of a dropsie man to haue much drinke given him or to giue a man much meate that is sicke of the disease we spake of before And therefore sayth he he shall not be satisfied or if he be it shall be in Iudgement Such are these desires and therefore examine thy selfe whether thy desires be not such as proceede from fancy such as proceede not from the health but the weaknesse of the soule Therefore it is said in 1 Tim. 6. that godlinesse is great gaine with contentment How doth godlines giue contentment Beloved after that manner that Physicke giues satisfaction A dropsie man after he is brought into health you know he is contented with lesse drinke for now he is in health God brings the soule to a good temper he takes away the distemper the lustfull humors that were there before and brings him into a right temper it giues him now the content that before he wanted Againe Another objection is If God be All-sufficient for these outward things why am I thus crossed why doe I suffer these afflictions why are they not removed from me To this I answer briefly Thou mayst be deceived in them that which thou makest account is so great an evill to thee it may be for thy great good as we see Ier. 42. that whole Chapter the Captaine there and the rest of the people they reckoned it an exceeding great misery a very great affliction to continue in Ierusalem they had a great desire to goe downe into Egypt but the Lord tels them they were very much deceived for this misery shall be for your good sayth he but if you will needs goe downe into Egypt when you thinke to haue abundance of all things there you shall meete with the Sword and with Famine and with the Pestilence and with vtter destruction So I say in this case we are often times deceived we thinke that to be good for vs which is not Certainly the Lord is All-sufficient he will with-hold no good thing but it is not alwayes good to haue such an afflictioÌ„ removed perhaps it were better for thee to beare it it were better for thee to lye vnder it then that it should be removed we doe in this case many times with the Lord as the children of the Prophets dealt with Elisha they would needs goe to seeke the body of Eliah Elisha forbad them but still they were importunate sayth he if you will needs goe goe but they lost their labour they had better to haue taken his counsell at the first And so in this case many times when the Lord would haue vs to doe such a thing and to be content with the want of such a comfort to be content to suffer such a defect in our estate in our bodies in our businesse we are still importunate with him sometimes he hearkens to vs he suffers the thing to be done but we were as good to want it I would aske thee in this case wouldst thou haue it without thy Fathers good will If thou haue it it will doe thee no good The best way in this is to consider with thy selfe that he is All-sufficient though this afflâ—ction seeme to be exceeding bitter yet it is a cup of thy Fathers providing it is that which the Lord that loues thee hath ordained it is that which the Lord that wants nothing who is able enough to take it from thee and to supply it it is that which he hath seene meete to dispence to thee therefore it is not for want of sufficiencie in him but it is better for thee to suffer the want of this comfort or to lye vnder this crosse or affliction But lastly some will say if the Lord be All-sufficient and I must be subiect to his will why is it not his will to put me into a higher condition why hath he given me but such a measure of gifts but such a meane place but such a quantitie of health of wealth of vnderstanding a mans heart will goe further if there be such riches in God such an All-sufficiency in him why is it not better with me why am I not in a higher condition To this I answer First That he that entereth into Covenant with God he should be content with the lowest place in all the family and be glad that he is within the dore as we see the Prâ—digall did and so the Apostle Paul I am the least of all the Saints and he was contented to be the least A man that hath beene truely humbled and brought home to God that hath tasted and seene how gracious the Lord is that hath had experience of his owne sinne and of Gods goodnesse he will be content with the least measure if he be put into the lowest place if he be made the least of all Saints he will not exalt himselfe aboue that measure and that place that the Lord hath allotted him But besides this Consider secondly further with thy selfe that if thou haue a lower place or condition in this or that thing yet it may be thou hast a higher condition in somewhat else and know this that God giues no man all things but hath mingled his comforts he hath dispensed them diversly as we see in 1 Sam. 1. in that case betweene Hannah and Peninnah Hannah had the loue of her husband but the Lord had made her barren On the other side Peninnah had children but she wanted the loue of her husband it is purposely noted there that you may see how the Lord dispenseth his comforts And so it was with Leah and Rachell the one you know had children and wanted her husbands loue the other had a greater abundance of loue but shee was barren As it was with these so generally the Lord dispenseth good and evill together There is no man that hath all things You see Moses he wanted eloquence that Aaron had as Moses againe had the wisedome that Aaron wanted so Paul and Barnabas they had different excellencies the one had that the other wanted and so it is generally Therefore thinke with thy selfe there is no man that hath all and why should I desire it there must be a mingling of some defects Againe Thirdly Consider with thy selfe that the varieties of the sufficiencies that God giues to men that he placeth some in a higher degree and some in a lower to some he giues greater gifts to some lesser some he makes rich and some poor some honourable and some base this varietie in all the workes of God takes not away from the perfection of each one every man in his place may haue a perfection he may haue it within his spheare so that there shall be no want at all for the Lord out of his almightie power is able to doe it that the desire may be satisfied as much they may be filled in a lower condition as well as in a greater thou shalt feele no more want but
rebellion against it I say this keepes men off from the life of God But on the other side when a man lookes vpon the promises he begins to see the Couenant that his sinnes shall be put a way he beginnes to see the goodnesse and the mercy and the tender compassion of God towards him hee begins to see a possibility of fulfilling the Law in such a manner as GOD now requires then his heart melteth hee becomes not onely applyable to the Commandement but is ready to delight in it this a man gets by applying his heart to the Couenant of grace or by applying the Couenant of Grace to himselfe that very applying of the promises of forgiuenesse I say it begets a disposition in the heart which the Scriptures call a new life that euen as you see the Sunne when it applies its beames to a fitly disposed matter and stayes vpon it when it pitcheth its beames vpon it with any continuance it begins to beget life and motion in it and makes it a liuing creature so doth the Couenant of Grace when it is applyed to the heart of a man it begins to beget life in him and to make him a new creature it makes him another man there is that power in the Couenant of Grace in the promises of the pardon and forgiuenesse of sins that it begets another life in a man it makes him a new creature it makes him a liuing creature to GOD which before he was not the ground of which you shall see 2 Cor. 3. 6. Hee hath made vs able Ministers of the New Testament not of the letter but of the Spirit for the letter kills but the Spirit giues life Marke it the meaning of it is this when the Couenant of works is deliuered to you that is when you heare the Law the Commands the duty you cannot performe there is no more deliuered to you but the bare letter that is you know the duty and no more And what doth this duty doe what doe these Commandements and precepts doe when they are applyed to the heart of man Saith hee they kill Now that which kills fights before it kills and that which fights must needs be an enemy so then the Commandement is an Enemy that is euery man esteemes it as an enemie to himselfe and therefore hath an enemy-like affection to it againe that is he hates it he would be rid of it he wisheth there were no such Law or Commandement hee desires it should be dealt with as he would haue an enemy dealt with he would haue it vtterly taken away when they grow in enmity one with another as indeed they doe the naked Commandement and the heart are at enmity for the Commandement would haue one thing and the heart would haue another there are contrary wils and there is a striuing betweene them the one striuing this way the other that way the one resisting the other and in the end the Law and the Commandement gets the victory because the sting of the Law is sinne now the Law is the cause of sinne as a straight Rule is the cause of crookednesse for without the Law there should be no sin now it causeth sinne for if there were no Law you know there could bee no feare no transgression because there could bee nothing against which the transgression should come this sinne is the death of a man so now the letter kils But come now to the Couenant of Grace saith the Text it is the ministration of the Spirit and the Spirit giues life that is when a man lookes on the Couenant of Grace he lookes not on it now as an enemy as hee did before vpon the Commandement but he sees in it much loue and much friendship to wards him he sees God intends not any hurt any euill to him as he apprehended before he sees God exceeding kinde and mercifull and willing to put away all his sinnes and willing to accept the sincerity of his obedience though there be not a perfection of obedience now he begins to change his opinion both of God and of all his Lawes and precepts when he sees Gods kindnesse towards him and his compassion and readinesse to forgiue him then his heart begins to relent towards the Lord againe he begins to magnifie Gods goodnesse and to condemne himselfe he beleeues those promises and thence he growes vp in loue toward GOD I say hee growes vp in faith and loue and in this act of faith is the Spirit infused into his heart this Spirit being thus infused writes the Law in his inward paâ—ts that is it that breeds in him a holy disposition that inables him in some measure to keepe the Law it prints in him all those graces that giue him strength to obserue the Commandements that God hath given him so my beloued if a man will goe about this great worke to change his heart and to change his life let him not goe about it as a morall man that is let him not onely consider what Commandements there are what the rectitude is that the LORD requires and how to bring his heart to it but let him goe about it as a Christian that is let him beleeue the promises of pardon in the blood of Christ and the very beleeuing of those promises will be able to clense and purge the heart from dead works in that place we then named and we could doe no more but name it you shall finde it Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ which by the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without fault to God purge your consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God The meaning of it is this when a man hath once applyed the blood of Christ for his iustification this effect will follow vpon it there will accompany it a certaine vigour a certaine vertue a certaine power and strength which will also purge his conscience from dead workes that is there shall goe a power of the Holy Ghost together with this blood that shall not onely forbid him and shew him that hee ought not to doe such and such euill things but it shall clense his conscience from those rootes of dead workes those corrupt lusts and sinfull affections that are in him that dispose him to that euill he shall find this power growing vpon him if hee doe but apply the blood that is if he apply the promise of pardon and forgiuenesse through the blood of Iesus Christ. The like you shall see Gal. 3. 5. He that ministreth to you the Spirit and workes miracles amongst you doth he doe it through the workes of the Law or through the hearing of faith preached That is saith the Apostle if I should onely deliuer to you the Commandements and the Precepts and the Rules by which you ought to walke I might preach long enough to you but you should neuer haue ability to keep any of these saith he you may obserue those that preach the Law to you did
