and when peace comes there will then be a discovery of rotten hearts then much more then in these times yet in these times there are abundance of rotten hearts discovered that were not knowne before The Lord comes near the quick of our profession in these times there are abundance that have been professors that now jeere the Saints and dishonour God and imbrace the VVorld but in times of mercie there will be more the sun makes the Traveller put off his cloake when the wind cannot But to open it to you as I did the former that which I shall doe shall be to discover to you what the carriage of a humble heart is and what our carriage should be when God shewes mercie to us when the Lord deales kindly with us in the way of his mercy What is the posture of a humble heart then I answer First of all a humble heart he can be 1. A humble heart content to be denyed any mercy content that the Lord should denie him any mercie let it be never so deare or pretious to him though he prize it high and pray earnestly for it and wayt long for it yet if God come at last and say thou shalt not have it he can be content patiently and meekly to take a denyall from God and goe away contented if it must be so Indeed there is a kind of earnestnesse that should be in us and in a sence we should take no deniall from God we should not be easily put off As we see in Mat. 15. That Woman of Canaan when Christ put her off shee comes again and again and again But if God say say no more it shall not be so rhen a man should quietly submit himselfe to God though like Hannah he desire Children and pray earnestly and seek God againe and againe and seeme to be near towards it sometimes but at last if God come and say thou shalt never have a child then sayth a proud heart Give me children or I die I will give you an instance or two of this in 2 Sam 15. 25. David there was in a poore condition he was pursued by his enemy by Absalom his owne son and David David had the Arke and Zadock the Preist But sayth the King to Zadock carry back the Arke of God into the City if I shall finde favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again and shew me both it and his habitation But if he thus say I have no delight in thee behold here I am let him doe to me as seemeth good unto him As if he had said I am in a miserable condition but I will not trouble thee or indanger the Arke if I have found favour in the eyes of God he will bring me again to my house and to his but sayth he if he thus say I have no delight in him Behold here I am let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eyes God will bring me back to Jerusalem if I have found favour with him but if God say David I have no delight in thee thou shalt never see my house more Loe here I am let him doe as seemeth best to him This is the posture of a humble soule that desireth this and that and the other mercy yet if God say I have no delight in thee I will doe none of these things he can say here I am doe as it seemeth good in thine eyes I will give you one instance more in Deut. 3. 24. You have Moses there praying and he desires a great request and that earnestly of God Moses O Lord thou hast begun to shew thy seruant thy greatnesse and thy mighty hand for what God is there in Heaven or in Earth that can doe according to thy might I pray thee I pray thee Lord see how familiar he is with him Let me goe over and see that good land that is beyond Jordan and that goodly Mountaine and Lebanon Moses was going towards Canaan that was a type of the Kingdome of grace under the Gospell and a type of Heaven and they had travelled forty yeares in the VVildernesse I pray thee sayth he let me goe over and see that good land and see Lebanon that goodly forrest But sayth he the Lord was wroth with me for your sakes and would not heare me and the Lord said unto me let it suffice thee speak no more unto me of this matter Let it suffice I will heare no more concerning this thing Get thee up into the top of Pisgah I will give thee leave to looke on it but thou shalt not goe over Now in the Chapter following Deut. 4. 21. Sayth he The Lord was angrie with me for your sakes It was for their sakes that God denyed him And he sware that I should not goe over Jordan and that I should not goe in unto that good land which the Lord thy God hath given thee for an inheritance but I must die in this Land It is a broken speech I must die he doth not say it in passion must I die must I lead this people forty yeares and when there is any good to be had I must be cut off he spake it not on that fashion but sayth he I must not goe over but you shall goe over and possesse it He submits to Gods will and rejoyceth that they should goe over though it was for their sakes that he was crossed And he shewes them how they should carry themselves there A proud heart would have sayd you may get you over if you will and if it had not been for you I might have gone too but I may thanke you that I must stay and die here But sayth he God hath sayd I shall speake no more of that matter it is my lot I submit So in all the mercies of God to thee if thou canst quietly as Moses and David submit in silence when he denies thee any mercy though it be never so deare it is a signe thou hast a humble heart Truely some godly men are of opinion that a Saint can come to this to be content that God should deny him everlasting Salvation for his soul I have read of one and I have spoken with another I have knowne two godly men in that posture the one was so and the other seemed to be so by his writing that if after all the meanes used he cannot come to beleive as others doe that he can have no assurance or hope of life from God but that God almost in every Ordinance doth as much as tell him thou shalt be damned yet he can be content to goe to Hell it selfe I have seen a glorious Saint that hath said that if God should tell him he should be damned yet he could submit without murmuring Such a thing may be but I think it is not ordinary neyther Grace crosseth not principles of nature doth God expect it because grace never crosseth the ground principles of nature and of all this
notwithstanding God did all this Examine your hearts by this Againe as a humble heart can be content that 4. A humble heart content with the least mercies God should denie him any mercy and secondly be content that God should take away any mercy and thirdly be content to waite upon God for mercies So in the fourth place after all his waiting he can be content with the least pittance of mercie A proud heart will not doe so take a proud beggar and make him waite an houre or two and then after give him but a farthing and he will grumble that he should stay so long and loose other customers others that might have releeved and helped him but a humble heart is content to waite long and after all is content with a little I will give you but one instance Mat. 15. 26. There was a blessed woman that followed Christ for a mercie Christ was silent a while and said nothing and though shee cried out yet he sayth nothing At last he calls her dog sayth shee am I a dog I take it well but the dogs sayth shee eat the crums that fall from their Masters table What is the meaning of that You know the dog stayes till his Master have dined and when his Master hath dined he is content with a bone or with the least crust that falls The dog is not served presently as soone as his Master sits downe but he stayes till all have dined and if a bone or a bit fall he is content with that A humble heart is like a dog in that he will stay his masters time as that woman shee could stay Jesus Christs leasure and see him carve mercies upon other mens trenchers and she have but a bone or a crust or a bit of bread when all was done and yet be well content The Fifth thing is this that a humble heart in 5. He is thankfor a heart to receive mercies respect of Gods mercies he will be content and thankfull to God to give him a hand and a heart to receive mercies That is a great measure of this grace of Gospell humiliation when God gives a man a little mercie after all his waiting he sees his owne weaknesse though the Lord be rich in mercie yet he cannot take it though it be layd downe upon the naile yet he cannot take it up without God give him a heart It is not so with the poore beggers of the World if you give them money they have a purse to lay it up in if you give them meat they have a budget to put it in but the soul is not able to receive any mercie I mean not any spirituall mercie temporall mercies it may but not spirituall unlesse God give a hand and a heart to receive it I have seen poore women in the Mountaines of VVales and I have oft thought of it they have been so poor that when they have come to a house to beg a little whey or butter-milke they have been fain to beg the loane of a pot or a dish to put it in So we when we come to beg mercie of God we must desire the Lord when we have done our best to give us eyes to see it and a heart to lay it up and a hand to receive it for the naturall man receives not the things of God And beleiving is called receiving and it is the gift of God to beleive We cannot believe that is we cannot receive the least mercie of God unlesse he give us hands and hearts This is the disposition of a humble heart when I pray for mercie of God I see God is full of mercie and Christ is a Fountaine full of grace but I have not eyes to behold it I have not a hand to receive it We cannot carrie one graine of grace home unlesse God give us spirituall buckets As that woman said John 4. Here is water but where is the bucket to draw So God may say thou wantest grace but where is thy bucket sayth the humble soul Lord I have none thou must both give the water and lend the bucket to carry it home And then Sixtly a humble heart is discovered by this that when the Lord shall give him any 6. He is content that God give lawes how to use his mercies mercie he will be content that God shall give him as many laws as he will to use these mercies a humble heart will doe so A proud begger if you give him a couple of shillings and say be sure you buy you some cloaths with this or get some good thing for your wife and children he will be ready to say you need not tell me how I shall use it I know what to doe with it Now give a humble begger foure or five shillings and say carrie one to your wife and with two shillings buy you a paire of shooes and doe this and this he will be content to doe all you tell him make as many lawes as you will if you give him any thing It is just so with the soul of a humbled Christian when the Lord gives a mercy to a proud heart he is ready to say I know what to doe with it well enough but when he gives any thing to a humble Saint he is content that the Lord should teach him And thence it is that when the Lord offers mercie and Salvation and offers Christ to a proud heart he is content to take the mercie but he would goe on in his sins still but hold sayth Christ now thou receivest Salvation and grace thou must not live in thy old wayes thou must shake off thy old companie and be a new man No the proud heart will have none of all those he would take the mercie but he will goe on in his owne way But a humble man is as Abraham we see he stayed long for a child and then God gave him a son and when he had his son Isaac God gave him a law for Isaac Abraham sayth he there is a son and a great mercie and all Nations shall be blessed in him but thou must take thy son and carry him to such a place and with thine owne hands upon such a hill thou must cut his throat and some of the old Rabbins say that he was to take a pole and to stir his bowells in the fire and according as the Lord so Abraham handled his mercie Thus it is with an humble heart But lastly and so I shall conclude a humble heart towards God in the way of his mercie is New mercies added add to his thankfulnesse discovered by this that every addition of mercie that God bestowes upon him obligeth his heart more and more to a holy thankfullnesse and obedience And truely as I have sayd we oft break our communion with God by our unthankfullnesse and our unthankfulnesse ariseth from the pride of our hearts A proud heart thinks that Proud hearts unthankfull he hath alwayes too little
