he keepes you safe If our eyes were opened to see this as the Apostle Pauls were we should magnifie it and stand amazed at it when he comes to expresse what we have by Christ he knowes not how to expresse it In him are all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge and they are ours he hath a Kingdome that is ours He is a Sonne so are we he is an Heire so are we nothing can hurt us but it hurts him Therefore make use of this when any thing is objected that is terrible and grievous answer it with this I am in Christ When thou wantest any thing know thou canst not be denied for thou art in CHRIST Set all your thoughâ—s on worke to looke to all the things mans nature is capable of that you desire to make you happy we have them all in him O the length and height and depth of his mercy Indeed it is such a depth that we cannot fadome and a height we cannot reach and a length we cannot measure all this we have by Christ If we had but Pauls spirit to apprehend it and a little crevise of light opened to us as there was to him that we might see into this unsearchable riches of Christ we would stand amazed I cannot stand to inlarge it any further you see what it is to be united to Christ and of what moment Now we will come to make some use of it If it be so glorious a condition to be united to Christ it should inflame us then with a desire to be in him with a desire to be in this condition for if you have the Sonne you have life 1 Iohn 5.12 He that hath the Sonne hath life and all things else pertaining to life godlinesse and happinesse He that hath not the Sonne hath not life that is he is yet in death and condemnation have Christ and have all things therefore it is an happy and glorious condition Therefore let those that have it desire to inlarge it more and more and those that want it let them seeke to get it First I say those that have it let them labour to inlarge it You will say If a man be in Christ how can he be more If he be united if he be married to him how can he be more Iustification admits of no degrees Therefore this is a point worth your consideration That you may bee more in Christ. It is true Iustification in this sense admits of no degrees but it is indivisible either you are married or not married either you are in him or not in him so farre indeed it admits of no degrees But now when a Spouse takes an Husband shee hath so much will as to resolve to make such an one her husband yet there may be degrees of willingnesse she may will it more there may be more desire of it there may be a greater approbation of it so though it be true that every man that is justified in Christ is within the Covenant within the doore yet he may goe in further or lesse farre when he is within So I say you may be within the Covenant but this taking of Christ this being in Christ this receiving of him admits of degrees because though one be married to an husband that there is so much will as to resolve to take him rather than refuse him yet this very wil of taking may be stronger as her affections to him are more the reasons are stronger and larger that invite her to take him So the union with Christ may be neerer yet the knot may be yet straiter and as that increaseth so all the effects and consequences of it increase Therefore the thing we would exhort you to is to be more in Christ to get yet neerer to him You will say How shall that be done Consider what it was that drawed you to him and to labour to intend all that that when you have taken him you may yet make the union neerer and better than it was And these five things will doe it First consider your misery without him you did consider it before which caused you to take him for your Husband when you saw you could not live without him but when you finde that misery to be yet more your resolutions wil be stronger you will more approve your action of taking him you will prize him more Therefore if you will be yet neerer Christ reflect often on your selves on your owne condition and see what you are without him Consider what your sinnes are how you should have perished if you had not taken him how miserable you are still how unable to helpe your selves and the more humble you are the poorer in spirit and the more greedily you will receive him the more degrees will be added to the taking of the Lord Iesus For that is one great meanes to teach us to prize Christ even to know our misery The Prodigall sonne was taught to prize his being in his fathers house by the extremity of want he was in the more he felt the want of it the more he prized it Labour therefore to know what you are out of Christ to feele the want of it to know that you cannot subsist you cannot be without him Againe secondly labour more to know the vertues and the excellencies of your husband for as they are more explicated and discovered to you so you will love him more As one that is married the more she sees in her husband the more she desires him the more glad she is that the match is made there is the greater degree of will to take her husband Labour to see this beauty in Christ to see what he hath done for you Was he not crucified for you Hee loved me saith Paul and gave himselfe for me he died for me Consider all that he hath done consider the great dowry the riches he brings with him all the benefits and priviledges he brings with him and you have by him looke well upon him consider the number of them and the waight of them thinke of all the advantages you get by him the more you see this the more those vertues and excellencies of Christ are explicated and unfolded and made manifest unto you the more you will love him and the nearer is the union betweene you Thirdly be perswaded of his love to you the more you are perswaded of your husbands love the nearer your hearts grow to him Think what it was that made Paul love the Lord Iesus so much it was the strength of his faith he knew the Lord loved him and that Christ had received him If wee could but once get into Pauls condition that we could see the unsearchable riches of Christ the beauties of our husband the advantages we have by him if we had Pauls faith to beleeve his love we should be able to doe as he did to reckon all as drosse and dung wee should prize nothing but CHRIST and
Doct. 5. The Truth or Law of every mans judgement is made manifest by God 180 Vse 1. The greatnesse of mens sinne against this Truth 184 Vse 2. To be thankefull for the Truth 192 Vse 3. To doe nothing contrary to the Truth 193 Vse 4. To expect happinesse or miserie as wee observe or neglect this Truth 215 Doct. 6. God hath revealed so much to every man as makes him Inexcusable 219 Excuses that men frame to themselves 221 Vse 1. To justifie God and to blame our selves 234 Vse 2. To give God the glory of his long suffering 237 The Contents of the Sermon before the Commons house of Parliament FAsting necessarie 248 Fast defined 248 Defects in Fasting 249 Doct. 1. God onely doth Good and Evill 253 Foure Connections to demonstrate it 255 Reas. 1. Else God were not God 261 Reas. 2. Else the Creature should be God 262 Vse 1 To labour to see God in his greatnesse 265 Vse 2. To looke to God in all our businesse 269 Vse 3. To set Faith on worke to judge of these things 270 Doct. 2. Sinne causeth Wrath 271 Gods Wrath a treasure in three respects 273 Vse To see Sinne in the effects of it 275 How to prevent Gods Wrath 278 Doct. 3. Zeale turnes away Wrath 283 Vse 1. Not to discourage those that bee Zealous 286 Vse 2. Foure convictions of our want of Zeale 288 Doct. 4. Want of Zeale makes GODS Ielousie grow hotter 299 Doct. 5. Iealousie for the most part shal proceed to utter destruction 301 Vse To learne to Feare 302 Part 2. Doct. Iustification and Sanctification are inseperable 4 How Sanctification ariseth from Iustification 5 Reas. 1. None saved by the second Adam that are not borne of him 18 Reas. 2. It is the Will of God 19 Reas. 3. It is the end of our Ingraffing into Christ ibid Reas. 4. It is the end of Christs comming 20 Reas. 5. Christ is Prophet and King where he is a Priest ibid Reas. 6. All the meanes of Grace tend this way 21 Vse 1. To pray for Sanctification 22 Sixe incouragements to Pray for it ibid Vse 2. To esteeme Sanctification as highly as Iustification 36 The excellencie of Grace 37 Vse 2. To take heed of châ—llenging Iustification without Sanctification 44 Foure signes of a New creature 49 New Creature what 61 The Heart new framed 62 The Conversation changed 66 A new qualitie of Holinesse infused 71 Old man what 73 Mortification of the Old man 83 Where God pardoneth he healeth Sinne 88 First it stands with Gods Honour 89 Secondly with our Comfort ibid Thirdly with Gods Service ibid Doct. Those that are in Christ have another Nature 95 Vse 1. Not to Defer comming to God 98 Vse 2. Not to content our selves without a new Nature 101 Vse 3. To see that good Performances be naturall to us 107 Vse 4. To abhorre our Old Nature and labour for a change 114 Vse 5. Not to feare Falling away 117 Vse 6. Not to bee discouraged with the difficultie of any Dutie 120 Vse 7. Change of Nature a ground of comfort 121 Doct. We must be New Creatures 122 Consect 1. We are redeemed from old customes Ibid. Consect 2. Not to wonder that the World wonders at us 124 Consect 3. To pull downe all that is old 127 Consect 4. Not to wonder at unevennesse in mens lives 131 Consect 5. To expect a combate 137 Consect 6. Not to wonder at Aukednesse that wee finde in the waies of God 140 Consect 7. To give God the praise of the changing of natures 144 Doct. The New Creature is Gods work 149 Foure arguments to prove it ibid Vse 1. To shew our condition in Christ is better than in Adam 154 Vse 2. God setteth us not about an impossible worke 155 Vse 3. To make us love Christ. 156 Vse 4. Not to put off Christs call Ibid. Vse 5. To see with whom wee have to doe in hearing the Word 156 Vse 6. To give God the prayse of any good in us 161 Vse 7. Expect not that Ministers come with excellencie of Wisedome or words 162 Vse 8. Observe what the preaching of the Word works on our hearts 164 Doct. First in Christ and then New Creatures 169 Doct. To bee in Christ is the ground of all Salvation 171 Vse 1. First to increase Vnion with Christ in those that have it 176 Five helpes to doe it 178 Secondly to seeke it if it be wanting 185 Five motives to seeke this Vnion 186 Part. 3 Doct. IN the sacrament there is a communication of the verie Body and bloud of Christ 2 Arguments against Transubstantiation First there is no Necessitie of it 3 Secondly no Possibilitie of it 8 Thirdly it is against Sense 10 Fourthly against Reason 11 Fifthly against Scripture 13 Sacrament of the Lords Supper what 15 Condition of the Covenant on Gods part 16 Vse 1. To confirme our faith in the forgivenesse of sins 19 Conditions of the Covenant required on our part 24 Papists objection out of Ioh. 6. of eating Christs Flesh answered 33 Vse 2. To see the greatnesse of Christs Love to us 39 And to Love him againe and serve him 41 Two things to move us to come in to Christ 45 First our Miserie out of him 46 1 We are subject to Death 47 2 To the feare of Death 48 3 To Hell 49 Secondly our Happinesse by Christ 54 Benefit by Christ 1 Wee shall have Life 55 2 Our Debts shall be payd 61 3 Wee shall have Rest 68 4 Wee shall have a Kingdome which consisteth in 72 Libertie 73 Plentie 74 Peace 75 Glory 76 Riches 77 5 Wee shall have a Feast 86 Properties of spirituall Food 88 6 Apparrâ—ll 93 What this spirituall Cloathing is 94 FINIS CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION ROMANS 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse IT is true wee that are the Ministers of the Gospell are to make it our chiefe businesse to preach Christ indeed that is all in all But we may preach Christ long enough to men telling them of Remission of sinnes and Iustification but they will not hearken to us because before they can come to Christ they must be humbled It is true our end is Consolation for that is indeed the end of the Scriptures I say the end of the Scriptures is Consolation that through them you might have hope and so is it the end of this doctrine of Humiliation as though a purge or lancing are troublesome to the body yet the end of the Physitian using them is health and helpe and without this course there is no helpe And for that cause wee have fallen on this Text that it may teach us to know our selves and the need we stand in of Christ. You shall finde these three to be the three great parts of the Apostolicall Ambassage First to humble men to make them know what need they stand in of Christ. Secondly
God doth lead along but men doe Ponere obices lay blocks in his way God deales not only in Iustice but in much mercy with any vessell of wrath Indeed he loves the godly in a speciall manner but mercy he shewes to every man and the reason why he is not brought to more light is because he layes blockes and when God reveales still he layes more till at length there be an end of his patience and long-suffering To give an instance in Saul and David God led Saul along but he sins still God leads him on till at length hee went his way and God leaves him quite but in David you shall finde as many frailties as in Saul if you looke on Davids nature the strong temptations to which he was subject he was ready to lay blockes too but because God had a peculiar love to David he removed them all yet God dealt with Saul in much mercy he shewed much patience and long-suffering but David he loved with a peculiar love therefore he carried him thorow all So it is with all the faithfull I will put my feare in thine heart that thou shalt never depart from me saith God But you will say this is to preach Free-will and if men have free-will and be condemned for not doing what they might doe what is the difference betweene the Doctrine of the Papists and this I answer Though there be a free-wil to doe that for the not doing of which they shall be condemned so as you cannot come to any particular that these men cannot doe yet God hath kept it in his power to draw whom he will to sanctifie whom he will for God keepes these two together he keepes men within compasse of common grace so that they may doe much of themselves and the changing of mens hearts the enabling of them to beleeve effectually or repent the drawing of them to God that is proper to God So that these may well stand together this freedome they have yet it is not in any mans power to beleeve to repent effectually The second use we should make of it is for practice learne hence then to justifie God and to condemne our selves to thinke well of him and ill of our selves to give him the glory of his mercy and patience and long-suffering and to take shame to our selves lay the blame where the blame ought to be laid for let a man have committed never so great never so many sins if he hath something to say for himselfe he will never be humble labour to come to this to see that thou hast nothing to say for thy selfe to see that thy sin is out of measure sinfull as indeed it is and this will put a necessity on thee and teach thee to love much because much is forgiven thee and till this thou canst not be a man fit to come to Christ Therefore you shall finde these two expressions Rom. 3. All are under sinne And the like is in Galath 3.22 He hath shut up all under sin that the promise by the faith of IESUS CHRIST might be given to them that beleeve that every mouth may be stopped That is before God will shew mercy he will bring them to see that they are inexcusable that their mouths may be every way stopped that they may have nothing to say for themselves that they may have no excuse no Postica no back-doore when a man is shut up in sin when there is no evasion nothing to extenuate sin withall then his soule is humble and begins to sinâ—e before God then