shew him I charge you tell him Watchmen Daughters of Jerusalem that I am sick of Love Love is a paining feavorous tormenting sicknesse Grace cannot put on a laughing mask when sweet Jesus is hidden Love hath no art to conceal sorrow the countenance of David Psal. 42.5 is sick There 's death in his face when God is not the light of his countenance 3. The joy of his presence cannot be hid she cannot but tell and cry out O Fair O White Day He is come again Cant. 3.4 It was but a little that I passed from him but I found him whom my soul loved She numbred all the miles she Travelled while her Lord was absent Joy will speak it s not dumb Cant. 7.9 The roofe of thy mouth is like the best wine for my beloved that goeth down sweetly causing the lips of those that are asleep to speak Mat. 9.15 Can the Children of the Bedchamber mourne as long as the Bridegroom is with them i. e. they cannot choose but rejoyce 4. Grace in a sincere Professor and CHRIST cannot be hid there came a good fair breath with a blast of a sweet west-wind of Heaven on Joseph of Arimathea the time was ill Christ was dead and he can dissemble no longer Mar. 15.43 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with much daring and boldnesse he went into Pilat with a Petition I beseech you my Lord Governour let me but have this Jesus his dead body There was some fire of Heaven in this bold profession What would this be thought of to see a Noble and Honourable Lord-Judge with a dead and Crucified mans Body in his armes But Faith knoweth no blushing Grace cannot be ashamed there was a straight charge laid on the Apostles Preach no more in the name of Jesus Act. 4.13 Peter and John with a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 boldly say vers 20. We cannot but speak the things wee have heard and seen Lay as heavy weights as death burning quick sawing asunder on the sincerity of Faith in the Martyrs it must up the Mountain Davids Grace Psal. 39.1 was kept in as with a Mussell put upon the mouths of Beasts it was as coals of fire in his heart and he behoved to speak even before the wicked I beleeved therefore I spake Psal. 116.10 5. When Ieremiah layeth unlawfull bands on himself To speak no more in the Name of the Lord there is a spirit of Prophesie lying on him he is not Lord of his own choice Ier. 20.9 But his word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones and I was weary with forbearing and I could not stay There 's a Majesty of Grace on the Conscience of the Child of God that must break out in holy duties though temptation should hide Christ in his Grace tempted Ioseph is over-awed with this Gen. 39.9 How can I then do this great wickednesse and sin against God This awsome Majesty of the Grace of Gods fear causeth Ioseph see nothing in Harlotry but pure unmixed guiltinesse against God there 's an over mastering apprehension of Christs love 2 Cor. 5.14 that constraineth Paul to out the Love of Christ in dedicating himself to the service of the Gospell Though Paul would not have preached yet he had a sum to pay Rom. 1.14 I am
Debtor both to the Greeks and the Barbarians both to the wise and unwise Grace awed him as a Debt layeth fetters on an ingenious minde he cannot but out his free and honest mind in paying what he oweth 6. Gods Desertion cannot so hide and over-cloud Christ but against sense the Childe of God must beleeve yea and pray in Faith Ps 22.1 My God my God why hast thou forsaken me 2. O my God I cry by day Though sin over-cloud Christ and David fall in Adultery and blood there 's a seed of Christ that must cast out blossoms he cannot but repent and sorrow Gods Decree of grace in the execution of it may be broken in a link by some great sin but Christ cannot but soader the chain and raise the fallen sinner It shall be usefull then for the Saints when the spirit cometh in his stirrings and impetuous acts to co-operate with him and to answer his wind-blowing It s good to hoyse up sail and make out when a fair wind and a strong tide calleth sometime Grace maketh the heart as a hot Iron its good then to smite with the hammer When your spirit is Docile and there cometh a gale of Christs sweet West-wind and rusheth in with a warmnesse of heart in a praying disposition to retire to a corner and powre out the soul before the Lord as we are to take Christ at his word so are we to take Christs spirit at his work He knocketh knock thou with him His fingers make a stirring upon the handles of the bar and drop down pure myrhe Let thy heart make a stirring with his fingers also I grant wind maketh sailing and all the powers on Earth cannot make wind yet when God maketh wind the Sea-men may draw sails and lance forth God preventeth in all these the spirit beateth fire out of our slint we are to lay to a match and receive reach in the heart under the stirrings of Free-grace obey dispositions of Grace as God himself when the Sun riseth the Birds may sing but their singing is no cause of the Sun rising 2. It s no truth of God that some teach that the justified in Christ are of duty always tied to one and the same constant act of rejoycing with out any mixture of sadnesse and sorrow for so they cannot 1. Obey and follow the various impressions of the Lords absence and presence of Christs Sea ebbing and flowing of his shining and smiling and his lowring and frowning 2. The Faith of a justified condition doth not root out all affections nay not Love Faith desire and joy if there be sin remaining in the justified there 's place of sadnesse for fear for sorrow for the scumme of affections are removed by Christ not the affections themselves 3. Christ for meer triall sometimes for sin other times doth cover himself with a cloud and withdraw the sense of his favour and it s a cursed joy that is on foot when the Lord hideth his face The Love of Christ must be sick and sad I mean the Lover when the beloved is under a cloud It is not the new world with the Regenerate man here nor a Land where there 's nothing but all Summer all Sun neither night nor clouds nor Rain nor Storm that is the condition of the second Paradice of the better Adam 4. It s a just and an innocent sorrow to be grieved at that which grieveth the Holy spirit and when the Lyon roareth all the Beasts of the field are afraid Grace maketh not Iob a stock nor Christ a man who cannot weep And behold a Woman of Canaan And a certain Woman Of the Woman 1. But one person of all Tyrus and Sidon came to him 2. She was a Syrophenician by Nation 3. Her condition She had a Daughter vexed with a Devill 4. With an unclean Devill 5. The nearer occasion She heard of him 6. She adored 7. She prayed and so way is made to the conference between Christ and her And to the Triall and Miracle A certain Woman There is but one of all Tyrus and Sidon who came to Christ. 