therefore he is praying for more but he forgets to pray with thanksgiving to make his requests known with thanksgiving Now let a humble heart be in never so much distresse and misery the man can see abundance of cause to prayse God if he have but water that the beasts drink and if he have but strength to dig he can say Lord I owne this as a mercie and whatsoever is on this side Hell is mercie So in Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you by the mercies of God that you give up your selves a living and holy and acceptable sacrifice to God He would have the mercies of God to bring them to obedience to give up themselves to obey God So in Rom. 2. Sayth he Doest thou despise his riches and goodnesse and forbearance and long suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God should lead thee to repentance The goodnesse of God and the patience of God and the mercie of God should lead all humble hearts to a holy thankfullnesse and obedience and so it doth And the more the Lord doth multiplie mercies upon him the more obedient and thankfull he is Now in all this that I have said I would desire you to examine your soules and if you find that in any of these or in any of the rest that I am yet to speake of you are faultie and come short yet I would not have you conclude therefore I am not the humbled soul that the Minister spake off there is none of this grace in me for though it be not so with thee in every poynt though thou come short of perfect humiliation that should be in thee it followes not that therefore there is none at all The end why I put these things before you is not so much to trie your selves as that you might labour with the Lord to bring up your hearts to these things And I have the rather chosen to speake of this at this time because me thinks the Lord is preparing to come towards us in a way of mercie and that I would have you to think of and pray for that the Lord may still come in a way of mercie that he may turne from the evill he hath intended or else he may easily bring us againe to the red sea if we provoke him as we have done But so much for this time SERMON 8. Isaiah 6. 5. For mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts I Hope you are not wearie of this subject though I have been somthing long upon it you may remember the last doctrine was that A saving sight of God in Christ is the principall means of true humiliation It is the principall meanes to humble the heart of any man whether he be a Saint or a sinner I have spoken much to you concerning that sight At the last we came to this to examyne whether we have seen God or no. John puts much stresse upon that word If any man love not his brother he hath not seen God I say if you have seen God in Christ as Moses had seen him and as all the Saints see him with open face it will appeare by this it will make your hearts humble it will worke a holy frame of humiliation No proud man hath ever seen God no man hath ever seen God but his heart was thorowly humbled But that begat another question How shall I know whether I have an humble heart or no I told you you might know it First by the carriage of your souls towards God In poynt of justification In regard of his commands In regard of his truths In regard of his corrections In regard of his mercies And this last was the thing I did endeavour to open to you the last day Secondly you may know whether your hearts 2. True humiliation known by our carriage towards men be truly humbled by your carriage towards men When ever men are converted to God there the hearts of the children are turned to their fathers Now among men there are two sorts in generall They are eyther Sinners or Saints I shall leave to speake of our carriage towards Saints for the last because it will require a little more time and because I shall speake but a few words of this of the carriage of a humble heart towards sinners and that I shall endeavour to shew you at this time Therefore breifly whosoever hath this humble frame of heart his carriage towards sinners is according to the rule that we 1. To sinners with meeknesse read of Titus 3. 2. To speake evill of no man to be gentle shewing all meeknesse unto all men His carriage I say is meek and affable and courteous and gentle towards all men Indeed there is no heart in the World so proud you shall observe it but it hath in it some meeknesse and especially to some men The proudest Tyrants in the World have had some favourites that they did fawne on and in some sort might be termed meek men but the Apostle sayth that we must shew all meeknesse and that unto all men to all sorts of men to whoremongers to drunkards to those that deprive us of our goods and of our good name which is hard to doe but I will give you a Scripture that will open it Collos 1. 9. I pray for you sayth Paul that you may be filled with the knowledg of his will in all wisdome and spirituall understanding c. If the Lord hath revealed himselfe that thou hast had a saving sight of him then the Lord humbleth thy heart How will that appeare By thy carriage to all men there will be all meeknesse to all men It will appeare by thy affabilitie for meeknesse and humblenesse have the same name in the Originall Moses was a humble man and Moses was a very meeke man VVhere ever there is a humble heart it is a meeke heart there will be meeknesse shewed even to sinners That you may see this I will give you but one solid instance instead of many You know that of all proud men there were none that had the name so much as the Pharisees therefore they are called the proud Pharisees And of all that have Christs meeknesse to sinners been humbled there was not such a patterne of humilitie as our Lord Jesus Christ Now you shall see how the pride of the Pharisees was expressed and how the humilitie of our Saviour is set forth by his carriage to sinners As he sayth Mat. 11. 28. Come and learne of me for I am meeke and lowly of heart It is because of the pride of our hearts that we are not meeke you shall see this meeknesse of Christ by paralell places in Luke 7. 34. You shall finde there that our Lord Christ was at a feast when he sat at meat in a Pharises house there comes in a woman and shee was washing his feet and wyping them with the haire of her head as he sate at the table The Pharisees fall a reasoning with themselves
him First he sees the justice of God the equallnesse Of his justice of Gods dealing with his soule or with his body let the Lord doe with him what he will he will not say as the people of Israel proverbially said Ezek. 18. The wayes of the Lord are not equall A proud heart will say so it will think so at least for the Scripture speaks the language of mens hearts The heart of a proud man thinks that God deales unjustly and unequally that he layes so great an affliction on him and then another affliction upon that that first takes away one mercy and then another first one Child and then another and then a third the heart out of pride thinkes God deales unjustly but if the heart were rightly humbled it would see that all that God doth is very just and equall I not onely observe it just according to Law for so a man may doe by legall humiliation that Ahab and Judas had Judas saw that it was just with God to destroy him and so did Ahab and Saul and Pharoah it is not onely According to the Gospel so but according to the Gospell there he sees that the wayes of God are very equall and that it is a righteous thing with God to afflict him I meane thus a man I say under the Gospell that sees himselfe the son of God and that God is his Father and that he is united to Christ and that his soule is justifyed perfectly by the bloud of Jesus Christ yet when God shall lay some sore affliction upon him A man would thinke now how can God justly doe this As some proud or inconsiderate people say Will God be paid twice hath he not beene paid in his son Now a humble heart will say though God be satisfyed and the Law be fullfilled and he is my Father yet I am such a graceles wretched son such a provoking son I doe so often vex and slight and neglect my Father that even according to the law of love and according to the blessed Gospell it is equall that God should deale so with me Nay he can say at all times that God layes on me according to the Gospell it selfe lesse then I deserve as they said Lament 3. 22. It is the Lords mercie that we are not consumed Indeed it is an affliction that I am whipped but it is a great deale of mercy that I am not utterly destroyed Looke to thy heart in this thing when afflictions come upon thee canst thou justifie God and say his wayes are equall and just and right as they say in Nehem. 9. 33. Howbeit thou art just and right in all this In all what you shall see in the Verse before Lord let it not seeme little before thee the trouble that hath come upon us c. And it was not little for they suffered sore and long and yet notwithstanding all that thou art righteous and just in all this that we have suffered That is one thing Another thing that he hath reverend thoughts 2. Of his Love of God for it is his love a humble heart wil be able to see a sun through a cloud he will be able to see the heart of a Father and the love of a Father when he frownes most or shakes his rod most over him God cannot shake his rod so much over a Saint that is a humbled Saint but he will be able to espie some Smiles of love Therefore I say he hath honourable thoughts of God Why Because he thinks though this be so yet it is just and equall It is true sayth he I am a son but of my conscience God hath not such another son on the face of the Earth I vex him more in one week then all the other doe in a yeare therefore for all this I see him move his eies and yearne his heart for my good so that still he hath honourable thoughts of God Now a proud heart such a one as Judas may say it is just but here he comes short he cannot say it is love Thirdly and lastly he hath honourable and pretious 3. Of his wisedome and reverend thoughts of God because in his affliction he discerns the infinite wisdome of God Truly Beloved there are but two great wisedomes that are great indeed that are before the eye of a Christian in this World that is the wisedome Two wisedomes great in the eyes of Saints that is hid in the Gospell that the Angells desire to prie into and the wisedome of God in his carriage to his Saints in affliction Now when things seem crosse and thwart when a proud heart sayth I am undone I am broken and spoyled I shall never set up again I shall never eat my bread chearfully againe a humble heart can say though I know not what God will doe yet he hath a wise designe in it it is love whatsoever it is and it is wisedome too Therefore the Lord doth with us in afflictions as he did with Peter when he washed his feet saith Peter what doest thou meane What I meane thou shalt know hereafter So a poore Saint when God strikes him he takes away it may be two or three of his Children thinks he Lord what doest thou meane Sayth God thou shalt know hereafter I have a wise designe thou shalt see it but now I must keepe it from thee thou shalt not know it And truly ordinarily when the affliction is over God comes and takes his childe a side and opens the designe to him and tells him thou didst wonder at me many times and hadst hard thoughts of me for a great while when it was under ground come now I will read thee a lesson I will tell thee the story and so takes him by the hand and sayth doest not thou remember before I tooke thee in hand what a froward creature thou wert what a proud creature thou wert thou mightest have been damned if I had not taken thee in hand and I gave thee first such a gentle affliction and then added another God shews him the whole plot and then he sayth Lord pardon all my hard thoughts of thee glorious God I see now that all was love and wisedome And God so inures his people to shew them the designe when the affliction is over that most Saints though they understand and see nothing of God in their affliction yet they know it is a glorious designe of wisdome that God hath upon them therefore they will not censure God because they see it not it is but their owne ignorance that they doe not comprehend it As if you should see a Plow-man or a countrie man come to a Mathematician that were at his Globe and his compasses and were drawing lines from one to another the Countrie man knowes nothing of this but he would not therefore say the other is a foole and doth he knoweth not what He would rather say I warrant you he is a Scholler and hath had good breeding