the Raigne of David to the latter end and most part of Sauls Raigne And so the sinne of Shemei the sinne was committed long before yet all the time of Davids Raigne after his restoring though the sentence went out against him for he was an accursed man the Lord brought that curse vpon him which he had pronounced against David yet it was notexecuted till a fit â—eason So I say it is with sinne the execution is deferred though the sentence be not deferred Therefore sayth Salomon certainely the wicked shall not prolong his dayes Beloved it is a place worth considering Eccles. 8. 13. Though a sinner doe evill an hundred times and prolong his dayes yet I know it shall goe well with them that feare the Lord and doe reverence before him but it shall not be well with the wicked neither shall he prolong his dayes he shall be like a shadow because he feares not before God This Conclusion he comes to Although sayth he the Lord deferre execution yet it shall not be well with the wicked he shall not prolong his dayes But it will be objected That many evill men doe prolong their dayes they liue long they liue till they be olde and they liue in peace To this I answer That though they doe liue long yet indeede properly they are not said to prolong their dayes because that all that while they are vnripe they are not fit for death So that they are taken before they are fitted to goe hence so they are cut off for substance indeede in the midst of their dayes As an Apple though it hang on the tree long yet if it be taken before it be full ripe it may be said not to hang long on the tree that is it hangs not so long as to ripen it it is taken away in an vntimely manner it is taken away before the season of it So it is here though a wicked man doe prolong his dayes yet still he is taken away before he be ripe before the time of gathering As it is true on the other side that holy men though they be taken away betimes yet they are taken away when they haue finished their dayes he doth prolong his dayes though he die when he is young because he is ripe before he is taken from the tree he is now in a fit season And this is the meaning of that when he sayth certainely it shall be ill with him that feares not God though he doe prolong his dayes though execution should be deferred I should adde more as this for another but I will but name it Doth one condition fall to all both good and bad Then you may gather hence that all the good things and all the evill things that befall vs in this life they are neither truely good nor truely evill they are but shadowes of both for if the Lord send adversitie vpon good men if he send prosperitie to evill men If there were true evill in adversitie God would never doe it if there were any true goodnesse in prosperitie he would never doe it but when he dispenceth these things so promiscuously it is an argument they are not such as men account them they are but shadowes of good things and of evill Larvae et spectra c. that is they are not the substance of good things neither of good nor evill Let not righteous men therefore say they are miserable when they fall into any kinde of outward miserie whatsoever the condition be it is not evill if it were it should never befall thee Agâ—ine let not a wicked man say he is happie because of his outward condition for if it were truely good thou shouldest never inioy it When God dispenceth those things so promiscuously it is an argument that they are neither good nor evill that is that there is no substance of true good or evill in them And so againe if they fall out so promiscuously then you can judge neither of loue nor of hatred by them that is a man is not to thinke that because the Lord afflicts him therefore he withdrawes himselfe from him or because he giues outward prosperitie to another that therefore his hand and his favour is with him for you see he dispenceth these things diversly he dispenceth them to all in such a promiscuous manner that you cannot say this is proper to the one or to the other An Hoast may entertaine a stranger with better foode then he giues his children with the daintiest of that he hath yet he keepes the best portion for his children and God may doe much for those that are strangers to him but he giues better prosperitie to his children though they fare hard here though they tast no good thing a long time yet the portion he reserveth for them which portion and blessed inheritance he of his great mercy reserue for every one of vs and conferre vpon vs for the mediation of his deare SONNE IESVS CHRIST the righteous So much for this time FINIS THE THIRD SERMON ECCLESIASTES 9. 11. 12. I returned and sawe vnder the Sunne that the race is not to the swift nor the battell to the strong neither yet bread to the wise nor yet riches to men of vnderstanding nor yet favour to men of skill but time and chance happeneth to them all For man also knoweth not his time as the fishes that are taken in an evill net and as the birds that are caught in the snare so are the sonnes of men snared in an evill time when it falleth suddenly vpon them THE last time wee spake to you we handled the first and second verses of this Chapter whence there may be this Objection made against Gods All-sufficiencie All things come alike to all to the iust and to the wicked c. And indeed when â—en see this Conclusion that it is to the wicked according to the worke of the iust and to the iust according to the worke of the wicked it must needes stand as a strong objection against the doctrine of Gods All-sufficiencie How that objection is answered hath beene fully declared to you Now there comes another objection like the former Because all things come alike to all sayth the Wiseman but there he names onely the good and the bad the holy and the vnholy men will be readie to say as every man is howsoever holinesse and vnholinesse make not this difference in the event of things yet the naturall strength of men their naturall weaknesse their naturall abilitie or their vnabilitie their wisedome or their folly that disposeth or indisposeth men in the event of things And therefore the Wiseman when he had finished that former conclusion whereof we spake that there is one event to the good and bad he fals vpon the second vanitie that he saw vnder the Sun that not onely as he sayth All things come alike to all that is to the holy and vnholy but likewise to those that haue naturall
Lord but not an All-sufficiencie this is the cause why the hearts of men are hollow towards the Lord. Even as when a man lookes towards a great man that is a man ofsome power able to doe him hurt and that hath some abilitie to doe him good this makes him to feare it makes him carefull to please him and to abstaine from what may offend him yet because he thinkes he is not perfect with him that his heart is but hollow towards him he doth it not fully So it is in our walking before God Because we apprehend him not to be All-sufficient therefore it is that our hearts are not perfect with him We shall best shew you this in instances for example What is the reason that a man is discouraged in seeking to God in praying to God in depending vpon God in any great case of difficultie where there is more then ordinarie difficultie there is more to be suffred there is more to be done what is the reason of it because we apprehend him not to be All-sufficient You know the turning of men away from God commonly it ariseth from this they meete with some rub some crosses some barre Some Lyon in the way which they are not able to grapple with it is too strong for them and then they turne out of the way the reason I say of all sinne and departure from the Lord is because we doe not apprehend him to be All-sufficient for if we did why should not a man in an easie case turne from him as well as in the most difficult As for example David followed the Lord long yet when Saul grew exceeding strong and he very weake then he stepped aside and sayd in his heart I shall perish one day and so he goes out of Gods wayes and flyeth to Achis to the Philistines This was from hence that he did not apprehend the Lord to be All-sufficient and Almightie for the word signifieth both And so likewise Moses Numb 11. what was the reason that he started aside that he did not beleeue as at other times When God sayd to him that he would giue them flesh for a moneth together what sayth Moses againe Shall six hundred thousand men be fed with flesh shall all the Beeues and Sheepe be slaine or shall all the fish in the Sea be gathered together He could not beleeue the Lord here was a difficultie that Moses was not able to reach that there should be so many fed with flesh and that in the wildernes and that for a moneth together he thought it impossible to be done that all the fish in the Sea should be gathered together and all little enough to serue such a turne Now marke the Lords answer there is the Lords hand shortened You may know by the medicine what the disease was Moses sayth he thou thinkest I am not able to doe it thou thinkest my hand is shortened that I cannot doe it And the like was when he came to draw water out of the rocke you shall see Moses there stucke for the case was a case of difficulty If it had beene out of the earth where there had beene probabilitie it had not beene so much but Moses makes two arguments against it you know how great the sinne was for the which he lost going into the Land of Canaan I say he makes these two arguments against it First sayth he the people are rebels and will the Lord giue them water that haue carried themselues in such a manner that was one thing that caused his infidelitie at that time Another was What shall I give you water out of the rocke As if he should say That is a difficult thing So that put these two together out of the rocke and vnto rebels there his fayth fayled for it was difficult and whence came this because he thought the Lord was not All-sufficient And so likewise Martha and Marie when they came to Christ for Lazarus when he was dead they were out of hope the reason was because there was a difficultie now more than before so that I say the cōmon cause of our turning aside from the Lord is because we meete with some difficulties which our faith is not able to grapple with and it ariseth from hence that we forget this that the Lord saith to Abraham I am God All-mightie or All-sufficient I am able to doe whatsoever I will Besides this what is the cause that men seeke after vaine-glory that they are subiect to enuie the spirit that is in vs is subiect to envie for everyman envieth another because he desireth vaine-glory too much to himselfe this ariseth from hence that he reckoneth not God to be All-sufficient That is If we did reckon it enough to haue praise with God if we thought that his knowledge of our vprightnesse were sufficient though no man in the world knew it besides we would be content with that honour that we haue which he hath allotted to vs within our owne compasse but because we thinke him not to be All-sufficient we would haue somthing likewise from the creature we would haue honour loue and respect from men which sinne ariseth hence that we apprehend not him to be All-sufficient so doth that likewise which is contrary to it for sinnes of the same nature they arise both frō the same groūd when men are so sencible of shame and reproach and disgrace and disparagement doth it not arise hence that we reckon mans day too much and Gods day too little We apprehend not God enough in his greatnesse as the Apostle saith I reckon not to be iudged by mans day As if he should say It is but a day it is but a time that man hath to judge there is another day the Lords day that great day If a man did apprehend that which is in God if he did see his All-sufficiency he would not regard to be judged by mans day as long as he were not judged by the Lord he would not care what his fellow-prisoners thought of him as long as the Iudge and the Law cleared him And so likewise what is the reason of the vneven wayes of men which they take to bring their enterprises to passe is it not hence that they apprehend not God to be All-sufficient David when he was in a strait when the Kingdome you know was promised him and many opportunities he had to haue gotten it if he would haue vsed evill meanes when sometimes the Lord put Saul into his hands yet would not touch him but committed it to the Lord for he thought him to be almightie able to bring it to passe as also he did bring it to passe And so likewise Daniell there might haue beene meanes vsed for him to haue escaped you know how he was in danger when he refused to eate of the Kings meate he was in danger againe when they obtained of the King that is any man did make any request to any God or man