he sees the necessity of comming to Christ and is brought into the case they were in in the second Chapter of the Acts Men and brethren what shall we doe to be saved As if they should say before we thought we were in a good condition at least we had something to hold by in our apprehension but when Peter shewes them their guiltinesse then men and brethren what shall we doe to be saved This is it the Scripture cals Afflict your selves Iam. 3. Now the Greek word for Affliction is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is when sorrow stands round about a man when there is no way to get out when one is hedged in on every side for when there is any scape it is not properly an Affliction because there is an evasion a way to helpe out but that makes it an Affliction when it compasses us round when we have nothing to say when all objections are removed so that we are througly convinced of sin this stirres up present apprehension of danger present sorrow for sin and when any Affliction is present it will have present ease There be many excuses but when the Holy Ghost removes all these then men are driven to Christ indeed before they clave to sinne as to their Center still departing and loath to depart for men come out of the state of unregeneration as Lot did come out of Sodome who was so loath to come out that the Angell was faine to draw him out so till we be all nothing till there be no twigge to hang by till there be no Fibrae to nourish us on our owne bottome we will never come to Christ as Ioab if he could have escaped Salomon he would not have flowne to the hornes of the Altar but when he saw no hopes then he laid hold on them and said If he will kill me he shall kill me here So if we can subsist in our naturall condition wherein we are we will love it we will cleave to it but when God hath ferited us out of all our turnings that there is no hope left then we goe to Christ then we take hold on the hornes of the Altar as when a man hath a cord let downe to him into the sea you need not bid him hold fast So when God takes away all excuses takes a man quite from his owne bottome cuts him from the root of Nature on which hee grew this makes him come to Christ. When we tell men of their sins that they are accursed that doe not keepe every part of the Law they deale with us as the Aegyptians did when it was told them that in every house the first borne should die except the destroying Angell saw their doore-posts sprinkled with bloud they regarded it not they minded it not till the very day and then where the bloud was not found they died for it So we may tell you of sin of the danger you are in we may tell you that you shall die yet you beleeve it not only a few whose hearts are sprinkled with the bloud of the Lambe they indeed defer it not for they doe not know how soone the destroying Angell may come Therefore labour to be convinced this is to know what a Mediatour is and not to have it in speculation only And here it were good to consider what that is that holds men on their roots there is an Anchor under water though
him off But you will say these things that you speak are wonderfull things how shall we have this wrought in us By being in Christ this wonder is wrought in us when a man is once ingrafted into Christ when hee hath once received him this great worke is wrought in him in his heart hee is made a new Creature But if you adde to this the second way of raising this Sanctification from our Iustification then you will understand it yet more fully and distinctly There are certaine actions wrought in our soules by which this Sanctification followes Iustification and those are these First when a man seeth great reason for it for when a man is once convinced of a thing that it is best for him to doe it and takes a resolution to him to performe it Now when a man hath beene humbled and knoweth what sinne is when he hath had his heart prepared when he comes in once to take Christ that is when he seeth his owne basenesse and Christs excellencie what he was without Christ and what he hath by Christ that when he expected nothing but death then the Gospell came and said Thou shalt live when he seeth that Christ deales with him after this manner then hee thinkes surely It is good reason that I should serve him before indeed we thinke his service to be an hard service and we doe with him as people that are under a tyrannous King they refuse to obey such an one so doth all the world with Iesus Christ they thinke his Law to be an hard Law written with bloud and they thinke him to be an hard Governour such a King as they know not how to be subject unto But when a man is once convinced by the Spirit when he sees reason for it when he is perswaded that Christ will governe him for his wealth that Christ hath suffered for him and freed him from the wrath of God then hee thinkes thus There is reason that I should suffer him to rule over me and when a man seeth reason for it he comes then willingly to submit himselfe to Christ. This is the worke of the Spirit whereby he perswades a man that there is reason for it and it is attributed to the Spirit Iohn 16 The Spirit convinceth of Sinne of Righteousnesse and of Iudgement that is it shewes us that we are sinfull and that there is a Righteousnesse in Christ to heale that And thirdly it convinceth us that there is reason for it why we should serve God in Sanctification and Iudgement The meaning of the word He shall convince is that the Spirit shewes us reason why we should embrace Sanctification and serve the Lord in all things Now when the heart of man is brought to this to see reason and equity in this then a man takes resolution to cleave to Christ to serve him Secondly as he deales with the reason so he doth likewise with the affections for he begets love in us which love sanctifieth us it sets us on worke and turnes the whole heart as the Rudder turnes the Ship for it sits in the sterne of a mans Soule and the reason that when we are justified we love Christ is because when as before a man magnified himselfe setting himselfe at an high rate like a virgin that is coy and curious thinking no man good enough for her now the Law comming and convincing him of the need he stands in of CHRIST and shewing him what he is in himselfe he is hereupon content to marry with the Lord Christ Nay further the Spirit of God not only shews him the need that hee stands in of an husband he being not under covert and deepely in debt the whole weight of his debt lying on himselfe but it goes further and shewes him the beautie of Christ as Ioh. 14.21 To him that loves me I will manifest my selfe that is I will declare my beauty and when the Spirit shewes Christ to the Soule it makes it in love with him We may shew him to you an hundred times over and yet beget not this affection in you but the Spirits shewing is effectuall to that end and when you love him you must needs please him in all things it being the care of the married wife to please the husband So that when the heart is prepared by humiliation and takes Christ love is wrought in the Soule and love sanctifies for Sanctification is nothing else but a setting our selves apart from common uses and keeping of the heart close to God making it peculiar to him and this love makes us to doe when the wife loves the husband shee will be his altogether she will be only to him she will be divorced from all Adulterers and have nothing to doe with them and thus the Lord deales with the affections Thirdly there is wrought not only a love to the Lord but a perswasion that it is good for our selves to serve him in holinesse Indeed many times to satisfie our affections we love a thing too much though wee doe not thinke our selves gainers thereby but in this matter the Lord perswades us that it is best for our selves to sanctifie him in all things to draw neere unto him to sanctifie his Name in our hearts so that now not only love to Christ but even selfe-love also is set on worke to the making us New Creatures for the wayes of God are propounded as good and profitable and pleasing things and when the heart lookes on them it sees them as good for it selfe so that the heart turnes towards them as it cannot but doe to every thing that it apprehends to be good and profitable to it So that when the Holy Ghost shall perswade a man that it is best for himselfe that he shall best provide for himselfe every way by taking Christ hee cannot choose but come in when hee shall see it is best for him to goe to the Citie of refuge that he cannot live else and that if he comes there he shall have life and not only life but a kingdome too and that the way that leads thereto is grace and holinesse hee will goe and goe fast enough When a man is perswaded Christ is the Citie of Refuge to whom I must go else I cannot be safe and that the way to him is to be a new Creature this makes him to goe on and willingly too for it is out of selfe-love Againe when a man is justified and hath taken Christ there is bred in him an holy Ingenuitie which makes him so thankfull to Christ that hee is ashamed to joyne Christ with any sinne As Rom. 6.21 What profit had yee in those things whereof yee are now ashamed you are now ashamed to commit them any more A man will thinke it now an unreasonable thing that Christ should doe so much for him be crucified for him and so give him life being before dead men that he should take flesh for the remission
carried the matter fairly but like the Eagle hee had his eye upon the prey this secret eye marres all Doe not thinke that this is but a notion doe not say who is it but doth sinne and we may goe to heaven although we be not so exact as the Preacher saith we should be No it is more than so we may see good reason for it if we observe it well It is a good argument which we have in Philosophie A cup or a dish that is boared thorow is no dish yet there is but one hole in it because it is now of no use which makes it none because it is as good as none Take a dish boared thorow powre water into it it will hold none so take a mans heart for the reason will hold good in that and let there be but some secret leake in it or some secret evill disposition although Saul doth well in every thing else yet if he harbour any sinne or although Balaam doth well in all things else yet if there be respect unto the wages of Iniquity they are both but like a dish with an hole boared thorow that take up any thing there will be an issuing out Therefore deceive not thy selfe thou art no New Creature except thy heart be perfect in all things This which wee deliver unto you take it no otherwise than what with reason you shall finde grounded upon a sure word in Ier. 2. They sought mee not with their whole heart but fainedly When a man seekes God but not with his whole heart God reckons it but a counterfeit seeking of him Therefore I beseech you looke unto your selves see whether you be holy in all manner of conversation I cannot goe thorow particulars but I must leave this to every mans brest who must reflect upon his owne heart Consider with thy selfe if sometimes thou givest libertie to thy selfe in ill or in the duties of new obedience to performe them slightly as good never a whit as never the better if thou doest any duty which thou knowest to be a duty and not truly know it is not accepted If you continue in sinne and will not know it to be a sin as in your inordinate gaming and the vanity of your speeches although thou thinkest them small yet they are able to kill thee the biting of a Viper is as small a thing yet it will bring death with it so if any sin be allowed in thee thou art not a New Creature thou wantest this new moulding thou art not yet cast into a new frame So much for the First part The second thing which we observed in this description of a New Creature is that A man must be cast into a new mould by the infusion of a new quality of Grace A mans heart is not put into a new frame by the transient Acts of the Holy Ghost as in building of an house there is no more for a man to doe but with his hands to joyne one thing with another but it is done by the infusion of a new quality As in Adam there was not onely a defect of weaknesse but of wickednesse so there must be a new quality infused into thy heart else thou art no New Creature In all things in the world that have actions there is a quality as the fire moves upward and there is a quality of heat in it as our Saviour Christ saith of the tree it must be good before it can bring forth good fruit and as in the Heb. 12.28 Wherefore seeing we receive a Kingdome that cannot be shaken let us have grace whereby wee may so serve God that wee may please him with reverence and feare that is there must bee a new quality wrought in the heart whereby we may be enabled to serve the Lord with reverence and feare The question you will aske me will be what is that new quality Not to stand upon generals for it is not that which profits but to pitch upon it I will shew you what it is by two places of Scripture Gal. 6.15 For in Christ Iesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but a New Creature Compare this with Gal. 5.6 For in Christ Iesus neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but Faith which worketh by love Would you know what this new quality which is infused is It is faith and love that is when this is once wrought in thy heart that thy heart is humble and broken which makes thee to know what sin is and what the wrath of God is for sinne and thou desirest Christ and thou hast thy heart calmed againe through beleeving thou doest beleeve that God offers his Son unto thee and thou art willing to take him not as a Saviour only but as a Lord also to obey him not as a Priest only but as a King to bee subject to him not as a friend only but as an husband if this be done it is properly faith Againe consider whether it be done out of love or out of fear lest thy Creditours should come upon thee and cast thee into that eternall prison where thou shalt pay every farthing this is not out of love Againe doest thou take him for his kingdom and his wealth only That is the disposition of an harlot who takes her husband for his wealth and not because shee loves him but thou must take him for love The Virgins love thee Cant. 1.2 The harlots doe not so but the Virgins love thy goodly person Againe thou must not take him in a good mood but till death doe part you thou must love him for ever No man loves a man truely but he is rooted and grounded in his love when thou doest find thy heart so humbled that thou doest reckon sinne the greatest evill and doest hunger after Christ and doest keepe him as thy life when thou doest all this from a love unto him thou art a New Creatures when thou takest Christ with love and such an one as is a working love now be assured that thou art a New Creature for this is that wherein it consists I observe this by the way for those that thinke they never have beene humbled enough the New Creature consists not in that but in faith and love Hast thou faith and love Then thou hast the thing it selfe and if thou hast that thou hast the preparation That is the first expression Another is in Ephes. 4.22 23 24. That yee cast off concerning the conversation in times past the old man which is corrupt through deceiveable lusts and be renued in the Spirit of your minde and put on the new man which after God is created in Righteousnesse and holinesse proceeding from truth There you have the thing named what it is to be a New Creature and what it is to be the old man still To be the old Creature or the old man is nothing else but to bee guided by lust which comes from errour in judgement and understanding But