call upon God ordinarily in afflictions and troubles Secondly it implies thankfullnesse In Phil. 4. 2. To give thankes Make your requests known with thankfullnesse A humble heart will alwayes pray and it will in the greatest affliction be praysing God why so Because a humble heart in the greatest affliction can spie somthing to prayse God for as well as to 〈◊〉 for that he wants Therefore sayth James If any be afflicted let him pray Sometimes a Saint is so afflicted that he can doe nothing else but pray and he is never better fitted to pray then when he is most afflicted Then lastly you shall discerne it by this that 11. Hee is not weary of waiting on God in his afflictions he will never be wearie of waiting upon the Lord till he have remooved it It is the pride of our hearts that makes us that we doe not wait on the Lord as the Prophet Habakkuk sayth His heart that is lifted up is not right in him but the just shall live by his faith In 2 Kings 6. 33. This evill is from the Lord sayth that wicked man VVhat should I wait on the Lord any longer A proud heart God must come in at his time and when he calls or else he will stay no longer but will be wearie As a godly man sayth what art thou that thou wilt not wait for God VVhy doest thou take such state upon thee Who shall waite God or thou Should the King waite upon the Subject or the Subject upon the King should the Master waite upon the Servant or the Servant upon the Master should the Judg wait on the Traytor or the Traytor on the Judg Such a one a humble heart sees himselfe to be he is a Servant and a Traytor if God should take him at the worst Therefore he blesseth God that he may waite for mercie O sayth he there are many thousands in Hell that shall waite for ever expecting more wrath and more flames of fire World without end and may not I blesse God that I have a little mercy though I have many sorrowes and that I may waite on the God of mercy for more mercies I will waite upon the Lord. Thus breifly I have poynted out the carriage of a soule that God hath humbled by a saving sight of himselfe in Jesus Christ I say his carriage in afflictions There is another word to shew you his carriage under the mercies of God but I cannot speake of it now without passing my owne strength and yours SERMON 7. Isaiah 6. 5. For mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts YOU remember the last doctrine that we had from these words that A true and saving sight of God in Jesus Christ is a principall meanes to humble a soule This I did open and proove fully to you out of the Scriptures And so as God led us we went along And came in the last place to examine our selves for that we were upon whether the Lord had truely humbled us by discovering himselfe to us For there is no soul that is truly humbled but he that hath seen God in Christ I speak not as I told you of a day of humiliation or of the dutie of humiliation or of a preparatory humiliation but of the Gospel grace of humiliation of that frame of heart that is or ought to be in a Saint at all times For the discovery of it I told you we should find much of it First by our carriage towards God Secondly by our carriage towards man Towards God I told you first in respect of his righteousnesse And indeed therein cheifly is discovered the pride of our hearts or the humility of our hearts by our receiving or not receiving the righteousnesse of God by faith Secondly by our carriage to the truths of God therein we may see how much of this grace God hath bestowed upon us Thirdly by the commands of God Fourthly and lastly by the corrections of God And therein I shewed you what the posture of the heart of a Christian is that is truly and savingly humbled by his carriage in afflictions For if there be pride in the soule usually affliction will bring it out I shall not repeat any thing but goe on a little further to that which remaines There is one thing more and but one thing 5. A humble hearts carriage towards God for mercies that I shall speake of in respect of our carriage towards God wherein you shall discover how much God hath given you of this grace and that is by your carriage towards God in the way of his mercies Truly mercies and afflictions are much like Summer and winter and sometimes our sicknesse will breake out in Winter that is concealed in Summer and sometimes it is discovered in Summer that is hid in Winter So in some soules the evills of the heart will breake out in afflictions more then in mercies and in some it is more discovered in a state of prosperitie in a way of mercie then in the way of afflictions As on the other side in some soules grace is more cleare and shining in afflictions then in prosperitie and truely I think that in some soules grace will shine more in the way of mercy And if God will come and have mercie upon poore England my hope is and it is my prayer and request to God that we may discover more godlinesse and more grace then in all this time We have discovered a great deale of pettishnesse and frowardnesse and pride and ambition and covetousnesse and cruelty and rashnesse but I hope there being diverse Saints among us that God will give us another frame of heart if he have mercy on us and turne away his wrath But that by the by But I was saying that the pride of the heart and other corruptions also are Corruptions discovered by Gods mercies sometimes discovered in a way of mercie that are not discovered in a way of affliction I will give you but one Scripture for it in Hosea 7. 1. VVhen I would have healed Israel then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered and the wickednesse of Samaria for they commit falshood c. Ephraim and Israel are two names almost of the same thing though Ephraim were but one tribe yet because it was a great tribe as York is a great Countie in England all Israell is often called by the name of Ephraim Now when God would heale Ephraim or Israell then their iniquity appeared So it is to be feared that if God come to heal England as he seemeth to smile on us sometimes and according to that word in Acts 7. Where he sayth I have seen I have seen the afflictions of my people in Aegypt So I hope God hath seen how the bread is done and the provision is gone and the people are ready to goe away themselves by reason of their miseries I hope God hath seen and will put an end to our miseries and I much feare that when mercie comes
is the cheife principle that the creature should desire its owne preservation It is so in all creatures Grace screws up and makes nature spirituall but grace goes not contrary to the mayne and solid principles of pure nature Now therefore I say that a man by grace should be brought to wish his owne destruction it is very harsh For besides that it is contrary to the principle of nature Ground of true submission to God it is contrary to the spirit of adoption for what is it that makes me submit to God It is because I have loving thoughts of him and I conceive of his love to me and the like if I should looke upon God as an enemie I should love him no more then the Devill himselfe doth it is ordinarily so But what may be in one soul or two or a few I know not But that which I meane is in ordinarie mercies especially in temporall mercies it is the frame of a humble heart to sit still and be quyet if God denie the mercie That is one thing Another thing is this that as a humble heart 2. He is content that God should take away any mercy will be content that God should denie him any mercie So Secondly he is contented if it please God to take away any mercie that he hath God shall pick and choose and if he will take away all yet he is contented and quiet It is just with a humble heart towards God as you read of an honest hearted man in the Book of God that was humble towards David you shall read of him in 2 Sam. 19. 24. It was one Mephibosheth David had given Mephibosheth him a great deale of land for his father Jonathans sake and being a lame man for his Nurse let him fall when he was a child he had a wicked servant one Ziba and when David came home he sadled asses and brought presents and told David Mephibosheth would not come to 2 Sam. 16. 1. meet the King which was a grosse lie saith David if he be so sturdie take thou the land At the last Mephibosheth finds a way to come to David and David asked him why he did not come to 2 Sam. 19. 24. him sayth he My Lord O King my servant deceived me for he sadled an asse and went away and hath slandered thy servant unto my Lord the King c. Sayth the King Vers 29. Thou and Ziba divide the land honest hearted Mephibosheth once I gave him all but now the more was the pitty he shall have one halfe and thou the other saith Mephibosheth yea let him take all for as much as my Lord the King is come again in peace unto his owne house I care little for the land though I be a lame man and cannot get any thing for my selfe and Ziba though he were a wicked man and deserved it not yet sayth he I am so taken with the Kings person that he is come home that let him take all So a humble heart carries himselfe thus towards God that when the Lord seems to be as it were in a holy chafe and anger that he takes away his mercies he takes away a child or a husband or a mans estate or the like if thou have a humble heart thou wilt not be in a rage and say let him take all in a desperate humour but he sayth meekly let him take this or that or all if he will so I may injoy him and his love I will blesse God I say when thou canst blesse God notwithstanding all be gone This was Jobs condition God tooke all from Job one after another in a little while as we see in Job 1. Sayth Job notwithstanding God hath taken all from me Naked came I out of my Mothers wombe and the Lord gives and the Lord takes blessed be the name of the Lord. Or as it is in some old Greek coppies As it pleaseth the Lord so commeth things to passe blessed be the name of the Lord. He blessed the Lord that had taken away his children and thrown downe his house yet he could blesse him Now looke a little upon your hearts how you finde your spirits when God hath denied you mercies when God hath taken away mercies As I could give you many instances but to name one or two it may be when thou wert a carnall man that thou wert a very honourable man in thy Countrie thou wert the onely States-man the man that did doe all the businesses but now since thou art Religious thou art despised and there are none that make use of thee thy honour is gone Thou wert accounted a wise man but now thou art accounted a mope and a sot Thou wert once accounted a fine young man or woman and now thy esteeme is gone canst thou be content that God hath rubbed off these mercies that one while he takes away thine honour another while thy wealth another while thy friends and yet thou canst blesse the name of God this a humble heart can doe Another thing in respect of the mercies of 3. A humble heart will wait for mercies God is this that a humble heart can be content to wait upon the Lord though he stay never so long for the least mercie Proud hearts unlesse you feed them in hast they will be gone A proud heart will not waite on God but a humble heart will stay Gods leasure till he give him what he pleaseth and how he pleaseth Hab. 2 3. The vision is for an appointed time but at the end it shall speak and not lie though it tarry wait for it because it will surely come it will not tarry Behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him but the just shall live by his faith The proud heart and the just man living by faith are put opposite one to the other the just shall live by faith that is though he desire mercies yet he shall be content to waite on God but he that hath his soul lifted up he will be gone he will not stay for God just like that wicked King that you read of in the Book of God This evill sayth he comes of the Lord what should I stay for him any longer a wretched man So an unhumbled heart sayth what should I stay for God any longer in this and so he takes base courses to helpe himselfe and will not waite upon God and goe in Gods wayes It is a thing highly commended in the Saints throughout all the Scriptures when they had a frame of heart to waite on God As Abraham the father of the faithfull we read of him in Acts 7. VVhen God brought him from his fathers house and from his whole estate and led him abroad from one place to another and had brought him at the last to the Land of Canaan where he had not one foot of land and his posterity was not to possesse it of foure hundred yeares after yet he blesseth God and rayseth Altars
