Arts and Sciences whence is their knowledge but from their observation of many experiences Phisitians know it and they therefore set it downe in their bookes they know it is so Things that we gather from sence and experience we are said to have the knowledge of now this experience doth not only give us confidence but knowledge for by the unction that we have received we doe know the love of God that passeth knowledge Christ dwelling in our hearts by faith we come to know the love of God towards us Eph. 3.17.19 There is not any thing that concernes the love of God towards us but the Spirit of God dwelling in our hearts by faith it comes to passe that we are able to comprehend the height and depth length and breadth of the love of God towards us This Spirit of God in our hearts gives us sensible experience and knowledge of Gods love to us of his attonement and grace to us our Consciences that had hels in them before all such darksome evils are now vanisht and scattered and we know that sensibly we had power given us to pray and to beleeve that our prayers are granted and can wait upon God and feare God and make conscience of obeying his will Now this Spirit of prayer that discovers these things plainly to our inward man the sence and experience of it makes a Christian able to know what God hath done for him and makes him able to beleeve what God hath promised him and thus now when we aske any thing according to Gods will he doth not only say It is well said but he takes a course to answer our requests we have certaine grounds to move us in what we aske and the ends of our requests are right Now God considers not alwaies so much the letter of our prayers as the grounds and ends of them the scope we ayme at and God will so accordingly answer us Vse 1. Let it be first a ground of encouragement to every Christian soule that beleeves in the name of Jesus Christ trust not in your owne good parts and good gifts if any such things increase set not your hearts upon them trust not in any worldly blessing but beleeve on the name of Christ And therefore that you may beleeve humble your soules before him in regard of your sins and pray heartily in the faith of Christ And why so The ground is in the text you shall not only be confident and assured of your salvation which is a great mercy of God to my soule and a greater then all the whole Church of Rome would grant they may goe to Rome and from thence to Jerusalem and from one place to another to have sought for pardon of sin and yet not so much comfort promised them that after all this they shall finde it but in the end to Purgatory they must goe and that is as ill as Hell fire say they save only in durance and this is all the helpe they have they might whip and scourge themselves and give all their goods away to the poore and themselves goe in sackcloth and ashes all their dayes and when all comes to all they must not be sure of any mercy or favour from God which to beleeve would be Hereticall presumption but they must notwithstanding all this rest in Hell fire till the day of Judgement unlesse they will be at cost to purchase freedome from it and which is strange though they would not suffer them to beleeve a release by Christs pardon yet upon the Popes pardon they might have hope and so they take more pains for an uncertainty then we for certainty and knowledge but you shall not only attaine certainty of salvation but certainty of the granting of all your requests no peace to the peace of a Beleever and therefore lay aside all your confidence in the world but be confident in the name of the Lord Jesus and be certaine of Gods favour and goodnesse to you in him and then here is such blessings as will keep a mans heart warme in the worst houres Vse 2. To teach such as beleeve on the name of the Lord Jesus how you may come to be confident and certaine of the hearing and granting your petitions How may wee come to that Hast thou good evidence to thy soule of thy Adoption that God is thy Father then meditate well upon this point that Christ is thy Advocate to make intercession and Attonement for thee in case thou hast displeased thy heavenly Father These two things will much prevaile they be strong helps to a weake faith and then consider what unction thou hast received and look up to God that he would give thee a spirit of prayer to pray feelingly and fervently and humbly before him and then labour for a spirit of faith which if God give thee so much faith as to perswade thee thy requests are heard and to wrastle against discouragements and that the spirit of faith doth worke in thee grace to hope and waite upon God and withall an holy feare of his name and obedience to walke obediently in doing his will and patiently to suffer his will under his hand and observe how the Spirit speakes evidently in this and that kinde and it will be a notable means to helpe thee to grow confident and certaine that all thy prayers are heard Now many a Christian soule falls short of this he considers not the Attonement of Christ in his prayer but many times thus stands the case with them there is much desolutenesse in their lives and loosenesse and fearlesnesse in their hearts before God rejoyce not with trembling God sees his Servants loose in their obedience and when disobedient they seek not to Christ for Attonement whence it is that many times they are so full of doubts Vse 3. Of much consolation to all those that beleeve on the name of the Lord Jesus and make use of these blessed meanes this is our confidence that whatsoever petitions we aske he heareth us and we know it See how comfortable a Christians estate is he growes certaine not only of his owne salvation but he is certaine of the hearing and granting of all his petitions if he can but pray well he makes account all is well let his distresses be what they will be SERMON XVI 1 JOHN 5.16 17. If any man see his brother sinne a sinne which is not unto death he shall aske and he shall give him life for them that sinne not unto death There is a sinne unto death I doe not say that he shall pray for it THese words containe a third motive to encourage us unto that duty which is the maine scope of this Epistle to wit to beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God whereto the Apostle exhorts us vers 13. and propounds first this motive to wit A blessed confidence of the hearing of all our petitions Secondly a certaine knowledge verified that he not only heares but grants our desires Now he
distemper with boyling in heat of wrath against his enemies he is all upon it to doe him any harme his heart is full of hot and bitter wrath so as that love which was as heat and fire to thaw and warme cold and hard hearts when it comes to the fire of wrath it is as it were cold water and allayes that heat and bitternesse and harshnesse which else our hearts are subject to This is the nature of love as it is the nature of water to coole hot distempers and as it is the nature of fire to thaw and soften hard frozen spirits so though it be but as one intire grace Yet in the act it puts forth a kind of variety of worke whereby one would thinke it did crosse it selfe but it doth not but doth all by the life of Christ thus you see what the effects of the life of sanctification is in the heart of a man after that God hath begun to roote the life of justification in us and hee discernes that God hath wrought a change in him and then these severall graces though in themselves and worke one opposite to another yet in a Christian heart they can meet and joyne together And therefore now doe but lay this to heart he that hath the Sonne hath life Will a Christian say how shal I know that I have that life in having of which I may know I have Christ Why do but consider with thine owne soule not now of the life of thy justification but hast thou found that ever God did fill thy heart with joy so as thy soule hath said the Lord hath done great things for my soule whereof he hath made me to rejoyce and hast thou found that when thou hast most rejoyced in the wonderfull mercy of God then hath thy heart most melted before the Lord thy God And thou hast been ashamed and confounded within thy selfe and never open thy mouth against God any more Doest thou see that the more God reveales Christ to thee who was crucified for thy sake the more bitterly thou moanest for thy wickednesse then it is a strong evidence of life and peace in thy soule were it not the mighty power of the life of Christ in thee thou couldest have had neither of both these graces much lesse combined together to worke the same thing at one and the same time if therefore God hath helped you to looke at the great mercy of God with joy and yet with shame and bitter mourning that ever thou shouldest dishonour such a God certainly God hath vouchsafed thee life and such a life as in which thou shalt live You shall have many a soule that is marvellously comforted in hearing the word rejoyce exceedingly in what they heare and goe home and say such a word was good and very comfortable and never man spake like that man and he never thought before that there was so much to be found in the word as now he conceives there is But now if this were the joy of Gods Elect if it were such a joy as would not vanish away like lightning in the aire a flash of joy it would sinke downe into the heart and leave so much the more deeper impression mourning by how much the more it hath had joy I grant that sometimes the joy of Gods owne servants may soone vanish away but it was never knowne that the joy of a living Christian did so soone vanish and depart away but that when it did most abound in the heart it did cause inward mourning and if not weeping yet an affection of greife and sorrow of soule that ever we have so displeased God the more God hath been mercifull to us the more are we shamed of ourselves inwardly grieve for our shamelesse carriages If therefore you only finde joy in hearing that may deceive you it is not the shortnesse of the continuance that argues the unsoundnesse of the joy but the want of this combination that will argue the falshood of it if God yoake not spirituall joy with spirituall mourning then suspect your joy for it doth not accompany salvation unto life And in very deed this you shall find to be true the joy of living soules in Christ though that oftentimes bee soon gone yet it leaves this spirit of mourning which keeps possession for it and that many times for a long time and you may read your comfort in the sorrow that it hath left behind for there is as much cause of comfort in this sorrow as in the joy when you had it when you see your soules can mourne unfeignedly for that you see so good a God to such a wretch this very comfortable sorrow that is left in thy heart is an undoubted pledge that it is not a vanishing joy the power and work of it lasts long and wil abide in the soule for ever a man will in such a case mourne for his sin while he lives If you have therefore found your joy mixed with sorrow it is right else it is but a fading hypocriticall and false joy Againe further how doe you finde your heart affected with the duties of Gods worship Doe you come to duties marvellous unwillingly that if you could avoyd it you would not keep such duties in your house and if it must needs be you put it upon any body rather then upon your selfe you may be a living Christian but your heart is in a dead frame at that time and if it be alwayes so with you you never did truly live but if you finde your spirits at least your hearts comming on most willingly to Christian duties that you performe them like Free-will offerings not free so as without warrant from Gods Word but free in respect of grace Doe but observe thus much it may be you may come off freely before God because hee hath given you spirituall gifts and you can quit your selves well in the performance of them and that makes you come the more boldly but consider if the more willingly you come to Christian duties the more trembling your heart goes about them the more the soule is prepared the more it feares before the Lord and the more lowly the spirit is and awfull in the sight of God if a man can serve the Lord with joy and trembling together then the service you perform to God is heavenly and spirituall and lively and such as in which you live they come from a living heart and the sacrifice is lively and acceptable and argues you have life and therein you have Christ the God of peace but if a man have only feare in a duty but no joy or joy but no feare his heart is not in a good frame we must bring a better frame of heart before God then so before we can say that we have the life of sanctification Againe for another signe How doe you finde your selves in your tribulations are they altogether matter of burden and wearinesse to your hearts Have you no
