Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	heart_n	lord_n	way_n	4,954	5	4.7237	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09950	The breast-plate of faith and love. A treatise, wherein the ground and exercise of faith and love, as they are set upon Christ their object, and as they are expressed in good workes, is explained. / Delivered in 18 sermons upon three severall texts, by the late faithfull and worthy minister of Iesus Christ, Iohn Preston, Dr. in Divinity, chaplaine in ordinary to his Maiesty, Master of Emmanuel Colledge in Cambridge, and sometimes preacher of Lincolnes Inne.	Preston, John, 1587-1628.; Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635, ed.; Davenport, John, 1597-1670, ed.	1630 (1630)	STC 20208; ESTC S105956	328,230	606

that loves not let him bee accursed let him bee had in execration to the death I should prosecute it further and shew the reasons why wee should loue the Lord as there is great reason But that I must deferre till the afternoone FINIS THE SECOND SERMON GALLAT 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love THE last tryall of our love to Christ was its constraining vertue love will constraine you to serve him you cannot choose but doe it it so constraines a man as the weight of a stone compelleth it to goe to the center as the lightnesse of the fire compells it to ascend up for such a thing is love a strong inclination of the heart when the soule puts it selfe on any thing from an inward principle from a bottome of its owne when it is carried on with no other motive but the amiablenes of the object Now to conclude this wee must beseech you to consider your owne condition and examine your selves by these rules that you may be able to say as Peter said Lord thou knowest I love thee that is to have such an assurance that your hearts may be well affected towards Christ Iesus that you may love him that you may be able to say to God who knowes our hearts searcheth our reines that knowes all the windings and turnings of your soules Lord thou knowest that I love thee Since it is a matter of such moment wee should be carefull to examine if we finde that we have not yet this love for we must know that all that we have all that we doe it will nothing availe us but faith which worketh by love And if you object why doe ye preach damnation to us doe you tell us we are in an evill condition for want of this love I answere it is profitable for you while you are in such a condition to have it preached it is good for you to speake this damnation to your selves that while yet there is hope you may seek to be healed that you may be translated into another condition that you may not perish in the evill day when there shal be neither hope nor helpe for you For you must know that when wee deliver you these signes of examining your selves our end is not to grieue you this doctrine tends not to destruction but to discover to you your owne hearts that you may know your owne condition that if you want it you may seek after it If therefore you finde a want of this love that we will doe next shall be to shew you what reason you have to love the Lord Iesus for there is no better way to get it in you than to describe him to you to shew you what cause there is of loving him if wee were able to present him to you as he is we should effect this thing but that must be the worke of the holy Ghost notwithstanding we will briefly open to you such reasons as we finde used in the Scriptures And first let this moue you to loue him that he is worthy to be beloved as David speakes Psal. 18.3 The Lord is worthy to be praised so wee may say the Lord is worthy to be loved for what is it that makes any thing worthy of loue it is the excellency that we finde there Now in the Lord there is all kinde of excellency whatsoever there is that is amiable under the Sunne all that you shall finde in him more abundantly If ever you see any thing in any creature any thing amiable in man if ever you saw any beauty any vertue any excellency all these must be more abundant in him that made these creatures And therefore if you haue a loue as there is no man without some loue or other some creature seemes beautifull to you thinke with your selues this is more in the Lord. If ever you see excellency in any man if ever you see any noblenesse any holinesse any excellency of disposition know that it is more abundant in the Lord Iesus Let these rivers leade you to that Ocean to that abundance of excellency that is in the Lord. And if you loue any creature let it be with a little loue let your affection be proportionable to the object as it exceedes in the Lord so let your loue exceede towards him to loue him with all your soule and all your strength And know this that hee hath not onely that in an omnipotent manner that is but sprinkled among the creatures they haue but a sparke but a drop of it but also there is this in the Lord that there is nothing in him but that which is amiable every creature hath some imperfection in it there is somewhat in it may cause aversation in you there is no man but hath some weaknesse but hath some infirmity there is no creature but it hath some want some defect in it but in the Lord there is no want there is nothing to put you off but as the Church saith Cant. 5. He is wholly delectable that is there is nothing in him but that which is amiable That would be a very profitable thing for us in this case often to thinke on the Lord Iesus to present him to our selues in our