crosse that is upon us when conscience is troubled I say in these cases to doe it the Lord regards it not This therefore is the Condition that is required to be done out of love it is a rule in the Civill-law Contractus qui fit per minas nullus est The contracts that are gotten by threatnings are no contracts at all but if a Virgin consent when she is free when it is done without compulsion that makes the match So it is betweene Christ and us for us to take him and keepe his Commandements and to doe it out of feare and other respects this Christ regards not it is love that makes the match If we take him out of love if all we doe be done out of love then there is a match betweene us otherwise not And there is good reason for that because feare is of a fleeting nature it soone passes and vanishes away but when it is rooted and grounded in love when that which we doe comes from this principle then we hold out and cleave to Christ without separating againe when that proceeds from feare we doe it not with delight we doe it not with propensenesse with proclivity of minde with an inward willingnesse Now the Lord so loves a chearefull giver a chearefull servant and a chearefull performer that he loves no other And therefore that Condition is required to Delight in the Law in the inward man that we doe not only keepe his Commandements but that they be not grievous to us that what we doe be done out of love and therefore it is required when we doe this that we love the Lord Iesus Christ I will be bold to say a man may pray day and night as earnestly as Hannah did he may keep the Commandements of God without reproofe as Zachary and Elizabeth did for the outward act he may abound in the worke of the Lord but whatsoever he doth if he doe it not out of love God looks upon such workes as upon a dead carkase so they are called Hebr. 9. Dead workes that is workes that are good for substance and for circumstance too but yet they are dead because they come not from love there is no life in them Therefore in 1 Cor. 16.22 Whosoever loves not the Lord Iesus saith the Apostle let him be accursed Whosoever loves not the Lord Iesus that is whatsoever a man doth besides let him professe what he will and performe what he will if he love not the Lord Iesus he is accursed And that I speake not this without ground looke 1 Cor. 13. Take the most glorious actions that a man can performe if a man give his body to be burnt that is to be a Martyr if he gives his goods to the poore which is an high action for a man to part with all he hath if he doe that which Christ required of the young man to deny himselfe If a man were able to preach the Gospell if he had gifts as an Angell as the Apostle speakes If he were able to speake with the tongue of men and Angels and if it were without love God regards it not Love is a distinguishing Character an Hypocrite may goe very far but love he cannot it is love therefore that sets an high price upon all that we doe And therefore you shall finde from the beginning of Genesis to the end of the Revelation the Promise is made still to the Affection and it is the Affection that makes a man a good man he that feares the Lord and he that loves the Lord and he that delights in the Commandements of God c. And therefore it is not enough that we take Christ and that we beleeve in him that we doe the workes that he commands us but that we doe them out of love And this is the Condition that is required on our part So you see now what the Gospell is what the summe of it is that is sealed in the holy Sacrament it is this Covenant on Gods part that he is ready to forgive us wherein you must strengthen your faith when you draw neare to him And againe this condition on your part Faith and obedience out of love as you have heard This is the first use that you are to make I should proceed The end of the First Sermon THE CUPPE OF BLESSING DELIVERED IN THREE Sermons upon 1 Cor. 10.16 The Second SERMON 1 CORINTH 10.16 The Cup of blessing that we blesse is it not the Communion of the bloud of Christ c. SEEING we have the same occasion for which I tooke this Text being to receive the Sacrament againe the next Sabbath and so along I thought it better to continue it than to divert to another When we handled it the last time we told you there were these three parts in the words First there is a true Communion of the body and bloud of Christ. Secondly the meanes by which it is conveyed to us the bread and wine the outward elements which God hath Sanctified to that purpose The third is the adopting or fitting these elements for such an end and that is by sanctifying them by blessing them by setting them apart The Cup of Blessing which we blesse c. The point we delivered was this â—hat in the Sacrament there is a reall and true Communion of the body and bloud of Christ to every Receiver We told you the difference betweene the Papists and us we both agree that Christ is really in the Sacrament they say it is corporally we say it is only done by faith But to use an expression of Augustine which he hath upon the very Text saith he Iohn Baptist said he was not Elias and yet Christ saith Iohn was Elias Why saith hee how shall wee reconcile these two they are thus reconciled Iohn speakes properly and Christ spake figuratively and therefore they crosse not one another he gives this very instance so saith he when Christ saith This is my body and we say it is not his body but bread they are Augustines owne words saith he the meaning is this It is the body if we take it figuratively and it is not his body if we speake properly so that as it was with the Temple of his body when he spake of it I will destroy this Temple and build it in three dayes they understood it of the materiall Temple and saith the Text They were reckoned as false witnesses against Christ So when Christ speaks thus of his body This is my body when they understood it materially and corporally when it is a thing so frequent and usuall with him to speake Metaphorically I say they shall be found false witnesses against him in applying this to his materiall and corporall body that he understands of his mysticall body which is received by faith I will not stand to repeat more of that I delivered then lest the time prevent us in that which remaines Onely one thing which I then omitted and that is a great objection of
more efficacious in his life A mans weight in the ballance weighes downe the scales but if he put to his strength too that is as much more as his weight So if you have any strong sins you have cause to be humbled for it but when you put your strength to it it intends that originall habit of sin So that the necessity that lyes on thee by reason of thy nature it aggravates thy sinne Ier. 13.23 The Prophet aggravates their sinne from their custome in it they could choose not to sinne no more than the Black-moore could change his skin The Prophet I say brings it in for this purpose to aggravate sin See it in our owne case when a man comes to be accused before a Iudge if he plead he is accustomed to such a sin to swearing or drinking doth it not encrease his condemnation So that though you say I dâ—d slip through frailty yet I say you have cause to be humbled for it I will but name the second use for I have respect to the Time and Weather Secondly not only evill men but good men within the Covenant should make this use of it to humble themselves for they have need of it A man must know this when he is once humbled and come into state of Grace he hath not then done with Humiliation it is to be practised still For there is this difference between a wicked man and another Many are like a land-floud none more ready to be religious than they as your great land-flouds swell though they have no spring to feed them but with a godly man it is otherwise Humiliation is in him as a Spring he hath not done with it at his Conversion but practiseth it still And not only so but he must labour to adde to the measure of it and that will adde to his love and to his faith and drawes him nearer to Christ the more his sin is discovered It is said of the woman she loved much because much was forgiven her Others had as much mercy as she but shee had more sense of it because shee was more humbled the more you see and are sensible of your sins the more it addes to your love it makes you to prise him when you see you are so much beholden to him Againe it will adde to faith I meane not only the act of beleeving but the act of taking Christ. The more a man sees the need he stands in of Christ the more he is convinced of sin the more he takes Christ for there be degrees of taking him When a woman takes an husband there be degrees in her will there may be additions to her will shee may be morefully contented in him and more prise him And so in taking of Christ for our Lord and Husband and Saviour It is true if we will take him in earnest any measure of true faith will save us but we may doe it more abundantly for the more sense we have of sin the more greedy shall we be of him Againe the more empty the soule is the more a man is humbled the more he sees into himselfe as faith comes with an empty hand the faster hold is laid on Christ. Therefore adde still to Humiliation let it be your exercise the worser you be perswaded of your selves and the better you conceit of God it is the more for your advantage the more you can hate and abhorre your selves the more you are improved thereby for the flesh in you must be abhorred and it is our fault we doe it not enough and againe the more you apprehend Christ the nearer you draw to him And take this withall Humiliation doth not weaken assurance but workes the contrary Indeed the lesse sincerity and the lesse mourning for sin and the lesse Humiliation the lesse assurance But reckoning up and thinking on thy sinnes encreaseth it If I have so many sins how can I be saved Yes so much the rather the more thou canst see and be humbled for them the more thou addest to thy assurance and so to thy love and faith Therefore a man should make a daily practise of Humiliation for it is to a mans great advantage it is a thing too much omitted we should take time for it And thinke it your advantage to be able to see what we have in our nature how much guilt we have contracted by sinne and how our sins may bee aggravated for this will teach us to prise Christ. And so much for this point The end of the First Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The second SERMON ROMANS 1.18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men which with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse WE come now to the matter of Humiliation contained in these words which I have already opened and shew'd the points that may thence be drawn The first wherof which we will begin with is this That the Nature of man is full of all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse You know by that which you heard before how it is gathered It will be a vaine labour to goe about to prove it you know how plentifull the Scripture is in it and you are not so ignorant of the Grounds of Divinity as not to confesse it The businesse will be to shew wherein it consists and how the Nature of man is corrupted for by making this evident we shall by the same labour prove and confirme it to you Now the way to evidence this that the Nature of man is full of all unrighteousnes and ungodlinesse is to look to the rule If you will find out the disorder and distemper that any thing is subject to the way is to looke to the rule to amend it by Now every Creature hath a law the Fire the Water the Sea yea every Creature sensible and insensible hath a law given to it which as they observe they continue in perfection and looke how farre they goe aside that so farre they be imperfect Now the Law given to man is the Morall Law and the Gospell and these two he is to observe And if you will find out the truth of this That the nature of man is full of all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse looke to these two First looke to the Law of God and see if that doe not conclude all men under sin looke therein to both the Tables It is true Hypocrites make a good shew of keeping the first Table they seeme to be forward in the duties belonging to God but looke to the second Table and that discovers them Civill men seeme to be exact in the second Table in performing duties to man but look to the first Table what their carriage to God is what little conscience they make of taking his Name in vaine of sanctifying his Sabbath of performing holy duties in an holy manner of love and feare This discovers civility that is when there is nothing else but civility Againe looke to sins of all sorts some
to particulars you should finde how exceedingly they are out of order Come to love and hatred we little thinke we hate what is good and love sin come and tell any man so much hee will not beleeve it but examine it a little Doe not you hate holinesse in others You will say No we hate no man for his Goodnesse But consider the nature of man doth so every unregenerate man doth so David was hated for that cause And Cain hated his brother because his workes were good And Gen. 3. The Enmity betweene the seed of the Woman and the seed of the Serpent Whence comes it but from the holinesse of the one and the wickednesse of the other Looke to our actions and you shall finde we doe not hate sin we doe not hate our lusts for if we did we should not be angry with them that speake evill of them if we hated these things we should like them that speak against them but we be Enemies to those that be Enemies to them and Friends to those that be Friends to them Doe we not lodge them Doe we not feed them with the things they desire They can aske nothing but they have it Godly men hate their sins though they be carried away with present objects but a wicked man loves the lust it selfe he can say I could wish I were free from this lust from the vexation it puts me to but for all this he is not angry hee may indeed be angry with it as with a friend when he hath done some unkinde Turne but he hates it not for if he hated it he would not be at peace with it againe for hatred is implacable Againe if a man hates he hates all the kinde But why doest thou love one more than another If thou didst hate any one because it is a sinne because it is a rebellion against God thou wouldest love none As the Lambe hates all Wolves Againe if thou hatest them why wilt not thou labour to have them utterly destroyed Why wilt thou cherish them a little Where hatred is it will have the thing hated utterly taken away as if there were no such thing and that shall be laboured for not remissely but we will put our strength to it and doe it with all our might and in good earnest But seeing we doe not thus it appeares we hate goodnesse and love sin It is true we are ready to lay it on other things and to say The Infirmities of the Saints which we see we hate but their goodnesse wee love if it be every way right But let me aske you a question Didst thou love them for their holinesse wouldest not thou rather labour to cover their Infirmities grieving for them Do you not so out of love then your hearts are deceived when you thinke you hate the Infirmities and not the goodnesse in them you hate the goodnesse it selfe and this is the nature of every man before Regeneration Besides these of Love and Hatred looke to your Delight and see if that be not turned upside downe The wheele turnes the quite contrary way We delight in things we should not delight in you know we delight in vain things in sinfull things in things that are sutable to our lusts and humours Againe we delight in the fals and sufferings of others as 1 Cor. 5. They were puft up when others fell and they stood It should no be so we should be humbled at the fals of others and be grieved for them that they being members of the same body with us should bee any way blemished Againe the things