joy in them Have you many afflictions in inward or in outward man and no comfort in them It is an uncomfortable signe to you the life of sanctification is not so shed abroad in your hearts that you may gather you have life but if you finde that in the multitude of your thoughts within you Gods comforts delight your soule Psal 94.19 20. In the midst of sorrow you finde some comfort if your life in Christ makes your saddest times joyfull and comfortable to you and so in outward afflictions though afflictions may seeme to be grievous yet waite a while and you shall see the more weight and burthen that lyes upon thee and the more thy afflictions for Christ hath abounded so hath thy consolation abounded much more 2 Cor. 1.6 Againe observe your carriage with men it is good to be patient when you meet with evill doers 2 Tim. 2. last yet notwithstanding not so patiently as to beare with them in every thing that is evil to allow them in any sin no if God give you place and opportunity shew some kinde of zeal to cleanse them from their evils and this may well stand with your patience be patient in things that concerne your selfe but beare not with them that are evil in their evil deeds Againe doe but observe the frame of your spirit in the things that you suffer Are you meeke and gentle and flexible that is a good vertue but how are you in the things of God Are you stiffe and unmoveable there 1 Cor. 15. last that though they may perswade you very farre in any reasonable thing concerning man Note but in things concerning God you will not baite any thing of the peace of your Conscience for any mans pleasure are you unmoveable in such a case both these together doe very well stedfast and yet soone perswaded such an heart as is thus mixed and knowes how to temper and frame his spirit according to God he is a living soule and hath life and Christ the Prince of life Againe thou art a modest Creature and thinkest meanly of thy selfe and art weaned from this world it is a vertue but how is it coupled for God couples every grace with another grace that they may poyse one another as Christ sent out his Disciples by two and two together so all the graces of the Spirit joyne one with another they ballance one another that he may not be too high on the one side nor too low on the other but that all things may be carried according to God and therefore thou art modest it is well but hast thou withall an high and a lofty spirit that if it be heavenly matters thou art to be exercised in they cannot be too high for thee Let a man tell thee of State matters comming before Princes and tell thee of nobility thou art ashamed and knowest not how to set about such things as those be but tell thee of an inheritance in the Kingdome of glory and the making it sure to thee in a way of Gods grace Tell thee of pardon of sinne and of the Spirit of grace and the riches of the precious promises of God and thy heart can looke at these highly then thou art of a magnanimous spirit then is thy modesty in outward things well coupled but he whose spirit is most lofty should be most humble couple them together and they well suit one another when they goe hand in hand righteousnesse and peace goe together modesty and magnanimity humility and courage goe together they make an amiable set of grace where-ever they are so coupled if it be of things concerning thy selfe thou hast not an heart to stand out against any man of place but he may bow thee round about but if they wrong thee so farre as Gods honour is interested in the thing thou canst then stand upon thy lawfull rights and if therein thou be impeached thou canst come off with this thou art not inferiour to the chiefe Apostles and yet art nothing nor art able to doe any thing Againe looke at thy worldly businesse art thou diligent in thy Calling it is well and you say Cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently and the work of his Calling is the worke of the Lord. But how stands thy heart affected in the midst of thy businesse Is thy heart dead to the world goe not about it with a worldly heart goe not about it for profit sake but because God sets thee about it And you are more free to the service of God and to doe more good this is the life of sanctification And lastly if God give us hearts so abundant in love that it both thawes our cold and stiffe hearts towards our poore Brethren and also puts a watery temper to coole the wilde-fire of our wrath towards our enemies it is a mighty power of the Spirit of grace to turne it selfe so many wayes for the right ordering and framing of a Christian in the course of his sanctification these be comfortable signes of our life of sanctification SERMON IX 1 JOHN 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life NOw we come to speake of such effects of the life of Sanctification Effects of Sanctification signes of spiritual life as shew themselves in the lives of Christians by observing of which in our selves we may know we have Christ and life in him Now these effects are suitable to the effects of naturall life and they are principally five The first is motion 1 Effect motion when a creature is able to move it self unto the duties of its place it is an effect of naturall life when it is able to move it selfe in its place then it is said to live such or such a life if you see a Creature stirres and moves not further then by the help of another then you say it lives not but if it stirre of it selfe then you say it lives Nor is it strait way alive if it move unlesse it be in its place for you see earthly things will move downward if they be upward and light things will move upward but these are out of their places they are rather moved then themselves doe move when they are out of their place and it is not so much from a power of moving but rather an affection to rest then a power to move themselves And further suppose they should move themselves meet it is they should move themselves to such actions as argues as argue this and that life which they expresse suppose a Tree moves it selfe and nourish it selfe and grow and that in its place yet it doth not move it selfe to see nor heare and beasts that doe move themselves to see and heare yet they cannot move themselves to acts of Reason and men that can move to acts of Reason yet cannot move themselves to any spirituall duty and work of grace so that that motion which argues the life
Gods people Mighty power in the Scriptures preached First For Preaching there is a mighty power in the Scriptures preached for he writes these things that they may be preached and to be read and to make use of them in conference and meditation and in them all there is a mighty power But first for preaching Rom. 1.16 17. The Gospell is the power of God to salvation for therein is the righteousnesse of God revealed from faith to faith By the Gospel of God preached the Righteousnesse of God is revealed from faith to faith to lead on beleevers to beleeve and not to rest growing in beleeving til they reach unto salvation it is the mighty power of God to salvation to every one that beleeves such an one while he lives shall be of the thriving hand in faith And when the Apostle prayed so earnestly night and day to come againe to the Thessalonians Doth hee not therein imply though there may be a mighty power in the word read to increase faith where it is already wrought yet his personal presence would helpe it much more whether by conference or by preaching and therefore he prayes much to see them again An evident argument though the word read may be of much use to establish us yet much more the personal persence and conference and preaching of the Gospel of Christ else that prayer of his had been something impertinent Conference And so secondly for conferring of the Scriptures you know when the two Disciples were doubtful whether that was the Christ or no Luke 24.21 our Savior doth not only reprove them for that doubtfulnesse but he begins at Moses and opened to them the things written in the Prophets till in the end their hearts glowed and burned within them and that was a furtherance of their faith for then they presently ran to Jerusalem and then they do not say we trusted this was he but they say the Lord is risen indeed In very truth without any further dissention never distrusted it more he is risen indeed so that there is a mighty power in the word confered upon in private conference and therefore they doubt no more of it So that the word opened by way of conference made their hearts to burn within them they do not call it preaching but rather a private conference an applying the Scripture to this point they stood need to be instructed in and they go away with ful resolution the Lord is risen indeed And you know the mighty power and use of the conference of Phillip with the Eunuch upon that conference the Eunuch beleeved and was baptized Acts 8.37 So that take the word preached and there is a mighty power of God in it to lead a Christian man from faith to faith And take the Gospell of God and conferre about it and it is a mighty power to increase faith that beleevers may beleeve Reading the word Thirdly And so it is for the word read another kind of dispensing this word that is a special end of it that by reading you might beleeve on the name of the Sonne of God that is the next use of the Scripture they which do read shal by reading finde their hearts confirmed and established in the faith John 20.30 31. There is a mighty power of God that accompanies the word of God read to strengthen men in the faith that such as beleeve already may beleeve more and bee established in their perswasion of the truth of God Fourthly If you shal examine the things that you have heard Examination of things heard that is another use of the Scriptures an examination of what you heare goe home and consider whether the things that have been taught were true or no whether agreeable to the holy Scriptures or no for a Preacher speaks not the expresse words of the Scripture but comments and explications of the Scriptures and therefore examine whether that which is delivered be agreeable to the Scriptures which are alledged for to prove the doctrine We must make use of the Scripture as a rule to measure all the Sermon by we heare whether it be of just length and breadth of Gods word or no as the ballance of the Sanctuary the two testaments be and when you weigh what is said then you are confirmed and established in it Now this kind of making use of the Scriptures to examine what you hear it is of special use to helpe forward the faith of such as do beleeve yea and which is more it may bring on men to beleeve which it may be never did beleeve before mightily stirred before but beleeved not til they goe home and searched the Scriptures seeing that which is spoken to be fully agreeable to the word of God they have been brought on wonderfully to beleeve famous is that of the Bereans Acts 17.11 12. they heard the word and what he spake they received it gladly they thought he spoke well but they searched daily to see whether those things which were spoken were so or no therefore see the blessing of God upon it vers 12. many of them beleeved they received the word with reverence and did not cavell at it but heard it patiently and when they came at home conferred about it and when upon examination they saw it was according to the Scriptures of the holy Prophets when they saw that what Paul preached was suitable to Moses and the Prophets the blessing of God was great upon them for the number of them that beleeved was not a few to shew you that a man that hath heard the word and hath been stirred with what he heard if he shal go home and consider and weigh well and see how one thing bears witnesse to another Note this so as that the word preached opens the word written and the word written confirmes the word preached then though before he was doubtfull as sometimes a godly mans heart may faile him in applying the word to himselfe as Jacobs heart failed and he beleeved not yet when he considered it and saw what tokens of love was sent him and laid circumstances together then his spirit revived So a man heares much and some thing pertinent to him yet his heart may faile him and may have much adoe to gather any comfort out of it but when he considers things more privately and searches the Scriptures upon examination Repetition of the word blessed many a man beleeves the word which before he was doubtful of Repetition and examination of the word is marvellously blessed by God to this end to helpe forward our faith it is of good use both to beginne and to increase faith sometimes to worke it where it was heretofore wanting much more to increase it where it was begun before and therefore as we were begotten by the immortall Word of God so no Word of God being dispensed in any Ordinance of God none of them but are of mighty use for the supplying our defects of faith