1. It beseemeth the mercy of the good shepherd to leave ninety and nine sheep in the Wildernesse and go after one which is lost Luke 15.4 And when all is done alas he hath but one of an whole hundred Christ hath not the tithe of mankinde He maketh a Journey while he is wearied and thirsty through Samaria yea and wanteth his dinner for one Woman at that draught of his net and thinketh he dineth like a King and above if he save one Ioh. 4.33 34. O sweet husbands word Jer. 3.14 I am married to you and I will take you one of a citie and two of a Tribe and I will bring you to Zion Christ taketh sinners not by dozens not by thousands its but once in all the word Act. 2. that three Thousand are converted at once but by one's and two 's Though Israel be as the sand of the Sea yet a Remnant shall but bee saved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 9.27 Esa. 10.22 The Reliques and Refuse shall be saved only 2. Common Love scarce amounteth to Grace because Grace is separative and singleth out one of many all graced persons are priviledged persons Heaven is a house of chosen and priveledged ones there 's no common stones in the New Jerusalem but all precious stones the foundations Saphirs the windows Agats and Carbuncles all the Borders of pleasant stones Esa. 54.11 12. 3. Christs way lyeth so of two grinding at the mil of two in the field together of two in one bed Christ wil have but one Christ often wil not have both husband and wife both Father and Son but the one Brother Iacob not Esau of a whole house Christ cometh to the Devils fire side and chuseth one and draweth him out and leaveth all the Family to the devil 4. Christ knoweth them well whom he chuseth Grace is a rare peece of the choise and the floor of the love of Heaven there bee many common stones not many Pearls not many Diamonds and Saphirs The multitude be all Arminians from the womb every Heresie is a peece of the old Adams wanton wit thousands go to Hell black Hereticks and Heterodox as touching the Doctrine of themselves every man hath Grace if you believe himself Vnusquisque est in eâ heresi every man taketh Heaven for his home and heritage Dogs think to rest in Christs bosome men naturally believe though they be but up and down with Christ yet Christ doth so bear them at good-will as to give Grace and Glory Obj. 1. Gods Love is not infinite if it bee limited to a few Ans. This should conclude that there be an infinite number of Men and Angels to whom Gods Love to Salvation is betrothed in affection but his love is infinite in its Act not in its Object The way of carrying on his love is infinite Obj. 2. To ascribe
Gods not loving of men to Gods disposition heart will and pleasure and not to our defects is blasphemy Ans. The Lord ascribeth his having mercy and his hardning to his own Free-will Rom. 9.17 Exod. 33.19 and his love is as free as his mercy and by this means Gods first love to us should arise from our love preventing his contrary to his own word Deut. 7.7 Eph. 2.3 4. Tit. 3.3 2 Tim. 1.9 and man should be the first lover of the two the creature then putteth the Lord in his debt and giveth first to God and God cannot but recompence Esa. 40.13 14. Rom. 11.34 35. now it s no shame for us to live and dye in the debt of Christ The Heaven of Angels and men is an house of the debtors of Christ Eternally engaged to him and shall stand in his Debt-book ages without end Obj. 3. Infinite goodnesse may as soon cease to be as not be good to all or withhold mercy from any Ans. Every being of Reprobate Men and Devils is a fruit of Gods goodness but of Free-goodnesse else God should cease to be if he should turn his Creatures to nothing for he should cease to be good to things without himself if these were all turned to their poor mother-Nothing 2. Mercy floweth not from God essentially especially the mercy of Conversion Remission of sins Eternall life but of mer Gracc for then God could not be God and deny these favours to Reprobats Freedome of mercy and salvation is as infinitely sweet and admirable in God as mercy and salvation it self Obj. 4. But God is so essentially good to all as he must communicate his goodnesse by way of Justice in order to free obedience and that is life Eternal to those who freely beleeve and obey Ans. But the great Enemy of Grace Ja. Arminius teacheth us that all the freedom of Grace Rom. 9. is resolved in the free pleasure of God in which he freely and without hire purposed to reward Faith not the works of the Law with life Eternall whereas it was free to him to keep another order if so it shuld seem good to him and by this means God is yet freely and by an act of pure grace not essentially good to all even in communicating his goodnesse by way of Justice For what God doth by necessity of his nature and essence that he canot but do but sure it is by no necessity of nature doth the Lord reward works faith or any obedience in us with the Crown of life Eternal He may give heaven freely without our Obedience at all as he giveth the first Grace freely Eze. 16.6 7 8. Rom. 5.10 Ephes. 2.3 4 But this is surer the fewer have Grace Grace is the more Grace and the more like it selfe and free Obj. 5. But I have a good heart to GOD. Ans. A quiet heart sleeping in a false peace is a bad heart most of sinners give their souls to the Devil by theft they think they are sailing to heaven and know nothing till they shoare sleeping in the land of Death Matth. 7.21 22 23. Luk. 16.27 28. Obj. 6. Why But God hath bestowed on me many favours and riches in this world Ans. Gods Grace is not graven on gold it should be but the Logick of a beast if the slaughter Oxe should say The Master favoureth me more then any Oxe in the stall I am free of the yoak which is upon the neck of others and my pasture is fatter then theirs Obj. 7. The Saints love me Ans. The Saints can mis-father their love and love where God loveth not Obj. 8. All the world loveth me Ans. You are the liker to be a step-childe of Jerusalem and of Heaven for The world loveth its own Ioh. 15.19 better it were to have the world a step-Mother then to be no other but to lye in such a womb and suck such breasts Obj. 9. I believe life Eternall Ans. That Faith is with childe of Heaven but see it be not a false Birth few or none come to age and none clothed in white and Crowned but they were jealous of their Faith and feared their own wayes Naturall men stand aloof from Hell and Wrath. SERMON IV. The Woman was a Greek a Syrophenician by Nation MUch woe is denounced by the Prophets against Tyrus and Sidon yet sweet Jesus draweth by the curtain and openeth a window of the partition and saveth this Woman Loe here Christ planting in the wildernesse the Cedar the Shittah tree the Mirttle the Oyle tree Esa. 41.19 and here Esa. 55.13 is fulfilled And in stead of the thorn what