we should delight in are they not tedious to us are they not grievous The Sabbath should be kept with delight but how burthensome is it to give God his whole time to keepe it holy and not to rob him of any part of it That is not to pollute it with unholy actions And so holy company should be our delight wee should thinke our selves in our Element among them and so the hearing of the Word how tedious are these to our natures But I cannot stand on this Come we to Feare Doe not we feare men Doe not we feare the Creature and this and that particular evill But God we feare not Take it in that one sin of lying A man will lye to a man to keepe his credit with him but he cares not to lose it with God This is a signe you doe not sanctifie God in your hearts that is not reverence him not value him Come to Sorrow how ready are we to exceed in worldly sorrow Let us be told of an Injury in our names losse in our estate of troubles and calamities any way it affects us much but sin we make nothing of we thinke it is but a passion a trifle and it is not so great a matter to be in passion Yes my beloved it is a great matter to have passion these passions shall condemne us if they be not mortified if you kill them not they will be your death Whosoever is in Christ hath crucified these Againe consider that affections are the Principles of Actions therefore it is not so light a matter to erre in your affections for they will cause errour in your actions Consider that your estimation is taken by your affections according to them you are said to be good or evill Therefore an holy man is described to be one that loves God feares God delights in his Commandements so as it is no slight matter to be distempered in your affections and know this if it be no more than lust you know what Christ saith of that Hee that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery already with her in his heart Now if lust breakes the match in the mariage of men these inordinate affections these whorish affections these adulterous affections will breake the marriage betweene God and us Affections are placed in us for this purpose to draw nearer to God but we misplacing them and setting them on the Creature they draw us further from God Againe when they be thus distempered they grow hinderances As the Israelites could not pray for the anguish of their hearts and Peters feare made him to deny Christ. So that this distemper of our Affections as well as the disorder of the rest of the faculties doth shew the Truth of this point That the nature of man is full of all unrighteousnesse and ungodlinesse And so much shall serve to shew the corruption of Nature by the faculties Now this is not all there are besides these actuall sins whereby likewise this Truth will be made manifest And these are of three sorts that is in Thought in Word in Action for they be all actuall sinnes though inwardly they be the Acts of the minde First let us see it by the Thoughts and you shall see in them this great corruption of Nature and the great cause you have to be humbled and it is that that should amaze us wee shall
againe and so kindle the fire of Gods wrath which shall smoake to our destruction Thus by your words learne to know the sinfulnesse of your natures Lastly see it by your Actions Now sinnes in actions are of two sorts either sinnes of Commission and here you are to goe backe and consider what sinnes you have committed whether drunkennesse uncleannesse inordinate affections or injuries to men what provocations or rebellions against God and when you see them look on the number of them and on the greatnesse of them Consider their circumstances and among the rest the frequencie of them your relapses into them and that will make you with David Psal. 19. to cry out Lord who can understand his faults But we will not stand on this because iâ— is obvious every one knowes that actions are sinnes we will come to the second sort And that is sins of Omission which we are ready to slight and forget as no great matters but they are other things than wee take them to bee nothing hath more cause to humble us than they I say the sinnes of Omission the barrennesse and unfruitfulnesse of our lives may humble us as well as the rebellions and sinfulnesse of them We will run thorow them As first to be idle on the Sabbath-day is a sin of Omission and provokes God to anger as well as polluting it and breaking it with positive Acts. So the restraining of Prayer to neglect it to omit it or to performe it slightly for God takes prayers by weight and not by number this is not a small thing Againe to neglect the hearing of the Word to neglect the Sacraments a fault we have much cause to be blamed for in this place and thing you have often beene admonished to I beseech you learne by our Admonitions for they are the Admonitions of God let them I say learne that are guilty of it So Communion of Saints is a thing we thinke not of But Heb. 10.25 You shall see what a matter it was to neglect that Ordinance So Fasting and Prayer we thinke are not required at our hands and if nothing but the neglect of that were laid to our charge it were nothing But see what that is when the time is that God cals for it I say the very omission of that when God cals for it is a sin saith the Prophet which shall never be purged away by sacrifice but shall remaine to death Besides these omissions of Acts come to the omission of Graces I meane the want of them as the want of Love to Iesus Christ. Yet who confesses this want of love although 1 Cor. 16.22 Hee is pronounced accursed that loves not the Lord Iesus let him be had in execration to the death So the want of Delight in God who thinkes of it Come to our Callings and see our negligence and idlenesse in them shall we give account for every idle word we speake and not for every idle houre wee spend Let young Gentlemen looke to this that passe from vanity to vanity spending their time idly and unprofitably trifling out their Seed-time Consider what this sin of Omission is And so for growing in spirituall graces and knowledge that we gather not more knowledge it being the key of heaven that wee grow not in good workes but are poore in them omitting our times and opportunities Againe our sinfull silence not speaking when we should either out of sluggishnesse or feare of men or by-respects this is no small thing God will call thee to an account for it Consider whether you have let goe occasions of doing good denying of meat and drinke kils a man as well as poison so the neglecting of duties the omission of what tends to salvation shall be death as well as actuall sinnes by which you provoke the eyes of Gods glory to vengeance Therefore in that sentence of Christ he doth not tell them what they have done but what they have not done You have not clothed me you have not visited me Learne therefore to judge aright of these sinnes of omission that they may helpe to amaze us and so much for actuall sins And so much for the Law the first part of our rule wherein we have runne thorow the corruption of the Faculties and so have discovered our habituall sins and now thorow the three kinds of actuall sinnes in Thought in Word and in Action The second rule which I told you we are to observe is the Gospell And here you thinke you shall scape well enough for the Gospell brings damnation to no body But if you consider of it right you shall finde that the Gospell is much more terrible in this case than the Law that it will humble us more and that the sins against the Gospell are much greater than those against the Law Marke this in briefe The refusing of Iesus Christ when God offers him and remission of sins by him that you may have him when you will if you will have him on such consequent conditions as are required which is to deny your selves to take up your crosse and follow him this wee preach continually I say this contempt of the Gospell your unwillingnesse to take Christ is a great sin and that that should humble you above all the rest And that you may know that I have reason to say so consider Christs speech It shall be more easie for Sodome and Gomorrah than for such a people for such a City as when the Gospell of the Kingdome was preached to them neglected it so that the sin of Sodome is not so great a sin as the refusing of Christ. You know the greatnesse of that sin the punishment shewes it yet it is not so great as this Againe it is said of Moses and Christ being compared together That if they that sin against Moses Law are condemned how much sorer punishment shall they be worthy of that breake the Law of Christ that beleeve not the Gospell It exceeds the sinne against the other Againe consider is it a small thing to cause the bloud of Iesus Christ to be shed in vaine to trample it under foot and to count it a common thing But so doth every man that neglects it that hearkens not to it that is not ready to receive it that is not poore in spirit and so doth not hunger and thirst after Christ. Againe consider It is the chiefe Command and the breach of the chiefe Command must needs be the greatest sinne When the Disciples asked Christ what was the great Commandement he said This is the greatest of all To beleeve on him whom the Father had sent So 1 Ioh. 3.23 This is his Commandement that we should beleeve in the name of Iesus Christ. Againe the Gospell is the uttermost the Law makes way for the Gospell therefore the sentence and condemnation of the Gospell is peremptory and terrible and nothing beyond it Againe consider God was angry for the contempt
than stockes and stones Now the scope of all this being to bring us to Christ. I will run over a few things which may from hence be observed I say There is a revelation of wrath from heaven against all unrighteousnesse Wherein marke two things First the certainety of this wrath It shall come on all that are unrighteous And secondly what this wrath is I will but briefly name the heads and dispatch the point First I say there is a certainty in it for God hath revealed it from heaven Rom. 2.15 They had Thoughts accusing and excusing them the light of Nature told them that they deserved wrath Iudgement strucke them with feare Secondly It appears by experience there bee many steppes many prints and Vestigia of the wrath of GOD in the world continually Lastly by the Scriptures Cursed bee every one that continues not in the whole Law to doe it And as the Law so the Gospell reveales it CHRIST shall come to judge the secrets of mens hearts according to my Gospell Nay it is an old Truth delivered before the Scriptures As in Iudes Epistle Enoch preached Behold the Lord shall come with ten thousands of Angels c. And if this will not perswade wee will reason with you a little for it is not needlesse to strengthen these common truths with reason because we are not convinced of them enough which is the cause men live without God in the world Therefore consider if there be a God he is not a negligent an idle or unactive God for should hee be such a God hee must either be dead or asleepe But God is a living God and if so then the administration of the things of this world is in his hands now in that the maine businesse is to punish and restraine them that bee evill and to reward them that bee good Againe if there be a God he will be feared and worshipped by men but if hee would not punish men for sinne if his wrath could not bee kindled against them for their provocations of him he should doe neither good nor hurt and it is naturall to men to condemne that that can neither hurt nor profit them and so hee should not be feared Againe if there be any God hee must needs be delighted in goodnesse he must needs have a certaine inclination to that which is holy and right and if so then he must needs hate that that is evill If he love light he must needs hate darknesse if he loves life he must needs hate death and indeed love of goodnesse proceeds from hatred of evill and hatred of evill arises from love of goodnesse and if it be so why should not hatred be active as well as love Therefore it is certaine there shall wrath come against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousnesse of men Secondly what kinde of wrath is this In this Wrath you shall observe three things First there is a treasure of this Wrath Rom. 2.5 Thou according to the hardnesse of thy heart that cannot repent treasurest up wrath Now in a Treasure you shall finde three things First it is an heape and there is still an addition thereto a man growes richer and richer saving shillings and pence and they still adde to the heape So GOD addes to the heape of his wrath as men adde sins he addes drops to his Violl and when the measure of our sins is full then the Violl of his wrath is full it is still increasing Let not a man thinke that when he is over the shooes he can goe no further for wrath receives addition Secondly Treasures are close and covered there being no use of them for the present It is therefore said Wrath is â—owne for the wicked as joy is sowen for the righteous it lyes under the ground for a time Therefore doe not say God is slacke because you finde not his wrath presently powred forth It is not slacknesse but patience And if you doe of negligence sin and God markes it not but is patient towards you and suffers you know that hee will not suffer that patience of his to be abused but for every houre that you spend after the commission of a sin without returning to God you shall fare the worse Revel 2.20 I gave her space to repent and shee did not What then Therefore I will cast her into great Tribulation So that as God is angry and as his wrath encreases so it lyes hid for a time Thirdly there is an expence of Treasures in time of need they bring them forth and use them so doth God partly in this life when he shall smite a man with destruction that shall quite sweepe him away as he did Saul and Iudas partly and specially in the life to come which is called the declaration of the just judgement of God that shall then be declared which is now for a time hid Secondly as there is a Treasure of his wrath so there is a power of his wrath Psal. 90.11 Who knowes the power of thine anger That is it is not a wrath like the wrath of men but a wrath that hath much power it it so that looke how much God is stronger than man so much doth his wrath exceed the wrath of men God shewes all his power in executing his Iustice on the wicked Therefore it is said Rom. 9.22 What if God willing to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne endure with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction That is he will shew his mighty power in punishing them as he shewes the great riches of the glory of his mercy on the Saints God is knowne by executing Iudgement and the greatnesse of God is knowne by the greatnesse of the punishment inflicted and you shall know him to be an Almighty God aswell in punishment as in mercy there is a transcendent power exercised in one aswell as in the other Therefore it is said Who knowes the power of his wrath You know the wrath of a King is great because hee is powerfull and how much the power of God exceeds the power of a King so much his wrath exceeds the wrath of a King It is therefore compared to a consuming fire that devoures all to the wind that breakes the rock in sunder and to an over-flowing River that carries all away with it Consider God therefore in the greatnesse of his power for such is hee in his wrath Thirdly consider the suddennesse of it it comes suddenly on men and that makes it the more fearefull If God gave warning it were another case but he surprizes men before they be aware It is true that Damnation sleepes not but travels as fast as thy selfe and will meet with thee at thy journeyes end but men know it not Therefore when you see this to be your case What makes you secure you feele it not you have no sense of evill you live by sense and not by faith But consider wrath comes