CHRIST THE Fountaine of LIFE OR Sundry Choyce SERMONS on part of the fift Chapter of the first Epistle of St. JOHN PREACHED By that Learned judicious Divine and faithfull Minister of Jesus Christ Mr. JOHN COTTON B. D now Preacher at Boston in New-England Christus Vita Via est Scriptura Christi Published according to Order LONDON Printed by Robert Ibbitson and are to be sold by George Calvert at the signe of the half Moone in Watling street neer Pauls Stump MDCLI The Contents CReatures broken Cisters without Christ Pag. 2 Men cannot redeeme themselves ibid First part of the worship of Christ viz. in the minde and judgement p. 6 To prize Christ is to worship him p. 7 Christians worship Christ in their mindes p. 8 Moses honours the reproaches of Christ ib Naturally men desire to know the worth of blessings p. 9 He that hath Christ is inquisitive to know all the vertue that is in Christ ib Two parts of the worship of Christ is in the will and affections ib Deep measure of worshipping of Christ p. 10 Christ when more truly worshipped p. 11 Sweetest frame of spirit ib Third part of worshipping of Christ p. 12 Universall obedience ib If we cannot enjoy the liberty of the Ordinances but with sin against our soules in this case the Ordinances of God are to be neglected and omitted p. 22 The life of Christianity is not a life of wisdome and graces but of faith p. 29 A third way of having Christ is by Covenant p. 31 Extent of the Covenant on Gods part p. 33 God a Fountaine of goodnesse to his servants ib Extent of the Covenant on our part p. 34 Covenant three-fold ib Covenant of Salt p. 35 A fourth way of having of Christ p. 39 Christ received as into a temple three wayes p. 40 Second way of receiving of Christ p. 44 The third way of receiving Christ ib How to know whether you have truly embraced Christ p. 45 First thing considered in having Christ as a Son p. 46 True love to Christ wherein it is p. 53 Christ united to us and we to him by a three-fold spirit p. 59 A three-fold conformity between Christ and his p. 60 The first conformity wherein it consisteth ib The second conformity p. 61. The third conformity p. 63 The second worke of the Spirits liberty p. 65 Liberty from feare of sinne ib Naturall property of a Son p. 66 Liberty from power of sinne p. 67 Freedome from sins service p. 68 A Servants care in perseverance of Christian duties brings priviledge of peace to his soule p. 69 The third signe he that hath the Sonne hath him for his Prince pag. 74 To have Christ for a Saviour requires two things p. 75 Christ a Saviour from sin as well as from distresse p. 79 An hard matter to be willing to be saved by Christ p. 80 Christ saveth as a Prince p. 81 Christ our Prince in two things p. 82 Rebellious thoughts p. 83 Christians differenced by their thoughts ib Good thoughts continue for ever p. 85 Summe of all laid downe p. 88 Three sorts of signes of Spirituall life p. 92 First cause of Spirituall life ib John the first and the thirteenth opened p. 93 The second cause of Spirituall life p. 94 That the Promises belong to every true Christian p. 95 Ground of the point p. 96 A third cause of Spirituall life p. 98 Signes of Spirituall life from the effects of it p. 101 Life of Justification ib Inward peace flowes from pardon of sin ib That every sinner as soone as his sin is pardoned hath an unconceiveable peace in his soule p. 102 Second effect of the life of Justification ib Property of Spirituall life p. 105 Love of God a signe of Spirituall life ib Life of Sanctification p. 109 Joy and griefe in the soule sanctified at once p. 110 Joy and feare p. 111 Joy in affliction p. 113 Patience without forbearance ib Meeknesse and strictnesse at once p. 114 Modesty mixed with magnanimity p. 115 Psalme the 24. the 7. verse opened p. 116 Psalme 149. verse 6. expounded p. 118 The seventh combination of graces p. 119 Diligence in worldly businesse and yet dead to the world ib Love of Enemies p. 102 Effects of Sanctification signes of spirituall life p. 127 First effect motion ib Lightnesse of spirit p. 128 What is required to a Spirituall duty p. 129 Of common gifts p. 130 Causes of deadnesse of heart p. 132 Remedies against deadnesse p. 133 Second signe of spirituall life ib John 6.35 explained p. 134 First a soule longs after Christ in the Ordinance ib Strength and sweetnesse in the Ordinance p. 135 Third particular applying of the Word p. 136 Fourth conformity to the Word in every thing ib Growth in grace p. 138 Repentance the best purge p. 140 Fourth effect of the life of Sanctification ib Fifth signe life propagates it like p. 142 Three properties of life first warmth p. 144 Knowledge warme p. 145 John 5.32 expounded ib 2. Where there is life there is breath p. 146 3. Spiritual warmth digesteth Gods Ordinances p. 148 4. Spiritual warmth heateth others ib Power of sinne p. 153 Plyablenesse of spirit p. 158 James 3.17 expounded ib So much sweetnesse so much life p. 159 Danger of being out of Christ p. 161 Jer. 13. last opened p. 162 Esa 44.11 explained p. 165 Procure Christ for our selves and others p. 172 Motives to get Christ p. 172 Meanes of having Christ p. 174 What help Johns Epistles yeelds to beleevers p. 179 The bane of Congregations that have no means of preaching p. 184 Note the miserable case of Congregations that have but bare reading p. 186. Carnal men have benefit by the Word p. 187 Three reasons or signes of grace p. 189 Knowledge what p. 190 Rome an Harlot ib Mighty power in the Scriptures preached p. 199 Reading the Word p. 200 Examination of things heard ib Repetition of the word blessed p. 201 Meditation on the Word p. 202 Property of a faithfull Minister p. 203 Faith profitable to all things p. 205 Infidell practice of Papists ib Mighty power in meditating upon the Word p. 206 Kings must read the Word of God daily p. 207 To pray according to Gods will in two things 1. Aske things lawfull 2. aske in Christs name 1. To aske in Christs name requireth humility p. 211 212 First second third fourth acts of humility p. 212 213 First second third fourth acts of faith in prayer p. 213 214 First to pray in the spirit is to pray feelingly 2. Fervently 3. Perseverance p. 218 219 Advocate what p. 228 Partiall eye Censorious eye Malicious eye wanton eye p 243 244 245 Mantle of wisdome p. 248 Mantle of of faithfulnesse ib Mantle of compassion p. 249 CHRIST the FOUNTAIN of LIFE SERMON I. 1 JOHN 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life THese words containe the Third part of the record that God bare of
a pleasant place if we have him for our portion we have enough therein the soul is fully satisfied and if we have lost him we chiefly mourne for that our chiefest care is to get him and we mourne most bitterly for want of him Zach. 12.10 and we make it our desire cheifely to have him and then we truly have him when we so set him up in our hearts we may affect many earthly blessings and want them as gold and silver and friends and health and yet want them all but no man desires Christ thus but he hath him I meane if he desire him as his cheifest good the having of any blessing doth not so rejoyce his heart nor the want of it so afflict him such a soul hath Christ Object But the church in Cant. 3.1 she wanted Christ and yet earnestly desired him therefore a soul may have a strong desire to Christ and yet be without him how can she be said not to finde Christ and yet to have him Ans She could neither have loved him nor have sought him nor have so known the worth of him if he had not loved her first and if she in some measure had not had him But when she saith she found him not the meaning is not in that feeling and comfort not in that measure she sought for not in that life and power her soul desired she sought him by night in a dark time but though she wanted the comfort of Christ in his ordinances as she then desired yet she had Christ and had true fellowship with him else she could never have so loved him for she saith she sought him whom her soul loved Christ when more truely worworshiped and this is indeed so much the more truer worship of him when it is so hearty in our Judgments we prize him as the chiefest blessing in heaven and in earth and in our hearts we so affect him and cleave unto him so now on the contrary let the same heart look into it selfe and in comparision of Christ he not only in his Judgement basely esteemes of himselfe but in our affections we look at our selves as loathsome in comparison of Christ This you shall finde to be true the more the heart doth inwardly love Christ the lesse we do love our selves so when God revealed himselfe to Job he cryed out I am vilde Job 40.4 and then he abhors himself and repents in dust and ashes There is no soul that hath any high esteeme of God or any strong affection to him but the more highly and deeply he affects him the more he disaffects himselfe and loathes himselfe as unmeet to come into the presence of the Lord when as Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord sitting upon the cherubins he cryed out woe is me I am undone for I am a man of uncleane lips c. Esa 6.5.6 Sweetest frame of Spirit this shal you ever finde to be the frame of the spirit of a christian the more deeply he affects Christ the more inwardly he loaths himself he looks at himselfe as fit rather to be swallowed up of Judgment then capable of any mercy not only greive for his sin against Christ or not only the more fear his sin Note or the more be ashamed of his sin by how much the more he sees the glory of Christ but he so much the more loathes himself as one cleane out of heart he abhors himself as an unclean abominable thing that if he could go out of himselfe and be severed from his own soul he would never own himself more and therefore Christ puts self denial for a principall part of his worship Luk. 9.23 this very denial of our selves is a worship of Christ hereby we so affect Christ that we are quite out of conceit and love of our selves And so loath our selves for our sins as they make us unmeet to be joyned to so glorious an head as christ and then indeed we have him 3 3. Part of the worshiping of Christ A third part of this worship of him is in our life And in our life we worship Him by obedience in doing his will and by patience in suffering his will or any thing comfortably for his sake Vniversall obedience Hearty obedience is a true and sincere and reall signe of this worship of Christ and true sincere obedience to him is a true having of him This is first when a man hath such respect to all the Commandements of God as that there is none of them but he greatly delights in it Psal 119.6 then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect to all thy Commandements He lookes at them all with such respect as the Commandements of a great God he respects them all as Gods Commandements When as a man is willing to take up every Commandement of Christ he submits to them all every one And which is more as he hath respect to all Gods Commandements so he hath respect to all Gods Commandements in all his wayes there is a double universality of obedience and they both hold forth this truth it brings into subjection every thought and Imagination to the will of Christ 2 Cor. 10.9 now this is a marvellous subjection that a man is not to dare to allow himselfe in so much as a thought unlesse it be in a way of obedience to the will and Word of God unlesse a thought be suitable to the will of Christ and allowable to the word of Christ hee dare not accept it when a man hath such a professed subjection to Christ that as he respects every Commandement of God so he would not be at his owne choyce in so much as in any one thought and this is such solid and compleate worship of Christ as that a greater honor cannot be don to him Math. 4.10 him only shalt thou serve he will not allow himselfe in one evill thought much lesse will he allow himselfe to speak evill words or least of all to do this or that evill in the sight of God so that this is the worship of him when we subject all the passages of our heart and life to his will we serve the Lord and not man Col. 3.23.24 we do not any thing in our callings but we do it in obedience to Christ and according to the rules of Christ and for the glory of Christ and this is the service we do to Christ not a passage in our whole life but we desire to have respect to all Gods Commandements and this is a right and true having of him And as it is thus for our obedience in doing his will so is it for our patience in suffering his will there is a glorious worship given to Christ in patience when as if so be it be the will of God to call us to suffer we lay our hands upon our mouthes and sit down and quiet our selves in this that it is the will of Christ it should be so and being for the
his darling Lust that nothing might lye between God and him but might now become fit for Christ because he would not cut himselfe short of Herodias and cut short his reformation there then this was added to all his other sins he shut up John in prison and afterward cut off his head also so that when there is any sinne whether honour or pleasure or any comfort in this life that men will not be content to cut themselves short of it is the way to utter ruine God will not be abundantly ready to pardon such And so was it with Daemas when the love of money did so prevaile with his heart after he had been much esteemed of the Apostles and mentioned honourably in their Writings yet in the end it is said of him He hath forsaken me and loved this present world 2 Tim. 4.10 Love of the world had so prevailed with him that he fell off from Paul and from the Lord whose Servant Paul was and from fellowship in the Gospel and so did not finde Christ this rule is universally to be followed and the care of it not to be neglected in any case that our sins are to be put out of our hearts and hands as ever we looke to finde Christ and life in him notable is that expression recorded in Judg. 10.10 to 16. the people come and cry to the Lord to deliver them out of the hands of their enemies but they had got to themselves other gods and now he would deliver them no more When the people heard that that God would not deliver them and could finde no acceptance from him so long as they continued in such a sinne they thereupon goe and put away all their Idols and leaves not one to be seen among them and when God sees that they had put them away the text saith that his soule was grieved for their misery and his bowels rowled within him for them and he delivered them So that when men are willing to fore-go their honourable sinnes their sweet and delightfull sinnes their profitable sinnes and those wherewith they have been most captivated and he knowes one may as well pull their hearts out of their bellies as some sinnes out of them but when he sees men are willing to fore-go their most darling delightfull sins willing to breake off all impediments that stand between God and them the