better are Sidonians then thornes shall come up the Firre tree and in stead of the Bryar shall come up the Mirtle tree and no praise to the ground but to the good husband-man And it shall be to the Lord for a name for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off Christ then can make frame a fair Heaven out of an ugly Hell and out of the knottiest timber he can make vessels of mercy for service in the high Pallace of glory 1. What are they all who are now glorified The fairest face that standeth before the throne of Redeemed ones was once inked and blacked with sin you should not know Paul now with a Crown of a King on his head he looketh not now like a Blasphemer a Persecuter an injurious person The woman that had once seven Devils in her is a Marie Magdalen far changed and Grace made the change 2. Grace is a new world Heb. 2.5 The Land of Grace hath two Summers in one year Esa. 33.24 The inhabitant shall not say I am sick the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity Ioh. 11.26 Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never dye They are not mortall men that are in Grace there 's neither sicknesse nor death in that Land 3. We say of such a Physician he hath cured diseases that never man could hee cured stark death then you may commit your body to him he is a tryed Physician 1 Tim. 1.16 Christ hath made a rare copy a curious samplar of mercy of the Apostle Paul For in him he hath shewn all long-suffering for a pattern to them that should hereafter believe in him to life Eternall Heaven is a house full of miracles yea of spectacles and Images of Free-Grace you may intrust your soul with all its diseases to Christ he hath given many rare proofs of his tried art of Grace he hath made many black limbs of Hell fair Saints in Heaven such a man such an Artificier threw down an old dungeon of clay and made it up a fair Palace of Gold Obj. But what am I a lump of unrepenting guiltinesse and sin to such a vessel of mercy as holy Paul and repenting Mary Magdalen Ans. Grace as its in God and fitnesse to receive Grace in us is just alike to all There was no more
to his house Why But thou shouldst go When old Jacob saw the Chariots â—nd Messengers that Prince Joseph his own son yet living had sent to fetch him His heart failed for joy Seest thou the Chariot of Pharaoh paved with love make then for the journey the home we have here is a taking lover Why But thou maist say I cannot stay here the King hath sent for me SERMON XIII OF Israel It was then a priviledged mercy that Christ was senâ— to the Jews 1. The Jew is the elder Brother and the Native heir of Christ Christ of their blood and house Rom. 1.2 3. Rom. 9.3 They were Christs first Bride Alas they killed their husband there 's a born Jew in Heaven in soul and body its sweet to have any relation to Christ. 2. The Catholick Covenant of Grace made with the great Sister the Church Universall was first laid down in pawn in their hand they put their hand first to the contract in subscribing the marriage contract Ier. 2.3 Israel was holy to the Lord and the first fruits of his increase O sweet the fallen race of mankinde was Christs corn-field and his wheat The Jews were the first sheaf of the field Deut. 7.6 They got Christs young love and to speak so the first handsell of Free Grace in a Church way 3. Christ in the Iews flesh yet not excluding Ruth Rahab and other Gentiles of the Blood-Royall acted the whole Gospel a born Iew Redeemed the lost world offered a sacrifice to God for sinners a born Iew is heir of all things is exalted a Prince to guide and rule all and shall judge Men and Angels 4. The Lord Christ in the flesh was first offered to them they had the first Gospel love Matth. 10.5 6. Act. 13.46 5. The Oracles of God was committed to them Rom. 3.1 Rom. 9.4 The Testator Christ his written will was in their keeping 6. God was their first Crowned King He gave Ethiopia and Egypt and Zeba a ransom for them and was their Law-giver 7. Every Male childe amongst the Jews did beaâ— somewhat of Christ in his flesh Col. 2.11 Wheâ— all the world was without Christ 8. Their land was Christs by a speciall typicall right God saith of it It s my land Christ was their Soveraigne Land-lord and they the great Kings Free-holders 9 The Lord never dwelt in a house made with hands in a Temple as amongst them having special respect to the true Temple Iesus Christ Ioh. 2.19 1. Let us pray our Elder sister home to Christ Cant. 8. They said We have a little sister and she hath no breasts what shall we doe for our sister in the day that she shall be spoken for Now we have a greater sister What shal we the Gentiles do for her There 's a day When ten men shall take hold out of all Nations of the skirt of a Jew saying we will goe with you we have heard that God is with you Zach. 8.21 2. It is the happinesse of our Land that we have a three-fold relation to Christ I meane these two Nations that we have avowed the Lord by a Nationall Testimony and the Nations are the publick Martyrs and witnesses of Christ in that they are made a field of blood for no other quarrell but because they desire to stand for Christ Truth against Antichrist sure in the intention of Papists now in Armes against us there is no cause of War but this only 2. That we have sworn that the Lord shal be our God in a Solemn Covenant 3. That we are honoured to build the Temple of the Lord and reform Religion O that we could see our debt and be thankfull 3. The Iewes had the morning market of Christ and they would not pay the rent of the Vineyard to the Lord thereof we have the after noon of Christ and know we what a mercy it is that our beloved feedeth amongst the Lillies till the day break and the shadowes fly away and that the voice of the Turtle is heard in our Land God for our abuse of the Gospel hath sent amongst us the bloody Pursevants and Officers of his wrath men skilfull to destroy God is now in three Kingdomes arresting the Carcases of men we are owing much to God he will now have husbands and sons from us and leggs and armes of wounded and slain men from us for that rent we owe to the Lord of the vineyard for our contempt of the Gospell Sheep first a word of Sheep then of lost sheep I take no other reasons why the redeemed of the Lord are called sheep then are obvious in Scripture 1. The sheep are passive creatures and can do little for themselves so can believers in the work of their salvation as 1. They have not of themselves more knowledge of the saving way then sheep and so cannot walk but as they are taught and led Psal. 1â—9 33 Teach me O Lord Psal. 25.5 lead me in thy truth Like a blinde man holding out his hand to his guide so they Psal. 5.8 Lord lead me in thy righteousnesse 2. It s not common leading but the leading of children learning to go by an hold