For if it be so thou oughtest to say thus with thy selfe it is best for me to be so You wil say how shall we do to be perswaded of it Beloved there are many instances where in we are in such a condition which we thinke worst for our selues which many times is the best nay alwayes it is best for every man that is in covenant with God For this rule must be kept he is All-sufficient to his children and they finde him so he hath performed it and made it good to their experience and therefore whensoever they finde any want it is best for them to be so It is not either defect in the power of God or in the loue of God for example Abraham thought it a hard thing a great crosse that he was put to expell Ishmaell his sonne whom he loved Was it not better for Abraham had he not another sonne that was fitter for him borne of his owne Wife And so Moses thought it a hard thing to be barred from comming into the land of Canaan but what lost he by it was he not led into a better Canaan into Paradise into a more glorious condition So likewise when he went downe into Egypt if he had had a tongue of eloquence given him to his will that would haue satisfied him but was it not better for Moses to haue a stammering tongue and yet to haue the worke done as well Aaron and he being joyned together For by that meanes Moses was kept humble and his loue likewise was increased For that mutuall indigence knits men together when they haue need one of another In like manner David had an exceeding great desire to build the Temple when it was not the Lords will that he should doe it was he a looser by it David was at that time not fit to haue done it he was not able to haue done it as circumstances were but was he a looser by it had not he a house built him as well as if he had built the house of God had not he as great a reward as if he had performed it So likewise in the losse of his childe it was exceeding grievous to him yet was it not better that that childe should be taken away and that another ther should be given him that was legitimate Did not the Lord recompence it abundantly to him when Salomon was given to him in his stead And so Paul he was exceeding desirous to be freed from that temptation which no doubt was very grievous to him that did gall and vexe his minde continually even as a pricking of the flesh doth yet it was much better for Paul it was not because God was not All-sufficient either in power or in loue to him but he was an exceeding great gainer by that meanes he was emptied of himselfe for that is the scope of God in the wayes of his providence towards his children even to magnifie himselfe towards them which cannot be without emptying them of themselues by discovering to them their owne insufficiencie and that is done partly by affliction and partly by sinne but chiesly by sinne because that workes more immediately vpon man it makes him to see how little excellencie and how little worth there is in him it makes him againe to see the glorie and the power and the purenesse of God to magnifie him and to humble himselfe this Paul got by it and it was better for him he was in a better condition by it Therefore I say this conclusion must be set downe that the Lord is All-sufficient and when we fall short of any thing that we desire lay it not vpon God that the Lord is short of his performance of any promise that he compasseth vs not about with mercie on every side as much as we need that he delivers vs not from every evill for he will make that good alway that no good thing shall be wanting to them that lead a godly life He is a Sunne and a shield to them And whensoever it is otherwise it is because it is not best for them but this is a digression the thing we haue to doe for all this is but a preparation is to perswade you now that the Lord is All-sufficient as we told you we handle this poynt first because it is a preparatiue to the rest It shewes you of what moment it will be so to be perswaded and of what evill consequence it is not to be so perswaded Now I will adde a word of the second poynt that God is All-sufficient To proue that he is so I will propound to you but these two reasons First consider that all that is in the creature all the comforts all the excellencie all the beautie that is to be found in them it is but borrowed and derived God is the primitiue he is the originall he is the first the vniversall cause the generall cause of all hence we gather this that there is an All-sufficiencie in him and in him onely he is All-sufficient exclusiuely so that no creature hath any sufficiencie at all in it selfe for Beloved you must know that the creature addes nothing at all to his sufficiencie but all sufficiency is comprehended in him for if they be all derived and borrowed things then they are in the creature but as farre as it pleaseth him to communicate the same to them now that it is so see Ier. 2. 13. My people sayth the Lord haue committed two evils they haue for saken me the fountaine of living waters and secondly haue digged to themselues pits that hold no water Where we may briefly obserue First that God is the spring from whom all comforts come originally the pits you know haue the water but borrowed and derived from the fountaine secondly there is something in this that he calleth them pits that is the comfort in the creature is a mixed comfort it is like water in a pit it is muddie and not pure and cleare like the water in the fountaine That is the comfort that comes meerely from the creature if you receiue any comfort in the creature and Gods hand be not in it it is alway mixed with some sorrow with some evill but if it come from the Lord it is a pure comfort he giues riches and no sorrow with them Thirdly the comfort that is in the creature it is but a dead comfort cōpared to that which is in the Lord and therefore he is sayd to be a fountaine of living water that is running water The comfort that is in the creature it is able to doe little it is quickly spent and when it is spent there is no more in it but the comfort that is in God it is like water that commeth out of the spring which is still renewed from day to day and therefore it is called living water there is no end of it but still it flowes more and more Last of all they are broken pits that cannot hold the
easily beleeue a smaller sinne to be forgiven Therefore certainly men doubt of his power whether he be able to forgiue for if the difference of sinne doe cause in you vnbeliefe it could not be that you should pitch vpon the power of God and his readines to forgiâ—e Therefore it is certaine that it is his power that is called in question and therefore the thing we haue to do is to make this good to you that the Lord is able to forgiue But you will say to me It is true If it were a matter of power I make no question Beloved you shall finde it a matter of power take a man Is it not a matter of strength in him to forgiue to passe by an infirmitie If it be strength in a man to be meeke to forgiue and to passe by iniuries to be kinde to those that be vnkinde to him Is it not also power in God to doe so Besides is it not a power to be rich Riches giue a man a potencie and the Lord is said to be rich in mercy That is As a man that is rich though he giue much yet he is not exhausted So when you haue made thus much vse of Gods mercy yet still there is more behinde still there is more and more mercy for you there is a spring of mercy there is no end of it Besides as there is a power in his wrath Who knowes the power of his wrath so likewise there is a power in his mercy as we see Rom. 9. 22. 23. it is a place worth the considering for this purpose What if God to shew his wrath and to make his power known will suffer with long patience the vessels of wrath prepared for destructioÌ„ And the next verse is thus to be read otherwise you cannot make the sence perfect and what if he would also to shew the greatnesse of his power declare the riches of his glory vpon the vessels of mercy that he hath prepared to glory Marke as God shewes the greatnes of his power in executing wrath vpon evill men so he shewes the exceeding greatnesse of his power and declares his glorious riches That is The riches of his mercy vpon the Saints Now as it is hard to finde out the depth of the one so it is to finde out the depth of the other to consider the height the length and bredth and depth of his mercy When a man considers his sinnes and lookes vpon them in the height of them in the bredth and depth of them when he sees a heape of sinne piled vp together reaching vp to the heavens and downe againe to the bottom of hell now to beleeue that the mercy of God is higher then these sinnes and that the depth of his mercy is deeper then they This is to comprehend the length and bredth depth of mercy in him Ephes. 3. This is exceeding hard and a great thing for vs to doe but yet this the Lord is able to doe his mercy is able to swallow them vp and therefore you shall finde this expression in Iames 2. mercy reioyceth against Iudgement As if he should say There is a certaine contention betweene the sins that we commit and the mercy of God though our sinnes oppose his mercy yet his mercy is greater and at length it overcomes them and reioyceth against them as a man reioyceth against an adversary that he hath subdued Therefore herein we must labour to see Gods All-sufficiencie that although our sins be exceeding great yet the largenes of his mercy is able to swallow them vp But you will say to me we could beleeue this if we were qualified but all the difficultie is to beleeue it when we want those qualifications God requires softnesse of heart godly sorrow truth of repentance c. Beloved to this I answer briefly that whaâ—soever thou seest that discourageth thee that thou seest in thine owne heart when thou reflectest vpon it it is either sinne or emptinesse That is A want of that righteousnes that should be in thee If it be sinne the greatnesse of his mercy is able to swallow it vp And if it be emptinesse know this that he is rich in mercy and All-sufficient able to bestow this riches even vpon nothing you know he did bestow all the glory of the creature on it when it was nothing There was nothing you know when he made the world when he made â—he Angels what was it he bestowâ—d his riches vpon And is he not able to bestow it on thee though there be an emptines in thine heart Therfore thinke with thy selfe what is the exceeding 〈◊〉 of his loue It was a great loue that moved him to give Christ to vs but after we are in Christ then you must consider this â—hat his loue hath increased to a full object his loue is fully bestowed on him and is derived from Christ to vs. 〈…〉 sinnes yea all the degrees of my sinnes to overcome them and â—ubdue them yet if the fulnesse of his loue that he loues Christ with be derived on me what neede I make question But you will say againe What needs this perswasion of Gods All-sufficiencie in forgiving This is but to open a dore of liberty to make men more loose Beloved it is not so it is the most profitable thing yoâ— can doe for your owne soules to beleeue his All-sufficiencie in forgiving sinnes as well as his All-sufficiencie in any thing besides therefore we see in Rom. 6. concerning the abounding of grace for so the objection stands where sinne hath aboâ—nded there grace hath abounded much more If mens sinnes be multiplied grace and mercy shall be multiplied much more and still out-goe and swallow them vp Shall we therefore sinne that grace may abound or because grace hath abounded No sayth the Apostle for the abundance of grace kils sinne for so the consequence stands how shall we that are dead to sinne liâ—e any longer therein So that his answer stands thus Sayth he the abundance of grace doth not cause men to sinne more for it kils sinne And therefore the more we beleeue this All-sufficiencie in God to forgiue sinne the more sinne is killed in vs it is not enlarged by it life is not given to sinne by it but we are made more dead to sinne by it You will say how can that be Because the beleeving of Gods All-sufficiencie in forgiving our sinnes increaseth our loue and our Ioy. It increaseth our loue for when there is no scruple in our hearts of Gods loue towards vs it makes our loue more perfect towards him It increaseth our joy also because when we haue a full assurance of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes that fils the heart with joy and peace in the holy Ghost Now spirituall loue eates out of the heart all carnall delights all sinfull lusts and all inordinate loue vnto the creature And so likewise spirituall joy takes away