Soule of God is grieved in such a case and it pitties him now that such a soule should be without him and then it will not be long ere God stirres them up meanes of deliverance and he himselfe will reveale himselfe unto them Notable is that speech Hos 14.3.8 when they take words to themselves and promise to leave all their evil wayes whereby they sinne against God they make this request to God That he would take away their iniquities from them and least God should answer them but be you doing something in the meane time they professe that for their owne parts they will set about the doing of their iniquities away and they say Ashur shall not save us and we will have no more to doe with them wherein he shewes you that God lookes not that only his people shall pray him to take away their iniquities for we may pray so long enough and not finde it done but when we desire God to doe it and set our hearts and hands to it and now with heart and hand say Ashur shall not save us nor will we say any more to the workes of our hands Ye are our gods then saith God in vers 4. I will heale their back-slidings and will love them freely c. God is then abundantly ready to pardon when men forsake their owne wayes and thoughts and throw away the sins that hang about them God will say of such a people I will heale them and love them freely mine anger is turned away from them And you may presume when Gods anger is turned away it is by and through Christ or else there is no healing and therefore in vers 8. Ephraim saith What have I to doe any more with Idols the heart of a Christian or of a Nation shall openly acknowledge that they wil have no more fellowship with these abominations and then faith God I have heard him and observed him God heares us and understands what we say and observes us well and offers to be a covert to us from the storme when we begin solemnly to abandon such evils then he heares us and answers us according to the desire of our hearts you have many a soule that cryes to God Take away our iniquity and many Petitions we put up to God to that purpose and that sometimes with many bitter moanes but God heares it not we pour out our plaints in vaine and he regards it not but when we come to God and desire him not only to take them from us but begin to consider our owne wayes and iniquities and to put them from us out of our hearts and hands and we wil no more take such bad wayes as heretofore we have done we will no more ride upon horses nor run to forreigne Princes for succour then God heares and grants graciously whatever his poore people begge at his hands and answers it according to all the desire of their hearts then the Lord preseâ—â—â— gives us the Lord Jesus Christ and life and healing in him and this is the second way of having Christ by purchase Thirdly God sometimes requires that we should part with all his holy Ordinances in some cases part with all confidence in them and from staying our hearts upon them we may soone loose Christ and loose his protection and his fatherly compassion towards us if in the use of the blessed Ordinances of God we be not willing so farre to sit loose from them as not to looke for life in the Word or Sacraments or communion with Gods Servants but to looke for it all in Christ not that God would have us cast his Ordinances behind our backs but therein to seek him yea to seek his face evermore and not to be barred from them he would have a childe of God to count it his greatest misery Psal 27.4 Psal 42.3 4. Though God would have us to make account That one day in Gods Courts is better then a thousand elsewhere Psal 84.10 yet God still hath regard to this that he would not have us to trust in the temple of the Lord because so to doe is to trust in lying words Jer. 7.3 4. Hold close to the Ordinances and by no meanes part with them if you can have them in any purity and peace to your consciences but rather part with Princes Palaces then with them but while you enjoy them trust not in them nor thinke not to stand upon this that you are blessed in regard of them but looke at them all as losse and drosse and dung that you may win Christ Looke not so wishly at the Priviledges of the Ordinances
parts and all the good common gifts of grace which are found sometimes in good nature and sometimes in the children of the Church we must part with them all that we may win Christ 1 Cor. 3.18 If any man among you seem to be wise in this world let him become a foole that he may be wise who ever would be a wise man as a wise man he cannot be if hee have not his part in Christ he must lay aside his serious and sad deliberation and communication with flesh and blood and all things in the way of God that he thinkes will be prejudiciall if any man be so wise as to see this and that danger in a Christian course let him become a foole else he shall never become a Christian if a man will be content to forsake all for Christ he must first be a foole and be content to bee counted a foole and heare every carnall man to count him a foole And I speak not onely of carnal and civill wisdom that that only is to be denyed in this case but common graces which many times choakes all the hypocrites in the bosome of the Church they are commonly choaked upon this point upon these things they trust and doe therefore verily beleeve that this and that interest God hath in them and they in God because they have received such and such gifts from him and this is the case formerly mentioned Matth. 7.22 23. they pleaded their spirituall gifts though common gifts and such as may be found in workers of iniquity they prayed to God a common gift and they prophesied in his name they had prophetical gifts some measure of the spirit of ministery and they were able to cast out devills in Christs name now when as men do trust upon these and settle themselves upon such a change truly hereby they loose that power in Christ which else they might have had It s a wonder to see what a change propheticall gifts will work in a man 1 Sam. 10.10 12. he there Saul had a spirit of prophesie came upon him and the people wondred at it it works a strange change in a man and so in the next chap. the 19 and 23 ver he prophesied til he came at such a place so that you shall see a man that is trained up in any good order though sometimes given to loose company when once God begins to poure into him any spirituall gift to inlighten his mind and to inlarge his affection that hee begins to have some love to and some joy in the Word and some sorrow in hearing of the Word and some comfort in meditation Its wonder to see what a change this will work in the spirit he forthwith begins to abandon his loose courses and sets himselfe to a more strict course then hee begins to see his acquisite learning is but a small matter to edification hee prizes his spirituall gifts and hee is able now to doe much and when a mans heart is thus changed by propheticall gifts it workes in a man such confidence in his soule that he thinkes all the Congregation shall perish before he can perish and if Ministers may be thus deceived by common gifts and graces how much more may their poor hearers bee deceived when they by hearing the Word find such comfort and illumination and inlargements that they thereby finde a great change wrought in them and yet if ministers may bee so much deceived in presuming vainly of their good estate which was not so then much more common Christians Should any man presume at Foelix his trembling Act. 24.25 At Jehues zeale 2 King 10.16 At Ahabs humiliation 1 King 21.28 29. At Herods joy in hearing you know what became of all these those be graces of God though but common graces and if the Prophets were deceived may not these be deceived also that have neither Christ nor any part in him and therefore a man that would bee sure not to goe without Christ nor without life in him he must not trust in any spirituall gift he hath received though his mind be enlightened sometimes to feare sometimes to joy to humiliation to inlargement to zealous reformation yet rest in none of these for these you may have and yet want Christ and life in him common graces may and will deceive you a man may have all these and yet not prize Christ at his cheifest good he may have all these and yet not worship him Notwithstanding all these there may bee some iniquity in their hands for which cause God will not shew mercy to them See and observe if in the midst of all these you do not worke some iniquity they were workers of iniquity alwayes at the best Matth. 7.23 you may be workers of iniquity notwithstanding all these and therefore consider if there be not some veine of pride and hypocrisie and covetousnesse that cleaves fast to your hearts which you allow your selves in which if you doe these very gifts will bee your ship-wracke your anchor will breake and your ship will bee carryed away and you fall downe in destruction but see that your hearts bee cleane and see that there bee not an ill thought or way that you allow your selves in and if so then your heart will lay hold upon God and you will prize Christ and then it is a signe those gifts you have are not in hypocrisie for in an hypocrite they are alwayes found with some sinne which if a man doe not willfully shut his eyes against hee may see for our Saviour speakes of such a sinne in them as the rest of the people of God may know them to be counterfeits from verse 15 to 23. You shall know them by this doe men gather grapes of thornes or figges of thistles have not they their ill haunts but put away these from you if you mean to have Christ Fifthly If we would have Christ and life in him we may have him in Justification but not in growth of Sanctification if you part not with confidence in the saving graces of Gods Spirit you must not looke to be justified by them for if you doe you wil discover them not to be sanctified graces nor the fruits of them the fruits of saving grace Christ shall profit you nothing if you looke to be saved by the righteousnesse of the Law Gal. 5.3 4. If therefore we thinke that for these graces sake God accepts us truly we loose the things that we have wrought and for all that we have received we have no part nor portion in the Lord Jesus Christ neither Abraham nor David hath whereon to 〈◊〉 Rom 4.4.18 But blessed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no sinne and in whose spirit there is no guile Therein stands our blessednesse when the Lord imputes not sinne to us but if we looke to be justified either by the gifts of grace we have received or by the workes and acts of grace that we have performed we shall certainly fall
be smooth and level before him the frame of the heart shall be as meeke as a Lamb The Lamb of God will not lye in a den of Lyons and if we breake out into harsh and unsavory distempers afterward we shal damp the life of God in us the life of Christ wil be dead in us and therefore if you desire to entertain Christ into your hearts then lay aside al harshnesse and bitternesse and roughnesse and al guile of crookednesse 1 Pet. 2.12 then you shal have life in the Word and find Christ to be yours This is the first thing whereby we receive Christ Second way of receiving of Christ Secondly Suppose he be come there is thus much more required to have him and to keep him there we must look there be no unholy thing remaining there all vaine and common things must be removed no prophain matter must stay there 2 Cor. 6.16 touch no unclean thing And if Christ be come unto you you must not onely remove all sinfull and uncleane matter but also all common matter and now every thing must be dedicated to God and you must goe about your callings as becomes Christians and you and all yours must be dedicated to God your silver and your gold must be dedicated and onely spent upon such uses as God calls for and therefore look at every thing so as God may have glory by it and let him not bee dishonoured in any thing by you all that you are and have must be dedicated to God mind and judgement and conscience and heart and affection love and hatred your whole man and all your labours and all you can reach lyes as a consecrated thing else God will not dwell livelily in you unlesse you have a care to keepe every thing cleane you shall find this to be true Christ loves to lye cleane and Religion loves to lye cleane and if hee see hasty sluttishnesse in us he will be gone and wil not tarry there he would not have naturall uncleannes to appear among you but let al such be covered and let no such defilement be seen among you he would have all kept in an holy reverent frame such as might become the presence of God The third way Thirdly The receiving of Christ into our hearts as into a Temple implyes to keep the charge of his Ordinances and holy things to offer to him all our sacrifices and to look that all be performed in such a manner as himself requireth God chargeth it as a sinne upon his people Ezekiel 44.8 ye have not kept the charge of my holy things but ye have set keepers of my Ordinances in my Sanctuary for your selves God will not dwell among them when they set up the uncircumcised to offer up their Sacrifices God will have every man to take charge over his own Temple have a care of your selves put not off your care to others you may not put off the charge of Gods holy things every man hath a charge to look to the things of God not only to see that al unclean things be removed and all common things dedicated but to see that every morning and evening Sacrifice be duly performed and all things done in a right manner else you will finde