thoughts as the Spouse doth Cant. 5. shee considers her wellbeloved is the fairest of ten thousand so wee should beholde the person of our husband You know it is but a harlottry loue to consider what wee haue by our husband to consider what riches he brings what honour and not often to contemplate upon his person and upon his vertue and excellency wee should learne to doe this with the Lord that wee may loue him Therefore that wee may helpe you a little in this contemplation wee will shew you how the Lord hath described himselfe Exod. 34.4 when the Lord describes himselfe to Moses thus he declares his owne name The Lord Iehovah strong mercifull gracious long-suffering abundant in kindnesse and in truth reserving mercies for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sinne c. Wee will a little open to you this description that the Lord giues us of himselfe that so you may learne to know what hee is for the way to loue the Lord is to know him and indeed therefore we loue him not because we know him not there is no other reason why in heaven when we shall come to be present with him wee shall loue him so abundantly but because wee shall know him face to face that is the reason the Angels and the Saints loue most And of every man amongst the Saints hee that knowes most loues most Therefore it should be your labour to know the Lord. But to open as I say this description unto you First he is Iehovah that is hee is a constant friend to whomsoever he is a friend he is alway the same for that is another name by which the Lord describes himselfe to Moses when he sends him

in sacrifice you shall give your owne bodies to be burned you shall be my slaves who could have said any thing to that for he is the Lord the great God our soveraigne Creatour But now when the Lord comes and askes no more at our hands but this you shall love mee will you deny it him This is effectually urged in the same Chapter Deut. 10.14 where Moses marke the manner of urging it had described to them what the Lord had done for them that hee had brought them into that good land c. And now saith he what doth the Lord require of thee for all this but onely this that thou love the Lord thy God As if hee should say the Lord might aske much more at thy hands if he had thou hadst no reason to deny it but all that hee requires is that thou love him and wilt thou denie this unto him Besides consider who it is that hath planted this loue in the heart is it not the Lord that giues thee this very affection And when he calls for this love againe at thy hands doth hee call for more than his owne Shall hee not gather the grapes of his owne Vineyard and shall he not eate the fruite of his owne Orchard Hath not hee planted in us these affections and ought they not to be returned to him to serve him and to pitch on him Besides consider you are engaged to love the Lord and that should be a great motive to us in Iosh. 24.12 You are witnesses that you have chosen the Lord this day to serve him And they said we are witnesses that is Iosuahs speach to the people As if hee should say to them you are not now to choose you are now engaged you cannot goe backe you have professed you have chosen the Lord to serve him therefore you are witnesses against your selves So I may say to every man that heares mee you are engaged to love the Lord Why Because you have chosen him for your husband you are baptized in his name you have taken him for your Master and for your Father therefore he may challenge it at your hands as right for he is your Father and where is his honour then He is your Master and where is his feare then That is you are engaged he may challenge it justly you are his hee hath bought you yea he hath overbought you hee hath paid a price more worth than we hee hath bought us with his blood And what hath hee bought us for but to be his that is to love him Therefore when we love him not wee robbe God of our selves we doe an unnaturall thing it is treachery and injustice in us As you know it is one thing in a woman that is free from an husband to neglect a man that is a friend but when she hath engaged her selfe and the match is made now it is adultery So every one of us that loves not the Lord sinnes the more because he is engaged to him Deut. 32.13 Thou forsookest the strong God of thy salvation thou forsakest him to whom thou art engaged he is the strong God of thy salvation he hath done thus and thus for thee Therefore consider this for seeing you have such an affection as love is you must bestow it somewhere somewhat you must love and you must know againe it is the best thing you have to bestow for that commands all in you and where will you bestow it Can you finde any creature upon whom to bestow it rather than the Lord Will you bestow it upon any man The Lord exceedes them as David saith Who among the gods is like thee That is take the most excellent among them that therefore are reckoned as gods yet who among them is like unto thee or whom will you bestow your love upon your wealth or your pleasures or your phantasies You must thinke the Lord will take this exceeding evill at your hands that you should bestow this affection elsewhere than on him whom you are engaged unto to whom you are bound so much who hath done so much for you But that which moves us most is particulars if a man consider what the Lord hath done for him in particular remember what passage hath beene betweene the Lord and you from the beginning of your youth Ier. 2. Neither said they where