confidently the Church should be delivered but he knew not how but sayth he if it be not by thy hands thou shalt fare the worse for it but certainly sayth he deliverance shall come to the Church one way or other God is All-sufficient Herevpon she resolueth saying in effect whatsoever be the consequence I will doe it it is my dutie And you know God shewed himselfe All-sufficient in delivering her and him and all the people of the Iewes So I say if thou wouldst finde out whether thy heart beleeue all this that is delivered whether thou doe practise it or no Consider if thou canst doe it now or no Consider what thy dutie is vpon every occasion never looke to the consequence either to the losse of preferments of riches or favour for God is All-sufficient he can bring it in Be it againe on the other side such crosses and losses are like to follow vpon it yet he is All-sufficient so that thou dost it more or lesse according to thy opinion of his All-sufficiencie So much for this time FINIS THE SIXTH SERMON GENESIS 17. 1. Walke before me and be thou perfect WE haue alreadie finished the first part of these words God is All-sufficient Which words containe the Covenant on Gods part I will be All-sufficient which here is expressed in the generall but in other places more particularly as I shewed you then when we handled the words The other part of the words containeth the Covenant or condition required on our part Walke before me and be thou perfect God will be All-sufficient vnto vs that is his promise and he requires of vs that we should be perfect with him he will be All-sufficient to them that depend vpon him he will be wholly theirs that will be wholly his So the maine point that we haue to handle is that which God requires on our parts without which we haue no interest in his Covenant namely that we be sincere and perfect but before I come to handle this poynt which is the maine I will touch an observation or two by the way And first from the Connexion I am God All-sufficient therefore walke before me and be thou perfect I will but touch it because I handled the negatiue part of it at large This we may obserue that Every man is more or lesse perfect as he is more or lesse perswaded of Gods All-sufficiencie You see that is made the ground of our perfect walking with God that we beleeue him to be All-sufficient and therefore I say as our perswasion of that is more or lesse so every man more or lesse is perfect with God That is Looke how a mans faith in Gods promises and in his providence is more or lesse looke how he hath found by his experience God to be more sufficient to him or lesse so is every mans walking with God more or lesse perfect The reason of which is partly because it is Gods argument when God vseth any argument looke how farre that takes place in the heart looke how farre the vnderstanding is convinced of it so farre it prevailes also with the will and affections and so farre it prevailes with the practise and conversation of a mans life When God shall make this the ground of our perfectnes so farre I say as a man is convinced of it so farre as he is perswaded of it so farre it will prodâ—ce this effect to make him perfect and sincere in his walking with God Againe partly the reason of it is because it heales that which is the cause of all our vnperfectnesse self- and vnevennesse which is self-selfe-loue The reason why men walke not constantly and perfectly with God is because they loue themselues inordinately they thinke to provide better for themselues when a man is fully perswaded of Gods All-sufficiencie it answers all those false reasonings all those deceitfull arguments that self-selfe-loue is readie to bring to vs vpon every occasion there is no man departs from God but he thinkes at that time it is better for him so to doe when it shall be answered him God is All-sufficient it is better for thee to keepe in the straite way if thou seeke thy selfe by disobeying of him it shall be worse for thee let all the false reasonings of selfe-loue be answered and the heart must needs be perfect The Vse of it in briefe is that we should labour to be perswaded of this truth and apply it to make vse of it vpon every occasion when any command is presented vnto vs when any thing is to be done run to this principle to be perswaded of Gods All-sufficiencie that shall helpe thee to doe every dutie that shall preserue thee from every sinne for example God hath commanded vs to deny our selues in our profit in our credit and our pleasures and many times it comes that we are to performe this dutie in particular cases consider seriously then of the strength of this principle that God is All-sufficient it will make thee able to doe the dutie throughly What though thou be a looser in thy credit if God be All-sufficient he is able to make it vp What though thou be a looser in thy profit as Amaziah was is not he able to giue thee fourescore talents sayth the Prophet to him What though thou be a looser in thy pleasures that thou loose or want the pleasures of sinne for a season is not he able to make it vp with peace of conscience and ioy in the holy Ghost And so againe We are commanded to take vp our daily crosse and not to take base sinfull courses to avoyd crosses and troubles and afflâ—ctions when we meete with them in right and straight wayes and surely the way to performe this dutie is to be perswaded of Gods All-sufficiencie let a man thinke that God is able to defend and carry him out that he is able to keepe him in the time of those sufferings that it is he that keepes the keyes of the prison doore that opens and shuts when he pleaseth it is he that makes whole and makes sicke the issues of life and death belong to him Every mans iudgement though he seeke the face of the Ruler yet it is from hiâ— let men consider that it is not the creature that inflicts any crosse or affliction or punishment vpon vs but it is he that doth it by the creature and that will inable a man to beare any crosse to passe through all varietie of conditions and not to divert from a straight way but to goe through the storme when he meets with it And so we may say of every other dutie to exercise the duties of our particular callings not for our owne good but for the good of others Beloved this is a speciall thing men loose their liues they loose that blessed opportunitie they haue to grow rich in good workes that when every day they might adde much to their treasure to their reckoning
the Couenant or no You shall know it by this How did Abraham know whether he was in the Couenant or how will you know whether Abraham or any other were saith the Text Abraham beleeued God and therefore God reckoned him as a man that was righteous and accepted him to bee a partaker of the Couenant and so if thou beleeue it is certaine then thou art within the Couenant but how shall a man know that Gal. 5. 5. Neither Circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue If thou canst finde this now that thou art able to take Iesus Christ to take him as a LORD and Sauioâ—r thou art able to beleeue all the Couenant of Grace thou art by that put into the Couenant But how shall a man know whether this faith be right or no for you know there is a false dead and counterfeit faith if it be right thou shalt finde it to be of a working and liuely nature but many times we may bee deceiued in that A woman many times thinkes she is with childe but if she finde no motion nor stirring it is an argument she was deceiued So when a man thinkes that hee hath faith in his heart but yet he finds no life no motion no stirring there is no worke proceeding from his faith it is an argument he was mistaken hee was deceiued in it for if it be a right faith it will worke there will be life and motion in it As Abrahams faith you see it enabled him to doe whatsoeuer GOD appointed him to offer his sonne to excommunicate Ismael when GOD bid him cast him out though hee loued Ismael exceeding dearely yet he did it and did it readily so whatsoeuer God bade him doe here was a working faith But yet a little further a man may be yet deceiued in this a mans faith may worke and an Hypocrite may doe many workes if it bee but bare working a man may bee deceiued and therefore this is added further it workes by loue Beloued a man may doe exceeding many duties as you know hee may suffer Martyrdome he may giue all to the poore hee may be a very diligent Preacher of the Gospell for Paul saith I may speake with the tongue of men and Angels I may giue my goods to the poore I may giue my body to be burned and yet if these great workes be done without loue they are nothing But on the other side if you finde this that you doe but the least worke if it be but to giue a cup of cold water and doe it out of loue if you abstaine from one sinne if you ouercome any one lust whatsoeuer that is deare and neare to you because you loue Iesus Christ if you set your selues vpon any worke vpon any imployment and endeauour and thy heart witnesseth this to thee it is because I loue the LORD and desire exceedingly to please him he is one that I would faine haue communion with my delight is in him therefore I doe these workes for it is my meate and drinke to doe his will now thou art on a sure ground now thou maist know thou art within the Couenant for thou beleeuest as Abraham did and therefore thou art within the Couenant as hee was thou maist know it because thy faith workes and then thou maist know that it workes right because it is done by loue Well yet there is another way to know this that is in thy seede saith the Text shall all the Nations of the world bee blessed if a man be then ingrafted into this seede into the Messiah once then he shall bee blessed if once he belong to him Well how shall a man know that If thou haue receiued the Spirit of the Son for whosoeuer is in Christ hath receiued the Spirit of Christ if he haue not receiued the Spirit of Christ he is not in him Consider whether you haue receiued the Spirit of the Sonne the Spirit of the promised seede that is thou art made like Christ by the Spirit for the Spirit will assimulate thee and renew this Image in thee he makes thee such another in some degree as he is yea he will not onely doe this but he will witnesse to thee that he is thy God and that thou art of those that are partakers of the Couenant and therefore that is the way to finde it out that is the thing I intend to insist vpon to finde out whether you haue this Spirit you shall finde it this is the great marke that the Apostle Paul insists vpon still in all his Epistles by which a man may know whether he be within the Couenant or no still it is this we haue receiued the Spirit and the Spirit seales vs to the day of redemption we are established and sealed by the Spirit of promise and wee haue receiued the Spirit which is an earnest c. Now to know whether you haue the Spirit I will commend these two places of Scripture to you to consider one is Rom. 8. 15. You haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but the spirit of Adoption whereby you cry Abba Father the same spirit beares witnesse with our spirits that wee are the sonnes of GOD. The other you shall finde 1 Iohn 5. 8. And there are three that beare record in Earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one If you would finde out whether you haue the spirit of the Sonne or no you shall know it by these three In the Antecedents the Concomitants and the Consequents The Antecedent is the Spirit of bondage beloued that of necessity must goe before so that if thou neuer hadst the spirit of bondage certainely thou hast not yet receiued the spirit of the Sonne for the Apostle speakes of it heere as the common condition to all Christians they doe not receiue the spirit of bondage againe you had it once but now you haue the spirit of Adoption I say euery man must haue this spirit of bondage and the ground of it is this because no man can come to Christ except the Law be a Schoolemaster to bring him to Christ now the Law is not a Schoolemaster it teacheth no man except the spirit of bondage worke feare except the spirit of bondage put an edge vpon the Law put a Sword into the hand of the Law to pricke the heart to wound the heart as it is said Acts 2. this is the spirit of bondage Beloued you may heare the Law and the threatnings and curses applyed to you 10000. times ouer and yet no feare be bred in you except the spirit of bondage ioyne with it that makes it effectuall Now in the Law are included iudgements and afflictions which are but the execution of the Law sometimes it goes with the Law it selfe somtimes with the iudgement and afflictions it is the spirits of bondage that must goe with both as for example when it thundred rained in