319 To be after the flesh what 321 see works weaknesse spirit corruptions actions carnall righteousnesse Fire Afflictions as fire 125 G Garrison The Devills strongest Garrison 389 Gentlenesse Ground of gentlenesse in the godly 373 Giving To looke to God in his giving 92 Glory glorious Saints condition glorious 235 Glory in Heaven unspeakable 294 Expectation of glory in former Saints 295 Glosses Scripture to be studied without mens glosses 310 God The Devill God of this world how 65 True humiliation known by our carriage to God 100 What hinders from enjoying of God 239 Godlinesse See Reason Good We are not more justified for the good we doe 220 Naturall men in great place do little good 385 The fountaine of all good in the soule 411 Gospell Preaching of the Gospell to be highly prized 24 Excellency of the Gospell why not seene 25 See rules liberty fall Grace Saints rejoyce at grace in others 198 See nature undervalue greater Greater Saints not discouraged by greater grace in others 193 Grow Growth A pure heart labours to grow in purity 52 See grace Guilt Saints dead to sin in regard of guilt 275 See conscience H. Happie happinesse Foundation of a Christians happinesse 297 See World Heart Saints thankfull for a heart to receive mercy 159 See pure Heaven Christs ascending to Heaven shews God is satisfied 228 See joy High A humble heart hath High thoughts of God in affliction 128 Hypocrite Difference betweene saints and Hypocrites 54 See satisfie dye Holy holinesse Those that have seen God should be holy 67 Holinesse wrought by seeing of God 87 Best motive to holinesse 244 Saints more holy then others 277 Hope Hope of glory in saints 281 Humble humiliation Causes of humiliation 2 Sight of God in Christ the true way to humiliation 75 Difference in working humiliation and other graces 79 Unregenerate Men not truely humbled 93 Wicked men may doe acts of humiliation 94 Wicked Men shall one day be humbled 96 True humiliation how known 100 Ground of humilitie 232 Saints to walke humbly 301 See Ministers afflictions Revelations I Jealous see Truth Jerusalem Jerusalem from above 291 Illumination Sight of God by common illumination 5 Saints illumination by the spirit 407 Impression True sight of God known by the impressions of it â—1 Imperfect Sight of God in this world imperfect 8 Infirmities Saints gentle to others infirmities 197 Instruct Saints willing to be instructed by others 189 Intellectuals Godlinesse hath that that will excercise the intellectuals 382 Job Why Satan desired to tempt Job 125 Joy Saints apprehensions of God full of joy 38 Joy of Heaven what 39 Judge Judgement Sight of God at the day of judgment 5 How godly men judge of things 337 A spirituall man judgeth all things 385 Justice Justice of God how thought of by Saints in affliction 129 Justification A humble Saints carriage to God in Justification 101 Justification upon what it is built 219 See good faith K. Kingdome He that will see God must be delivered from Satans Kingdome 64 Know Knowledge A misery in the knowledge of Saints 33 Of such as thinke they know more then others 185 Carnall men know not spirituall things 320 See Saving Licentiousnesse L. Lasting Comfort of spirituall duties lasting 375 Law Saints content that God make Lawes for his mercies 160 Law fulfilled three wayes 210 Vanity of such as think to fulfill the Law 211 See Righteousnesse Beleevers Spirit Learne Humble Saints readier to learne then teach 192 Learning Learning too much extolled by some 306 Learning of what use it is 307 Learning of Christians and others different 311 Led see Spirit Least A humble heart thankfull for the least mercy 158 A humble Saint thinks himselfe the least 181 How a Saint judgeth himselfe the least 183 Liberty Liberty not to be abused 298 Liberty brought by the Gospell 299 Danger of abusing Liberty ibid. Life The minde not good if the life be naught 352 A Saint can look with comfort on his past life 374 Spirituall reasonings bring life 413 See Vision earthly face faith Light Those that have seene God desire to bring others to the light 59 A humble Saint will abate of his owne light 196 A new light in the soules of godly men 376 Saints have a powerfull light 407 Licentiousnesse Knowledge of Christ no ground of licentiousnesse 315 Love Love to our Brethren how wrought 56 How Saints should bee loved 57 Love of God how esteemed by Saints in affliction 130 True Saints can love though not loved 199 Ground of Saints loving good things 392 Low Why Christians spirits are so low 236 Lust Worldly mens lust their rule 240 To fulfill sinfull lusts called flesh 332 Lusts may drive men to duty 395 M. Man True humiliation known by our carriage to Man 166 Things of the flesh called the things of a Man 324 Meanes Saints humbled in regard of the meanes they have had 183 Meeke Meeknesse Humble hearts are meeke to sinners 166 Christs meeknesse to sinners 167 Cautions in meeknesse to sinners 169 Ground of meeknesse to sinners 173 see mind Mercies Mercies abused humble saints 21 Carnall men cannot see God in his mercies 95 Carriage of humble Saints to God for mercies 148 See least denyed waite heart Minde minding Saints meek to those of another minde 188 Minding the things of the flesh what 334 Best thing in a carnall man his minde 344 Misery of a carnall man in his minde 345 God inflicts the greatest punishment on the minde 347 Greatest happinesse of a Chrstian in his minde 348 Misery of a carnall minde in six particulars ibid. Minde of three sorts 360 Spirituall minde what 378 See Throne Life Ministers God humbles his Ministers before he sends them 1 Mistery see Knowledge More Those that see God desire to see him more 37 Saints what humbles them more 182 Motions Motions of the spirit neglected humbles Saints 148 Mourne The right way to mourne for sin 232 N. Nature naturall Grace crosseth not principles of nature 153 Sinners may be conversed with in naturall things 170 And in naturall duties ibid. Prayer a naturall duty 171 Naturall minde 360 Naturall reasonings 362 O Offend A humble Saint will not offend others 106 Liberty Not to be used to offend others 300 Old How Saints of old spake of the spirit 308 Things of the flesh old things 327 Old man what 378 Ordinances Carnall men see not God in Ordinances 95 In what Ordinances wee may converse with sinners 170 Why people care not for Gods Ordinances 340 Others Saints humbled to see more good and lesse evill in othes Outward A Christian may provide and care for outward things 334 P. Patience Patience wrought by seeing God 87 Why Saints beare injuries with patience 341 Part. Saints see God but in part 15 Perpetuall Sight of God to his Children perpetuall 40 Persecution Ground of persecution 313 Please Nothing from naturall Adam can please God 284 Power Pure hearts cleansed from the power of sin 51 Sin dead in
the godly in respect of power 276 Pray A humble heart apt to pray in afflictions 144 See naturall Precious Saints apprehensions of God precious 34 Preparation Christs righteousnesse to be taken notwithstanding want of preparation 109 Principle Two principles whence all men worke 253 Professors to be judged by their principles 270 Every thing workes according to its principle 319 See Darke Prison Christ being out of prison shews God is satisfied 227 Priviledge Jewish priviledges how taken 258 Outward priviledge boasted of by the Jewes 259 To get the comfort of our priviledges 303 Carnall Priviledges called flesh 331 Prize The spirit to be prized 306 Prosperity Prosperity of others not envied by Saints 135 See Envy Proud Carnall minde proud 351 See commands ridgednesse truths unthankfull Publike Christ a publike person 226 Two publike persons 25â— Adam to dye as a publike person 285 Who to be imployed in publike affaires 385 Pure Purity Purity of heart an effect of seeing God 48. 66 Pure heart what 49 See conscience corrupt grow Q. Qualities More then new qualities in Saints 404 R. Rationall The most rationall man without grace the worst 389 Reall Impressions of God upon Saints reall 43 Miseries of this life reall ibid. Reason reasoning Reasoning of three sorts 361 Godlinesse hath the best reason 368 Not to reject all reason in godlinesse 380 Reasoning the highest act of the minde 388 Men mad with reason 389 Reasoning of the minde a distinguishing character 390 How a good man may be moved with naturall and carnall reasoning 393 How Saints come to be led by spirituall reason 402 To labour to be swayed by spirituall reasoning 412 See beleeving doing suffering Reforming Hindrances of reforming our wayes 234 Religion Carnall men may goe farre in Religion 392 Repeale The Law of God not repealed 209 Repent see Christ Reprobate Carnall minde reprobate 350 Revelation Saints to walke humbly for abundance of Revelations 301 Spirit of revelation to be prayd for 313 Reward Proud men obey GOD onely for reward 121 Ridgednesse Ridgednesse to sinners from pride 176 Righteousnesse True humiliation knowne by submitting to Christs righteousnesse 101 Men naturally cleave to their owne righteousnesse ibid. Righteousnesse of our owne to be renounced 108 Righteousnesse perfect required by the Law 208 Righteousnesse of the Law fulfilled in beleevers 217 We are saved by Gods righteousnesse 225 Fleshly men stablish their owne righteousnesse 330 Rotten Minde of a Carnall man rotten 349 Rules Three rules that all men conforme to 240 Rules of Christ to be looked to 242 Severall Gospell rules 243 S. Saint Carriage of a humble heart towards Saints 180 How to judge who are Saints 271. 