is the Lord that brought you out of the land of Egypt through the wildernesse I remember thee from the land of Egypt c. That is let a man consider Gods particular dealing with him for when the Lord would stirre up David and melt his heart and bring it to a kindly sorrow for his sinnes he takes that course 2 Sam. 12.7 it is Nathans speech to him saith he Did not the Lord doe thus and thus Did hee not make thee King of Iudah and Israel Did not he give thy Masters wives and thy Masters houses into thy bosome And if that had not been enough he would have done thus and thus So let every man recount the particular kindnesses and mercies he hath received from the Lord and when we consider that it is he that doth all that it is he that feedes us that it is he that clothes us we have not a nights sleepe but he gives it to us we have not a blessing but it is from his hand there is not a judgement that wee escape but it is through his providence I say the consideration of these particulars should be as so many sparkes to breede in us a flame of love towards the Lord to thinke with your selves when you have done all how unreasonable a thing it is how unequall a thing that you should forget this God that you should never thinke on him that you should not love him hee that hath done thus much for you And last of all consider that the Lord loves you for that is the greatest motive to winne us to love him for as fire begets fire so love begets love This was the cause that Paul loved the Lord Gal. 2.20 He that loved mee and gaue himselfe for me saith he I will not live any more to my selfe but to him he hath loved me and gave himselfe for me he hath loved me and there was that testimony of his love hee gave himselfe I say consider this love of the Lord and let this beget in you a reciprocall affection towards him Put all together and consider the Lord is worthy to be beloved that he that is so great sues to you for your love that he that is God that planted that love in your hearts and therefore hee doth but call for his owne that hee that hath done you so many kindnesses that you are so engaged to him that you are now bound unto you are not now to chuse at the least come to this to say hee is worthy to be beloved bring your hearts to this to desire to love him You will say we may

desire long enough but how shall we be able to doe it I will tell you in a word and so conclude First you must pray for it it is a lovely suite when we come to the Lord and tell him that we desire to love him that we would faine doe it if we could and beseech him not to deny us that request that we know is according to his will doe you thinke that the Lord will refuse you in that case especially if you begge it importunately at his hands For if you object and say we have prayed and have not obtained it know that to love the Lord is a precious thing and therefore the Apostle reckons it so You will say How doth this prayer doe it I say that it doth it partly by obtaining at Gods hands for when you crie earnestly hee cannot denie you But as he did with the lame and the blinde when they were importunate hee never neglected any but healed them When you crie to the Lord and say I would faine love thee but I cannot will hee not be as willing to heale thy soule to give thee legges to runne after him and eyes to see him as he was to heale the lame and the blinde certainly he will not denie thee But besides that prayer doth it because it brings us to converse and to have communion with him by prayer wee are familiar with God by that meanes love growes betweene us as you know when you converse with men it is a means to get love Againe prayer doth it because when wee are much in calling upon God the Lord delights to shew himselfe to such a man yea at such a time for the most part as hee shewed himselfe to Christ when he was praying as he did to Moses and to Cornelius and others And againe prayer it exerciseth this love it blowes up the sparke of this love and makes a flame of it therefore much prayer begets much love If you would be abundant in love be fervent and frequent in this dutie of prayer pray much and you shall finde this effect of it it will beget love in you You will say prayer is a generall meanes for other things Why doe you put it as a peculiar meanes to get love The reason is because love in an especiall manner is a gift of the Spirit a fruite of the holie Ghost and it is true it must be a peculiar worke of the Spirit to beget love It is true faith comes by hearing and hearing begets faith it is done likewise by the Spirit but love is more peculiarly than other graces the gift of the holie Ghost And therefore 2 Thess. 4. saith the Apostle You are taught of God to love one another That is it is such a thing as God teacheth or else our teaching will never doe it that which he saith of love to the brethren we may say of the love of God the Lord hath put love into man man loves many times and knowes not why many times he hath reason that he should love and yet he cannot because it is a peculiar gift of God That naturall affection for a man to love his children all the world cannot doe it all the arguments in the world cannot perswade a man for if arguments could doe it we might perswade others to doe so but none can love so as the father doth his childe and why but because the Lord workes that in men So the love of God is a peculiar worke of the holy Ghost none are able to love Iesus but hee in whom the Lord hath wrought it in whom the holy Ghost