Wheat-haruest 1 Sam. 12 the people feared exceegingly and Ezra 10. when there was an exceeding great raine the people did exceedingly tremble and you know in that Earthquake though all were safe Act. 16. and there was no cause why he should be so vnquiet yet we see how the Goaler was amazed his heart was wounded this was not for these particular Iudgements there might bee a great raine there might be a great Earthquake and thunder in Wheat-haruest and yet mens hearts little moued but there went a spirit of bondage that bred a feare in them this is that I say no man can come to Christ without the Law either in it selfe or in afflictions which are but the executioners of it and these are not effectuall without the spirit of bondage and there is a very great reason for it because otherwise wee should neuer know the loue of Christ he that hath not knowne what the meaning of this spirit of bondage is what these feares are what these terrours of conscience are in some measure knowes not what Christ hath suffered for him or what deliuerance hee hath had by him besides he will not be applyable to Christ But I will not stand more vpon this Hast thou not had the spirit of bondage I say surely if thou hast not tâ—sted of this Christ hath not sowne the seed of grace in thy heart doth any man sow before he hath plowed doth any man make a new impression before there bee an oblâ—tâ—ration of the old Beloued before the heaâ—t be meâ—ted wâ—th 〈◊〉 the spirit of bondage there is no sence of a new spirit to make a new impression vpon it I confesse it is different it is sometimes more sometimes lesse but all haue it more or lesse sometimes the Medicine goes so close with the reuealing of sinne and of Iudgement that it is not so much discerned sometimes againe God meanes to bestow vpon some men a great measure of grace and therfore he giues them a greater measure of the spirit of bondage because God meanes to teach them more to prize Christ he meanes more to baptize them with the baptisme of the Holy Ghost and therefore hee baptizeth them with a greater measure of the spirit of bondage they shall drinke deeper of that spirit because his intention is that they shall drinke deeper of the spirit of Adoption and therefore Christ takes it for an argument concerning the Woman when he saw she loued exceeding much surely she had a great measure of the spirit of bondage she was much wounded for her sinnes there had beene exceeding much forgiuen her in her apprehension and so was Paul exceedingly wounded you know This must goe before The things which goe together with it are these three the testimony of the blood of the water and of our owne spirits First beloued there is the testimony of the blood there are three that beare record in the Earth the spirit the water and the blood though the spirit be set first as it is vsuall amongst the Hebrewes and in the Scriptures to put the last first if a man would know now whether hee be in Christ whether he hath receiued the promised seede or no let him consider first whether hee hath beleeued in the blood that is there is a word of promise that saith thus to vs there is a Sacrifice that is offered there is the blood of the Lambeshed from the beginning of the world and this blood shall wash thee from all thy sinnes when a man stands to consider this promise beloued this promise bath two things in it there is the truth of it and the goodnesse of it a man doth with Abraham beleeue the truth of it he beleeues God and saith it is true I beleeue it but withall there is a goodnesse in it and therefore as the vnderstanding saith it is true so the will saith it is good and therefore he takes it and embraceth it and is exceeding greedy of it for when the spirit of bondage makes a man feare it empties a man of all righteousnesse as a man empties a Caske that there is nothing left in it when it puls away all other props and stayes from it it leaues a man in this case that he sees nothing in the world to saue him but the blood of Christ when a man sees this hee takes fast hold of that he will not let it goe for any thing and though it be told him you shall haue many troubles and crosses you must part with all you haue you shall haue somewhat hereafter but you shall haue little for the present he cares not though it costs him his life so he may haâ—e this blood to wash away his sins it is enough this he layes fast hold vpon Beloued when a man doth this at that very houre he is entred into Couenant he is translated from death to life he hath now receiued the promised seede and he shall be blessed for God hath said it and sworne it and it cannot be otherwise and this is the testimony of the blood when a man can say I know I haue taken and applyed the blood of Christ I rest vpon it I beleeue that my sinnes are forgiuen I graspe it I receiue it this is the testimony of the blood Now when a man hath tooke the blood What shall he continue in filthinesse now and walke after the lusts of his former ignorance No the Lord comes not by blood onely but by water also that is by sanctification that is he sends the Spirit of sanctification that cleanseth and washeth his seruants that washeth away not onely the outward filthinesse but the euill nature the swinish nature that they desire no more to wallow in the myre as before for the Lord will not haue a sluttish Church and therefore Eph. 5. he washeth his Church and clenseth it he washeth euery man in the Church from top to toe there is not one place in the soule not one place in the conuersation but it is rensed in this water and then when a man comes to finde this that he hath not onely found the blood of Christ applyed to him by faith but hath found that he hath been able to purifie himselfe and by the worke of Christs Spirit ioyning with him when he goes about to purge himselfe that helpes to cleanse his conscience from dead workes There is the second testimony Now follows the testimony of our own spirits that gathers conclusions from both these and saith thus Since I haue receiued the blood and seeing I am able to purifie my selfe I conclude I am in a good estate I am a partaker of the Couenant if a man could say this truely it is said whosoeuer beleeues shall be saued but I beleeue this is the testimony of the blood onely but when a man can say I doe labour to purifie my selfe I desire nothing in the world so much I doe it in good earnest this is the testimony of the water to
this signe and testimony of the blood which shewes that it is true it is a linely hope for he that hath a liuely hope hee purifies himselfe 1 Ioh. 3. But some man may say This testimony of a mans owne spirit may deceiue him I answer it cannot because though it be called the testimony of our owne spirit yet it is a spirit enlightned it is a spirit sanctified with the Spirit of Christ and then that Rule is true 1 Ioh 3. If our owne heart condemne not that is if the heart of a man enlightned if the heart of a man with which the Holy Ghost ioynes if the heart of a man sanctified doe not condemne him if hee haue the testimony of this Spirit he shall be saued he needs not doubt it he hath boldnesse towards GOD then againe hee must consider this worke the testimony of the Spirit the water and the blood and these three agree in one it is not the testimony of the Spirit alone but it is the testimony of the water ioyned with it if it were but the testimony of one indeed the ground were not good but they all agree in one and therefore if thou haue one sure to thee it is enough These are the things which goe before and accompany it Now followes the testimony of Gods spirit which we shall see described besides the places I named to you Eph. 1. Wherein after you beleeued you were sealed with the spirit of promise My beloued when a man hath beleeued and tooke lesus Christ secondly when hee hath washed and purified himselfe that is hee hath gone about this worke and so his owne spirit gathers a testimony hence that he is in a good estate after he hath thus beleeued then saith he comes the Holy Ghost and seales the same things vnto you that is the LORD leaues a man alone a while as it were to champ vpon the bridle as I may say he lets a man alone to some doubts and feares that so hee may purge himselfe the more carefully but after a time when a man hath put to his seale that God is true then the LORD seales him againe with the spirit of promise that is the LORD sends the spirit into his heart and that spirit giues witnesse to him and when he hath put to his seale that GOD is true then the LORD puts to his seale and assures him that hee hath receiued him to mercy You will say What is this seale or witnesse of the Spirit My beloued it is a thing that wee cannot expresse it is a certaine diuine impression of light a certaine vnexpressible assurance that we are the sonnes of God a certaine secret manifestation that God hath receiued vs and put away our sinnes I say it is such a thing that no man knowes but they that haue it you shall finde it expressed by all these places of Scripture Reu. 3. If any man will open to mee I will come in and sup with him that is when the Lord enters into a kinde of familiarity with a man when he vouchsafes him so much fauour as to come and suppe and dine with him as it were and to dwell with him and so Reâ— 2. 17. To him that ouercommeth will I giue of the hidden Mannah I will giue a white stone with a new name written in it tâ—at no man knowes but he that hath it that is there shall bee a secret priuy token as it were of my loue giuen him a secret marke of it that there is no man in the world knowes besides So Ioh. 14. 21. If any man loue mee and keepe my Commandements I will shew my selfe to him that is hee shall haue an extraordinary manifestation of my selfe hee shall haue such an expression of loue and peace that shall fill his heart with peace and ioy such a thing that no man knowes but himselfe Beloued this is the testimony of the Spirit I confesse it is a wondrous thing and if there were not some Christians that did feele it and know it you might beleeue there were no such thing that it were but a fancie or enthusiasme but beloued it is certaine there are a generation of men that know what this seale of the Lord is indeed you must remember this to distinguish it from all fancies and delusions this Spirit comes after you haue the water and the blood after you are beleeuers after you haue purged your selues and therefore if any man haue such flashes of light and ioy that witnesse that hee hath receiued the promise and that he is in the Couenant and for all this he haue not the things that goe before it now thou maist take it for a delusion I will come and sup with him but with whom with him that first openeth to me If thou open thy heart to the Lord whensoeuer hee knocks and comes to thee And so To him that ouercomes I will giue of the hidden Mannah If thou be one that art able to ouercome temptations and vnruly affections sinfull lusts thou maist conclude it is a true testimony that thou arâ— not deceiued but if thou be one that art ouercome with euery base lust with euery temptation thou art deceiued if thou art perswaded thou art in a good estate this is not the witnesse of the Spirit for it is to him that ouercomes So againe to him that loues me and keepes my CommandemeÌ„ts c. Now if thou be one that breaks the CoÌ„mandements of God that find'st not that holy fire in thy brest that find'st not thy heart affectioned to him and yet thou hast tâ—ese great flashes of assurance and tâ—inkst thy state good beloued you deceiue your selues whose case soeuer it is the Lord hath not shewed himselfe to thee bâ—t it is a delusion a fancy and therefore I say consider it and this is the consequent of it that he that hath it is able to pray So I will conclude all he is able to cry Abba Father If thou haue such an assurance of a good estate and yet art not able to pray thou art deceiued likewise for that is the property of the Spirit it makes a man cry to God and call him Father You will say Is this such a matter euery man can pray Beloued it is another thing then the world iâ—agines it to be he that hath this spirit is mighty in prayer he is able to wrestle with God as Iacob did by the spirit of Adoption hee had power with God as it is said there and he is able to preuaile with the Lord and why because he can speake to him as to a Father he can continue in prayer and watch ther euntâ— with all perseuerance he can speake to him as one that he is well acquainted with he can not only speake remissâ—ly but he can cry Abba Father that shewes feruency in his prayer there is no man in the world that is able to doe it besides We see a description of other men