Hos. 11.1 When Ephraim was a childe I loved him 3. I taught Ephraim also to goe taking them by their armes but Ephraim like a childe knew not his leader But they know not saith the Lord that I healed them 3. Leading may suppose some willingnesse but we must be drawn Ioh. 6.44 No man can come to me except tht father draw him Cant. 1.4 Draw me we will run after thee 4. There is a word of speciall grace which is more then teaching leading drawing and that is leaning Cant. 8.5 Who is this that cometh up from the wildernesse leaning upon her beloved 5. There is a word yet more and that is bearing Luke 15.5 when the good shepherd hath found the lost sheep He layeth it on his shoulders with joy Esa. 4â— 3 Hearken to me O house of Iacob and all the remnant of the house of Israel which are born by me from the belly and carried from the gray haires so also Deut. 32.11 God beareth them on Eagles wings Grace grace is a noble Guide and Tutor 2. The life of sheep is the most dependent life in the world no such dependent Creatures as sheep all their happinesse is the goodnesse care and wisdom of their shepherd Wolves Lyons Leopards need none to watch over them Briers and Thornes grow there alone the Vine Tree the noble Vine is a tender thing and must be supported Esa 40.11 Christ must bear the weak Lambs in his bosome the Shepherds bosome his legs are the legs of the weak Lamb even the habit of Grace is a creature and no independent thing and so in esse in conservâ—ri in its creation in its preservation it dependeth on Christ Grace is as the new-born Bird its life is the heat and warmnesse of the body and wings of the
of bones is nothing but half a hell in the spirit is a whole hell The upper hell the grave to Ezekiah is like to swallow him up when dipped in the lower hell and covered with the apprehension of wrath O sweet Jesus what a mercy that thou swallowed up all hels to believers and calmed the sea of hell Vse If in Justification sins be blotted out cast in the depths of the Sea and removed as if they never had been the state of Justification must be a condition of sound blessednesse the most desireable life in the world Ro. 4.6 Even as David also describeth the blessednesse of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without works 7. Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered For consider 1. What an Act of Grace it is in a Prince to take a condemned malefactour from under the ax the rack the wheel and so many hours torture before he end his miserable life Or 2. Suppose he were condemned to be tortured leisurely and his life continued and prorogated that bones sinues lights joynts might be pained for twenty or thirty years so much of his flesh cut off every day such a bone broken and by Art the bone cured again and the flesh restored that he might for thirty years space every day be dying and yet never die Or 3. Imagine a man could be kept alive in torment in this case from sleep ease food clothing 500. years or a 1000. years and boiling all the time in a cauldron full of melted lead say the soul could dwell in a body under the rack the wheel the lashes and scourges of Scorpions and whips of iron the man bleeding crying in the act of dying for pain gnawing his tongue for ten hundred years now suppose a mighty Prince by an act of free grace could and would deliver this man from all this pain and torture and give him a life in perfect health in ten hundred Paradises of joy pleasure worldly happinesse and a day all the thousand years without a night a summer all this time without cloud storm winter all the honour acclamations love and service of a world of men and Angels cloath this man with all the most compleat delights perfections and vertues of minde and body set him ten thousand degrees of elevation to the top of all imaginable happinesse above Solomon in his highest Royalty or Adam in his first innocencie or Angels in their most transcendent glory and happinesse Yea 4. In our conception we may extend the former misery and pain and all this happines to the length of ten thousand years this should be thought incomparably the highest act of grace and love that any creature could extend to his fellow-creature And yet all this were but a shadow of Grace in comparison of the love and rich Grace of God in Christ in the justification of a sinner 2. Consider we are freed from the guilt of sin in justification Now this is the eternall debt of sin that remaineth after sin that none can wash away but Christ and that this remaineth after sin is acted 2. That it remaineth for eternity 3. That it is a misery we are onely in justification delivered from is cleare in Scripture 1. Because sin is a debt After the borrowed money is spent and gone somewhat in Law and justice remaineth and this is debt or obligation to make payment to the Creditour 2. So the Scripture speaketh Jer. 2.22 For though thou wash thee with Nitre and take thee much sope yet thy iniquity is marked before me Borith is an hearb that Fullers use for washing and purging yet is sin such a Leopard-spot that no Art no industry of of the creature can remove it Jer. 17.1 The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron and the point of a diamond it is graven upon the table of their heart and the horns of your Altars There is writ remaining after sin is acted 2. Writ written with a pen of iron and diamond to endure for eternity 3. Not written onely but ingraved and indented upon the conscience 1 Sam. 24.5 When David rent the rob of Saul his heart smote him so that it left a hole or the mark of the stripe behinde it as when a burning iron is put on the face of an evill-doer it leaveth behinde it a brand or a stigma 2. This is terrible that this brand is eternall as the Prophet prayeth Psal. 109.14 Let the iniquities of his fathers be remembred with the Lord and let not the sin of his mother be botted out 15. Let them be before the Lord continually O dreadfull The sins of wicked men shal stand up in heaven before the justice of God so long as God shal live and that is for ever and ever So the Lord sweareth By the excellency of Jacob That is by himself Amos 8.7 Surely I will never forget any of their works Joh. 10.8 All that ever came before me all that came not in by me the Door and the Way they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theeves and Robbers The false Prophets many of them were dead yet being dead saith Christ this day they are in regard of guilt Theeves and Robbers To this day above sixteen hundred years the Jews are guilty murderers though their fathers who slew the Lord of glory be dead This day Cain is a murderer Judas a traitour and shall be so long as GOD shall live and be GOD Now without shedding of Christs blood there is no remission of sins Heb. 9.22 To be delivered from eternall debt