hath planted this affection Therefore the way to get it is earnestly to pray to acknowledge the power of the holy Ghost to goe to him and say Lord I am not able to doe it this acknowledgement of the power of the holy Ghost is the way to prevaile Besides you know the power of God is so transcendent beyond the pitch of our nature that except the holy Ghost worke more than nature we shall never be brought together in agreeablenesse and sutablenesse wee are no more able to love the Lord than colde water is able to heate it selfe there must be somewhat to breede heate in that water so the holy Ghost must breed that fire of love in us it must be kindled from heaven or else we shall never have it Secondly another speciall meanes to enable you to love the Lord is to consider your owne condition to consider your sinnes what you are what hearts you have and what lives you have lead You will say how doth this beget love Yes this is a great meanes Mary loved much because much was forgiven her that is Mary Magdalen had great sense of her sinnes the Lord had opened her eyes to see what a one shee had beene what sinnes she had committed And because she had that sense of her sinnes her eyes were open to see her owne vilenesse thence it is saith he she loved much For when we are humble and poore in spirit when we are little in our owne eyes then the Lord will come and shew mercy on us when a man shall see his sinne and shall thinke with himselfe I am worthy to be destroyed I can expect nothing but death then the Lord shall come sodainly as it were and shall tell us you shall live and shall reconcile himselfe to us this will command love We shall never receive the Gospell as to love Christ till we come to poverty of spirit till we be thus humbled as in the first of Luke it is the speech of Mary My soule doth magnifie the Lord and why because he had respect to the poore estate of his handmaiden When she was little in her owne eyes and made no account of her selfe and thought not her selfe worthy to be looked after the Lord comes and takes her and vouchsafes her such an honour as to cause his owne Sonne to be borne of her now she could not holde but that was it that enflamed her heart with love to the Lord my soule doth magnifie the Lord because he had respect to the poore estate of his handmaid So wee see in David you never finde a greater expression of love in David than at that time when hee was most humbled when the Prophet came to him and tolde him what the Lord would doe for him that he would build him and house David begins to consider what he was what is David saith he What am I or what is my fathers house That is I am but a poore miserable man I am but thus borne what have I done that the Lord should respect me so farre If David had not beene so little and so vile in his owne eyes those great mercies had never so wrought on his heart And therefore I say the way to make us abundant in love is to consider our sinnes to be humbled to consider what

wee are and to conceive from thence the kindnesse of the Lord you know how it affected Saul when hee came into the hands of David that he had power to kill him he considered what he had done to Dauid how he had used himselfe to him and he saw Dauids kindnesse againe to him but unexpected and undeserved it was it melted his heart it dissolved him into teares So the love of the Lord when we consider how we have behaved our selves to him and yet he hath offered us peace and yet he saith Returne and I will forgive you I say this would worke on the hardest heart And therefore consider your sinnes it is not enough to say I am a sinner perhaps you are ready to doe so But come to particular sinnes consider wherein you have offended the Lord say you have done thus and thus as Paul reasons with himselfe I was a blasphemer I was a persecuter an oppressour and yet the Lord had mercy on mee so be ready to say I have committed such and such sinnes it may be uncleannesse it may be Sabbath-breaking and swearing c. yet the Lord hath beene mercifull or willing to receive me to mercy as that place Ier. 3.1 If a mans wife play the harlot will hee returne to her No he will put her away and give her a Bill of Divorcement but you have done it and done it oft and with many lovers and yet returne againe to mee saith the Lord So I say when Christ shall come to you when you have committed such and such sinnes and the Lord shall say to you though you have done this though you have done it often yet returne again to me and I will receive you to mercie I say this should melt our hearts and cause us to love the Lord. I should come to the third that is to beseech the Lord to shew his owne selfe to you for indeede wee shall never come to love him till the Lord shew himselfe to us It is one thing when we preach him to you and it is another when the Lord shewes himselfe For as the Sunne is not seene but by his owne light there is no way in the world to see the Sunne all the candles all the torches cannot doe it except the Sunne shew it selfe So I say of the Lord all the Preachers in the world though they should speake with the tongues of Angels they were not able to shew the Lord Christ Iesus what hee is but if the Lord shew his owne selfe to you if he open the cloud and shew you his glory and the light of his countenance then you shall know the Lord after another manner than we can shew him to you with another knowledge more effectually And when you have seene him thus you shall love him without this you shall not