Esay 33. 14. when they are troubled they are not able to pray indeed they may haue formes of prayer that they may vse in times of peace but beloued let any great trouble come vpon them let them be put to it and then you shall finde they are not able to doe it but they runne away from God as fast as they can at that time they are not able to come and say Thou art my Father I beseech thee heare me I beseech thee pitty me and forgiue me no but they tremble at Gods presence as the Thiefe doth at the presence of the Iudge the sinners in Sion are afraid in that day when God comes at the day of visitation the sinners in Sion are afraid c. for who shall dwell with deuâ—ouring fire That is they tremble at such a day when the day of death comes when God begins to shew himselfe to them in the fiercenesse of his wrath when he begins to come neere them in the day of visitation then they fly from him as one would fly from deuouring fire they fly not to him as one would fly to a mercifull Father that is ready to heare them and helpe them but they fly from him as fast as they can as one would fly from euerlasting burniâ—g The like place you haue Iob 27. 8 9 10. For what hope hath the Hypocrite when hee hath heaped vp riches when God shall come and pull away his soule Will God heare his prayer when he cryes c. Will he call vpon God at all times A wicked man may make some shew of prayer to God in time of health and in time of peace but at that time saith he when he hath spent his time in gathering vp riches in heaping vp them and GOD comes vpon him suddenly and shall pull away his soule he teares and rends it from him for so the word signifies in the Originall that is he is not willing to resigne it into Gods haÌ„ds as the righteous man doth but he is busie about his wealth and God surprizeth him and rends his soule from him What will he doe in this case What will he pray saith Iob No hee giues two reasons He hath â—o delight in the Lord he neuerloued the Lord there is no such loue betweene the Lord and him as there is betweene the Father and the Childe betweene the Hâ—sband and the Wife he neuer had the spirit of a son he cannot pray for he delights not in God But he doth pray sometimes Yea for some fit he may be in some extremity he may cry as a Thiefe at the Barre may cry to the Iudge as he doth sometimes exceeding hard not because he loues the Iudge but it is a cry that comes from extremity and it is but in extremity and by that the falsenesse and hypocrisie of them is known So an Hypocrite may cry in the time of extremity but it is a cry it is not a prayer and it is but in the time of extremity it is not at all times that he doth it hee is not able to doe it for the Lord is a stranger to hiâ— he lookes vpon the Lord as vpon a terrible Iudge and therefore if you would know whether you haue the spirit of the Sonne As first thou shalt know it by that which went before and as secondly thou shalt know it by that which goes together with it the testimony of the blood the testimony of the water and of thine owne spirit So thou maist know it thirdly by this by the Consequents it makes thee able to pray and in the time of extremity it makes thee able to goe to God as to a Father when another flyes away from him as from euerlasting burnings So much shall serue for this time FINIS THE THIRTEENTH SERMON GENESIS 17. 2. And Iwill make my Couenant betweene mee and thee And I will multiply thee exceedingly THE point which we were in handling was this How a man may know whether he be in the Couenant or no I told you there are 3. waies to know it Let a man consider how Abraham came into the Couenant Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse If thou beleeue then thou art within the Couenant but it must be a faith that workes by loue if it bee a faith which workes not it is but a dead faith and if it doe worke yet if it worke not by loue the Lord regardâ—th it not it is true it is faith that layes hold vpon the Couenant but it works by loue faith is the point of the Compasse that fastens vpon the Couenant but loue is the other part that goes about that doth all the businesse it is that which keepes the Commandements it is that which quickens vs to euery good worke The second way to know whether wee be in the Couenant or no is to consider whether we haue taken the promised seede for in him shall all the nations of the world be blessed How shall wee know that If we haue the Spirit of the Sonne that is knowne by the Spirit it selfe the Spirit beares witnesse the witnesse of the Spirit as I told you it is knowne by that which goes before it by that which accompanies it and that which followes after This is the point that we were in handling and wee were broken off in the middest of it wee will recall it a little and deliuer it somewhat more distinctly to you than wee could doe then for haste First I say whosoeuer hath the Spirit of the Sonne he must haue before it the spirit of bondage Rom. 8. 15. You haue not receiued the spirit of bondage againe to feare but you haue receiued the spirit of Adoption As if hee should say there are none but first they receiue the spirit of bondage for there is no man can come to Christ except the Law be his Schoolemaster and the Law is not effectuall without the spirit of bondage neither the Law in the threatnings nor the iudgements which are the executioners of those threatnings you may heare the Law opened vnto you a hundred and a hundred times that is the particular sinnes of which a man is guilty described yea the particular iudgements yea the LORD may follow you with afflictions and crosses yet except there be a spirit of bondage to worke together with these it will neuer molifie an obdurate heart And therefore my beloâ—ed you must make this account if you haue neuer been affrighted with the terrour of God if you haue neuer bin put into any feare by this spirit of bondage be assuted that you haue not yet the spirit of Adoption If men would haue looked to the brazen Serpent without being stung of the fiery Serpents God would haue spared the spirit of bondage but beloued who doth it who is able to doe it Wee bee all in a dead sleepe and except we be wakned with the terrours of the Almighty there is no man would
hath it a certaine manifestation of Christ to the soule a certaine diuine light a certaine secret token of his loue whereby Christ manifests himselfe to the soule of a man that which the Scriptures call supping with him I will come and sup with him Rev. 3. Iob. 14. 21. I and my Father will come to him and I will manisest my owne selfe vnto him this is the witnesse of the Spirit that when the witnesse of our owne spirit is somewhat obscure we may then say Lord thou now speakest plainely now there is no question My beloued this is the witnesse of the Spirit that thou be not mistaken in it still remember this that it is giuen to those that ouercome if thou be ouercome of euery thing of euery small temptation if thou bee ouercome with a blast of praise with a little pelfe and wealth dost thou thinke now thou hast got the white stone thaâ— Christ giues as the witnesse of his Spirit No my beloued it is to those that ouercome and so it is to those that open if thou bee a stubborne seruant that Christ may come againe and againe aâ—d knocke at the doore and tell thee of such a sinne that thou lyest in and of such a duty that thou neglectest and yet thou carriest thy selfe like a stubborne seruant that will not heare him or if thou doe thou wilt not goe about thy woâ—ke that he hath appointed thee dost thou thinke hee will come in and sup with thee when thou wilt not open to him No my beloued it is not Christ that sups with thee but it is a delusion of Satan but how shall we know this These are the things that accompany the Spirit but now for the Consequents of it they are 〈…〉 First there followes a spirit of prayer that goes together with it prayer in the perfection of it is not a lip labour no it is not a putting vp of petitions be they neuer so exceellent it is not a crying to the Lord for other men may doe so but it is when a man can come to God with considence because he knowes him to bee his Father because hee hath beene acquainted with him because hee hath receiued the Spirit of the Sonne that tels him in plaine termes he is his Father when a maâ— can come with holy affections to the Lord this is the spirit of prayer a wicked man as we shewed out of Iob 27. when God comes to him and rends and teares his soule from him that is he parts with his soule vnwillingly when God puls on the one side and he on the other when GOD puls away his soule saith he will the LORD heare him when hee cries to the Almighty No for hee doth not pray it is indeed a cry a man in extremity may cry hard as a thiefe at the Barre he cryes hard not because he loues the Iudge or hath any confidence in him if it were not fot that extremity hee would not doe it at all saith he he prayeth not he doth not delight in the Almighty hee goes not to him as to a father and it appeares hence that were there not such an extremity hee would not pray for hee will not pray at all times Secondly it breeds loue wheresoeuer the witnesse of the Spirit is alwayes there followes it loue towards God and Iesus Christ for it cannot bee otherwise all loue comes from knowledge now when a man hath seene Iesus Christ indeed that is when the Lord hath shewed him his owne selfe to him when hee hath drawne neere to a man in the witnesse of his Spirit when he hath manifested himselfe it cannot be but a man must loue him What is the reason that wee shall loue him perfectly in heauen but because we shall know him fully any man that knowes him in part heere loues him in part and therefore if you haue euer knowne the LORD that hee hath thus shewed himselfe it cannot be but thou shalt loue him Besides loue comes from kindnesse and goodnesse of one that hath shewed loue to vs loue begets loue as fire begets fire Now when this was thy case when thou wast a man expecting nothing but death and hell and the wrath of God and the Lord hath come and spoke kindly vnto thee as it were the LORD hath come and spoken to thee when thou wast to die and hath said thou shalt liue when he hath ouercome thee with kindnesse as it were it cannot be now but that thy heart should be affectioned towards him as Dauid saith Psal 18. Lord I loue thee dearely for when I was in distresse thou didst heare mee so when a man hath felt the terrours of the Almighty when hee hath lyen vnder the spirit of bondage for a time when he expected nothing but death and condemnation and the Lord hath shewed mercy and louing kindnesse vnto him loue will follow Thirdly thou shalt finde this follow vpon it likewise if thou haue the spirit of Adoption it will set thee a worke to clense thy selfe as 2. Cor. 7. 1. see a notable place for this purpose saith hee if you haue such promises that is the promises of grace and of forgiuenesse and of the pardon of sinne if you haue applyed them indeed by the spirit of Adoption then you will clense your selues from all pollution of flâ—sh and spirit So beloued by this thou maist know whether thou hast the spirit of adoption whether thou hast applyed the Couenant of Grace and the promises of it indeed and in good earnâ—st this will certainely follow thou wilt clense thy selfe but if thou finde now that thou wallowest in thy lusts in thy filthinesse that thou art not yet washed from thy sinnes and from thy swinish nature be assured thou hast not yet applyed the promises thou hast not yet the spirit of Adoption be assured if thou hast any hope it is not a true and liuely hope it is but a false and dead hope for if it were a true and a liuely hope 1 Ioh. 3. it would set thee aworke to purge thy selfe and therefore Heb. 10. 22. you see the difference there betweene the assurance of faith and of presumption Draw neere in assurance of faith What then hauing your hearts sprinkled from an euill conscience and your bodies washed in pure water If it be assurance of faith it hath alwaies this following with it the heart is sprinkled from an euill conscience but if it bee a presumptuous a false assurance vpon false grounds there followes no such clensing no such watchfulnesse Beloued this is a sure rule that will not deceiue you you those that haue but false flashes of comfort they grow secure after them these breed carelesnesse they are more bold to commit sinne they walke loosely and are apt and â—eady to say I doubt not but it shall bee well enough with mee but those that haue assurance indeed it makes them much more diligent and sollicitous and carefull to