274 Saints and others how distinguisht 358 See sight old Sanctification How the Spirit works by Sanctification 410 Satan See Kingdome Darknesse Satisfie Saints apprehensions of GOD satisfie them 25 Apprehensions of Hypocrites satisfie not 36 God the Father satisfied in Christ 227 See Spirit Saving Saving knowledge 185 Savour Fleshly men savor fleshly things 335 Scripture see Glosse Secret Secret works in nature and grace 91 See seen seeing The priviledge of Saints to see God 3 Severall wayes of seeing God 4 Order how Saints come to see God 61 All graces wrought by seeing God 87 Why God will humble men by seeing him 91 A wicked man may see his sins 93 Carnall men cannot see God 95 Tryall of seeing God aright 100 A humble heart seeth God in afflictions 126 Things of the flesh are things that are seene 325 Service Saints humble though they doe God more service 183 Humble Saints glad to doe service for others 197 Shift see truths Shrink see trouble Sight Saints have a peculiar sight of God 6 True sight of God how known 30 Signes Christians may make use of signes 103 Simplicity Saints to walke in simplicity 302 Sin Sight of God should preserve from sin 23 Sin what 102 Not to comply with others in sin 172 Justification not broken by sin 233 Who are dead to sin 275 See Guilt Sinners Carriage of a humble heart to sinners 166 Son of Man Two sorts of dayes of the Son of man 26 Soveraignty Soveraignty of God to make a Law 208 Spirit Spirituall Saving sight of God by the spirit 12 The Spirit shewes Christ and the Father 15 The priviledge of those that walk after the spirit 250 To walke according to the Spirit what 255 How to know we walke according to the spirit 274 Fruit of walking according to the spirit 279 How those are to walk that have the spirit 298 How men may come to walk spiritually 305 To labour to be lead by the spirit 309 Things of the spirit what 333 Minde spirituall 361 Reasoning spirituall 363 A Saint made spirituall how 404 Streame Streame of a Saints heart pure 52 Submit Submission A humble heart submits in affliction 133 Ground of true submission to God 154 Suffering True sight of God enables to suffering 60 Law fulfilled by suffering 210 Law cannot be fulfilled by suffering 213 Spirituall reasoning in suffering 366 Sweetnesse Sweetnesse in humble Saints to others 194 T. Take A humble heart content that God should take mercies 154 Teach Christians should be ready to teach others 59 Temptations Godly Men not taken with temptations why 375 See Job Eve Termes Proud men obey God upon their owne termes 120 Terrified Wicked men may be terrified 93 Testaments Difference between the two Testaments to be studyed 305 Thankfull A humble heart thankfull for mercies 161 Themselves Why Saints sometimes differ from themselves 73 Saints measure not themselves by themselves 199 Who build Justification upon themselves 230 Things What meant by things of the flesh 324 Throne The minde the throne of Christ or Satan 346 Through Right impressions of God through 44 Troubles Why professors shrink in troubles 44. 61 What keeps men in inward troubles 104 Truth Saints carriage to Gods truths 110 Proud hearts cavill at Gods truths 113 Proud men shift off Gods truths 114 Saints jealous of the truths they know 187 Time Saints humbled in regard of the time they have had 184 V. Vaine Carnall minde vaine 349 Various God shewes himselfe to his Children variously 16 Violence see Command Vision Beatificall vision in this life 18 Visitation Day of visitation what 176 Understand Why most people understand not spirituall things 338 Christ onely can satisfie the understanding 383 Undervalue A humble Saint undervalues not grace in others 153 Union Too neere union with sinners forbidden 172 The Law fulfilled by our union with Christ 224. 227 To look on our selves as united to Christ 236 Unregenerate Unregenerate men how farre they may goe towards humiliation 93 Unspeakable Saints sight of God unspeakable 10 Unthankfull Proud hearts unthankfull 161 Universall Impressions from the sight of God universall 45 W. Waiting A humble heart not weary of waiting in affliction 145 Waiting for mercies 156 Walke To walke what 251 Way Godly men see their way in confusion 374 Weak Weak Saints in Christ satisfie the Law 224 Flesh put for weaknesse 267 Weaknesse of Saints the cause of it 215 Weary see Commands Wicked Misery of wicked men 20 Winning see Ordinances Wise Wisedome Saints in affliction have high thoughts of Gods wisedome 131 Two wisedomes great in the eyes of Saints ibid. Godly men the wisest 384 Will. Our hearts and lives to conform to Gods will 240 Will of God when knowne 307 Why good men misse Gods will 395 Word Saving sight of God by the word 12 Christs righteousnesse to be taken on his bare word 104 Works Many besides Papists seeke Justification by Workes 213 VVe are dead to the Law as a Covenant of works 218 Good workes by whom to be done 231 Flesh taken for the Covenant of works 260 World Saints see God in this world 3 Happy estate of Saints in this world 17 The rule of most men in the world 241 FINIS
God 1. All meanes in the world cannot make God known 62 2. Men must be borne againe ibid. 3. They must be delivered from Satans Kingdome 64 4. They must have pure hearts 66 Use 1. They that have seen God should walke holily 67 Serm. IV. Use 2. The reason of the difference between the godly and the wicked 72 Vse 3. Not to envie the prosperity of the wicked 74 Doct. 2. The sight of God in Christ the way to true humiliation 75 Reas 1. All graces are wrought by seeing of God 87 Reas 2. All that is in God is of humbling nature 90 Use 1. Unregenerate men cannot be truely humbled 93 Serm. V. Tryall whether we have seen God aright 100 By our humiliation 1. By our carriage to God ibid. 2. In Justification 101 1. To take the righteousnesse of another 102 2. Upon Christs bare word 104 3. Upon a generall word 107 4. To renounce our owne righteousnesse 108 5. Notwithstanding our sins and want of preparation 109 2. By our carriage towards Gods truths revealed 2. To be willing to know all 111 Wicked mens carriage towards Gods truths 112 3. By our carriage towards Gods commands 116 Carriage of proud hearts towards Gods commands 118 Serm. VI. 4. By our carriage towards God in afflictions 124 1. A humble heart seeth God in affliction 126 2. Hee bath high thoughts of God 128 3. Hee humbly submits in affliction 133 4. Envies not the prosperity of others 135 5. Repents not of receiving Christ 137 6. Is more carefull of his carriage then for deliverance 140 7. Is more carefull of benefit then comfort in affliction 142 8. Neglects not Gods commands in affliction ibid. 9. Sticks close to Gods Covenant in affliction 143 10. Is apt to pray in affliction 144 11. Is not weary of waiting on God 145 Serm. VII The carriage of a humble heart to God for mercies 148 1 He is content to be denyed any mercy 150 2. That God should take away any mercy 154 3. Hee will wait for mercies 156 4. Hee is content with the least mercy 158 5. He is thankfull for a heart to receive mercies 159 6. Hee is content that GOD should make Lawes for his mercies 160 7. New mercies add to his thankfulnesse 161 Serm. VIII True humiliation known by our carriage towards men 166 1. Towards sinners 1. With meeknesse ibid. Cautions in meeknesse to sinners 169 Why Saints should be meeke to Sinners 173 1. They consider what they once were ibid. 2. They thinke themselves bad still 174 3. It is God makes them differ ibid. 4. Others may come to be as good as they ibid. Serm. IX The carriage of a humble heart towards Saints 180 1. He thinks himselfe the least of Saints 181 2. He condiscends to the weakest Saints 186 3. He is jealous of those truthes he knowes 187 4. Meâ—ke to Saints of another mind 188 5. Yeilds to the reproofe or instruction of others 189 6. Vndervalues not grace in others 191 7. He is readier to learne then teach 192 8. He is not discouraged by greater grace in others 194 9. There is a sweetnesse to all Saints 194. 10. He will not offend other Saints 196 11. Gentle to other Saints infirmities 197 12. Glad to doe service for the Saints ibid. 13. Rejoyceth at the growth of grace in others 198 14. He can love though he be not loved 199 15. He measures not himselfe by himselfe ibid. THE CONTENTS OF THE Ten latter SERMONS Serm. I. Doct. 1. THe Law requires a perfect righteousnesse page 209 Reas 1. From Gods Soveraignties ibid. Reas 2. From mans Covenant ibid. Reas 3. Nothing can exempt from the Law 210 Three wayes to fulfill the Law 211 Use 1. Vanity of those that thinke to fulfill the Law ibid. Use 2. Motive to come to Christ 214 Doct. 2. The righteousnesse of the Law fulfilled in all Beleives 217 Use To see upon what our justification is buylt 219 Serm. II. The Law fulfilled in us by our unyon with Christ 224 Reas 1. Christ a publike person 226 Reas 2. Vnyon betwixt Christ and Beleivers 227 Reas 3. God the Father satisfied ibid. Use 1. To learne the ground of our justification 229 Use 2. The glorious condition of Saints in Christ 235 Use 3. Ta conforme our selves to the will of God 240 Three rules that all conforme to ibid. Serm. III. True beleevers no Antinomians 248 Doct. 3. Those that Christ satisfied the Law for walke according to the spirit 250 To walke what 251 To walk according to the spirit what 255 Three things meant by walking according to the flesh ibid. Use Few shall be saved 267 How to judge who are Saints 270 Serm. IV. Use 1. How to judge who are Saints 274 Use 2. How to know wee walke according to the spirit ibid. Use 3. Tryall of our actions 283 Serm. V. Use 4. Exhortation to those that have the spirit 298 Use 5. How men may come to walke spiritually 305 Use 6. Ground of persecution and division 313 Serm. VI. Doct. 4. They that are after the flesh doe minde the things of the flesh 319 Reas 1. Every thing workes according to its principles ibid. Reas 2. Carnall men know not spiritual things 320 Quest 1. What meant by being after the flesh 321 Quest 2. What meant by the things of the flesh 324 Quest 3. VVhat meant by minding the things of the flesh 334 Use 1. Why most people understand not spirituall things 338 Serm. VII Use 2. The misery of a carnall Man what 345 Vse 3. The minde cannot be good if the life be naught 352 Vse 4. Christ dyed not for all alike ibid. Vse 5. To see whether we be fleshly minded 354 Serm. VIII Doct. 5. Those that are after the flesh are swayed by fleshly reasonings 360 Three sorts of minds ibid. Three sorts of reasonings 361 Godlinesse hath the best reason 368 Vse 1. Not to reject all reason in godlinesse 380 Vse 2. Invitation to come to Christ 381 Vse 3. Godly men the wisest 384 Serm. IX The reasonings of the mind the highest act of it 388 Vse The most rationall men without grace the worst 38 The reasoning of the mind the chiefe distinguishing character 390 How a good man may be moved with naturall and carnall reasoning 393 Use 1. To try what grace or corruption is in us 394 Use 2. Why good men misse the will of God 395 Serm. X. How Saints come to be led by spirituall reasoning 402 1. The spirit-workes by creation 403 2. By spirituall illumination 407 3. By suggestion ibid. 4. By conviction 408 5. By commemoration 409 6. By consolation ibid. 7. By sanctification 410 8. By exercising ibid. Use 1. To see the fountaine of all good and evill in the soule 411 Use 2. To labour to be swayed by spirituall reasoning A saving sight of God Isaiah 6. 5. For mine eyes have seene the King the Lord of Hosts IN this verse we have a description of true Gospell humiliation the most that