love him And therefore pray the Lord to shew himselfe to you as it was Moses prayer Exod. 33 Shew me thy glory What is that That is Lord shew me thy excellency which is exceeding glorious You must thinke Moses asked not this in vaine it was for some purpose hee asked not meerely to satisfie his fancie for the Lord would not then have heard him But what did he aske it for Surely that he might love the Lord the more by knowing him better And when Moses came to aske it at the hands of the Lord he did assent he proclaimed that is hee revealed himselfe more than ever he did before So I say to every one of you if you be earnest with the Lord desire him to shew you his excellencie that you might love him more serve him more and feare him more he could deny you no more than he did Moses for you must thinke that this is no extraordinary thing for the Lord to shew himselfe That which hee did miraculously to Stephen when he opened the heavens and shewed himselfe to the outward view that hee doth ordinarily to the Saints hee shewes himselfe to their mindes and inward affections When wee preach at any time except the Lord shew himselfe to you at that time then our preaching is in vaine for the word that we speake is but a dead letter it will worke no more upon you than a dead thing that hath no efficacy But when the Spirit goes with the word and hee openeth to you the thing that we speake then it is effectuall Therefore Paul to the Ephesians when he had opened those great mysteries hee concludes with this The Lord give you the Spirit of wisedome and revelation to enlighten the eyes of your understanding that you may know what the hope of your calling is and what is the glorious inheritance of the Saints c. As if he should say when I have said all this it is nothing it will not doe it but he beseecheth the Lord to give them the Spirit of revelation and then it is done And so to conclude all when we have said all we can to move you to love the Lord it is all nothing except the Lord give you that Spirit of wisedome and revelation to open your eyes to see what is the exceeding greatnesse and excellency of his power FINIS THE THIRD SERMON GALLAT 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love OVT of these words we have formerly delivered this point to you that Wh● soever loveth not is not in Christ. The last thing in the prosecution of this point was the meanes whereby this love is wrought in our hearts which we did not then finish notwithstanding we will not proceed in it at this time but rather al●●r the matter and doe that which I did not then intend because there are many this day that are to receive the Sacrament and you know when we come to receive the Sacrament our chiefe businesse is to examine our selves Let every man examine himselfe and so let him eate of this bread and drinke of this cup. We have often pressed to you the necessitie of these two things First that you may not omit the Sacrament when it is administred in the Congregation whereof you are members for if they were to be cut off from the people that neglected the Passeover why should not this be accounted a greater sinne and to deserve a greater punishment to neglect the receiving of the Lords Supper which is come in the place of the Passeover and is farre beyond it First because it is more cleare and it is more cleare because the doctrine is more cleare for it doth more lively represent Christ now exhibited in the flesh than that which onely represented Christ which was then to come And secondly because the mercie that you are now to remember is your redemption from sinne and from hell a greater mercie than that which they were to remember in the Passeover which was their deliverance out of Egypt though that was not all therefore the neglecting of this must

helped by the Holy Ghost to know it but it is chiefly grounded vpon our owne experience for it is no more but the act of a mans owne heart reflecting vpon what hee hath done when hee considers Haue I taken CHRIST or no as a Lord and as a Sauiour as a Priest to saue me as a King to liue by his Lawes this is a looking vpon an act of mine owne therefore the vnderstanding and knowing of it must come from experience The last act of faith is to purifie and to sanctifie I cannot stand vpon it at this time nor make Vse and apply this as I desired therefore I will breake off heere So much for this time FINIS OF FAITH The third Sermon ROM 1.17 For by it the righteousnesse of God is reuealed from Faith to Faith As it is written The iust shall liue by Faith THe last point that wee deliuered out of these words was this that Faith is that whereby we are made partakers of the righteousnesse of Christ. Wee come now to the Vses of it And first of all if it be by faith onely by which we are made partakers of that righteousnesse that saueth vs the first consectary that we will draw from hence is this That wee should learne to come to CHRIST with an empty hand and not to bee discouraged for any want that wee finde in our selues nor for the greatnesse of our sinnes wee should not bee discouraged for the want of a perfect degree of repentance and godly sorrow or for the want of whatsoeuer good worke you thinke is requisite to saluation for my beloued you must know that this is the nature of faith that it doth its worke best alone and faith is so farre from requiring any thing in the partie that shall haue CHRIST that necessarily he must let goe all things else otherwise hee cannot beleeue and this is a point