let it goe at liberty if it may pacifie and purifie thy heart if thou be much in contemplating thy priviledges in Christ thou shalt finde the sweet of it And so I may say of love and patience and every grace Knowledge of things is like Wâ—ne or Cordials standing on the table thou canst view them and looke on them then and have them presented to thee but if thou feed on them by practise how doe they warme thy spirits and quicken thee and put life into thee if they be digested and distributed into all the parts into all the faculties for that is digesture till they turne to flesh and bloud and spirits as it were then thou shalt finde their sweetnesse even more than any man can expresse who himselfe hath not felt it But now all the question is how shall a man be able to doe this It may be many will be ready to say I could be content to doe it but I am not able I have many good purposes and desires and am willing to practice what I know but I am weake in performance I will onely point to the heads by these meanes thou shalt doe it First thou must seeke to God beseech him to set this Truth at liberty be convinced of thine owne disability in thy selfe that if thou goe about it by thine owne strength thou shalt lose thy labour In his owne strength no man shall be strong it is Gods power must doe it Psal. 119.22 I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart David had this Truth but it was not in his power to set it at liberty therefore he goes to God acknowledgâ—s his owne insufficiencie desires God to enlarge his heart and when he hath set it at liberty the harshnesse will be taken off and thou wilt run freely the way of Gods Commandements The like is in 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warfare are mighty but how Through God to bring downe the strong holds in our hearts these be strong holds in men certaine reasons in the understanding certaine lusts in the will and affections and these cannot be beaten downe by all the wit in the world and all understanding that thou canst learne out of any Morall Writer or the Scriptures themselves but there is a power through God to doe it to bring downe these strong holds to bring all into subjection therefore goe to God beg it earnestly and let him give thee no deniall Secondly as thou must goe to him so thou must do something thy selfe thou must practise thy selfe and the more thou dost so the more thou shalt be set at liberty the more thou settest thy selfe to worke the more ground thou shalt get the more Truth will be enlarged as it is in marble the more you rub it the more it will shine so the more this Truth is used the brighter it will be in our actions the more thou puttest it in practice the more power shalt thou have in thy life as Christ sayes If ye beleeve my sayings yee shall understand my words Therefore if you will have this power be doing have a good Conscience for that is the seale of this Truth How did Paul doe to give this Truth liberty to rule in his life Why saith he I exercise my selfe to keepe a good Conscience that is If I knew any thing that was to be done I set my selfe about it and as the Musitian by often practising his lesson or as one that writes by practising his hand doth increase his skill So in these Truths the more thou dost the more thou mayest doe letting them lye still extinguishes them and for that God often gives men up to a reprobate sense On the other side if thou dost use them doubt not but God will delight to enlarge them As in other Talents labouring to improve them is the way to encrease them Againe adde this to it The Communion of Saints you shall finde a great meanes to enlarge this Truth and to set it at liberty by walking with the wise you will be more wise and what is said of Wisdome may be said of Truth for they are the same Saul when he was among the Prophets had a sparke of the Spirit of Prophecie which though it was but a common action in a wicked man yet this sparke of a naturall and common gift of the Spirit Saul had when he came among the Prophets It is the Apostles direction Provoke one another to love and good workes As one souldier encourageth another and a fast goer stirres up one that is slow so good Company whets Graces On the other side ill Company imprisons the Truth If thou wilt keepe company with them that are not good thou must correspond with them and this will cause thee to choake this Truth for many times thou canst not doe duties without shame because thou canst not hold in with them and with dutie too It is not for nothing that David uses that phrase Psal. 119.115 Away from me yee evill doers for I will keepe the Commandements of my God As if he had said When I goe about to keepe the Commandements of God if I have Company about mee that is not good they will be a barre unto me and as fetters to my soule so that it is true both wayes the company of Saints enlarges Truth the other straitens it Saint Paul and others were good men yet when they were mistaken in that you shall see what a fetter it was When Saint Paul was to goe to Ierusalem to preach the Gospell of CHRIST they at Cesarea wept and wailed desiring to stay him But sayes he What doe you breaking mine heart You may see by that speech they were a great Impediment to him And as CHRIST said to Saint Peter Get thee behind me Satan And as David said to the sonnes of Zerviah 2 Sam. 16.10 What have I to doe with you yee sonnes of Zerviah when they advised him to take off Shemei his head So if you would have the Truth to have liberty take heed of ill company As Iames saith of refraining the Tongue I am 1.26 He that refraineth not his tongue his Religion is in vaine So we may say of Company Hee that lookes not to his Company his Religion is in vaine hee shall finde it so for this Truth will never be at libertie except it be among them among whom it will have its libertie The end of the Sixth Sermon CERTAINE SERMONS VPON HVMILIATION The Seventh SERMON ROMANS 1.19 20. Forasmuch as that which may be knowne of God is manifest in them for God hath shewed it unto them For the invisible things of him that is his eternall power and God-head are clearly seene by the creation of the world being considered in his workes to the intent that they should be without excuse WE have purposed still to goe on in this point of Humiliation and then God willing we will proceed
such change wrought in him doth delight in nothing but to doe evill to doe well he hath no pleasure Gods Commandements are burthensome to him therfore the Laws of God are too strait for him that he cannot march in them as David could not march in Sauls Armour for it was too heavie for him A man that is a New Creature doth things with facility and delight But this is not all If thy Soule be fashioned and cast into a new mould thou wilt not onely doe good things readily but well and handsomely to use our common terme when as other men bungle at good workes and know not how to turne their hand unto them They doe them indeed but as the Wiseman saith Prov. 26.7 As the legs of the lame are not equall so is a Parable in a fooles mouth When they come to doe any good Actions it is like a Parable in a fooles mouth the Parable is not fit for his mouth as when a man hath one legge longer than another he is lame so a Parable in a fools mouth is not equall to his mouth the action may be good yet he doâ—h it but lamely it is beyond his reach hee doth not doe actions as hee should but an holy man doth them as a workeman I speake not of doing of them before men but before God who judgeth righteously when he comes to performe an holy duty hee doth it as it is meet hee prayes fervently and consecrates himselfe unto the Lord with delight Hee shewes mercy with cheerefulnesse and every grace hath his peculiar property wherein the goodnesse of it consists as Faith Love and Hope are the concomitants of his actions wherein their excellencie consists whereas other men doe the same duties but not with that affection that they should and they doe it but with a dead heart they are workes of vertue and have the lineaments of true ones but they are dead workes because life is not in them Therefore consider how thou doest things the matter is not so much what thou doest as how thou doest them Againe if thou bee a New Creature thou shalt know it by thy doing of good constantly as a man that doth it naturally In Nature you know the habites and inclinations are close and neere unto us and growing in us therefore if thou doe good in thy constant practice it is a signe thy heart is changed This is the first thing there is a new frame all the bent of the faculties are changed and by this you may know it if you doe good readily with facillity and delight and constantly One thing more observe in this new Frame there is not onely a bending of the Soule to a contrary point as it were but moreover all must be changed as for example Cast any thing into a new mould there is not only one part altered but all so if you be New Creatures you must finde this in your selves that you doe not make choice in the duties of godlinesse but take all and omit nothing You must bee holy in all manner of conversation those words are added in all manner of conversation and they are much to be observed that is in all the turnings of a mans life As if he be a Magistrate hee must be exact in hearing of Causes neither to feare any mans face nor to be moved by any mans favour if hee be an husband his speeches and actions must be holy his speeches must be gratious If thou be a Subject in reverence to the King and respective to others thou must bee holy in all manner of conversation otherwise the frame is not altered this must be of necessity for that which God requires of us is the keepâ—ng of the whole Law as Iames saith Iam. 2.20 where hee speakes of keeping the Law Evangelically For whosoever shall keepe the whole Law and yet faile in one point he is guilty of all Goe thorow the whole Latitude of our obedience if in one part thou wilt favour thy selfe thou art guilty of all In the same Epistle Iam. 1.26 If any man among you seemeth to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceives his owne heart that mans Religion is in vaine That which is here said of the tongue may be said of any thing else Doest thou doe thus and thus doest thou sanctifie the Sabbath doest thou goe to God in prayer goe to all particular duties I know not what to name unto you and yet in any of these dost faile consider that the Apostle might as well have said unto thee for that thy Religion is in vaine hee speakes of keeping the Law in an Evangelicall manner a man must set himselfe to keepe every Commandement and if he doe but take liberty in any he is guilty of the whole Take this for a sure rule what God requires of us in the Gospell he gives us strength to performe but if our hearâ—s were not altogether new moulded the worke would be more than our strength therefore of necessity the heart must be altogether new moulded Therefore the Apostle saith and what he saith is common to all the Saints I can doe all things through Christ that strengthneth mee Every man that hath this new frame wrought in him may say so If thou be in Christ thou hast a new frame in thy heart which makes thee able to doe all things through Christ. Consider of this and apply it to your selves for it is a matter of much moment as the Apostle saith We are not ashamed to write unto you of these things againe and againe So it is a point we have touched before yet we will speake of it againe and again Consider with thy selfe whether there be such a generall change in thee or no for the goodnesse of a thing consists in the order else the whole is dissolved as in beauty there are two things wherein it consists the frame and order of it that we say is beautifull when the frame is good and no part is to bee admired above the rest so it is the frame and order of the Soule wherein its beauty consists when the whole frame is right and thou art inabled to doe the whole duties of new obedience Observe Gods dealing in this case when Saul had failed in one thing God cast him off But you will say this was an heard judgement did not David faile many times as well as he It is true but here is the difference Saul had a naturall heart to doe evill although his profession was good yet when he was put to the triall whether he would take the fat sheepe and the oxen he did it yet you must know it was not for that that God cast him off but because the frame of his heart was not good for hee would have done it againe and againe an hundred times over I say the disposition of his heart was evill Balaams eye unto the wages of iniquitie marred all though he kept himselfe aloft and
is none shines into the house so when men thinke they understand most yet they want this light to shine into the house Luke 24.45 Then opened he their understandings that they might understand the Scriptures They had heard Christ before but they understood not his Word like those which sowed seed on ill ground and therefore received not the fruit of it but when the Holy Ghost comes into thy heart that will convince thee of evill it will expell darknesse and set right thy Iudgement otherwise though you heard Paul preach yea Christ himselfe were your Iudgements never so good yet it would not be done till the Holy Ghost teacheth you you will never know him never see him aright in his glory never see him so as to delight and long after him so as to desire nothing in the world so much as communion with him Thus it is when his Image is renewed in Knowledge and Truth and where this Knowledge and Truth is Holinesse instantly followes There are many that know and practice not and there are many which neither know nor practice but where this Image is what ever they know they practice Well let us apply this unto our selves briefly If to bee a New Creature there is required of us this Faith and Love Truth and Holinesse Knowledge and Righteousnesse then let us learne not to bee deceived to regard nothing else in comparison of this Doe as the Apostle Gal. 6.15 For in CHRIST IESVS neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor Vncircumcision but a New Creature that is it is no matter for any thing in a man Circumcision is no better than Vncircumcision Goe thorow all the duties of Religion you shall finde them nothing till you bee made a New Creature I know many doe many things they come to Church and give almes well saith the Apostle Circumcision and Vncircumcision is all one so say I Prayer and no Prayer is all one doing justly and unjustly it is all one untill a man bee a New Creature Therefore saith Paul 1 Cor. 13.3 Though I give all my goods to the poore which is a glorious action nay though I could be content to bee a Martyr though I give my body to bee burned and have not love it profiteth nothing So except you be New Creatures your labour is lost for Nature may doe much with the knowledge of the Gospel As the Earth brings forth grasse of it selfe and some flowers of the lowest sort but to bring forth a crop and flowers of the finest sort it must be tilled and there must bee seed put in Nature I say may doe much but this New Creature must come from an Immortall seed sowen in the heart by God himselfe Therefore looke whether thou hast that wrought in thee or no. For this is all the comfort we have when the body is decayed and waxen old yet let us not be discouraged though this outward man decay and perish there is a new youth springing up This is all the comfort we have that when the old house is going downe we have a new house setting up in stead of it Every man is glad to see an old house pulled downe and a new set up in stead of it but to see an old house going downe and no