and intituled to an eternall Kingdom is a life most desireable maketh the sinner to stand in the books of Christ as the eternally ingaged debtor of Grace Young Heirs know your blessednesse aright sinners under eternall debt you laugh sport rejoice and you are firebrands of wrath you go singing and shaking and tinckling your bolts and fetters of black and unmixed vengeance Alas how can you sleep How can you laugh and sing Eat the crums The dogs desire but the least and to speak so the refuse of Christ. Doct. The meanest and worst things of Christ to speak so are incomparably to be desired above all things 1. Any thing of Christ is desirable but to lay hold on the skirt of a Jew Zac. 10.23 Because Christ that is with him is good Yea the dust of Zion is a thing that the servants of God take pleasure in Psal. 102.14 The dust and stones of Zion are not like the earth and the mules of the holy grave as Papists fondly dream and are but earth but because the Lord Christ dwelleth there therefore are they desirable The people carried their old harps to Babylon with them and Iosephs bones must be carried out of Egypt to Canaan Why Canaan was Christs land his dwelling Why but we are to love the ground that Christs feet treadeth on This I say not that I judge it holy earth that is
God delights to have men and Angels his debtors Grace holdeth an open and a free Inne with all the dainties that Christ can make to all comers and goers for nothing but thanks and heartily welcome Grace maketh no gain of my work The sweating of Angels and of the Thousand Thousands that sing up the glory of Christ before the high Throne is no income to Christs Rent Grace should not be Grace if it could Traffique or buy or sell with a creature Angels and men stand in the Books of Free-grace for Millions of borrowed summes Christs blood and deep love may be praised but never recompenced Christs love hath filled this world and the new Paradice with debtors and Angels can neither read nor sum nor cast up the Accompts of Free-grace 3. That we cannot be masters of one good act without his preventing Grace evidenceth what nature is and maketh Grace both my staffe and my convey in at Heavens Gates Nature and Free-will must stoop and do homage to CHRIST There 's a Glory active and a Glory passive as there 's also Grace active and passive Free-will is active under Grace and passive also therefore Grace and Mercy is to the Saints and upon the Saints Nature emptieth its lamp upon the golden pipe the rich Grace of the Mediatour and Free-will moveth and runneth but not but as moved driven and breathed upon by Free-grace But as concerning Glory it hath a more eminent and noble relation Glory shall be on the Saints as a garment as a Crown for they shall be glorified But no Glory to the Saints but only only to the Lamb to the flower of the Glory of Glory Jesus the Celebrious Eminent most high and adored Prince of the Kings of the earth and therefore there 's room and place left for sin and shame to Free-will in the busines of praedeterminating grace that nature can but sigh and sin and Grace sing and be spotlesse and innocent Christ so draweth as we sin in not being drawen Christ so taketh and allureth that it is our guilt that we are not taken and overcome with the smell of the Kings Oyntments So is sin the field out of which springeth the Rose the flower of free and unhired Grace sin must go with us as near to heaven as to the threshold of the gates that the sinner may halt and crook when he moveth his foot on the threshold stone of Glory that so pardoning Grace may enter the new City with us 4. The Lord will have us take to heaven with us a Book of the Psalmes and Praises of Grace that in that land we may extol and advance Free-grace and may hold the Book in our hand all the way and sigh and weep and sing and adore the Saviour of Free-grace and may take Graces bill in our hand into Heaven with us O how sweet to be Graces drowned and over burdened Debtor It s good here to borrow much and professe inability for Eternity to pay that heaven may be a house full of broken men who have borrowed Millions from Christ but can never repay more then to read and sing the praises of Graces free bill and say Glory Glory to the Lamb that sitteth on the Throne for evermore praising for ever in heaven must be in liew of paying debt 1. God is not behinde nor wanting to the gracious soul for there 's a promise of Grace here 2. There is an intercession at hand and that more mighty now then at Christs first ascension and shall be more mighty when all Israel shall be converted There is a stirring required in a gracious spirit but with sense of natures weaknesse so as he is to arise and be doing and the Lord shall be with him and he is so to blow upon the coals as if he could do his alone though not without the Faith of Dependance upon an immediate acting from Heaven Object 3. But then Adam yet sinlesse was to believe weaknesse and sin in himself before he sinned Ans. Not so but he was to have that which by Analogie answereth to sense of sin that is a sinlesse consciousness and solicitude that if God should withdraw his stirring and predeterminating influence of corroborating him to will and to do you may call it Grace he should fall and that legs in Paradice without actuall assistance could not actu secundo bear the bulk and weight of Adams connaturall and constant walking with God that Adam might know before he was a debtor to justice that he had need of mercy or the free goodnesse of a surety such as Jesus Christ to prevent debt no lâ—sse then to pay debt even as Angels are debtors to Christ their head for Redemption from all possible sinnes no lesse then we are though the degrees of altitude of Grace varieth much the obliged underlings of such a bountifull Landlord for Repemption from actuall misery 3. That is a great Faith that is not broken with a Temptation But 1. taketh strength from a Temptation as some run more swiftly after a fall that they may recompence their losse of time and that is great Faith that argueth from a Temptation as this woman doth 2. That is Jobs great Faith chap. 2.3 That he still holdeth fast his integrity the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hazak is to hold with strength and power He keepeth fast and with violence his innocency and Faith maketh him stronger then he was the word is used Psal. 147.13 For making stronger the Bars of Ports And its Jobs praise chap. 1.22 In all this Job sinned not nor charged God with folly 3. It s a strong faith in this Woman that in a manner Conquers Omnipotency by believing yea Satan Winds Fire from Heaven Wife Sabeans yea apprehended wrath cannot prevail with Job to subdue his Faith in all he standeth by this Job 15.13 Though the Lord should slay me I le trust in him It s great Faith to be at holding and drawing with God and yet believe and pray Hos 12.3 Gen. 32.26 And not let the Lord alone nor give him any rest Isa. 62.6 7. till he answer as suppose thy prayers were never heard and the Acts of believing were but Darts thrown at Heaven and the Throne without any effect yet because Prayer and believing are acts of honouring God though they never benefit thee it argueth strong grace and so great Faith that it can be said there be ten years twenty years of reiterated Acts of Faith and prayers of such a man lying up before the Throne yea in Christ the high Priests bosome Let God make of my faith what he will yet am I to believe continued believing is Christs due though it should never be to me gain of comfort or successe that is a weak man who is thrown down on his back with a blast of wind or made to stagger with the cast of a straw or a feather The temporary faith is in this seen to be soft that its broken