never look dejected or sad more envie others no more but pitty them and weep for them thou hast infinitly a greater treasure as the Apostle saith we have this treasure in earthen Vessels What is that treasure Nothing in the world but the manifestation of God in Christ therefore bring thy soule to the resolution of that Disciple Lord shew us the Father and we are satisfied So say to God Lord shew me thy glory in Jesus Christ and I have enough though I have not wealth nor glory nor money nor any thing let the world have all I have a good bargaine I will blesse and praise thee world without end And if this be the priviledge and blessednes of a St. The miserie of wicked men to see God Then see also what a miserable condition thou art in that art a poore carnall man that though it may be thou seest thy wealth increase and thy Children playing in the streets yet thou never sawest God thou never hadst one glimpse of this glorious priviledge that I now speak of Therefore as it is the chiefe thing in Heaven to see God so doubtlesse it must be the chief thing in Hell to be throwne away from Gods presence not to see God Therefore in 2 Thess 1. it is said that wicked people shall be punished from his presence that is the maine thing in Hell to be thrown from the presence of God never to see his face more so a carnall man hath a Hell upon Earth thou that art not a new creature thou art in Hel as it were already because the main thing to be had in this world and in the world to come thou dost wholly want That is the first thing Secondly if this be so that there is such a glorious Use 2. The fight of God should humble Saints prerogative of the Saints to see God then this above al things in the world should most humble thy soule for thy sins as hereafter I shall shew more fully this should move thee to mourne for thy sins Why so You all know it is not properly at least not meerly the knowing of sin and of the wrath and curse that will melt the heart that of it self hardens the heart but you know by your owne experience that when you come to the veine where those sweet teares of repentance lye it is the seeing of the kindnesse of God of the goodnesse of God of the mercy of God and then to think that I should be such a wretch as to abuse his goodnes to grieve and provoke him that is my Father and to crucifie him again and again that is my Saviour Mercies even common mercies Common mercies abused humble a Saint melt the heart when a man considers I was the other day sick and God restored me and that I should be such a wretch since this grates upon the heart as in 2 Sam. 12. 7 8. Where God by the Prophet tels David of his sin and as a motive to humble him saith he I made thee King of Israel and Judah and if that were too little I gave thee wealth I gave thee thy Masters house and thy Masters wives into thy bosome I tooke thee when thou wert a little lad following the sheep and I made thee King of Israel and if this had been too little I would have given thee more but that thou shouldest play the villaine that thou shouldest goe and take an honest mans wife he that had but one sheep and play the Beast and doe folly in Israel this was that that wounded the heart of Dauid and thereupon he went and penned 7. penitentiall Psalmes and goes and cries have mercy upon me O God according to the multitude of thy mercies These mercies that are ordinary when we walke unworthily they grate the heart But if a man can come and say God hath bestowed Spirituall mercies abused cause greatest humbling that on me that he hath not upon any reprobate the knowing or the enjoyment of the knowledge of his glory in the face of Jesus Christ O as it is a mercy unutterable and invaluable that the soule is not able to expresse it when it hath it Indeed the soule can say it never found the creature but it left the Soule unsatisfied or worse then it was but saith the soule if Gods face shine but a quarter of an houre if it be but in a bush or in a Garret I am satisfied I desire no more if this might but continue As a man prizeth this more then any thing in this world so if a man doe but consider that I should be so base as to anger that God that bestowed this as I doe when I sin and have knowledge enough to know it to be sin when I look through the doore and know it is a Thiefe and might keep him out yet that I should be so proud and so vaine and so idle that I should let goe so many glorious opportunities in such and such places and times O this is that that troubles a Saint Therefore we see in 1 King 11. When the Lord would humble Solomon the Son of David for his sins and bring him to repentance It is said there he went not fully after the Lord as David his Father did the more too blame he he built high places for Chemosh and Molech Solomon built Altars and offered sacrifice to Idols and likewise he did it for all his strange wives And the Lord was angrie with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel which had appeared to him twice which had appeared twice to him there is the motive to aggravate it The Lord was angry not so much because he had so many sins and had built so many Altars but this was the aggravation because the Lord had appeared twice to Solomon so as he had never done to any other from the beginning of the world the Lord appeared savingly and spiritually to him and yet he sinned against him Now if God appeared to Solomon but twice and his sin is aggravated by that how great is my sin in the Gospel where things are more clearly presented then ever they were in those times and God hath appeared two hundred times two thousand times to my soule I have seene him one while in the Sacrament I have seen him among the Saints I have seene him in such a country in such a condition in such a place in such a medow in such a wood when I read his word and called upon his name and yet that I should be such a Villaine that I should be thus proud and thus froward and love the world so much and so easily provoke God and lie so sottishly in it when I have done it is one of the greatest motives in the World to move a spirituall heart to be abased and humbled for sins past And likewise to preserve it from sin for the time Sight of God a preservation from sinne to come I have
are perpetuall and constant in a sense Therefore it is said Joh. 14. 21. If you keep my Commandements saith Christ I will manifest my self to you Saith Judas not Iscariot Lord how is it that thou wilt manifest thy self unto us and not unto the VVorld Saith he I and my Father will come and wil dwell with you and abide with you As for the world God passeth by as a wayfairing man that tarries but for a night but I and my Father will come and dwel with you Therefore in 1. Joh. 4. Seeing of God dwelling in God are Sinonomies one and the same thing God dwelling in us or we in God or seeing of God they are the same Because wheresoever God is seen rightly and truly it brings God by his Spirit to dwell in the Soule That is one thing you may know it by by your apprehensions Secondly you may know it by the impressions 2 By the impressions these apprehensions worke that those apprehensions have upon your hearts there will be a twofold impression upon thy soule when thou dost see God aright First as I told you before when a Saint seeth 1 Suitable to that they see in God God you are to understand that he seeth al in God with redundance he sees his love his goodnesse his power his faithfulnesse his mercy his justice Now the same apprehension of these things have such impressions upon thy heart that thou mayest clearely discerne if thy sight be right that is if every one of these doe worke upon thy heart a proportionable fitnesse or suitablenesse to that that is in God As for instance when thou lookest on God and thou seest his goodnes there is a sweet impression of love Thou seest the Justice and Righteousnesse of God it works an impression not a blaze that goes out but an habituall impression of pleasing God and of fearing God And so when thou seest his faithfulnesse it works an impression of trust that thou wilt trust him though he kill thee and so all that is in God will sinck into thy heart and worke suitable to that that is in God As to give you one instance for as it will doe by one so it will doe by all In Heb. 11. 27. It is said By faith Moses forsook Aegypt not fearing the wrath of the King For he endured as seeing him who is invisible Moses had a sight of him who is invisible Therefore he forsook Aegypt and feared not the wrath of the King What is the meaning of that The meaning of it is this he saw the King of Aegypt to be a great King a powerfull King But because he had seene God who is invisible that is he had seene the Power of God and the Greatnesse of God and that put such an impression on him that he did not feare Pharaoh And God had promised to doe him good and having seene the faithfulnesse of God he forsooke Aegypt So it will be with thee if thou see the Grace of God in Christ there will be an impression of love upon thy Soule If thou see the Greatnesse of God there will be Reverence imprinted upon thy heart or if thou see the Faithfulnesse of God there will be an impression of Trust upon thy heart But now if thou see God in Christ and see his goodnesse and mercy and grace and there be no such impression no love to God no delight in God no care to please him or to attend upon him thou hast not seene God aright Beloved these impressions you shall know them by these things in three words from any thing that is like the impressions of God upon you First they are reall Secondly they are through Impressions of seeing God upon Saints are Thirdly they are universall First they are reall By reall I meane this they 1. Reall are not idle speculations of God as a bare seeing of God and no more but only a meere contemplation but they are such reall impressions upon the heart as that they can bare up the Soule in any outward reall miserie As for instance you know the miseries of the world are reall When a man comes to Prison there is reall trouble and reall losse and Miseries of this life reall reall hunger and he is a Reall man that is the Keeper of the Prison Now an Hypocrite with all his speculations when he comes to a reall night of miserie for God all his knowledge of God proves a meere speculation and vanisheth into Ayre and there is no reality in it Now the other which is a true Saint let him be put into the worst condition let it be Reall put Bolts on his heeles let there be VVounds and Sores and Hunger and Thirst that he feeles beholds with his eyes yet he hath a thing in his Soule that is as real as the things that he feeles Therefore it is said in 1. John 1. where he speaks of Fellowship with God and walking in the light and seeing of God saith he Those things that wee have seene and heard and felt He makes the apprehension of God in Christ as reall as things that are subject to sense as the things that we see and heare and smell and feele Therefore see whether these impressions of God on thy soule be reall or no Doest thou finde when thou commest to reall miserie that there is reall comfort to hold thee up and not only imagination and vaine Speculations As you may observe many brave glorious Professors in the time of Peace that out strip all their Brethren and their expressions Why many Professors shrinke in Trouble are better then others they carry it gloriously and yet you shall have some poor creatures that can hardly speake to God in Prayer and can hardly remember any thing of the VVord and yet when they come to suffer there is a reall thing that holds them up though it may be it be but a poore little Boy or a VVench when you shall see those Brave glorious Professors that because they have no Reality they flee away and turne to the World Therefore pray to the Lord that these impressions may be reall That as the miseries wee meet withall are reall so the impressions of his blessed Majesty may be be reall Saith God to the Hypocrites Mal. 1. If I be a Father where is my Honour If I be a Master where is my feare You talke that I am your Father and your Master but there is no deepe impression of it upon your Soules Secondly as they are reall So they are thorow 2 They are thorow they fall not upon the heart of a Saint as they doe upon an Hypocrite The apprehensions of God fall upon an Hypocrite just like a little shower of raine upon the sandy ground there is some little impression but in two or three houres all is gone it never soaks to the root of the grasse An Hypocrite hath a root of bitternesse in his heart and all the