little life in Christ and if he see this care in you then Christ will come into his Temple and dwell there and you shall have life in Christ and that in abundance you cannot have God for your God but you must have a place readily prepared for him and keepe it in fitnesse and comelynesse for him trimme it up for an habitation for him this God requires of every soule that will have God for his God In a word therefore doe but consider whether your hearts have thus imbraced Christ or no is your base hearts exalted to look after heavenly things Note this and are your proud hearts brought low to the obedience of Christ do you find your ways of hypocrisie made plain before God and is your rough passions made smooth before God then you have Christ whether you see him or feel him or no and do you find that when you have Christ you dedicate your selves to him and suffer no unclean thing in your selves or yours and do you keep the Ordinances pure and offer up your morning and evening sacrifice your selves then you have received Christ and it is your faith by which you do thus receive him but if it be not thus with you then say you have not received Christ or if you have you are to be humbled for your great neglect and want of keeping of him SERMON IV. 1 JOHN 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life THere yet remaines two things for signes of having Christ for in all this point of our Christian faith there is no word but of more then ordinary and common use And therefore when he saith he that hath the Sonne hath life some signes may be gathered from the word having him and some from having him as a SONNE and some from this word Life by which we may know whether we have the Son and life in him Wee now come to speak of the second sort of signes Hee that hath the Son hath life then if we would have life in Christ we must have him as a SON The thing then to be opened is What it is to have Christ as the Son of the most high God and that will give further light to the Text and to the consciences of them that would see the ground of their hopes settled upon a foundation Hee that hath the Son hath life There bee three things implyed in having Christ as a Sonne First it implyes that such as have Christ in truth and so having him First thing considered in having Christ as a Son have life by him they do not rest in having any of the benefits of Christ though they be spirituall but they cheifely affect to have himselfe not so much his benefits as himselfe he doth not say hee that hath such and such spirituall gifts hath the Son no though you have never so many gifts and they such as doe accompany salvation but that which he principally commends to us is himselfe you shall read of a company of Professors that had Christ and affected to have him so farre as they might have Loaves from him Joh. 6.26 27. but our blessed Saviour bids them in seeking Christ seeke not for loaves that perish but labour for the meate which endureth to eternall life and that is only the Lord Jesus Christ himself Labor not for any loaves whatsoever you might finde in your pursuit after Christ It was this by which Peter did discover the hypocrisie of Simon Magus he desired the gift of the Holy Ghost but for Christ himselfe his heart was not set upon him but he only desired that in which lay most profit for had it been in his power that upon the laying on
is now peaceable quiet and assured that God hath wrought this and that grace in me which will abide in me for ever 2 2. Effect That you may be further instructed in this point see a second effect of this life of justification of the life of righteousnesse which is of speciall use for the right discerning of our Spirituall life and that is this Looke as in all naturall life no man hath received life but is carefull to preserve it Skin for skin and all that a man hath will he give to save his life and if his life be struck at he will have his hand cut off rather then have his head wounded he will expose himselfe or any member to any danger rather then loose his life And so if God vouchsafe pardon of sinne and peace of conscience you wil find this an evident signe of pardon and peace together and an evident effect of them both a serious care and a constant endeavour to maintaine and keep that peace that as you see God hath been very gracious in speaking peace to you so you would preserve that peace above all the blessings in the world that whatsoever you loose else though you loose friends and goods and lands and trades health and liberty you would not loose your peace though you hazard the losse of them all to preserve and maintaine your peace that peace when it was given you was so unspeakable and glorious that life it selfe was not to be compared to this mercy which God hath vouchsafed us when he gave us peace Psal 63.3 Thy loving kindnesse is better then life A man that hath found something that is better then his life he will loose his life rather then it and much more any thing else and therefore if you see God incline your hearts to be tender and chary of your peace then God hath bestowed peace and pardon upon you and it is evident because you are so loath to breake it A man that never received this peace he makes no conscience of sinne unlesse it blemish him in the eye of the World he makes no great matter of conscience to run into any sinne because the old score is yet undischarged Christ is not wont to discharge that score which we make no conscience to run into againe And if they doe he can tell how to make them feele the smart of playing such Prodigalls but when God hath blotted all our sins out of his sight that there is no more mention of sinne between God and our souls that the heart of a Christian will be marvellous chary and solicitous that it sinne no more against God he that hath his sinne pardoned and knowes what it hath cost both on Gods part and on his own he is very carefull of running into sinne any more and is very careful to walk more holily for ever hereafter notable is that example Gen. 39.9 When Joseph was tempted to a pleasing sinne oh saith he How shall I commit this great wickednesse and so sinne against God how should hee now breake his peace with God and runne upon a new score with God It is certaine he had sinned before and he had found pardon of it And how should he now sinne any more against God this is the constant care of every Christian man he is fearful of every sin I grant you it is true that sometimes even those that have their sinnes pardoned and the writing of transgression by which they had ingaged themselves to everlasting torments hath been cancelled yet even they have afterwards turned the grace of God into wantonnesse through sinfull lusts As David and Peter c. through some corruption or other but you shall also find this to be true that as they have been over-taken and over-whelmed with such corruptions as those be so they have held forth as much repentance and affliction in this case that if you had taken many lives from them you could not have greived them so much as in this case they are put to The blotting out of the sence of this pardon hath been more bitter to them then death it selfe And if it be not so that Christian men in such a case doe not more shame themselves before God and loath themselves for all the evills they have done in Gods sight they will either lye downe seared and benumbed and their spirituall life will evaporate away and then it will argue it was never true and sincere and if it were true it will lye so close and hidden that you may plainly see what a slaughter Satan hath made and what heavy load hee hath put upon such as are carelesse to maintaine that peace with God which hee hath vouchsafed them And therefore if God give us hearts to keep our peace it is an evident signe God is at peace with us If we fly from sin as from the grave or hell then surely those sinnes are pardoned which we doe abhorre And that peace and reconsiliation is procured which wee desire That is the nature of Spirituall life Property of spirituall life it desires to maintaine it selfe and to expell all that is contrary to it if the body have taken any noysome and hurtfull thing it wil vomit and cast it out and will not let it rest there in quiet if it be an enemy to our life it will strive against it if there be any spirituall life in us it cannot let sin rest in us it will strive against it and never rest till it be shut of it any way some way or other out it must though he shame himselfe for it by an open confession and though it many wayes trouble him yet out it must it is an enemy to his life and out he must cast it and therefore if God give us hearts to be fearfull of sinne and carefull to maintaine our peace it is an evident signe of the truth of our Spirituall life and this is a signe of life for he feels not his peace because it is clouded in him he discernes no life in him and he feares what he had was but a delusion Why how stands thy care to preserve thy peace and to avoyd the danger of the losse of it If God give thee an heart desirous and carefull to maintaine thy peace though it be not so lively as sometimes it was yet it is certainly true and good A third signe and effect of the life of righteousnesse Love of God a signe of spirituall life is that which our Saviour gives Luk. 7.47 Her sins are forgiven her which are many for she loved much So then this is a third signe that our sins are pardoned and of the life of our justification our love of God Love of God proportionable and sutable according to the greatnesse of the sins that have been forgiven and pardoned to us this is a good evidence of the life of our justification this is not a dead and a livelesse pardon A Prince may pardon a Malefactor of his
the sword of the Spirit whereby Kings are bound in chaines and Lords in Iron bonds and such honour have all the Saints he would have all the Saints of God to invest themselves with this honour that they might speake of such glorious excellent things as their words might be like to a two-edged sword to cut asunder the hearts of great Princes to bring Kings and great Lords in chaines of horrour and anguish of soule and conscience such chaines as out of which there is no redemption but by the high words of the Saints by the high promises of God to speake peace to the soules of Princes but let the high threatnings of God be in their mouthes the high Commandements of God in their mouthes and those wil binde Kings in chaines and Lords in fetters of Iron and then let the high promises of God the spirituall promises of grace be in their mouthes to set Princes at liberty and to teach their Senatours wisedome A strange kind of combination in the Spirit of grace wrought in such hearts they can call upon their hearts to be lifted up to the high things of God nothing then too great for them to exercise themselves in no Mercies nor Judgements too great no not the unsearchable counsell of God the depths of the Mysteries of God nothing is too high for them it will be prying and looking into the secret counsells of God and yet both together with most modesty when the soule is most lifted up in the wayes of God yet at the same time he lookes at himselfe as nothing and yet notwithstanding so far forth as God will be pleased to reveale it to him hee will bee searching into the deepe things of God and yet all this will hee doe with a very modest spirit Thus you have seene six combinations severally of the gracious affections that are not to bee found in nature no not set upon civill objects much lesse upon spirituall but upon civill objects they cannot be so combined together Seventhly The seventh combination of graces there is another combination of vertues strangely mixed in every lively holy Christian And that is Diligence in wordly businesses and yet deadnesse to the world such a mystery as none can read but they that know it For a man to rise early and goe to bed late and eate the bread of carefullnesse not a sinfull but a provident care Diligence in worldly busines and yet dead to the world and to avoid idlenesse cannot indure to spend any idle time takes all opportunities to be doing something early and late and looseth no opportunity go any way and bestir himselfe for profit this will he doe most diligently in his calling And yet bee a man dead-hearted to the world the diligent hand maketh rich Prov. 10.4 and you read of the godly woman that she riseth while it is yet night Prov. 31.27 And of this ye read Prov. 15.13 and 18 19.27 Now if this be a thing which is so common in the mouth of the holy ghost and you see was the practice of the greatest women then upon the earth the greatest Princes in those times the more gracious the more diligent and laborious in their callings you see it will well stand with the life of grace very diligent in worldly businesse And yet notwithstanding the very same souls that are most ful of the worlds businesses the more diligent they be in their callings yet the same persons are directed to be dead with Christ Col. 3.1 2 3. Set not your affections upon things below but on things that are above for we are dead with Christ Meaning dead to all these earthly things and all the comforts here below they are not our life but our life is hid with Christ in God and therefore to this world are we dead And Paul therefore so speakes of it Gal. 6.14 The world is crucified to me and I unto the world the very same men that are so crucified to the world yet the spirits of those men though their affections be in heaven yet their labours are in the earth Phil. 3.20 Our conversation is in heaven but our imployments is here upon the earth diligently taking paines in our callings ever very busie in outward imployments Observe the Ante learne her wayes and be wise Prov. 6. be busie like Antes morning and evening early and late and labour diligently with their hands and with their wits and which way soever as may be the best improvement of a mans tallent it must be imployed to the best advantage and yet when a man hath laboured thus busily yet his heart and mind and affections are above he goes about all his businesse in obedience to Gods Commandement and he intends the glory of God and he thereby sets himselfe and his houshold at more liberty for the service of God in their places and so though hee labour most diligently in his calling yet his heart is not set upon these things he can tell what to doe with his estate when he hath got it Say not therefore when you see two men labouring very diligently and busily in the world say not here is a couple of worldlings for two men may do the same businesse and have the same successe and yet a marvellous difference between them the heart of the one may be dead to these things he looks at them as they be indeed but crums that fall from the childrens table he lookes not at them as his cheifest good but the bread of life the spirituall food of his soule that is the thing which he cheifly labours after another man places his happinesse and felicity in them and makes them his cheifest good and so there is a manifest difference between them So then you see seven combinations of graces that are in the life of holinesse and all of singular use in this kind Eightly the last vertue is a single one and that is love of enemyes Love of Enemies I say unto you love your enemies Matth. 