new one to bee set up the ruine of it is a most miserable Spectacle Take an Husband-man who hath taken great pains in plowing and sowing his ground when he sees his corne is rotten he is glad of it because he knowes new will come up in stead of it so when we see the body decaying and our day drawing towards evening when the Sunne of life is ready to bee set upon us when we shall grow no more this presents nothing but confusion yet here is hope for us There is light Sowen unto the righteous All the consolation and all the comfort wee have in these dayes of our vanity is that we have a New Creature that is not subject to vanitie The end of the Third Sermon THE FOVRTH SERMON VPON THE NEW CREATVRE 2 COR. 5.17 Therefore if any man be in Christ let him be a new Creature NOw we come to the last thing to be observed in the New Creature which is that there is not only an infusion of a new Quality but a weakning of the old Therefore we put that into the description A man is a New Creature when his heart is cast into another mould by the infusion of a new quality of grace and by a destroying of the old And this is specially to be observed because there bee two parts of the New Creature a mortification of sinne as well as a vivification For Common Nature is like a Bowle between two byasses Corruption is the wrong byas carrying us out of the way and Grace the good byas carrying us into the way So you must knocke off the old byas as well as put on a new one that is Common Nature lyes as an indifferent thing betweene Grace and Sin the Flesh and the Spirit Corruption and Holinesse so that as the body is betweene health and sicknesse so is Common Nature between originall sinne which is as the sicknesse or death of the Soule and Holinesse which is the health of it Now it is not only required that there be an infusion of the new Quality but likewise a weakning of this old both cannot stand together so farre as you strengthen one the other is weakned it is alwayes so where is contrariety where there is no contrariety two may stand together but when things be opposite the comming in of the one is the weakning of the other the comming of heat is a weakning of cold this is of speciall use And this use we are to make of it that hence then you see this will follow that if you finde much newnesse in your selves according to your owne opinion you finde you can doe many things you could never doe before you are able to doe these and these duties of new obedience well suppose it yet except there be a mortification of the old lusts if thou find that there be any lusts continue in thee in strength that in that regard thou art the same man still whatsoever addition there be it is no matter it is certaine thou art not yet a New Creature for a New Creature consists not in superinduction of the new Quality the old remaining but in a weakning of the old too It is not only a superaddition of the new but the death of the old also Therefore if thou findest any corruptions continuing in the fulnesse of their first strength not weakned at all though thou hast all signes of grace all parts of a New Creature to thy seeming yet thou art deceived because if thou wert new there would be a mortification of the old lusts So againe it is true on the other side Put case thou finde a great change in thy selfe such lusts as have been vigorous and lively thou findest to be
this is not a light notion but of great moment for it will make thee love the Lord Iesus Saint Paul puts this among the greatest mercies He hath beene mercifull to mee with faith and love that amazed him that he could never be thankfull enough for it that is he hath wrought in me faith and love therefore gives him the praise It is God that doth it wee are but the instruments we praise not the Trumpet but the Trumpetter we praise not the Pensill but the Painter It is God that doth the worke give him therefore the whole praise of it this is a matter of much use to you For when there is a Minister of God that hath beene an instrument of bringing you to heaven you will love this man prize him and magnifie him in your thoughts and you doe well but remember that you take nothing from Christ alas what is the Pen to him that writes the Epistle What are we my Brethren give not to us what belongs unto him nothing unto us saith Paul we have done thus and thus but it is nothing it is Christ that hath done all and let him have all as the servants of Christ we must be wary that we rob not our Master of mens affections for we are but spokes-men to present you to Christ therefore be exceeding wary give your affections to the Lord to whom they belong If ever you receive any good by any Sermon if you be ever quickned if ever a little enlivened by the powerfull preaching of the Word give glory to Christ and say he hath done it let him have the praise of it love him so much the more for of all graces nothing is like that to worke grace in your hearts Againe if you will say what use is there of it That it is not the Minister but GOD that doth it Then doe not expect from us that we should come with excellency of wisdome or of words that we should come with wit and eloquence and learning Will this make a New Creature No it will not doe it for it is God that makes men New Creatures and if it be so he will doe it by his owne Instruments that is by his owne Word Thus Paul reasons 1 Cor. 2. Wee preach the Gospell not with excellencie of words for then the death of Christ would be of no effect that is no man will be a New Creature and Christ would die in vaine therefore we preach the Gospel in the evidence of the Spirit and Power these go together evidence of Spirit and power What then is this preaching in evidence of the Spirit Certainely it is never evident that the Spirit speakes but when you know the Word speake therefore when any man knowes that this is the Word we preach there is an evidence it is a speech of the Spirit and when the Spiriâ— speakes to the heart there is Power and that was the reason that Christ did so much good He taught with authority and not as the Scribes What is that to come with authority As when a Constable comes in the name of the King he shewes his evidence he hath that which makes evident to him with whom he hath to deale that he comes from the King We preach with authority then onely when wee speake from God to the consciences of men this consisteth not in excellencie of words but so much as there is of God so much authority Therefore come not with affectation of excellencie of words and wisdome If we had al the wit in the world to set Word of God in it it is better than that in which it is set as the Diamond is better than the Gold in which it is set If you were to chuse a Minister chuse not such an one desire it not expect it not the foolishnesse of preaching is wiser than men it will doe more than all the wisdome of man though it is but foolishnesse to some We speake wisdome to them that are perfect saith Paul they that be perfect will recount it wisdome it is foolishnesse to them that are children and unable to discerne Againe though it be but foolishnesse on the out-side yet there be treasures within and God hath hid these treasures under base out-sides that men may stumble at them as men that hide treasure under straw the foolishnesse of preaching saves the soules of men therefore seeing it is God that doth it he will use his own Instruments God workes by it Can words can all morall wit make a New Creature No it is God then why doe we make a question The more the Word is discovered and brought home the better it is because indeed when we preach any thing else you doe but see a Creature and you thinke you have to doe with a Creature for you can answer wit with wit and learning with learning and when you see you have to doe with men though never so excellent yet they are men But when Christ speakes to the conscience now the heart is brought downe when it seeth it hath to doe with God that only hath to doe with the consciences of men therefore expect not the contrary and remember that God is the doer of it it is he that writes the Epistle though we be the Ministers It is therefore not without use that we preach this doctrine to you And to all that I have said adde this one more Therefore if you find there hath not been a mighty work of God wrought in your hearts at any time when you have heard the Word know you have heard in vaine for the labour is lost if there be no more than the worke of a man Therefore you must know there be two Preachers at the same time one that speakes to the heart powerfully that makes you New Creatures that baptizeth you with the Holy Ghost and with fire and then there is a preaching to the eares And there are two hearings one is when you can repeat and recall the Word to memory but there is another saving hearing that is when is it ingrafted And when it is ingrafted even then when it maketh you New Creatures as a graft is then grafted when it changes all the Stocke Therefore consider whether you doe so heare or no that it hath bred such a change in you and know otherwise you have heard it in vaine For what doe we do when we preach the Word we doe as Gehezi did hee came running with Elisha's staffe to raise the childe but he could not doe it for though he had Elisha's staffe he had not Elisha's spirit So we come with the staffe but not with the Spirit therefore thou art not raised to life for there is the staffe without the Spirit therefore doe not thinke thou hast heard to any purpose if the Stocke be not turned if thou findest not the Spirit there What doe we when we dresse up a Sermon never so well it is but the rigging of the sailes and what will all
that what he hath said and sworne he will performe Heaven and earth shall passe away but his Word shall not passe This indeed is our chiefest consolation that our saith is not built upon perswasions and imaginations of our owne that our sinnes shall be forgiven but it is built upon the sure Word of God And as Saint Paul saith Gal. 1. If any Angell from heaven should preach any other Gospell you should not receive it from him So when you have this sure Word that God hath given you a generall pardon Come unto mee all yee that are weary and heavie laden c. You may build upon this sure Word Now when you put all these together that the Lord hath said it and put his seale to it if he should not doe it the death of Christ should be of none effect no flesh should be saved no man would worship God Againe there is nothing can be an impediment to us not of greatnesse and multitude of our sinnes nor our relapse into sin not our unfitnesse Why should we doubt But now this is the Condition on Gods part Then see the Condition required on our part What is that First it is required that we take the Lord Iesus Christ for though the Lord give him in the Sacrament though he offer him in the Gospell except we take him he is not ours If we beleeve that one will give us a thousand pound that makes not a man rich if he be ready to give it it is the taking that makes us rich If we beleeve that there is such a soveraigne Electuary that is able to heale that beleeving doth not heale it is the taking of it if it be not taken it heales not And therefore there is required a taking of Christ So many as received him Ioh. 1. he gave power to be c. So many as received him If a Virgin beleeve that such a Suitour is willing to take her for his wife except she take him for her husband it is no match And so to beleeve that Christ is ready to forgive and pardon our sinnes to beleeve that God the Father will give Christ to you as he hath To us a Son is given Esay 9.6 To beleeve this except we take him doth not profit he is not ours till then This taking is that which the Scripture cals Faith this is a beleeving in him If you would know what this taking is it is nothing else but the very accepting of Christ for our King for our Lord and Husband So that look what it is among men if you would aske what it is for a spouse to take such an one for her husband for a servant to take such an one for his master for a subject to take such an one for his King it is no more but this the very act of the will whereby they consent and accept such an one for their Husband for their Master or King it is the taking of him and this is the taking of Iesus Christ I say when we shall accept him when we see God hath given him to us and that he hath given himselfe when we take him for our Lord and Master that is the very act of the will whereby we resolve to make him ours and resolve to give up our selves to him as he is given to us That is the first condition that is required we must take him and this the Scripture cals faith Is this all No there is somewhat else required you must take him in deed aswell as in will that is you must so take him as to serve him and only him to turne from all evill wayes and therefore the pardon runnes so though it be a generall pardon as there is a generall proclamation whatsoever your rebellions be it is no matter for all kinde of rebellions there is neither any sinne nor any person excepted but then this condition runnes along with it you must take him for your King Is that all No you must lay downe your armes of rebellion you must renounce the Colours and Tents of the Enemie and come in and be subject to him you must live by his Lawes And therefore besides taking of him there is required that we be ready to obey Christ in deed and not to take Christ onely as a Saviour Every man is ready to take him as a Priest to save them from their sinnes but to take him as a King and a Lord so as to be subject unto him here all the world is at a stand as the young man when he came to Christ and he tels him what he must doe Goe sell all c. He would not take him with this condition here every man is ready to refuse him We are willing to follow Christ thorow faire way but not thorow foule and rough way we are willing to take him with a Crowne of glory but not with a Crowne of thornes we are willing to take the sweet but not the sowre But we must know if we will take Christ we must likewise obey him and take him as an Husband our will must be subject to his will we must take him as a Lord we must be subject to him in all things we must keepe his Commandements and therefore he hath so exprest it If you will suffer with him you shall reigne with him not else If you will obey me and keepe my Commandements then you shall be my Disciples if you will follow me and deny your selves and take up your crosse c. Take up my crosse daily Therefore a second Condition is this which the Scripture cals sometimes repentance and conversion to God sometime obedience But is this all No there is one more required that we doe all this out of love for when a man is in extremity when he is driven to an exigent now to take Christ and to keepe his Commandements perhaps he will be willing to doe to expedite himselfe out of such a strait but will the Lord regard this Surely no except it be from love therefore Gal. 5.5 you shall finde them all three put together Neither Circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith that worketh by love there you have the first Condition which is faith The second which worketh it is not an idle faith but it is a faith that sets you a worke and then you have the third they are workes that come from love A man will be ready to doe any thing to save his life you know a Merchant when he is on the sea casts away his goods when he is in extreme danger not because he and his goods are fallen out but to save his life he will doe it Take a covetous man let him be on the racke he will be ready to doe any thing but yet the man is the same And so for a man to do much for Christ to doe as we are ready to doe in the time of extremity when death comes when sicknesse comes when we are under some great