be but Saints though the blindest and loosest and foolishest and giddiest professors put them all in a company and put me in the middest and I am lesse then the least of them Canst thou say so and thinke so when thou walkest in the street or when thou art in the congregation of Saints I am lesse then the least The Apostle Paul could say so That now is one thing that is this Gospell grace Gospell humilitie to think so Not but that man understand me may conceive 1. Though God have bestowed more mercy on him that there is more grace shewed to him then to all the World besides I meane in a passive way God hath conferred more mereie and I have had more mercie from God more patience and long suffering God hath borne more with me and suffered longer then with any Saint that I know This is not contrary to the grace of humiliation for this Paul that said he was the least of Saints in 2 Tim. 1. 16. He sayth that he had received more mercy then any other and that he was made a patterne to all that should beleive not of any good in him but of grace and mercie bestowed on him from God Nay a man may goe further and yet be a humble 2. And may doe more service for God hearted Christian He may say as I have received more favours from God then others so God hath carried me on to doe more then many others I am lesse then the least of them sayth Paul yet I laboured more abundantly then they all That was no pride in him I am lesse then the least yet I Preached the Gospell from Jerusalem to Illiricum but not I but the grace of God That is the goodnesse of God that carries us on if any man be carried on to a good worke and God blesseth it let him looke on it when he hath done and he will say he was passive in it and was carried on by grace Now take those two cautions and then a humble hearted Saint will say put me into the regiment of broken professors and I am lesse then the least and the raggedest of them But you will say how can that be that a Saint A humble Saint judgeth himselfe the least should be taught in the communion of Saints should so conceive of himselfe it seemes impossible I answer there are many wayes I shall only 1. In regard of the great meanes hee hath had name a few First a humble Saint may generally conceive so of himselfe in respect of the greatnesse of the meanes he hath had It may be he hath lived in a glorious familie that he hath lived under a glorious Gospell ministerie and so he may thinke Chorazin and Bethsaida better then he he hath been planted in the Vineyard and if others had had the Gospell and the meanes that he hath had they would have been better And others it may be may think thus in respect 2. In regard of the time of the time it may be they are old professors and have but little grace and according to the rate and time they have had they see they have little or nothing for professors of a yeare or two old have more grace and more knowledge of Christ then they have in seaventeen it may be in twentiseaven yeares So another in respect of the motions of Gods 3. Motions of Gods spirit spirit he may think with himselfe the spirit of God hath striven more with me then with others I have seen other people runn mad that have not committed one of my sins and God hath cast them off and I have greived the spirit and vexed him a thousand times over and yet the blessed spirit hath come into my heart againe and restored all againe Others are carried with this consideration because 4. Seeing more good and lesse evill in others for all other S t s they see more good in them and but little ill but in themselves they see a World of ill and little good for humble hearted Saints studie their owne evills and other mens good Sayth a humble Saint I know yonder man he hath more grace and holinesse in his heart then is in mine owne I have a world of pride and frowardnesse It may be I have seen him once or twice angrie and to love the World too well but he did not continue so but mine owne heart loves the World every day too well and I am often sinfully angrie With these and the like considerations the Lord leads his people that are humbled by his spirit and by the sight of God in Christ to think themselves the least of all Saints If you say I but I canot be brought to think Ob. They that think they know more then others that I am the least in knowledge it may be in holinesse and grace I am the least but I know more then they and am able to teach and instruct others For that take these two or three words First I tell you when people conceive that 1. They know nothing they know more then others ordinarily they know nothing The Scripture sayth If any man think that be knoweth any thing he knoweth nothing And it may be thy knowledge is nothing else but darknesse there is a knowledge called ignorance and a light called darknesse Secondly it may be thou mayest know more in 2. They have not more saving knowledge divinitie there is a kind of knowledge of godlinesse that thou mayest have but in the pure saving knowledge of Christ if thou be a humble man thou canst not think that thou knowest more then another that is a Christian I may thinke I know more in the common rode but in saving knowledge and light revealed by the spirit out of the Scriptures I cannot but thinke I am least Thirdly thou mayest know more by way of 3. They have not more knowledg for the manner expression beeing a Scholler thou mayest be able to expresse thy selfe better and thou mayest know more matters more subjects and discourse of many things that another Saint it may be cannot but for the manner of knowing what thou knowest thou canst not conceit but that the least Saint knowes more then thee if thou be a humbled Saint I may know more in the rode of divinitie and more matters and subjects in godlinesse but for the manner of knowing it the poorest Saint in the World if he were able to expresse hemselfe he may know more of God in Christ then I. This is one way whereby you may know whether you be rightly humbled by your carriage to the Saints if you look on your selves as the very least of Saints Secondly if at any time your hearts in any 2. By condiscending to the weakest Saint consideration think your selves above others yet notwithstanding if your hearts be humbled you will then be willing and will easily condiscend to the weakest Saints Sometimes a humble heart may be
thirdly there is another glorious way 3. By Jesus Christ that is in Jesus Christ Jesus Christ he hath kept the law and perfectly fulfilled it now a man by beleiving in Jesus Christ and by being unyted to him and married to him that in his owne person hath fulfilled the law being married to him whatsoever he hath is yours and whatsoever he hath done it is as if it had been done by you all shall be imputed to you and so the law of God may be fullfilled in you perfectly and you shall never goe to Hell and have nothing to doe or to suffer in that kind This being premised breifly the use of this may be twofold First to shew you what a vaine and foolish Vse The vanity of those that goe about to keepe the law thing it is for a man to goe about to keepe the law of God in his owne strength or in his owne person for you to think to save your soules or to fulfill the righteousnesse of the law by your owne doings Beloved it is a great matter to bring poore sinners to be awakened to see their sins or to break off their course in sin For there are many drunkards and swearers and jearers of Religion and prophaners of the Lords day that sit as sots all the yeare and are never awakned but generally when men are awakened Sinners awakened labour to fullfill the law out of their sins this is the resolution of all man kind of every man none excepted unlesse God have mercy on him he is ready to say I see I am in a damnable way and this course will bring me to hell by the grace of God I will turne over a new leafe and now I will heare Sermons I was wont to jeare at them and I will get me a practice of piety or some other good Book and I will have prayers in my house and I will be drunke no more and sweare no more I will be a new man I will avoyd that which is evill and doe that which is good And marke it this is more naturall to man then sin it is more naturall to man to be righteous then to be sinfull because he was righteous before he was sinfull The liquor that is put first into a vessell the vessell keeps the tast of that longer then of any that is put into it afterwards Now God at first made man righteous and man is more apt to fall to that kind of righteousnesse then to any sin And this is the great misery of people every one in some fashion or other this is his businesse he goes about to fulfill the law of God in his owne person and there you shall have one praying and another crying and another keeping so many fasts and dayes of humiliation upon humiliation and the end of all is if men had eyes to see it his endeavour is to fulfill the law of God he endeavours to scrape and to get up a righteousnesse to pay the law of God You cannot conceive and comprehend how subject you and I are to this misery and how this is in your very bones as it were and I feare truly it is the greatest part of your Religion and the most of your profession is nothing but to endeavour to get a righteousnesse to fulfill the law of God though some doe it in a closer siner way then others Now I beseech you consider this word lay No man can fulfill the law by doing downe this throughly in your hearts that it is a vaine thing so to doe and who would goe about a vaine thing a thing that he shall never bring to perfection For it is not every paltrie righteousnesse that can fulfill the law of God It is not ten thousand fastings that can fullfill the law of God it is not praying in your familie three times a day that can fullfill the law I speake not against these things in their right way and course but all will not doe in this respect for if you faile but once if you miss but one farthing you are gone if you have but one bad thought in all your life you are lost Therefore I would have you despaire of getting by your owne doing and suffering any righteousnesse to fulfill the law of God never goe about it No wise man will goe and buyld a Castle in the ayre It is reason and argument enough in any naturall busnesse to make a man desist to tell him it is a vayne thing it is a worke that will never come to perfection therefore desist and give over and thinke of some other course VVhy should we not prevaile in spirituall things as well as in naturall Let every man lay downe this for a certaine truth for a certaine conclusion in his soul that I were as good be a sinner as a righteous man in my owne person in respect of fulfilling the law I am sure I shall never doe it but as a snow-ball the more it is roled the bigger it growes so the more you goe on and indeavour to get a righteousnesse to fulfill the law the further off you will be for as I said if you faile but once you are guiltie of all And as you cannot reach it by doeing Nor by suffering so not by suffering for what men have mist in doing they shall be suffering to all eternity in hell but the law is so holy and God is so glorious whose law you have broken that when you have suffered millions yet the debt will be still unpaid Therefore who would be so mad as Paul calls the Gallathians mad Gallathians VVho hath bewitched you It is a kind of madnesse for any man to attempt in his owne person by doing or suffering to fulfill the righteousnesse of the law or to justifie and save his soul You will say we grant it is true and therefore Many seek to be justified by works besides Papists the Papists are much to blame that labour to be justified by their works They are so and so are many others much to blame besides them and blessed is that man or woman among you whosoever it be that doth not in some measure in his owne person endeavour to make up his owne righteousnesse It is a thing that sticks nearer to you then you are aware of though it may be at sometimes you see Christ and justification by him clearly yet at other times you know how many pangs and how may secret glances we have at our justication by our owne works take notice of the vanity of this That is one word Secondly me thinks this should move you above Vse 2. It should move us to come to Christ all things in the World if it were considered and O that the Lord would be pleased yet to open your eyes while it is called to day I say this should be one of the greatest motives in the World to come to Jesus Christ to get into Christ to receive Jesus Christ and in