5.44 that you may be the children of your heavenly Father Love your enemies This very grace whereby we doe love our enemyes it hath a contrary worke to nature for naturally this we shall finde to be the frame of our hearts towards our enemies we are cold and undisposed to doe any good office unto them very hard and cold and frozen towards them Those who are our enemies we take no pleasure in them but now in such a case as this the love of a Christian will come and warme the heart and thaw this cold frostinesse that is in our soules whereas before a man was cold toward his Enemies his heart now begins to reflect upon him in pitty and compassion and instead of hardnesse his heart now melts and is made soft within him to see what ill measures it could have put upon its enemies But on the contrary side the same hatred in a man that is towards his enemyes it makes a man of an hot
of the soule is a power to move it selfe and in its place unto spirituall duties that is the true nature of the life of sanctification doe you therefore see a creature no further moving it selfe then according to its lightnesse You shall sometimes have men to move themselves out of their levity come to an eminent duty in the pride of their natures Note and will lift themselves up to some duties but this is not out of an inward principle but out of the lightnesse of their spirits desire to be above Lightness of spirit will move them to this and that duty and rather move from hence then from any inward principle of grace and so sometimes creatures out of their heavinesse and basenesse of minde will be doing spirituall duties but as the one doth them to be seen of men and performe the meere letter of the duty and in the pride of his heart not out of any inward affection to such duties so there be others that for profit sake will move themselves basely unto spirituall duties as Christ said of his Hearers they followed him for loaves Joh. 6.26 so that it is one thing to move to such or such a businesse or to be stirring about such duties out of an inward affection to the duty and inclination of heart and love of such a worke and another thing to be carried to such workes out of an inward levity of nature or because by such duties a man may excell others and goe beyond his neighbours and it is one thing to be acting and stirring in spirituall duties out of an inward love to them and another to performe them out of a base respect to the profit and pleasure that may be found in them in outward peace and rest as sometimes the case so stands that if a man doe betake himselfe to spirituall duties he shall perhaps finde the more favour in the eyes of men and to please authority if it take the better side and so from an heavie basenesse of their hearts to such regards they will have respect unto spirituall duties but these doe not move but as heavie things move downward and light things upward a stone will move downward and fire upward Absolom had a marvellous strong affection to be doing 2 Sam. 15.4 he tels them every man should have justice if he was but made King in the Land so all Israel desired after him but Absolom was now out of his place but as soone as ever he got into the place hee desired the first thing he intended was to cut off his Fathers life an act of the greatest rebellion that ever could be done so that men out of their places are apt to be stirring and moving but it is but either from the basenesse or lightnesse of their hearts Note this O that I were but in my Masters place saith a servant I would have duties performed in such time and place and when they come to be in place and might order and command their families then they grow as bad as their Masters and it may be worse but this are we apt to doe when we are out of our places apt to be moving but it s not true life because only that which moves in its place that only lives and yet further A thing may move in its place and yet move from some kind of outward respects as a Watch or a Clock it moves but it is from the weight that lyes and hangs upon it and so it is rather a violent motion then a naturall So is it many times with men the weight of the Law or the weight of the authority of Governours doth so carry them an end in those waies they walke in that they goe through with it and yet it is but from an outward principle from some outward weights that hangs upon them but yet suppose men should be doing in their places as Jehu was he was mighty in his place and was very much against Baal and destroyed the house of Ahab and his children and his friends but yet notwithstanding though this was all in his calling he had a speciall Calling given him of God to that end What required to a spirituall duty but though you should performe duties in your places as a tree though it move in its place upward yet it puts not forth so many a man may doe good duties in his place and yet be wanting in the graciousnesse and spirituality of them Now to make a duty spirituall requires not only that it should be for the better a good worke but that it should be wrought First in sence of our owne insufficiency without Christ and yet so as that by and from Christ we are able to doe it Secondly that we have some respect to the Word of God for our warrant Thirdly that in all we doe we have respect to the glory of God in all our performances I live by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2.20 The just shall live by his owne faith As if he should say he no further puts forth a worke of spirituall life further then he denies his owne ability so farre hee lives by his faith and depends upon Christ for supply in every duty he goes about whether he pray preach or receive Sacraments or be diligent in his Calling or in his carriage towards any that stand in relation to him so farre as we are sensible of our owne failings and therefore doe depend upon him for strength these are not such as come from common graces Common gifts but doe accompany sanctification to life It is true if men be invested with common gifts they may be acted and moved to many duties in their places and put out very sweet affections to the duty and yet doe it rather out of the power of their owne strength and rather for their owne glory and applause then from any dependance upon Christ so that spirituall life hath the Lord Jesus for its root and the Word for its warrant and for its rule to walke by Psal 119.6 Then shall I never be ashamed when I have respect unto all thy Commandements All such actions will be accpptable to God and serviceable to men and also aime at the glory of God for the end that is their last end and all such other ends as are sub-ordinate unto that the building up of Gods Kingdome Zach. 7.5 6 7. When ye did eate did ye it unto me saith the Lord nay did ye not doe it to your selves Hos 7.14 They have not cryed unto me with their heart when they howled upon their beds Did you desire in your prayers to bring in any service to God to tend to his honour and glory And did you debase your owne soules before him that you might finde help from him Or did you not this to your selves or for your owne deliverance and redemption and freedome from such bondage and other miseries that lay upon you so that if God see men goe
feeding containes in it a conversion of the meat into the thing nourished so as that which we feed upon it becomes our selves it is all one with our selves in time it is so digested and turned into our nature that every part hath sucked in its owne nourishment every part hath received something of that which was inwardly received This hath been anciently observed this is somewhat more then receiving Christ by faith for when we apply every word to our selves and make Christ ours that is receiving him to be ours yet it is a further worke to be conformable to the Lord Jesus Christ in every thing to be confirmed and established in the Promises and to be quickned by them to be terrified by threatnings and to stand in awe of every word of God and to be bowed to an inward subjection to Christ day by day by the word we receive this is a further mighty worke of grace If therefore hee be a Christian that by the Word and Ordinances he receives he is fashioned and made conformable to Christ meek and righteous and lowly and holy as he is and willing to do any good Office for the Church of God and goe up and down doing good and needs no further motion this way but as Christ moves him it is a signe that he feeds upon Christ Christ is turned into his nature or which is more his nature is rather turned into the nature of Christ the nourishment being so strong makes us become such as he is in this world Now when we are conformable to the Lord Jesus Christ by the Ordinances that we partake in it is an evident sign that we there feed upon him And therefore try your selves by this signe of sanctification if you live you feed on Christ and except you so doe you have no life in you so then consider do I feed upon the flesh of Christ and drinke his blood and do I finde a spirituall appetite to the Lord Jesus raised up in my soule and do I find any spiritual refreshment and strength by that which I do partake in and that which I so find sweetnesse in I apply it to my own estate and convey it into the inward part of my heart that I may be able to drink it up as my lot and portion And do I by this strength of grace grow like to Christ and do I more adorn the Gospell of Christ this is an evident signe you live for you feed upon spirituall food which is an argument of spiritual life no man can feed upon spirituall food but he that lives and such a life as hee lives in Christ Let a man come to the Word without an appetite to it and when he comes find no nourishment nor refreshment in it and applyes nothing as is said to him but let such and such looke to it he never hears profitably that doth not particularly apply that which he heares and if he apply it he rather stormes at it it is an evident argument that such a man hath no life in him at all Not that you should here look at the naturall body and blood of Christ for that were a Canaball eating and drinking That which the Church of Rome puts upon the Church of God at this day but our Saviour tells you the meaning of this place It is the spirit that quickeneth the flesh profiteth nothing had a company of Roman Souldiers fallen upon Christ and either out of wrath against him or love to themselves had pulled him in peeces and eaten him goblet by goblet it had profitted them nothing had men eaten the reall body of Christ and drunk up his blood and joyned with others in so doing and left none of him al this had profited them nothing nay it profits nothing for the Capernites aske the question How can this man give us his flesh to eat it is an hard saying they thought it incredible v. 5.2 they would think it a savage bruitishnesse to fal upon him in that manner and therefore our Saviour so confesseth that it is no part of his meaning that they should eate and drinke his reall body and blood but hee meanes the breathing of the spirit in the Ordinances if you can rellish Note this and feed upon that and grow to be such as Christ was in this world that was the meate and drinke of his soule if you grow humble and meek and be transformed into the spirit of Christ if you see your spirits conformable to the will of Christ it is a signe of the life of holinesse in your soules which God hath given you through Christ A third effect of the life of sanctification 3 Signe is growth for that which lives growes till it come to its full perfection so in all naturall Growth in grace vegitative or sensitive life if it live it growes till it come to its full maturity when it comes to its full vigour and strength it may decay and stand at a stay but a Christians life never comes to that till it come to the life of glory to the full measure of the stature of Christ In this life we cannot come to that but therefore it is that we grow to the end of our dayes and then are forthwith translated to immortallity ye desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby 1 Pet. 2.2 and 2 Pet. 3.18 grow in grace and God hath given us Ministers to teach and instruct us till we all grow to be perfect in Christ Jesus Eph. 4.11 12 13. Col. 2.19 Increase with the increasings of God with divine and inlarged and spirituall increasing so doth the body of Christ grow and all the members of it they grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ So that this is a third effect of life if a man can find his heart to grow Quest But doth not many a Christian stand at a stay and sometimes grow backward and fall from their first love fall from the fruitfullnesse and goodnesse and rootednesse in Christ though not wholly cut off yet falling from the firmenesse in grace and the power of grace and from fruitfullnesse and the abundance of the worke of righteousnesse Answ It is true many a soule doth so for a while but if so bee that God doe give a Christian man not to grow we must not say therefore he doth not live not but that a man for a time may be weake as a living man in sicknesse may be very weake his spirit faile and his strength faile and his worke and imployment fails him and he can do nothing neither eate nor drink no not so much as leane upon a staffe but may lye bed-rid but yet such a man feeles a sensible distemper of his body and he ceaseth not to use the best means he can and so in the end he comes to grow and recovers his first love againe in some measure some also there are that by sinfull lusts waste instead of