of their owne Writers Cajetan upon the third part of Thomas the 80. Question saith plainly To eat the flesh of Christ is to beleeve in Christ. And Biel in the Canon of his Masse and Canisius upon the Corinthians and others of their owne Writers which is enough to make it cleare to them that this is the meaning of the words that we have said before So much shall serve for the answering of that Objection We shewed the last day in what manner Christ is in the Sacrament I will not stand to repeat it we came to draw some consectaries from the point that there is a reall Communion of the body and bloud of Christ in the Sacrament The first was for the strengthning of our faith If God had said it only it had beene enough God that cannot lye But I told you he had not only said it but sworne it and not only sworne it but hath put to his Seale And therefore we have reason to beleeve him only I told you what was required if we will partake of Christ First we must take him by faith Secondly that is not all we must take him in deed aswell as in word that is we must obey him and live by his Lawes we must lay downe the armes of rebellion and come in if we will have pardon Thirdly it is not enough to doe this but we must doe all out of love Now when a man heares of this that all this is required in taking of Christ here I told you all the world is at a stand there is no body will be content to take him when they heare these conditions that they must deny themselves in every thing in their profit in their pleasures in their credit and must take up every crosse and when they meet a crosse they must not balke the way but they must goe thorow when they heare they must follow him and serve him I say when men heare this they refuse Christ they will not come in to God Now what is our businesse but to invite men to come in to God and to compell them as he saith That my house may be full we are the Messengers of the Lord sent that we may invite men to this Banquet I meane not to this Sacrament but to the thing And therefore we will make it the second Consectary and so proceed If there be here a reall Communion of the body and of the bloud of Christ then here is the gift or offer of his body and bloud Consider therefore the greatnesse of Christs love that he should regard us so much as to take our Nature to cloath himselfe with our flesh and bloud that he might be crucified in that I say this is an extraordinary love Compare but our condition with the Angels that were fallen and we shall see the greatnesse of this love The Angels that were fallen and we were sunke in the same mire when God looked downe from heaven and saw the miserable condition of both saith the Author to the Hebrewes he had compassion on us but on the Angels he had not compassion Which difference shewes his liberty and magnifieth his mercy toward us as you shall finde in Malachy the Lord reasoning with Israel Thus have â—â—oved you and yet you say Wherein hast thou loved us saith he Was not Esau Iacobs Brother and yet Iacob have I loved and Esau have I hated So I say the Lord hath loved us in doing this for us in giving this body of his to be broken and his bloud to be shed he hath loved us and hated them And why hath he put this difference but because he loved us And therefore Paul as he is excellent when he comes to set forth this point Ephes. 2. he saith When wee were children of wrath when we were dead in trespasses and sinnes when we were enemies he that is rich in mercy according to the greatnesse of his love hath quickned us and set us together with Christ in heavenly places marke it when we were in this condition dead it was he that was rich in mercy according to the greatnesse of his love c. You shall finde that the Apostle whensoever he comes to this matter knowes not how to expresse himselfe but as a man that stood amazed at the greatnesse of Gods love he had his thoughts swallowed up with it Ephes 3. That you may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge that you may comprehend the length and breadth and depth and height of the love of Christ c. which cannot be measured that is the love of Christ was exceeding great And this is that you are to doe now when you come to the Sacrament and not only then but at all times For it is profitable for us to doe this Doe that saith Christ in remembrance of me what is that we should remember His love And why his love to gaze upon it only to know it No but to be moved with it to love him againe to take him to feare him to serve him to obey him for that end you should remember it When Paul was going to Damascus you know the Loâ—â— met him by the way and when he had met hiâ— Paul saith he I am IESUS whom thou persecutest I am IESUS that was crucified for thee I am IESUS that gave my body for thee and as many as receive me You know when Paul heard this it melted it softned his heart and drawes from him that holy and good and humble expression Lord what wilt thou that I doe As if he should say I will doe whatsoever thou wilt have me I say it was this love I am IESUS whom thou persecutest that melted the heart of Paul So I may to every one that heares me at this time If there be any among you that live in any sinne whatsoever it is be it swearing be it drinking be it fornication be it Sabbath-breaking be it what it will I may say to him as if a voyce should come from heaven as it did to Paul It is Iesus whom thou provokest it is he whom thou offendest whom thou wrongest whom thou dishonourest it is Iesus that was crucified for thee that Iesus that gives his body and bloud for thee shall not this melt thee shall not this affright thee somewhat shall it not bring you on your knees and make you say I am a sinfull wretch not worthy to be received into the number of the Saints Lord what wilt thou that I doe I will doe it I will continue to doe this no more Surely this is a strong motive Paul thought so I beseech you by the mercies of God that you would come in Take it in the Prodigall sonne when he comes home and expects little as he had reason to expect little from his father when he had carried himselfe so rebelliously when his father used him in that manner when he provided a feast for him and put the robes upon him and rings upon his fingers how
thankfull was he how was he affected how would a man be affected in such a case So I say that is our condition we have cause to looke for nothing but death thereupon comes the Gospell that comes and offers life that overcomes with kindnesse as it were the Lord comes and tels us Well notwithstanding all this you shall be received to mercy goe Take this is my body which is given for you I say this would move an ingenious disposition You know Mary Magdalen was moved with this when she was such a sinner and saw that God had received her in that manner that melted her heart so that she watred his feet with her teares So should we be affected if we did seriously consider the greatnesse of CHRISTS love I will give you my body and my bloud this is a great thing if we were able to consider it aright that the Lord should give us his body and his bloud There is no love like this Hee hath loved me saith Paul and hath given himselfe for mee And this is that indeed which should bee the most effectuall motive of all others that there is a pardon that Christ still makes offer of to you indeed there is nothing else brings us into Christ but this other things may prepare us but nothing brings us in but this You know a Pirate as long as a proclamation of rebellion is out against him will not come in but a pardon being promised and advancement annexed to it that if any thing will bring him in The theefe runnes away as long as he is pursued with Hue and Crie but the promise of pardon makes him returne back So I say it is not the Law that brings you in that may prepare you but it is this Gospell for as I told you the Sacrament preacheth the Gospell to the eye as we doe to the eare and when mercy is promised when a pardon is promised a generall pardon without exception of persons or sinnes my thinkes this should affect you and bring you in As it is said Ier. 3. Saith the Lord If one of you have put away his wife will he returne to her againe No but you have played the harlot in many places and many times and yet returne to me saith the Lord And so I may say to every man that hears me though thy sins be never so great like that sin of Idolatry like that sin of playing the Harlot though that were frequently committed though it were done oft many times yet returne saith the Lord if thou wilt come in thou shalt be pardoned and not so only but whosoever receiveth me saith Christ shall be made the sonne of God Consider this be affected with it let it not be in vaine unto you when you heare those patheticall speeches 1 Iohn He came to his owne and his owne received him not And againe Oh Ierusalem Ierusalem how oft would I have gathered thee c. I say when you heare these things it may be you thinke with your selves these were rebellious people to use Christ thus you thinke if it had beene the case if you had beene there among them you would not have done it Well I say it is the case of every man that continues in any knowne sin Christ offers himselfe we make offer of him when we preach the Gospell in the Sacrament he is offered he is made like a common dole all may come that will and certainly all that hunger doe come but when thou goest on still in thy sinnes thou art one of them to whom Christ is come and thou wilt not receive him thou art one of them whom he would gather and thou wilt not No but thou wilt goe on thou takest the Grace of GOD in vaine thou tramplest the bloud of CHRIST IESUS under-foot as a common thing thou doest what thou canst that the death of CHRIST should be of no effect thou recompencest to the Lord evill for good doest thou thinke that the LORD will beare this at thy hands No surely he will be revenged on such a man on such a people as this But you will say it is an hard thing to doe this that you exhort us to And therefore that I may not onely shew you what the duty is without affording you some helpe to doe it we will adde some things that may invite you to come in And take Christ thus offered in the Sacrament and which is continually offered by and in the Gospell And what is it that should invite you But two things to goe no furâ—her one is the misery out of Christ the second is the happinesse you shall have by him And that is the businesse we have principally to doe at this time that we might invite you to take the body and bloud of Christ that is to take the Lord himselfe who is offered effectually and freely to you He makes proclamation to all that will come and take of the waters of life freely Now if we consider what should invite the sons of men to come in these two things will doe it their misery out of Christ and their happinesse by him As the Prodigall what did invite him to come home The misery he was in he saw he could not live he could not get huskes to sustaine him On the otherside in his fathers house there was bread enough those two together wrought on him and brought him home So we when we invite men to the marâ—iage of â—he Kings Sonne that is to marry the Sonne himselfe What should we say to invite them We bring them to consider on the one side I cannot live without Christ I am undone I perish if I doe Againe on the otherside by matching with him I shall have all by Grace that he hath by Nature I shall be a son of God a King and heire of all things I shall have all that Christ hath I say these two should invite us to come in and therefore we will doe these two First shew you the misery you are in out of Christ Iohn 3.18 saith the Evangelist there He that beleeves not in Christ is condemned alreadie Marke he needs not a new condemnation but he that beleeves not in Christ is condemned already He that hath not the Sonne hath not life Is not this misery enough to be in a state of condemnation Iohn 5. Hee that obeyes not the Sonne the wrath of God abides on him And what is that wrath of God If the wrath of a King be a messenger of Death what think you of the wrath of God Who knowes the power of his wrath Rom. 9. What if he will to shew his wrath and to make his power knowne suffer with patience the vessels of wrath appointed to destruction that is when the Lord shall come to execute his wrath on evill men he will use all the power he hath to execute the fiercenesse of his wrath on them And therefore it is a terrible thing to be subject to the wrath of God But
Christ which goes farre beyond the pompe and plenty and abundance of any other Kingdome But besides this That you shall have the liberty the plenty and abundance of Kings you shall likewise have the power of Kings as the Apostle saith The Kingdome of God is not in word but in power that is you shall not onely say I wish I could live a holy life as others doe I wish I could mortifie such and such lusts I wish I could abstaine from such sinnes and doe such duties but you shall have power and ability to doe them I am able to doe all things saith Paul through Christ that strengthens me Againe besides this you shall have the victory of Kings you shall be overcome of nothing to be in disgrace to be in Prison is not to be overcome But to be diverted from a mans way to be put besides his intention to fall from a mans stedfastnesse this is to be overcome Thus saith the Apostle We are in poverty but not overcome Such Kings were all the Apostles they marched as Kings in the world they triumphed over all the oppositions they found they tread under foot Satan and the power of the Enemie Againe besides all this you shall have the glory of Kings For what are you when you come to Christ but sonnes of God heires apparant in Psal. 45. Princes in all Lands others are but Princes in their owne dominion but he will make you Princes in all Lands But you will say we see no such things No but Eccles. 