oppressour and delivered them from pressures of conscience under Episcopacy a Masse-service and burdensome ceremonies and for the sins of the King Queen Court Prelats and Prophets the persecuting and killing the witnesses of Christ in Queen Maries days and in the late Prelats time and the present unjustice carelesse and remisse minding Religion and their labouring to spoile the Kingdome of Christ of that power that Christ hath given to his people of Church-discipline and translating it to their Parliament to make Church-discipline Parliament-discipline confounding so the two kingdoms their tolerating of blasphemous sects some denying the Godhead of Christ some his Kingly Office to sanctifie govern his people some his Priestly some his Propheticall Office and many other sins of Prophets and people not repented of and most of these sins and many others and especially the breach of the Covenant in Scotland these two Kingdomes are to fear heavy judgements and that their calamity is not yet at an end But rather one wo is passed but another cometh Except these lands be humbled and lie in the dust before the Lord Yet in all this the dispensation of God though bloody is but the Lord saying as of old so now to Britain Isa. 1.25 And I will turn my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy drosse and take away all thy tin 26. And I will restore thy Judges as at the first and thy counsellors as at the beginning afterward thou shalt be called the city of righteousnes the faithfull city 27. Zion shall be redeemed with judgement and her converts with righteousnesse 2. A rough dispensation of Christ cannot abide long rough to the Saints he must answer and ease the pain of the womans broken spirit it s a nights pain to Christ to cause the tears run down the cheeks of his Church all the night he cannot but bring a day light of joy before the Suns ordinary time to rise Ps. 30.5 Christ smiteth and weepeth for compassion both at once Tender mercy in Christ moveth as much if not more within then without The mothers bowels are as much on work within when the childe is but upon her breasts and he is not capable to know a mother as a mother and love as love as ever when the deserted is but new and hot come out of the second womb and a babe born over again yet in a spirituall Feaver he is as much as ever in the bowels of Christ though he be not in that case capable of the sense and actuall apprehension of Christ as Christ and of the sense of Christs love as his love Ier. 31.20 Since the time that I sufficiently talked with him in correcting him or since the time of my sufficiency of speaking against him in remembring him I do remember him I spake much in mine anger against him and half against my will I did chide him and scourge him but my moved bowels the stirrings of a compassionating heart did contradict in a manner my rough correcting my heart came out of me with every rough word and stroke The Sun and nature worketh long and many years under earth in the generation of Gold and Silver ere we see gold and silver God and his servant nature did us a pleasure a great favour in that kind in secret down in the bowels of the earth to make unseen and concealed provision for our purses this secret love to us acted down in the dark is no love to us while we find it and see it yet is nature in a mystery under a vail sweating under earth to bring forth for us Mettals Trees Herbs Flowers corn for our service but we see no harvest at that time Christs bowels are sweating and as much labouring in childe-birth paine of compassion and love and tender mercy toward us when we are in an Ague and a fit of desertion as at any time but we are loved of Christ and pittied and we know no such thing All Christs answers and words to this woman till now were but interpretations and Proclamations of wrath and rejecting of her as not one of the lost sheep of the house of Israel a Dog under the Table not a child of the house love came never above ground till now yet did Christs affection and love yern upon her all the time Out of all this we collect Christ may love persons yet his dispensation may be so rough as that to their sense there is no ground of being assured that Christ loveth them til he shall be pleased to manifest it Hence we may gather these Propositions considerable for the Times 1. Propos. Gods free and unhired love is the cause of our Redemption Vocation Sanctification and eternall salvation he loved us in our blood and while we were polluted in our blood Ezech. 16.6.8 When we were the lost world Joh. 3.16 ungodly Rom. 5.6 Enemies ver 10. He quickned us called us when dead in sinnes Eph. 2.1 Without works 2 Tim. 1.9 The bil of Grace is Christs welcome and pay nothing 2. Our Divines say God loveth the persons of the Elect but hateth their sins M. Denne offendeth at this and so doth the Arminians with the same reason if God hate the works of iniquity he cannot but hate the persons and workers of iniquity also It s true the Lord hateth so the persons of the Elect for their sins as he taketh vengeance of their sins on their Surety Christ but this consisteth with the Lords loving of their persons to eternall salvation The truth is Gods affection ad intra of hatred and displeasure never so passeth on the persons of the Elect as on the persons of the Reprobate he had thoughts of love and peace in secret from eternity to his own Elect he did frame a Heaven a Saviour for them before all time 3. Propos. Our Divines do rightly teach that there is a twofold love in God Amor benevolentiae A love of wel willing which he did bear to them before the world was it is called the love of Election Of this love Rom. 9.13 Paul speaketh I have loved Jacob and hated Esau this is fountain love the wel-head of all our salvation There is another love called Amor complacentiae A love of complacency a love of justification so M. Denne termeth it which presupposeth faith Without which its unpossible to please God Heb. 11.6 of this Christ speaketh Joh. 14.21 He that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love him and will manifest my self to him ver 23. If a man love me he will keep my words and my Father will love him and we will come unto him and make our abode with him so Christ the wisdom of God saith I love them that love me Pro. 8.17 And so Christ speaketh of his love to his redeemed and sanctified Spouse Can. 4.9 Thou hast ravished my heart my sister my Spouse thou hast ravished my heart with one of thy eyes with one