necessarily to be considered for euery man is apt to conceiue and thinke that it is impossible that GOD should accept him vnlesse there bee something in him why GOD should regard him If he finde himselfe to be exceeding vngodly he thinkes that CHRIST will neuer looke after him And againe if hee haue nothing at all to giue if he haue nothing to bring with him in his hand hee thinkes that hee shall haue no pardon But you see that faith requires nothing in the first apprehension of CHRIST if a man bee neuer so vngodly it is all one the promise notwithstanding is made vnto him Againe Why should you looke for righteousnesse in your selues The worke of faith and it hath nothing else to doe is to take that righteousnesse of Christ that is none of your owne so that there is nothing else at all required for all that faith hath to doe is onely to take from Christ that righteousnesse that we want our selues so that I say there is no reason why any man should bee discouraged in his first comming for any want that he findes in himselfe or for any condition that he is in because faith onely is that that makes vs partakers of a righteousnesse to iustifie vs because we our selues haue it not I say faith is so farre from requiring any thing to be added to it to helpe it in the act of iustifying that of necessity it excludes all things else for faith hath this double quality not onely to lay hold of Christ offered but to empty a man of all things else whatsoeuer As for example Faith is not onely the beleeuing of a truth which is deliuered from the authority of him that doth deliuer it but it is a resting vpon Christ a casting of our selues vpon him Now when a man leanes vpon any other thing hee stands not vpon his owne legges hee stands not vpon his owne bottome for if hee did hee could not properly be said to leane If a man trust and depend vpon another he prouides not for himselfe but he that so lookes to himselfe that he prouide so as to make him selfe safe if another should faile him so farre he trusts himselfe so that beloued if you trust CHRIST it is of necessity required that you must bee vnbottomed of your selues you must altogether leane vpon him you must cast your selues wholly vpon him For faith hath such an attracting vertue in it that it fils the heart with CHRIST Now it cannot fill the heart with CHRIST vnlesse the heart be emptyed first Therefore I say faith hath a double quality not onely to take but to empty and they are reciprocall the one cannot be without the other Hence it is that we say faith ingrafts a man a man cannot be ingraft into a new stocke vnlesse hee bee quite cut off from the former roote therefore faith driues a man out of himselfe and makes him nothing in himselfe so that when he comes to lay hold on the promise of GOD he lookes at no quality or excellencie of his owne he lookes at no fitnesse nor worthinesse in himselfe but he comes with a hand and a heart altogether empty So that when a man comes to beseech GOD to receiue him to mercie and to grant him a Pardon of his sinnes when he comes to take hold of the righteousnesse of CHRIST for his iustification if he thinke that there is any little worthinesse in him or that there be no fault in him at all and from thence shall thinke that GOD will receiue him this man is not fit to come to Christ he must be wholly emptied of himselfe and then God will speake peace vnto him But you will aske What is that that faith doth empty a man of Faith emptieth a man of two things First of all opinion of righteousnesse in himselfe Secondly of all opinion of strength and ability to helpe himselfe for if either of these remaine in the heart a man cannot receiue CHRIST First I say a man must be emptied of all opinion of worthinesse in himselfe of all conceipt that he hath the least righteousnesse in himselfe therefore when the yong man came to CHRIST and CHRIST told him that he must keepe the Law and he said hee had done all those things from his youth CHRIST knew that he was not yet fit therefore saith he Goe and sell all that thou hast Christs end was nothing else but to discouer to him his owne vnworthinesse If thou wilt be perfect saith CHRIST take this tryall Canst thou be content to let thy wealth goe to follow me Canst thou be content to suffer persecution This shewed that hee was not perfect but that hee was still a sinfull man this was the way to prepare him for Christ this course we see CHRIST alwaies tooke we see it expressed in the Parable of the Publican and of the Pharise the Publican went away iustified because he was wholly emptyed of all conceipt and opinion of worth in himselfe But the Pharise was not iustified not because he was not a iuster man then the