10. You are Princes though you walke on foot as servants and they are but servants although they ride on horse-backe like Princes Therefore 1 Ioh. 3. You are the sons of God but it appeares not yet what you shall be When we have acted our part and are gone off the stage when the part that we have sustained shall be taken from us and them then they shall appeare that they are servants and that those that are come into Christ are Princes You will say This were a goodly thing if it were a reall Kingdome but these are imaginary things I answer it is not so the kingdome of Christ is as reall as these outward externall kingdoms are and why should it be worse esteemed because it consists not in outward things for what is the body but the sheath the sachell the shell of the soule it is the soule that is the man the perfecting of the soule is perfecting of the man Therefore the kingdome that is spirituall must needs be beyond that which is outward and corporall especially such a kingdome as this that consists not in the titles of authority but is such a kingdome as the wise Philosopher speakes of saith he Some nature hath made Kings as the Eagle the king of birds the Lion the king of beasts there is an excellencie in some and those Nature hath made Kings I say such Kings Christ will make you for when the Kingdome of Grace comes into the heart it puts a Royall disposition into you it makes you excell other men as much as Eagles excell other birds as much as Lions excell other beasts as much as Lilies exceed other flowers such a Kingdome you shall have if you will come into Christ you shall have the liberty of Kings the abundance and plenty of Kings the power of Kings the victory of Kings and the glory of Kings And this is the fourth thing you shall have by him if you will come in and take him But is this all you shall have by him No You shall not have an empty kingdom but you shall have riches with it Christ will make you rich and Riches you know is that which all the world seekes after In Revel 3. I counsell thee come and buy gold tried by the fire that thou mayest be rich And Revel 2. to the Church of Smerna I know thy poverty but thou art rich Luke 12. Such are those that are rich in the world and not rich towards God So that there is another kinde of Riches the Riches that Christ gives And what are those Riches are but a Metaphor that is you shall have abundance of good things for if we have much if it be drosse it is not Riches if we have gold if we have little it is not riches but when there is that which is precious and abundance of it then it is said to be Riches I say you shall have abundance of good things by Christ. But you will say what are those First you shall be made rich in all graces in faith in love in patience in temperance in meeknesse these are riches these graces you shall have from him that shall make you ready to every good worke as you have it 2 Tim. 2. You shall be vessels of honour prepared for every good worke It is a Metaphor taken from vessels that as you would take any vessell as a Salt or a Spoone or a Cup they are fit and ready for your service that they are applyed to So if you would know what you shall have by these Graces when we tell you shall have Grace they shall fashion and fit your hearts as vessels are fitted for the doing of all the duties of new obedience this you shall have by grace and without these graces you are able to do nothing as without the faculty of hearing without the faculty of seeing without the faculty of memory you are not able to doe any of these but with them you are able to doe them with facility without wearinesse A man that hath the faculty of seeing sees easily the eye is not weary of seeing nor the eare of hearing This benefit you shall have you shall be made rich in these graces that shall make you ready to every good work it shall fill your lives with the fruits of righteousnesse As when a tree is full of sap it will soone bee filled with blossomes and with fruite So will you when you are rich in grace therefore the Saints are said to be rich in all speech Why For they were rich in knowledge first and every grace that is the way to make you rich to be rich in grace But is this all No you shall likewise be rich in good works as Christ saith Iohn 15. Without me you can doe nothing but by me you shall be able to doe all things But you will say what are these riches worth to bee rich in grace and to bee rich in good workes They are much worth every manner of way for first why doe you prize riches but because they can procure any thing that you need If you need Wine if you need Bread if you need apparell if you need convenient houses riches you know will procure them of the hands of those that have them when you want them So these riches will procure at the hands of God what you need If you need counsell in difficult cases if you need
Master you must take him for your husband so as to bee divorced from all other lovers for this know that Christ and good fellowship that Christ and fornication Christ and swearing Christ and ambition Christ and serving your selves and the times will not stand together you must be divorced from all these If you will have Christ you must take him as a husband to be to him a love to love him to have your wils subject to his will you must take him for better for worse you must take him with all variety of conditions denying your selves and taking up your crosse and following him if you take him thus you shall have him and when you shall have him you shall have all things with him As Christ saith to his father We are one thou in mee and I in thee and then all mine are thine and thine are mine So wee may say every one that takes Christ is made one with him all Christs is yours and yours is his that is hee takes your names hee takes your debts and you beare his name and have interest in all that is his what he hath by nature you have by grace and when you have him once then you may bee bold to come and take these Elements of Bread and Wine but if you have not him then know that you are but intruders upon the Lords Table for his Table is provided for his friends and if his enemies and strangers come in and intrude on it hee will not take it at your hands but command you to be bound hand and foote and to bee cast out I say consider therefore the offers of Christ are large you that are to receive the Sacrament at this time or at any other time I say consider it if you have Christ himselfe then you may boldly come if you have not the Lord you have nothing to doe with these And know if it was such a fearefull thing to touch the Arke which was but a type of Christ and had but a legall holinesse in it that God struck Vzziah with death because he was so bold as to doe it If it were so dangerous a thing to meddle with common fire as we see in Nabab and Abihu that was but a type of this what will it be when wee shall dare to take the body of the Lord Iesus not being worthily prepared Hee is the substance there is the holynesse of which that was but a type therefore take heed of medling with them except you have taken him indeed except you have changed your hearts except you be new Creatures except you have the Lord himselfe you may not meddle with the Bread and Wine the Sacrament of his body and bloud and so I end FINIS THE TABLE A Abilitie MEN excuse their sin from want of Ability Part 1 Page 223 Ability of Christ to sanctifie us 2 31 Accusing Conscience corrupt in the office of Accusing 1 56 Actions Corruption in our Actions 1 73 Actions of carnall men 1 153 Actions of naturall men defective in two things 1 159 Intention of Action in zeale 1 285 Activenesse Activenesse of conscience corrupted 1 56 Adam God just in requiring of us according to that he gave to Adam 1 38 Adams sinne charged on us ibid. Two conditions of Adam 2 38 Our condition in Christ better than it was in Adam 2 154 See Borne Affections Affections corrupted 1 63 Affections must be wrought upon in the performance of duties 1 251 God esteemes us according to our Affections 1 67 What should draw our Affections to God 1 265 Zeale a stirring up of the Affections 1 285 Want of Affections to God argues want of zeale 1 289 Worke of the Spirit upon the Affections 2 12 Afflictions Forgivenesse of sinnes takes the sting out of Afflictions 2 188 Altered Nature cannot be Altered 2 97 Custome hardly Altered 2 123 Alike All sinnes not Alike 1 275 All. Carnall men doe many duties but not All 1 159 Anger Difference betweene hatred and Anger 1 290 Zeale for the Church acceptable to God when hee is Angrie with it 1 293 Apparell Apparell one benefit by Christ 3 93 What that Apparell is 3 94 How to make use of this Apparell 3 97 Apprehesion The Apprehension makes happie or miserable 1 241 Assurance Assurance encreased by humiliation 1 31 Authoritie To preach with Authoritie what 2 163 B Baptisme BAptisme tends to sanctification 2 21 Beleever Beleeving Difference betweene temporarie and true Beleevers 2 47 Beleeving difficult 3 19 Blindnesse Blindnesse of mans understanding 1 44 Why mans understanding is Blinde ibid. Boldnesse Excesse of Boldnesse how prevedted 1 291 Forgivenesse of sin causeth Boldnesse 2 188 Bondage Spirit of Bondage an help against sinfull excuses 1 108 Spirit of Bondage how it works 1 109 Borne Those that are saved by the second Adam are Borne of him 2 18 Burthen Sinne in what respect a Burthen 2 190 Businesse Too much Businesse a great impediment 1 207 C Causes GOd workes by second Causes 1 263 Change How to know we are Changed 2 109 To give God the praise of our Change 2 144 Christ. What keepes men from Christ 1 11.2 23 What makes us prize Christ 1 81 End of our ingraffing into Christ 2 19 Sanctification by the bloud of Christ 2 21 How to take Christ 2 73 What should move us to love Christ 2 156 Before we are new Creatures we are in Christ 2 169 To be in Christ what 2 171 Priviledges of being in Christ 2 174 See Righteous Church Pillars of the Church 1 286 Want of zeale for the Church 1 292 Danger of wronging the Church 1 293 Directions what we must doe for the Church 1 294 Circumstance Consideration of Circumstances helpe Humiliation 1 28 Circumstances aggravating sinne 1 89 Civill Difference betweene prophane and Civill men 1 127 Clearenesse Clearenesse of conscience corrupted 1 55 Cloud Sin like a stormie Cloud 1 174 Coldnesse Coldnesse provokes God as much as sinne 1 284 Combate Combate to be expected of Christians 2 137 Difference of the Combate in Christians and others 2 138 Comfort Comfort the end of the Scriptures 1 2 Sanctification for our Comfort 2 89 Comfort from the change of Nature 2 121 Comming The end of Christs Comming 1.20.2 20 Compell The Spirit Compels men to come in 2 7 Communion Communion of Saints sets the truth at liberty 1 174 Communication Communication of the body and bloud of Christ in the Sacrament 3 2 See Truth Condemnation Imprisoning Truth brings great Condemnation 1 136 God just in the Condemnation of men 1 234 Conflict Conflict in carnall men 1 153 Conflict in wicked men failing in foure things 1 60 Content He that trusts in God is Content with him only 1 258 Conscience Conscience corrupted by nature 1 45 Wherein Conscience is corrupted 1 55.56 Signe of a good Conscience 1 57 Conscience in naturall men may doe many things 1 152 Conscience good in two respects 1 156 Contrary Contrariety Contrariety of
step to Salvation And so much shall serve for this third use Fourthly if this be the case and miserable Condition wherein every man is before Regeneration to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse Then take heed of putting thy selfe into that Condition consider the danger of disobeying this Truth of offending it of doing any thing contrary to it of restraining and curbing it for it is of that nature that if thou offendest it it will offend thee It is a Truth that God hath set in thy heart and appointed it to rule there if thou oppose it and set up usurpers he will doe as Iehojada did that set up the right King he will even set up this Truth at the day of death to accuse thee and to raigne over thee as a Tyrant It sits in thy Conscience it markes what is done amisse and will be assuredly revenged for every rebellion and offence committed against it as it is said of Truth in generall Magna est veritas praevalet if thou be for the Truth it will be for thee and if thou be against it it will be against thee and it hath God on its side it is attended with the wrath of the Almighty who will be ready to execute upon thee whatsoever this Truth shall alleage against thee though he doth it not presently yet all the while thou art in the way to Damnation as it was with Iudas and Achitophel Therefore be sure to keepe this Truth well that thou offend it not as thou art tender over thy weake stomacke to give what contents it to avoid what may offend it and then it shall be as a continuall feast to thee otherwise it shall be as a sicke stomacke to thee that doe what thou wilt yet whether walking or sitting still it will trouble thee So this Truth thou wilt not be able to deceive it will see what is amisse whether thou wilt or no 2 Cor. 4.2 saith the Apostle Wee commend our selves to every mans Conscience in the sight of God by manifestation of the Truth That is the Conscience within will see thee thorow doe what thou canst there will be an agreement betweene it and the Truth that is presented to it it cannot but observe all the obliquities of thy life all thy errours thou canst not deceive it nor long shake it off But it may be objected May not a man observe this Truth too much may he not be too scrupulous too carefull in regarding it I answer the Conscience may mistake and give that charge that it ought not but as wee say of Thistles they are a bad weed but it is a signe of a good ground where they grow so though scrupulousnesse be not good yet it is a signe of a good heart where it is If a man be to goe thorow a narrow passage or over a narrow bridge it is good to goe in the midst so it is good not to be scrupulous and yet not to give it offence for if thou dost with-hold it imprison it or restraine it thou shalt finde it will be revenged on thee for it is attended with the wrath of God Fifthly if this be the miserable Condition of all unregenerate men thus to with-hold the Truth in unrighteousnesse As there have beene words of Humiliation and reproofe so let mee shut up with a word of exhortation Be exhorted therefore from hence to give this Truth leave to rule and governe in thy heart and life doe not make a bancke against it or an hedge about it restraine it not fetter it not but suffer it to walke freely in every part of thy conversation to rectifie and reforme every facultie speech and action for so it ought to doe and as I said before thou shalt finde it a dangerous thing to restraine it Among men he that imprisons one whom he should not runs into a Praemunire and forfeits all he hath Commonly we faile both these wayes we give Lusts liberty which should be restrained and imprison Truth which should be at liberty therefore our judgement shall be accordingly For letting thy lusts goe at liberty take heed lest God say to thee as he did to Ahab for letting King Benhadad goe Thy life shall be for his life lest on the other side by imprisoning the Truth you forfeit all things and God take advantage of your forfeiture Since the fall of Adam man doth turne all things upside downe according to that which is complained of those Prophets They did slay the soules of them that should live and gave life to the soules that should die So doe men the Truth that should live they slay and the lust that should die they give life unto But you know what Gods judgement was on them Ezek. 13. He would destroy both the dawber and the wall of untempered morter God requires at thy hands that thou give account of the Authority committed to thee and take heed of abusing it If the King send a Privie Councellour or a great man about him to reveale his will to expresse his commandement in this or that particular that so men may know it and be free from the danger of the Law if a man in stead of obeying it imprison him how will the King take it at his hands What then will God doe in this case He hath put his Truth into the hearts of men he hath sent his messengers to shew his will that this he will have done If thou imprison this Truth be assured God will not hold thee guiltlesse therefore let it have liberty let it rule and raigne in thy heart let it doe what it will This benefit thou shalt have Thou sets it at liberty and it shall set thee at liberty Ioh. 8.32 If you continue in my words c. the Truth shall make you free From what or what great benefit hath a man by this freedome a benefit unspeakable thou shalt be free from the feare of Death from the hands of all thine Enemies to serve God in holinesse and righteousnesse from the feare of Iudgement from the feare of hell from the guilt and punishment of sin from the rule and tyranny of sin and is not this to be desired Againe if thou set this at liberty if thou wilt practice and use it thou shalt finde more benefit and sweetnesse from it than from the meere contemplation of it we are deceived in thinking that the knowledge of it is pleasant but the practice hard Indeed that that keeps the world from practice is because it is accompanied with persecution whereas bare knowledge crosses not at all and therefore most men are willing to heare and know but in practice they fall short But in this they are deceived for this Truth brings more pleasure in the practice and use of it than in the knowledge and contemplation of it Instance in Faith suppose thou know all the doctrine of Faith the knowledge is pleasant much more the practise if thou wilt