fair and eye-sweet as white Paper though indeed there be not one spot in Gods wayes so Martha Joh. 11.21 Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died But Christ-God in preserving lives dependeth not on his own bodily presence here or there Another complaineth God hath forgotten me he is not my God Why Because I walk in darknes have no light nor any sense of his love It is the black and dead hour of mid-night with me So the Church argueth Isa. 49.14.15 Psal. 77. v. 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. But his unchangeable love depends not on the ebbing and flowing of your transient up and down sense in this you worship a dependent God There is no rule without God to regulate him or yet to straighten him in his walking we are not to misplace God for though the God of Hosts hath purposed to stain 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lechallel to cast a blot on and prophane the pride of all glory Isa. 23.9 and suffer Parliaments Assemblies Armies Counsels of War Statse-men the Godly the Princes Judges Pastors men of Wisdom Learning Eloquence parts to miscarry in this great service against Babylon it is to cry down the creatures garland and the rose of their eminency that when all spots of Sacriledge and Idol-confidence in men are washed off the work the Lord only may be exalted It is our wisdom to suffer God to be wise for us yea Antinomians will have Christ no independent Redeemer but to them his grace shall not be perfect in pardoning except all sin in root and branch be removed from the justified and they made as sinless as Adam before his fall and the Elect Angels Yea how many connexions of Providence do we spin and twist out of our own head As how happy had we been if the King had remained with the Parl. to countenance it Yea but rather how unhappy for our Reformation had been as an untimely birth if so it had been How blessed should I have been saith another if I had been rich and learned Yea rather you should have dishonoured God in that condition The Catholick and mother sin is God must be dependent we independent 4. Vse All of us have need of a Devil one or other to exercise and humble us but we go wrong to work when we think to make good our party against the devil by our own strength This woman yoked Christ and the devil together and would not yoke with him her alone and the successe is blessed we go to dispute with temptations our selves by reason you shal not dispute Satan to hell with all your Logick nor can Policie and State-wit calm the Prince of the bottomlesse pit who is let loose now in these three Kingdoms to kill with the sword The Horseman upon the Red and bloody Horse and his footman Death are posting through the Kingdoms more wrestling by prayer the putting of Satan in Christs gripes by faith effectuall by love and sincere humiliation should create peace for peace is a work of Creation there 's but one onely can create I mean God by or at the exercise of these graces should create peace we lye bleeding and dying under our lusts because Christ was not intrusted with mortification if we gave in a bill of complaint against our devils as this woman did Christ should loose Satans works and help us Be it unto thee Faith obtaineth the most excellent favours refined mercies and these are immediate favours acts of immediate Omnipotency Christ sent an immediate Post to the Devil though in a remote place its an act of immediate creation and Satan must be gone no creature here interveneth It s Christs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Omnipotent be it so that doth the turn it s not Faith it s not a good Angel expelling an evill one nor one Devil beating another nor the Disciples helping the woman though they also did cast out Devils The more immediate mercies be the more love-expressions of God in them the first roses the first trees and plants that Gods own immediate art produced and in which nature could not share are the perfectest creatures the rest of the creatures after the fal come not near in goodnes beauty to Gods first samplar which are as it were the first Essays of Omnipotency the greatest mercies are most immediate these be sweet favours that come as it were hot and new immediately from God himself See it in all the excellent things that God giveth us especiall in these four 1. In Christ 2. Grace 3. Glory 4. Comfort Christ is Gods highest love gift Now Christ the mediator was given without any Medium or any intervening Mediatour God out of the meer bottom of Free love giveth Christ The Lord Christ was not given by so much as request or counsell of Men or Angels Christ Heb. 1.3 by himself purged our sins 1 Tim. 2.6 He gave himself a ransome for all 1 Pet. 2.24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree he satisfied and payed in his own person It was not a deputed work God the Lord of life in proper person Redeemed us Christs love to us was not deputy love he loved us not by a Vicar Christ is given freely as a Redeemer is more essentially a gift of Free grace to speak so then the grace of faith which is given to those who hear are humbled for sin And Christ given to die for sinners is a more immediate and pure gift of Grace then remission of sins and eternal life which are given to us upon condition of Faith whereas a Redeemer is given to die for us without any condition thought desire any sweating or endeavour in man or Angel 2. So is Grace given out of Grace saving Grace is made out of nothing not out of the potency of the matter The new heart is a creation and as its Grace is framed without tools agents art or service Grace issueth immediately out of Christs heart he hath no hire no payment for it non-payment no money is Graces hire 3. And Heaven is given not by art not by merit not for sweating But how Luk. 12.32 It s the Fathers will And Rev. 21.4 God shall wipe all tears from their eyes It s the sweeter that no napkin but his own immediate hand shall wipe my sinfull face In heaven the vision of him that sitteth upon the Throne is immediate the mirrour or looking-glasse of Word and Sacraments being removed there is 1 Cor. 13.12 But a vision of God face to face Rev. 21.22 And I saw no Temple therein If any should ask tidings and say Iohn what sawest thou in that new City was there any Temple any Priest any Prophets any Candlesticks there He should answer O you know not what you speak I saw no temple there I saw a more glorious sight then all the temples of the earth I saw the Lamb the King in the midst of them I saw