done with Secondly that The Law of God is perfectly fulfilled in all true believers Thirdly that True believers are they who walke not after the flesh but after the Spirit We made some entrance upon the second that The righteousnesse of the Law is fulfilled in all true believers I spake a little of this and shall adde something farther to what I said if God will The righteousnesse of the Law is fulfilled in every The righteousness of the Law fulfilled in every true believer not personally true believer Not personally as I told you for there is no Saint no not Abraham himselfe that can say the righteousnesse of the Law is fulfilled in me that is personally that I have walked so the Law is satisfied by my walking But the righteousnesse of the law is fulfilled in us not personally but in us by reason but by our union with Christ that Christ and we are one and he is made righteousnesse to us 1 Cor. 1. 30. He is made of God to in wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Then whatsoever Christ is or hath it is ours Therefore saith the Apostle The righteousnesse of the Law is fulfilled in us He doth not say it is fulfilled in Christ though that be true but he takes the boldness to say it is fulfilled in us by vertue of our union with Jesus Christ So in every true Saint or believer the righteousnesse of the law through Christ The weakest Saint in Christ hath satisfied the Law is perfectly fulfilled The weakest Saint if he be a true Saint he hath perfectly fulfilled the law of God he hath perfectly satisfied every demand that the law can make he hath perfectly paid every penny worth of debt that he oweth to the law the weakest Saint it may be a poore Saint that men can see nothing but corruption in all the day and all the weeke and all the yeare long almost yet that man if he be a true Saint though he be weak hath perfectly in Christ kept the law of God and is a just man and the law of God cannot come upon him nor the Sergeant the Devill to arrest him for one penny or farthing because he can say as Paul saith here The righteousnesse of the law is fulfilled in us Therefore that is the reason as I told you that Paul saith I am dead to the law that is I am as free from the law as a man that is dead when a man is dead the law goes no further on him So it is said we are delivered from the law and freed from the law And that is the reason also that the Apostle In Christ we are saved by Gods righteousnesse as well as mercy three times in one Chapter puts our salvation upon the righteousnesse of God he saith not by the mercie of God though that be true there is infinite mercie but saith he that God might declare his righteousnesse in Christ to save us It is a mercifull thing for God to give us Christ and to give us hearts to know that Christ and to believe in that Christ it is infinite unspeakable mercie But now that wee are in Christ and united to him as there was mercie so it is righteous and just with God to save us because we are righteous persons Mistake me not I say every poore Saint through Christ is a righteous person a just man I say in and through Christ he hath taken away all our sins and forgiven all our iniquities Coll. 2. So that when God saves believers he doth not only save them out of mercie but out of righteousness he can doe no otherwise therefore it is three times over his righteousness his righteousness his righteousness Rom. 3. And that is a blessed word in Heb. 12. Yee are come to the spirits of just men made perfect I doe not conceive that it is spoken of the spirits of men in heaven as many doe and no wonder they mistake for I did so for many yeares That place it looks so like heaven that I tooke it for heaven it self Yee are come unto mount Sion to the generall assembly and Church of the first borne and to the spirits of just men made perfect A man would think it were heaven it self it is called heaven but it is nothing in the world but the glorious estate of the Saints in Jesus Christ under the new Testament as you may see afterwards Therefore as Christ saith let this word sink into your hearts that if thou be a right believer thou art as perfectly just and righteous through Jesus Christ as if thou hadst never sinned against the law of God not by thy own righteousnesse but by the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ For what can be said more saith the Apostle The righteousness of the law is fulfilled He doth not say we have a peice of it but it is fulfilled that is to a jote or tittle the law cannot say black is thine eye because Christ hath paid and done all that it can demand Now to give you a word or two of the grounds or reasons to help you to believe this truth to shew you how it comes about It comes about three wayes I meane it will be cleare to you three wayes if you consider three things First You must consider that Jesus Christ Reas 1. Christ a publike person which is our suretie he was sent of the Father out of his love as a publike person to fulfill the law of God by doing and suffering as a publike person There is much comfort in that Beloved you can never throughly understand your justification unlesse you study the first Adam what kind of person Adam was as you may see in Rom. 5. Now the Lord Jesus he came as a publike person and he was delivered for our offences as it is said Rom. 3. ult he did die for our sinnes That is one thing Now the second thing that demonstrates this to 2. From the union between Christ and believers us is besides his dying and that as a publike person there is a union made between every poore believer and Christ as really as between Christ and his Father Indeed it is called in Scripture a marriage because as in a marriage all the wealth of the husband is the wives it becomes hers and shee hath a right to it after marriage So all that is in Christ becomes ours by this union But it is a more reall union a closer union by far then that of marriage it is compared to the union between the members and the head Now by this union that you may read of in Joh. 17. all that is ours becomes Christs and all that is Christs becomes ours There are two things Then thirdly we finde that God the father to 3. God the Father is satisfied which appeares whom the debt was owing and whose law this was that we must satisfie he acknowledgeth satisfaction And what can we have more God the father acknowledgeth
of the Gospell Why Because the Gospell all along offers Christ to sinners to the cheife of sinners to aliens and to the ungodly Then againe if this were so sanctification 2. Sanctification should be before justification should be before justification a man must be holy before he should be justified As for the latter sence to wit that the Apostle should meane this that no man can know any other way that the righteousnesse of Christ did belong to him but only by not walking after the flesh or by walking after the spirit this cannot be neyther for however we may know a little in a way of sence by our walking yet the maine way to know our justification is the same way that we come by justification for faith is the evidence of Justification cheifly known by Faith things not seen The maine evidence whereby I know I am justified is because the word of faith sayth so the word tells me so and faith evidenceth it That faith that I beleive by it shewes me that I beleive Therfore though I be inconstant in my way of grace that to sence shewes me a little yet it doth it not solely and cheifly and primarily So that this is the substance of it that that sence which godly reverend men give of this place it is true but it is not all nor the first and the cheife part of the meaning of it Secondly flesh in the Scriptures and so here 2. Flesh taken for Jewish priviledges and in diverse other places it may be understood concerning the priviledges those various prerogatives and priviledges that the people of God the Israelites had in a naturall fleshly way from Generation to Generation Being borne of such Parents of such Tribes they had such priviledges belonging to them they had the Oracles and the Covenant and the Tables c. And this is called flesh and I doubt not but the Apostle had this in his eye Sayth he The righteousnesse of the law is fulfilled in us that walk not after the flesh As if he had said doe not think because you are of the seed of Abraham or because you have the Covenants and Circumcision and that you are borne of such Parents that therfore you shall the sooner have this priviledg to have the law fulfilled take heed of that for now it springs from another root and it comes now in a spirituall and not in a fleshly way as it did before for they had their mercies generally in the Old Testament according to the flesh that is by Generation I saak as he was Abrahams Son and Jacob his Son c. but now it is in a spirituall way Now that flesh is so taken in Scripture I will give you that one place in Phil. 3. 4. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh sayth Paul If any man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh I more What doth he meane by flesh here He tells you Circumcised the eight day of the stock of Israell of the Tribe of Benjamin an Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the law a Pharisee concerning zeale Persecuting the Church Touching the righteousnesse which is in the law blameless As if he had said I had all the priviledges if any man might boast in the flesh I might I am an Hebrew of the Hebrews a Gentleman of the best descent c. So in 2 Cor. 11. 18. Seeing that many glory after the flesh I will glory also yee suffer fooles gladly Wherein any is bold I am bold also Are they Hebrews so am I are they Israelites so am I are they the seed of Abraham so am I. They had priviledges beeing Israelites more then other People and this is called flesh So I am confident that the Apostle had this in his eye in a speciall manner when he saith They that walke not according to the flesh And you shall find that they attributed all priviledges to them because they were Israelites As you see in Mat. 3. Say they We are the Children of Abraham Sayth John The Jewes boasted of outward priviledges Baptist Ye are a Generation of Vipers And so in John 8. Say they we are free men we are the Sons of Abraham Sayth Christ Yee are of your Father the Devill See the Gospell takes away that fleshlyness and puts all in another streame and course and way The Apostle aymes at that here when he sayth Those that walke not according to the flesh As if he had sayd you shal never have this righteousnesse to satisfie the law the sooner because you are the Sons of Abraham no more then if you were Scithians or Barbarians Thirdly and lastly the maine and cheife 3. Flesh taken for the old Covenant of works meaning of this place is this though the other be included when the Apostle sayth those that walk not according to the flesh but according to the spirit By flesh here the Apostle meanes walking according to the old Covenant according to the Covenant of works in the way of the law And by spirit is meant walking in the way of faith or in the way of the gospell or in the way of Christ. There be diverse expressions in Scripture that help us to understand it as in Rom. 4. 14. It is called they that are of the Law that is those that walk according to the law In Gal 3. there are two or three phrases Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith The walking according to the spirit is the hearing of faith and it is twise there they that are of faith they that are of faith To be of faith and to walk according to the spirit is the same to be of the law or of circumcision is to walk according to the flesh In Rom. 10. 5. The righteousnesse which is of the law sayth on this wise The righteousnesse of the law that is the way of the law that Scripture sets out the way of those that walk according to the Covenant of works now the way of the law is the same as walking after the flesh and sayth hee the righteousnesse of faith sayth on this wise that is the grace of the Gospell or the way of faith So the meaning is this we neare of a glorious privilidg that the righteousnesse of the law is fulfilled in us and there is no man in the World can get it by his owne works or in reference to the Covenant of works no not Abraham himselfe but it is meerly by Jesus Christ Therefore if any of you think to have this righteousnesse fulfilled in him and goe in the old way to Mount Synai to the Covenant of Works he is deceived he shall never have it but by walking according to the spirit no man can injoy this privilidg by a Covenant of works by their owne doing by seeking to fulfill the law of God by their owne righteousnesse but they that walk after the spirit as if he