further First we are begotten by the word of truth it is the reuelation of the truth of GOD to a man at the first that renewes him in the spirit of his minde it changeth his iudgement it makes him thinke all things in a cleane other fashion then he was wont to doe thus he is begotten to God and he is made a new man a new creature now the increasing of the same truth that is it that builds vs vp further for whatsoeuer begets the increase of that also edifies and hence it is that Salomon so exceedingly magnifies wisdome and knowledge aboue all getting saith he get that There are many things that are precious in the world Pearle Gold and Siluer but this is beyond them all Why doe you thinke the Wiseman would magnifie wisdome so much Because this wisdome brings grace with it and therefore when Christ is said to be the light of the world he is said likewise to be the life the light he was 1 Ioh. 4. and Ioh. 8. he is the true light that lightens euery man And what is that light Why it is that light that brings life together with it Therefore Eph. 5. 14. Arise thou that sleepest c. and Christ shall giue thee light Now you know life is contrary to death but the Apostle expresseth it thus CHRIST shall giue thee light because when a man hath much light hee shall withall haue much life and grace and therefore this I will commend to you as one of the principall meanes of all other to grow strong in grace and in the inward man to grow much in knowledge Beloued it is another thing then wee are aware of if we were fully perswaded that it were a thing so excellent that it would bring so much grace with it certainely wee would study it more then we doe 2 Pet. 2. 20. saith hee You haue escaped the filthinesse of the world through the knowledge of Christ. That is that that deliuers you from the bondage of sinne that which enables you to escape the filthinesse that is in the world when other men are yet tangled with it it is because you know that that other men are ignorant of it is through the knowledge of Christ if you haue escaped and 2 Pet. 1. 2. Grace be multiplyed through the knowledge of God and of his Sonne Iesus Christ. Grace be multiplyed through that knowledge as if he should say multiply you that knowledge this is that meanes whereby Grace shall bee multiplyed to you That you may see the ground of all this there is no grace that any man hath but it passeth in through the vnderstanding For example What is the reason that any man loues GOD more then another but because God is presented to his vnderstanding in another maner then he is to another hee knowes God better then others and so for other graces Why is one man patient when another is not but because his vnderstanding is enlightned to iudge otherwise of the euill he suffers than another doth hee reckons them not so great and intolerable euils he sees another hand of prouidence hee sees another end in it And so What is the reason one is temperate and sober and meeke when another is not but because he hath another iudgement of pleasures and delights he lookes vpon them as on things that are enemies to his soule he sees a vanity and an emptinesse in them that another doth not I say all the grace that a man hath it passeth through the vnderstanding and therefore if a man would be strong in grace let him labour to get much light to get much truth much knowledge in his minde for certainely all the difference betweene Christians the difference of stature betweene men in Christianity the difference of degrees as one man hath a higher degree of faith and another a lower degree it followes from hence that one is more enlightned he hath more knowledge hee hath more truth reuealed to him which truth carries grace with it What is the reason that Paul exceeded other men in grace Because there was more truth reuealed to him then to other men but still remember that I deny not but that there may be much knowledge without grace but this is a sure rule there cannot bee much grace without knowledge the reason why any man is strong in grace and able to doe that which another is not able to doe that he is able to goe through those troubles and those crosses that another shrinkes at hee is able to ouercome those lusts that another is not able to grapple with it is still the strength of his knowledge that hee hath more vnderstanding of things that hee is better and more enlightned Ioh. 16. when the Apostles were to come into the world and CHRIST tels them what entertainement they should haue they beginne to bee exceeding fearefull alas what shall we doe in the world when wee haue such things to doe wee haue men to wrastle with that shall thinke they shall doe God seruice when they put vs in prison â—aith he feare not I will send my Spirit along with you and he shall helpe you to worke he shall coâ—â—ince the world of â—inne of righteousnesse and of Iudgement The meaning is this it is true when you come into the world you shall finde mens opinions exceeding false you shall finde Satan building vp strong holds in their deceipts and errours and their euill imaginations that they haue of things and saith he if you should goe alone without my Spirit truly you might besiege the City you might vse your spirituall Armour but you should doe no good but I will send my Spirit that shall conuince the word in the Originall signifies the refuting of an opinion that men had before drunke in and were possessed of the end of the Spirit is to sanctifie men now what is that way that the Spirit vseth to sanctifie men It is to weare out those old opinions to confute them to let men know they were exceedingly deceiued Alas they did not know that they were so exceedingly sinfull as they bee but when the Spirit comes he shewes them what natures they haue and what liues they haue liued they know they are other creatures then they imagined themselues to be for the Holy Ghost refutes that opinion and conuinceth them of sinne and of iudgement that is the Spirit shall shew men the beauty and the glory of sanctification of spirituall priuiledges and shall make them in loue with it so iudgement is to bee taken as you haue it taken in tâ—at place where it is said of Christ he shall not breake the bruised Reede nor quench the smoking Flâ—x till hee bring forth Iudgement to victory for it shall not cease till he haue brought forth Iudgement to victory that is by Iudgement is meant holinesse and beginning of grace or sanctification he cals the first part that doth but begin to smoke Iudgement saith he the Lord
the heart hath thus tooke the promised seede and receiued him and lookes for all from him now the Couenant and Contract is made betweene them Now beloued as long as this vnion continues betweene CHRIST and vs the Couenant is not disannulled so that in a word the Couenant is neuer nullified vntill thou hast chosen to thy selfe another husband till thou hast taken to thy selfe another Lord. In a marriage there may be many failings of a Wife towards her Husband many neglects many disobediences many fits of passion many offences shee may giue him but till she commit adultery the bond coÌ„tinues sure there is no diuorse between them the Couenant of God still remaines betweene them there is no dissolution of the Couenant Beloued so it is here thou committest many transgressions thou offendest God oft thou failest much in thy seruice thou owest him but till thou shalt commit spirituall adultery till thou leaue him as it were and shalt select and choose to thy selfe another Master another Lord another Husband the Couenant remaines sure betweene you there is no dissolution of the Couenant Beloued this is a point exceeding full of comfort thou must not thinke that vpon euery sinne the Couenant is ouerthrowne betweene GOD and thee no the Couenant remaines sure the bond is not vntyed as yet though thou faile exceeding much though thou fall into many actuall rebellions against him yet the Couenant is not dissolued But you will say to me If this bee to breake the Couenanâ— to chuse another Husband I hope there are none of vs that are breakers of the Couenant then wee haue not chosen another GOD we are willing enough to serue the Lord Beloued the rule is exceeding true if thou deceiue not thy selfe in applying it therfore I say this to thee take heed thou deceiue not thy selfe it is certaine the Couenant remaines sure notwithstanding all infirmities as long as thy heart cleaues to thine Husband as long as thou takest not another in his stead therefore if thou wilt not be deceiued as many doe deceiue themselues I will giue thee but these two rules to know it by The first is an immediate examination of thine owne heart looke narrowly to this if there bee any creature in the world any pleasure any profit any matter of credit or honour or whatsoeuer the thing be any delight or sport or inclination or lust wherewith thy heart commits adultery certainely thou hast chosen another Husband whatsoeuer thou pretendest If there bee any sinne that thou art in league with wherewith thou art entred into Couenant as I may so say thou hast broken the Couenant with thy first Husband as you shall see an expression thereof Iam. 4. Yee adulterers and adulteresses if you loue the world you loue not GOD. That is if there bee any thing in the world that you loue in that manner it is enmity to GOD the Couenant is broken Now you will say How shall wee know this You shall know it by this if it diâ—ert and put out and quench the loue to your Husband You shall see a wife oft times her heart is stolne from her husband she comes to be in his presence from day to dayâ— to doe all seruice to him she performes it may be euery duty as carefully and as diligently as the best wife in the world and yet for all this her heart is gone here is but a shaddow of performance she doth them but not with loue and delight she doth them not with cheerefulnesse and willingnesse she would be free if thou finde this thy case that thou art so in loue that thy heart is stolne away with any thing in the world with matter of estate pleasures or whatsoeuer it is any outward excellency that thy heart is set vpon any haunt any delight any lust that hath dominion in thy soule that thou hast made a league with it so that thou commest indeede to performe holy duties from day to day but they haue no taste no relish thou dost them not with liuelinesse and quicknesse thou dost them as one that must doe them of necessity and preforce but thou delightest not in thy Husband thou comest before him but thou delightest not in his company thou dâ—lightest not in his presence but the loue of other things worldly mindednesse quencheth that delight it is certaine thou hast commited adultery thou hast chosen another husband You must know this beloued that a godly man that is once entred into the Couenant though he faile exceedingly in many things yet his delight is still in the LORD hee desires exceedingly to please him hee had rather be in his company hee had rather haue communion with him then with any other in the world besides hee had rather bee doing seruice to him then to any other he had rather be employed in any thing that â—ends to him so that if it could be I make that supposition if there were such a proposition as there was in the old Law euery seuenth yeere those that had serued an Apprentiship that were bondslaues they might goe free yet we see some so loued their Masters that they would not goe free but would be their seruants for euer and they were bored thorow the â—are and were their seruants for saith the Text they loued their Masters and would stay with them Beloued so it is in this case take a man that commits adultery with any thing in the world let him haue such a Proclamation that hee might goe free he would were it not for the losse of heauen and for going to hell but suppose it were free to him hee would goe free with all his heart he would choose another Master and would be free from that bondage for so hee accounts it but he that loues the LORD will not goe free if he might for hee reckons that seruice the greatest freedome and delight hee had rather liue in His Family then in any seruice in the world it is not a seruice but a friendship it is a marriage he liues as a sonne in the Family and therfore he is willing to continue for beloued as soone as a man is gotten into the Coâ—enant once this is the ground of it there is such a disposition put into his heart there is such a disposition grafted in him and rooted in his inward parts that he longs after the LORD as looke what disposition and inclination there is in the Loadstone in lingering after the Iron if you pull it from it a thousand times still it lookes after it and it cannot choose it is the disposition of the Iron so such a disposition there is in the seruants of the Lord to chuse him for their Lord and Husband and it is not an empty choice that câ—â—sists onely in affection or in the naked resolution of the mind but it is such a choice as hath strong affections running together with it a strong inclination carrying the soule to him so that