and how seriously he is devising with himselfe to bring his matters to passe Now if you love the Lord the actions that you doe you will not doe them as those that are his slaves and servants that doe things for other regards And indeede such is the love for the most part that is among us now adayes there is much formality in our actions wee have a forme of godlinesse without the power of it even as in our love towards men there are many complements and much profession of love one to another but wee finde that there is little true love So wee may take up a complaint against men in their love to God there is much formality men are much in outward performances which is well I confesse but alas the power is wanting it is all but complementing with God as it were when you come and do these duties of Gods worship when you keepe the Sabbath and present your selves at prayers and at Sermons it is well you doe so but yet when your hearts are going after your covetousnesse and after your pleasures after this or that particular humour the Lord lookes upon this as upon a formall performance it is another kinde of doing that the Lord requires at your hands It may be you doe duties in secret and private and it is a good propertie that you doe so but yet that is not enough you may doe them as a taske that you are glad when the businesse is done and it is well that is over but when you will doe things out of love you must know that you must doe it in another manner not in this formality If you will serve the Lord out of love it is not the praying to him morning and evening that will content you but it is the working upon your hearts it is the beating upon your affections till you have brought them to a good frame of grace till you have wrought upon your selves a sound and thorow renewing of your repentance you will never give over till your hearts be quickened in prayer till you have found that God hath answered you till you have had experience of his mercy and loving kindnesse towards you So when you come to heare is this all thinke you that God requires of you to sit here and lend us your eares for a little time No my Beloved unlesse you doe it from love unlesse you be mooved to it from an inward principle from an entire and holy affection to God it is nothing You must labour to have the word wrought upon your hearts you must observe how you practise and how you bring forth into action that which you heare for you doe not learne a thing here when you come to heare the word till you practise it till your hearts bee transformed into it Doe not thinke that you have done the worke when you have sate here and heard us when you have gone home and repeated the Sermon and understand it To heare as God would have you heare is another thing it is like your lessons in musicke you say you have never learned them till you be able to practise them so you never have learned the word of God aright till you have an abilitie in you to practise it To shew you what love is and what faith is and what patience is to make you understand and conceive of it it is nothing but to have faith to have patience to have love to have your affections inflamed to the Lord this is the right hearing As it is in physicke the understanding of the Physitians bill is nothing it is the taking and applying of that which is there written that doth good to your bodies so is it with the doctrine that wee preach you may understand it and apprehend it and conceive of it aright but except you bring it forth into your lives and actions you learne it not Therefore this slight and overly performance is not a true testimonie of your loue to the Lord Iesus but the doing of it to purpose so that God who searcheth the heart may accept of it the doing of it thorowly that your hearts may be wrought upon this is a signe that your doing and suffering comes from Love FINIS THE FOVRTH SERMON GALLAT 5.6 For in Iesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but Faith which worketh by Love THE last thing that wee did was to shew you what were the properties of true love that by them you might try your selves whether you love the Lord Iesus or no we went through five in the morning we now proceede Another property of love is this it is full of heate therefore in Cant. 8. it is compared to coales of juniper and that phrase is used in Mat. 24.5 Iniquity shall abound and the love of many shall waxe colde That antithesis shewes that love is a hot thing hot as fire Therefore if you would know whether you love the Lord Iesus or no consider what heat and what fire there is in you Now what are the properties of fire wherein doth love and that agree Fire you know is the most active of all the elements colde benummes a man and is the greatest enemie to action if thou love the Lord Iesus thou shalt finde thy love will have that property of fire to set all on worke on thee it will set thy tongue on fire and thy hands on fire and thy head and heart on fire every thing that is within thee will be working and doing some service or other to the Lord. When a man wanteth love hee is as a man benummed as a man frozen in his dreggs not apt to any thing the more a thing is like to fire the more aptnesse and the more activenesse so the more love the more aptnesse and readinesse to every good worke where there is no love there men are reprobate to every good worke Besides love as it is very active so it is very quicke as fire is of a quicke nature Therefore we say that love hates nothing so much as delayes and it is in this like to fire which is the quickest of all the elements Consider of this therefore Art thou speedy in thy executions if thou love the Lord thou wilt not deferre and put off from day to day any thing that is to bee done thou wilt not say with thy self I wil change my course of life but not yet no if thou love the Lord thou wilt doe it presently Besides love agrees with fire in this that it is earnest and vehement and indeede I take it that in that regard it is chiefly compared to fire For fire as it is of a quicke so it is of a vehement nature and so is love Looke what a man loves upon that he bestowes the top of all his affections and the maine strength of his intentions run that way Examine by this therefore whether thou love the Lord or no. If thou love the Lord Iesus thou