growing as a theefe in a candle wasts it but if there be a theefe in the heart a lurking lust in the soule a living soule is not well till it be removed by some good means or other that so it may recover it selfe It is sometimes the case of a Christian as David speakes Psal 39. ult Oh spare a little that I may recover any strength so a Christian man if he find himselfe in a decay that he is dead and heartlesse in every spirituall performance oh then spare a little that I may recover my strength Now hee is afraid to dye in such a case but hee would now have some time that he may recover his first love and his first fruits and that his faith might not vanish away in ashes and smoak if he see that his spirit decayes he considers then whence he is fallen Rev. 2.4.5 and repents and doth his first workes This is the nature of repentance it purges out Repentance the best purge it purges out the noysome humours that brought the body into languish and decay Repentance is the cheifest purge and so then wee doe our first workes and attain to our first love and grow more at the last then at the first Rev. 2.19 and therefore this is to be considered of a Christian man is a growing man if not always in the bulke which is easie to bee discerned as to grow in strength and rootednesse c. yet surely he growes to more sweetnesse of spirit An Apple is sometimes grown to full growth upon a tree yet grows not sweet till a good time after but in time it will So a Christian though it may be he shall never get more knowledg then he hath or more ability but though the case so stand Simile that you are like to grow no further yet you may grow to more sweetnesse and mellownesse to more love to your brethren and be more ready to deny your selves of that arrogancy of spirit and pride he is now addicted to And so a Christian growes in sweetnesse and growes in rootednesse of spirit and sees his more want of Christ and gets faster hold on Christ And though he cannot grow more tall in his outward expression nor more painful yet in these two no Christian that growes but if he be living ahd healthful he growes in firmenesse and rootednesse in Christ and in great dependance upon him from day to day in his wayes And he growes in more sweetnesse aymes more at Gods glory and is more in love to his brethren and more denys himselfe in his own matters And if he grow not here he is either no living Christian in truth or no healthfull Christian and if a man see this and not bewaile his not growing in these he hath no life at all in him a man that growes harsh and unsavoury and doth not take a course to repent of it it s a thousand to one there is no life at all in him but if a man grow though but in amiablenesse and selfe-denial and more firmly in Christ and more assured of Gods grace and mercy and more depend upon Christ for what he doth and can do nothing without Christ and he knowes it by experience that unlesse a man so grow there is no life in him Fourthly 4. Effect of the life of Sanctification another effect of the life of sanctification is this life is such a thing as hath an expulsive power to expell and drive out of the body that which is noysome and hurtfull to it and will cast and sweat it out Nature cannot endure to be clogged with superfluity out it must one way or other Nature will ease it selfe it cannot long subsist paine and sicknesse is grievous and painfull to Nature if any thing trouble the stomach or the body out it must by vomit or purge it cannot stay if the man be living so if grace be but living in the soule there is an expulsive power in the soule that will purge away that which is contrary to it it cannot endure superfluity but away it must goe there it cannot stay nothing will he keep but that which is convenient for him A Christian looke whatsoever it be that a Christian findes superfluous and findes contrary to the life of Christ in his soule either too much or contrary to his spirit that he abandons it more or lesse by degrees measure after measure and time after time so the Apostle exhorts Jam. 1.21 Lay apart all filthinesse and superfluity of naughtinesse c. If there be any thing which is superfluous or filthy away with it let it not rest there and if it be for no good purpose let it have no rest in thee There is many parts of knowledge that is not contrary to the life of sanctification but are more then we shall have use of in our callings and though they may be such things as others may make use of yet they are superfluous when they are of no use to us in our callings then put them away unlesse they be of use either for necessity or expediency then nature will cast them away especially if they be naughty things they are more then superfluous then they are noysome and hurtfull and therefore a Christian man principally casts away that which is noysome and corrupt both doubting and presumption is contrary to the life of faith and therefore must be cast out cast out all feares and all selfe confidence Perfect love casteth out feare 1 Joh. 4.18 Faith strives against feare and love strives against malice and patience strives against frowardnesse modesty against pride and so every of God wonder to see how it will by the degrees either sweat them out or else set themselves by some serious duties of humiliation and so cleanse themselves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7.1 that he may grow to perfect holinesse in the feare of God He is weary of it and that life of grace casts out all the life of sinne he lookes at the life of this world as something in it that is good yet so much of the world as he sees he cannot well manage but with cumberance to the Spirit of grace he layes it aside and meddles not with it he studies no more then to use in a practicall life he would live as David in Sauls Armour when he sees it troubles him he layes it aside So shall you finde it with a Christian these things are unprofitable for him keepe them out of your soules least they prove a snare to you and whatever is superfluity cast it out and whatever distracts you and clogs you with cares out with it whatever is a burden to the life of grace cast out all such things Fifthly 5 Signe life propagates its like The last act of the life of sanctification is the begetting of the like and propagating according to their kinde it is the nature both of Spirituall and Naturall life it propagates its kinde
themselves and therefore this is the warmth of this knowledge it both burnes up their owne lusts like chaffe and all the sinfull distempers that we see in the lives and wayes of our Brethren this is one part of the heat of a Christian soule that his knowledge is a warme knowledge Look what he knowes he thinkes he must doe whereas another man knowes many things but he doth them not but a Christian if he know it to be the Will of God he must doe it And that is the reason why Gods servants are many times counted very busie as indeed the fire is ever very busily working no creature in the house so busie as the fire is and so the knowledge of Gods people makes them to be so busie in doing and therein they expresse the life of Christ Secondly 2. Where there is life there is breath where ever is true life there is this warmth a warmth in their breath both in the Naturall and Spirituall body in this Naturall body while we live it is warme and so long as we live we breath more or lesse it is but for a little time if at all breath be intercepted it may be in some suddaine fits but ordinarily if it tarry long it is a signe of death but if there be life there is breathing and that breathing is warme some warme breath comes from him that is alive And truely so shall you finde it in your spirituall life If there be any true life in the heart of a Christian soule there is alwayes some kind of warm breathing there is some measures of warmth in his prayers the prayers of an hypocrite ir alwayes but lip-labour and accordingly lust labor the words vanish away in the aire but there is ever more or lesse some kind of warmth-in the prayers of Gods servants according to what the Apostle speakes Rom. 8.26 even then when we know not what to pray for nor how to pray as we ought then the spirit helpes our infirmities that when we sometimes cannot bring out a word to God the heart is ful sometimes of anguish and discouragement in respect of inward desertions or temptations and outward afflictions but yet though in such a case we be not able to tel what to pray for yet there is ever in a Christian soule something that makes him seeke to God and the very sighs of such a soule come from ome warmeth of spirit within him The scalding sighs and deep groanes of the soule they come from a spirit of life and warmth in Christ Jesus Therefore though it be true there be many cold prayers that Gods servants do put up yet there is some kind of sighs and groans that springs from them which argues some heat and life in them And so is it As they breath thus to God-ward so doe they breath one to another so that if they speake of the things of God they speake not of God and his Word lightly and wantonly or loosely as those that have no affection to them but if they speak of the Word of God of his threatnings promises or of any of his commandements or any of the workes of his providence they speake not of them coldly as those that took no pleasure in them but if they speake of any of the things of God they speake with some reverence and desire after them and settling a confirmation in them they have love to the word and rejoyce in it and stand in awe and in feare of it and they exercise their hearts and wits about it when at any time they speak of the things of God so that there is some kind of warmth in the expression of a Chirstian in some savoury affection whereby he esteemes of the things of God above what is found in an hypocrite Thirdly Spiritual warmth digesteth Gods Ordinances There is a certaine kind of warmth by which the soule doth not only affect the Ordinances of God but by which it doth in some measure digest them there is no living man wanting some such measure of heat as makes him able to digest some kind of dyet though not alwayes strong meate especially if he be in any measure of health and that is no small measure of heate Psal 119.20 the very longing desire it alwayes hath to Gods Judgements was it that even made his soule to breake within him and so to pant after Gods Word and his presence in his Ordinances Psalm 42.1 there was a kind of panting and longing and eager desire after God by which it comes to passe that the soule of a Christian closes with God in his Ordinances and turnes them into nourishment within himselfe and so is more strongly and inwardly bent towards God in the ways of his grace whereas a dead spirit is flat and hath no affection to the word no affection to Gods presence no list to the things of this nature Fourthly things that are warm put them together and they are the more warm 4. Spiritual warmth heateth others but put cold clogs and peeces of wood together and they are never a whit the warmer but if you take but two or three of them things that are well kindled and they will set all a fire that comes nigh them though ready before to goe out for want of supply if you lay two or three warme brands together they will kindle one another And truly so it is among Christians take you a Christian that hath this spirituall warmth in him though almost benumbed for want of good company and good conference and breathing forth of Gods spirit and grace in the soule Yet if he meet with two or three like himselfe they presntly begin to kindle one another And the breath of such Christians is like bellows to blow up sparkes savoury and sweet expressions of their hearts and edifie themselves by their mutuall fellowship one with another Yea and sometimes they grow so warme by this means as that they are fit to admonish one another to exhort and to comfort and if need require to rebuke one another as occasion serves 1 Pet. 4.8 Have fervent love one to another above all things have fervent love among your selves this is a speciall thing love among Christians by which love they so kindle one another to such deep respects to God and the wayes of his grace and so burne one out of another much sinfull folly and frailety which will be in them that are so loose one to another and raiseth them up to that power of godlinesse which sometimes they had grown up unto and now almost lost for want of often joyning together for by so doing they do what they can to put out the fire when Satan means to put out the light and life of Religion out of both Church and Commonwealth hee layes one Christian in one corner and another in another that they shall when they list go to bed and sleep and then a lazy spirit shall come upon them and so they