long but shall be cast forth FINIS FOVRE SERMONS WHEREIN CERTAINE Objections against the poynt of GODS ALL-SVFFICIENCIE handled in the fiue first Sermons of the former Treatise are Answered ECCLESIASTES 9. 1. 2. 3. 4. I haue surely set my heart to all this to declare this that the iust and the wise and their workes are in the hand of God and no man knoweth either loue or hatred by all that is before him for all things come alike to all and the same condition is to the iust as to the wicked and to the good and to the pure and to the polluted and to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacâ—ificeth not as is the good so is the sinner he that sweareth as he that feareth an oath c. WEE haue purposely chosen this text that we might answer some objectioÌ„s which might be made against the All-sufficiency of God which we spake of lately to you for this might be objected If God be All-sufficient what is the reason of this dispensation of things that we see in the world that there be righteous men to whom it is according to the worke of the wicked and there be wicked men againe to whom it is according to the worke of the righteous Here you haue this answer made That for a time all things come alike to all there is the same condition to the one as to the other the reason of which you shall see when we come to the handling of the words But in briefe to open them to you you shall â—inde that this was the occasion of them In the 16. verse of the former Chapter sayth the Wiseman I haue applyed my heart vnto wisedâ—me and to behold the busines that is done vpon the earth in which I had no rest either day or night I was so intent vpon them Well what is the conclusion Sayth he I found this I was not able to finde out the reason of Gods workes I beheld the workes of God that man cannot finde out the workes that are wrought vnder the Sunne yea though a wise man thinke to know it he cannot finde it That is when I see how God dispenseth things I am not able to finde out the reason and not I onely but no man is able to finde it no saith he though he be a wise man no although he search never so diligently he cannot find out the reason of Gods wayes the reason of his providence of his dispensing of prosperitie to the wicked and adversitie to the godly yet these two Conclusions notwithstanding he found which he expresâ—eth in the first verse First that the iust and the wise and their workes are in the hand of the Lord That is although I see not the reason why God doth it yet this I finde it is the Lord that disposeth all things both to men and all their workes All the events that fall out both good and euill I finde this that they are in the hand of God The second thing he found is That all things come alike to all There is the same condition to the good and to the evill to him that sacrificeth and to him that sacrificeth not These be the two things that the wiseman professeth he found out from hence he gathereth two Consectaries One is That there is no man able to know loue or hatred by all that is before him That is by all that he seeth done to himselfe or by all that he seeth God doe to other men he is not able to judge by that who it is that God loues or who it is he hates A second Consectarie from it is expressed in the third verse sayth he This is an evill I haue seene vnder the Sunne that there is one condition to all That is the sonnes of men when they haue seene this carriage of things this administration and dispensation of good and evill thus premiscuously to men of all sorts therefore sayth he The hearts of men are full of evill and madnesse is in their hearts while they liue That is therefore they seeke not God but the creature therefore they doe not depend vpon him but seeke to secondaric meanes What is the issue of it therefore they goe downe to the dead That is they perish for ever So much briefly for the meaning of the words Now before he comes to deliver these two conclusions he makes this Preamble I haue given my heart sayth he to all this or I bend my selfe with all my might to this even to declare these two things that all things are in the hand of God c. whence we will gather this in that Salomon sayth that he bent himselfe with all his might to declare both to himselfe to others that all things are in the hands of God that It is a very hard thing to be perswaded of Gods All-sufficiencie It is a very hard thing to be perswaded that all things are in the hands of God it is a hard thing to perswade our selues it is a hard thing to perswade others that is I shall not deliver the poynt fully to you except God himselfe teach you except God himselfe declare it it is so hard for a man to see all things in the hands of Gâ—d to know that he is able to doe all that except God teach it to a man he is not able to know it that is he is not able to know it to purpose he is not able to know it so as to haue the vse of it he is not able to know it in a practicall manner except the Lord teach it him The ground of which is because it belongs to the holy Ghost to perswade it belongs to God to perswade not onely to perswade this truth to the hearts of men but also to perswade all saving truths of what nature soever And therefore wee see when Christ sends out his Disciples his Apostles he bids them Goe preach the Word to the Iewes and Gentiles and whereas they might object in that case How shall we be able to perswade men that bring a strange doctrine and strange newes to them a strange thing that was never heard of Christ answers them thus I will send my spirit with you and he shall convince the world of sinne of righteousâ—esse and of ludgement As if he should say I confesle you are not able to doe it that is a worke that onely belongs to the holy Ghost and he shall convince men of their miserable estate out of Christ he shall convince them of that righteousnesse that they are to haue by Christ he shall also convince them of holinesse and sanctification vnder Christs government Thus sayth he the holy Ghost shall doe you are not able to performe it And so when the Lord makes the promise that the people should serue him and feare him The question is how they should be able to doe it shall the Prophets be able to perswade
promises and he begins first to thinke What are these promises true Yes surely they are most true they are confirmed witâ— an oath they are confirmed with the blood with the death of the Testator a mans Couenant after it is once made and the Testator is dead Gal. 3. no man addes to it or takes from it Now when a man considers this Are these the promises of the LORD hath hee confirmed them with an Oath are they confirmed with the blood of the Testator Certainely they are most true I cannot doubt of them but then he begins to consider As they are true how fit are they for mee what is the goodnes of them They are also exceeding good there is nothing in the world so excellent so precious so sweet and so comfortable as these promises bee I say when he hath done these two when the vnderstanding sayes they are true and beleeues them and when the will saith they are good and embraceth them at that very instant saluation is come to thy house and to thy heaâ—t I say Christ Iesus is come to thee at that very instant hee hath made a Couenant with thee though perhaps thou see him not at that time as Mary could not see him but â—ooke him for the Gardner but I say at that time thou art tâ—anslated from the Couenant of Workes to the Couenant of Grace But you will say How comes this blood to be a witnesse Beloued it is a witnesse in this manner when a mans spiâ—it shall consider the promises and ponder them well and shall say this with himselfe Well I haue applyed these promises bâ—t vpon what warrant vpon what ground haue I done it euery body will be ready to apply the promises of mercy and forgiuenesse but what warrant haue I to apply them To know that vpon good ground I lay hold of these promises then a man considers with himselfe the promises they are sure they are cleerely and distinctly set downe in the Word hee considers to whom these promises are offered to those that are vnrigâ— tâ—ous the LORD iustifieth the vnrighteous euen to Publicans and Harlots to sinners such they were that came to CHRIST to such the promises were offered Well I know I am an vnrighteous man and thâ—râ—fore the want of sorâ—ow and conâ—rition and the want of holinesse and the want of tendernesse of heart in the beginning shall not exclude me for they are promises that are made to the vnrighteous to the vncleane and polluted to the hard-hearted such they are at the first to whom the promises are made but what doth the Lord require of those That they thiâ—st all that thirst come I finde an extâ—â—me thirst I would dye that I might haue Christ and his righteousnesse Is this all No it is required further that when thou art come in thou take this resolution now I will serue him now I will loue him now I will obey him I will bee content to take Iesus Christ for better for worse I will be content to deny my selfe to take vp my Crosse to follow him in all his wayes When a mans spirit hath pondred this well when he hath looked on the blood of IESVS CHRIST and the promises and sees himselfe qualified vpon this he sayes surely these promises belong to mee this is the witnesse of the blood then followes the witnesse of the water for the blood hath a double vertue in it it hath not onely the vertue to deliuer vs from the guilt of sinne to cause the LORD to passe ouer vs when he sees the sprinkling of the blood vpon our hearts and vpon our persons but there is this more it hath a clensing vertue in it cleanseth the conscience from dead workes and so hath faith it hath not onely a vertue in it to receiue and to digest and to take the promises but it hath an ability to worke as the hand you know hath two offices it hath an office to receiue and to take and likewise it hath ability to worke Beloued these are neuer disioyned the blood neuer washeth from sinne but likewise it cleanseth the conscience from dead workes faith neuer receiues the promise but it workes likewise indeed for the â—eceiuing part wee receiue all alike precious faith but for the working part there is much difference you know a weake hand is able to receiue as well as a stronger but a stronger can doe more worke therefore as faith growes more so it workes more Some man hath a more working faith then others though as it is a receiuing faith he hath it alike therefore thou maist consider this with thy selfe if I haue the testimony of the blood I haue also the testimony of the water that is a sanctification ioyned with iustification Christ came not by blood onely but by water also if the spirit of a man looke on this now and can say I see I am renewed in the spirit of my minde I see I am washed from my filthinesse I see my conscience is in some measure cleansed from dead workes then he may conclude with himselfe surely I am in the state of grace I am in the Couenant And this beloued is the witnesse of our owne spirits and the witnesse of the water and of the blood But when this is done it may be the LORD continues yet at some fits to write bitter things against thee he seemes to cast thee off hee seemes to wound thee sometimes with the wounds of an enemy This the LORD many times doth that he may put vsto it hee turnes the deafe eare that hee may try what we will doe when the spirit of a man hath now these testimonies and yet hath not rest though it haue them on good ground for I meane not the naked spirit of a man but his spirit enlightned and sanctified by the Holy Ghost yet when hee hatâ— good ground and saith thus with himselfe Yet for all this I will trust in him I haue his sure Word for it I haue his promise I know that heauen and earth shall passe rather then any promise of his shall passe now when the Lord seeth a man beleeuing thus and trusting him vpon his bate word then the Lord goes a step further with him seales the same things to him with the spirit of promise that is as I shewed before out of Eph. 1. 13. In whom after you belâ—â—ued you were sealed with the spirit of promise when you put to your seale that God is true God then comes and puts to his seale he giues you the spirit of promise and assures you that it is so that is he doth by his owne Spirâ—t say to a mans soule that he is his saluation My beloued this is a certaine expression of the Holy Ghost to the soule of a man that we know not how to expresse to you therefore it is called the hidden Mannaâ— it is called a white stone with a new name written in it that no man knowes but he that