over Satan I do not mean as Arminians do that free-will by order of nature beginneth first to resist Satan then Gods grace followeth as a hand-maide but I intend this that because Peter is self-strong his flesh saith to Christ that Christ is mistaken and looketh beside the spirit of prophesie for Mat. 26.35 He saith Though I should die with thee yet will I not deny thee Belike if he had been diffident of his own strength and watched and trusted in the strength of an intercessor he should not have been deserted so as to deny his Lord we put not Christ to it to put forth his omnipotency in every act to save us that wee yeeld not I deny not but there is a necessity in regard of Gods wise providence that the Saints must sin and that they be passive vessels to carry the lustre hold forth the rayes and beams of pardoning Grace Yet certain it is there be hypotheticall connexions of supernaturall Providence in Gods eternall Decree never put forth in action because of our lazinesse As if God shal suffer Iob to be tempted and he by grace sin not as Job 1.22 The Lord shall also strengthen him when he is tempted the second time not to sin and if Abraham be tempted to effer up his only Son for God and if he yeeld obedience God shall surely blesse him with the blessing of sanctification promised in the Covenant as is clear Gen. 22.16.17 Heb. 6.12.13.14 For we see these connexions some times put forth in Asts But other connexions are not put forth in Acts Math. 11.21 Luke 16.31 1 Sam. 23.12 Such as these if David be tempted by Satan he shall not resist but shall number the people if Peter be tempted he shall not stand out in confessing his Master Certain it is that as we come short of these comforts of a communion with God which we might injoy by our loose walking so upon the same reason we fall short of many victories over Satan which we might have if we should improve the dominion and Kingly power of Christ over that restles spirit As thou wilt As thou desirest God maketh of his free dispensation a sanctified will and affection in prayer the measure of his gifts to us a word then 1. Of a sanctified will and affections 2. How these are â—he measure of Gods goodnesse toward us in these Positions Posit 1. The soul is never renewed while the will be renewed for the will is the heart of the heart and the new heart is the new man Ezek. 36.26 Deut. 30.6 For the heart is the King and Soveraign of obedience Deut. 30.19 Posit 2. All sanctified affections are threded upon the will saving Grace can lodge no where but in the center of the heart and that 's the renewed will presupposing new light in the mind Grace taketh this first Castle Posit 3. Hence how many grains of sanctified will as many grains of new obedience so love is the fire of our obedience and willingnesse the faâ— of obedience which is set on fire by love Posit 4. A civil will is not a sanctified wil in some men the will is more Morall lesse raging then the motions of it being lesse tumultuous as in some carnal spirits the wheels go with lesse noise all rivers make not alike action and stirring on their Banks but that taketh nothing from either their nature or deepnesse or occasionall over-swelling Posit 5. The speciall mark of a sanctified wil is that its a broken thing as it were fallen in the midst in two pieces and yeelding to God and saving light there was a sea of grace and saving light in Christ no created will stooped to the light of a revealed Decree in such a submissive measure in a Hel of fear sorrow and anguish for an evil of punishment more then any creature was able to bear as he did Neverthelesse not my wil but thy wil be done Far more in other things of lesse pain should we suffer especially in these the wil is to stoop 1. In opposing our lusts as we would testifie that the proudest piece in us the will hath felt the influence of Christs death on it That we no longer should live the rest of our time to the lusts of men 1 Pet. 4.2 But to the will of God 1 Pet. 2.24 Rom. 6.6 The dominion of wil is the dominion of sin 2. In that the soul speaketh out of the dust and is put to silence before God and sitteth alone as Melancholicks do Lam. 3.28 29. A tamed man is broken in his will in which the Pride of opposing God consisteth Then Isa. 11.6 The wolfe dwelleth with the Lamb. 3. The subordination of the will to God is a great signe of a subdued spirit nothing affecteth Independency more then the vain will Psal. 37.7 Rest on the Lord Heb. Be silent toward the Lord Vatablus Be quiet Repine not as disobedient neither answer again Isa. 61.1 Christ is sent to bind up those that are broken in will or heart the Hebrew will include both Prov. 15.31 He that hearkeneth to reproof getteth a heart possesseth his heart so Vatablus The meek spirit which in obedience submitteth to rebukes possesseth his heart and possesseth his own will now the contrary must bee in the undaunted man his will and heart must have dominion over him and his will must possesse him as Prov. 17.18 The unconverted man is a man wanting a heart and a will a will not broken to God is as good as no will and no heart at all the broken heart is the heart to God and the broken wil the wil. Posit 6. The affections in their naturals beâ—ng corrupt grace only maketh them pure and when they are purest they are strongest it s most of the Element of the earth that is all earth and wanteth all mixture of other Elements that is most fire that hath least of earth in it that is finest gold that hath in it least of other mettals least drosse least oare When affections are most steeled with Grace they have the least mixture in them love having much of Grace hath least of lust zeal with much grace hath least of the wild-fire of carnall wrath and these are known by the swiftnesse of their motion toward their kindly objects the more of earth in the body the swifter is the motion downward toward the earth fire worketh most as fire when it carrieth up in the Air nothing but it self or fiery sparks like it self but when it ascendeth and carrieth up with it houses mountains and great loads of earth the motion is the slower Grace being essentiall to gracious affections they run and move kindly and swiftly therefore is supernaturall love strong as death hard as the grave In the Martyrs it was stronger then burning quick then the wheels racks and the most exquisite torments and Christs love was stronger then Hell of all loves that is the strongest that bringeth sicknes