19.17 and what through prayer in his behalfe it is a necessary duty of every faithfull Christian man to observe the failings of his brethren For further clearing of this point let me first shew you with what an eye we should looke upon their falls Secondly come to answer an objection and then to make use First when you looke at the falls of your brethren First partiall eye and have occasion to behold them looke not at them with a partiall eye or an hypocriticall eye as they in Matth. 7.3 4 5. but reflect we our eye upon our selves and conceive that there is either the same or a greater evill in our owne bosomes or at least there is a pronnesse in our selves to doe it if God should leave us to our selves A man should never see his brother fall into any sinne but if he know himselfe well when he sees a moate in his brothers-eye he might see a beame in his owne for though God leave not all his servants alike to fall into scandalous evils yet there is found in them all a root and aptnesse to all sinne that if God should not restraine them they would fall into as great evils as the other have done And hence a Christian man that is sensible of this he knowes there is not any thing found in his brother that is singular but he knowes that both himselfe and all the rest of his brethren are subject to the like evils and that is an eye of sincerity by which we should ever survey the falls of our brethren an eye that doth not so soone espy an evill in our brethren but it sees the like or a greater in it selfe Secondly As we must not behold their falls with a partiall eye Censorious eye so neither must we observe them with a curious or censorious eye for there is such an in-bred vanity in the hearts of men that we love to be prying into other mens frailties and love to be busie in finding fault with other men not out of a desire to amend them but to reprove them and to have something against them Jam. 3.1 2. Be not many Masters for in many things we offend all What is his meaning his meaning is Be not of a masterly spirit be not masters of many persons to be every mans master is out of censoriousnesse our natures are ready to sift into every mans failings and would ever be taxing of them and that is the utmost end such men aime at not so much the healing and cleansing of our brethrens sins but to be masters over them but my brethren be not many masters As if this were the frame of our spirit to be busie as Masters in an imperious manner Thirdly Neither with an envious and malicious eye that is complained of by Jeremiah Malicious eye he much complaines of it when a man opens his eyes to observe curiously and to pry narrowly that if they could but finde him halting at any time they would recompence it Jer. 20.10 When a man observes his brothers halting to heale it but for this very end that he may take advantage against him and overthrow him they did stare in his face and they thought to be even with him they watched for his halting this was an envious and malicious eye Fourthly Neither must I behold my brothers failings with a wanton eye that is when a man is not humbled for his brothers faults but partly puffed up with it Wanton eye and prides himselfe with beholding another mans failings and thinkes every mans fall is a refreshing to himselfe he builds his comfort upon the remembrance of the failings of his brethren and his owne falling short of them this is an inbred vanity amongst men this the Apostle taxed among the Corinthians 1 Cor. 5.2 You have not so sorrowed for it ye have not been so humbled for it as ye should have been but rather have been puffed up Puffed up why so what reason had they to be puffed up Why only this that they were not such as he was they had carried themselves better then he had done they compared themselves with him and in the ballance found themselves better then he and this puft them up And this is a wanton eye for a man may behold it with a wanton eye either when he prides himselfe in it or is induced thereby to licenciousnesse and are glad of the occasion and will say Note If such and such men take such liberty then they hope they may take the same liberty as well as such men doe and therefore they run into the same course with all greedinesse This is that which the Lord complained of in the whole Church of Judah Jer. 3.7 8. Her treacherous sister Judah saw it and though for all the causes whereby back-sliding Israel committed Adultery I had put her away and given her a divorce yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not but went and played the Harlot also You heard one use that we ought to make of our brethrens failings was that we should thereby become to feare but she saw the fall of Israel and would not be reformed she feared not she was not humbled at such falls of her Sister Church but was wanton her selfe and went and played the Harlot also As the Church of Israel had gone a whoring after false gods Iudah saw her sinne and saw me reprove and afflict her for it yet she feared not but went and played the Harlot to shew you that a man may see his brothers sinne priding himselfe in his better watching over himselfe or with a wanton eye and this kinde of observing the falls of our brethren we ought not to make use of he pre-supposeth a man ought to observe and see his brothers sinne but not with any of these eyes Vse 1. But for further use learne we from hence not to neglect the falls of our brethren and thinke it is good for us neither to meddle nor make with them let that be farre from us that was the spirit of Caine Gen. 4.6 Am I my brothers Keeper as if he would neither meddle nor make with him what had he to doe with him now this is a churlish and an unnaturall frame of spirit for a man not to be sensible of anothers failings We should looke at every mans failing as things that behoove us to observe and as much as in us lyes rather to prevent them then not to take notice of them Many a man thinkes it is best to live quietly and let every man say and doe as he will but this is not that which the Apostle Iohn would have to be in faithfull Christians Vse 2. Secondly Let it be our parts therefore to take a due observation not only of our owne but also of the steps of our brethren we should not hide our selves from the beholding of them if we be occasioned to see it we should not blinde our selves and put out our eyes you see that love to
our brethren and enemies beast would require it if we finde them out of the way or fallen downe under their burthen and you see God requires this love to our selves that we should make some use to our selves of our brethrens fall As first if you see a brother sinne whatever sinne it be learne we to feare God and that is true Christian affection to be first affected with an holy feare of your owne weaknesse we should be jealous of the sinfull frame of our owne hearts that doubtlesse of themselves are as apt to start aside as any of our brethrens be the want of this as you heard Ieremiah reproved in Iudah and this Paul required of the Romans Be not high minded but feare and what priviledges hath the Church of Rome above others the Apostle knew that the Church of Rome had not received an impossibility of errour in his time he made account in his time if that Israel which was the naturall branch were cut off then be not thou high minded but feare for if they be cut off why maist not thou First therefore lay we our hands upon our owne hearts and see if there be not the like folly in me the same roote of unbeleefe in me or if I be not led to the same am not I led to as great or a greater evill then theirs is This use should we make to our selves Againe we should labour to make benefit to our selves by it looke at your brethren in this case with such an eye as may stirre you up the more to pitty them if they be gone out of the way call him back againe if he lye under his burthen lift him up or if his estate and condition be such as that you can by no meanes have opportunity to speake to him or if you should happily your labour would be in vaine and if you should faile here and cannot reach him yet whether he will or no you may power out your soules to God in his behalfe and so may you doe him good we ought so to doe and not to faile therein and that will be of speciall use to helpe us this way to heare of the sinnes and falls of our brethren is much but to see them is more to see such heavie burthens lye upon his soule that he is not able to subsist in such a case as this there will be a speciall compassion kindled in the heart of a living Christian for living Christians are loving Christians so farre as living so farre loving for the whole life of Christianity is but faith towards God and love towards our brethren Object But say you you would not have us to shut our eyes upon the failings of our brethren but to see and observe them but doth not the Holy Ghost say Love covereth a multitude of sinnes as if we should smother them neither meddle nor make with them Answ But yet though love cover a multitude of sins yet how doth it cover them First with a mantle of wisdome then with a mantle of faithfulnesse and then a mantle of compassion A mantle of wisdome when a man so covers it as not to skin it over Mantle of wisdome but to cover it so effectually as that it may be covered from the eyes of God and man Iam. 5.19 20. this is a wise covering of a multitude of sinnes when a man takes a course not only to cover them from the eyes of men but principally from the Conscience of the sinner himselfe as that in time he be not over-pressed with them and then when he is least able to beare them and so endanger wholly to over-whelme him for let a man goe on in sinne he goes on from day to day and thinkes himselfe fish whole and yet it is neither covered from Gods eye nor from the Conscience of such a soule and in the end it cannot but see it and then so bitterly bewaile it that it is much to be feared he will be quite over-whelmed with it And therefore this a man must have principall respect unto principally to cover his sinne from Gods eye and that it may likewise be so covered as not to be smothered and dawbed but cover it with an healing Plaister so as that in time it may be rooted out that no sprig of such a sinne may remaine there not a mantle of flattery but healing such as whereby they may be carefull to take a course that such evils may be covered with some corrisive Plaister Secondly Mantle of faithfulnesse with a mantle of faithfulnesse not to discover the sinnes of others further then will be of necessity for the healing of them If a man be fallen under his burthen or under his beast and he is not able himselfe to helpe him up he must then call them that are of strength and may be of use to helpe a man in such a case so that if in this case if a mans integrity of heart tells him that he aymes at no more in making knowne his brethrens failings but to helpe his brother out of those falls Prov. 11.13 When a man reveales a matter no further then to gather helpe to restore him it is well but because there is a snare in that a man had need be wary for a man may reveale it with derision and scorne and then though a man should speake it to them that are able to helpe him it would be a sinne to him as you may read Gen. 9.22 23 Noah being drunk and his nakednesse discovered Cam comming and seeing his father thus naked he in a deriding manner goes forth and tells his other two brethren when as he might himself have covered his nakednesse but he doth it not but goes forth and acquaints them and they do what they can to cover it they goe backward and drawes a garment upon him And when he awoke he by a spirit of prophesie knowing what was done he said cursed be Cam for ever and he made him a servant to both his brethren when it was in his power to have covered him but did not but made a jest of it to his brethren he was accursed for it but because they in a modest reverent manner did cover him a blessing fell upon them to this day To shew you that God requires this faithfulnesse in us in this case If we be able to doe it our selves we must not discover it but doe it our selves and let it go no further but if the burthen be too great that he cannot lift it up it is too weighty a matter for him then he may call in those that are able to help him in such a work so as that he do not speak by way of derision but rather with trouble of mind to see him thus foiled Thirdly So also a mantle of compassion Mantle of compassion so as that if so be that a mans brother be brought at length to see his failing and to acknowledge it and shall expresse himselfe that it repents