resurrection of the body If I fear the day of judgment I believe that Christ shall be my judge he shall come to judge the quick and the dead In all the miseries of this life considering that they are but short I believe the life everlasting So that indeed if we would dig to our selves springs of comfort let us go to the Articles of our Faith and see how there are streams of comfort from every one answerable to all our particular exigences and necessities whatsoever And to close up this point remember whatsoever means we use what prerogative soever we think of whatsoever we do remember we go to the God of comfort and desire him to blesse his Word in the ministery and desire him to work in the Communion of Saints with his Spirit to warm our hearts alway remember to carry him along in all that we may have comfort from the God of Comfort who comforteth in all tribulations Next words are That we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble These words shew the end why God doth comfort us in all tribulation One main end is that we should be comforted in our selves that is the first And then that we being comforted our selves from that ability should be able to derive comfort to others we are comforted in all tribulations that we should be able to comfort them that are in any tribulation It is not St. Pauls case only and great men in Religion Ministers and the like it is not their lot and portion alone to be persecuted and troubled but We are all in this life subject to disquiets and discomforts Every one whosoever will live Godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution Therefore the Apostle saith not onely our tribulation but that we may be able to comfort them that are in any trouble Trouble is the portion of all Gods Children one with another I do but touch that by the way But that which I shall more stand upon it is the end one main end why God comforteth especially Ministers it is that they should be able to comfort others with the comforts that God hath comforted them withall That we may be able c. Now you must conceive that this ability it is not ability alone without will and practise as if he meant God hath given me comfort that I might be able to comfort others if I will that is not Gods end only that we may be able but that we may exercise our ability that it may be ability in exercise As God doth not give a rich man riches to that end that he may be able to relieve others if he will No but if thou be a Child of God he gives thee ability and will too he gives an inward strength So the meaning here is not that we may be able to comfort others if we will but that we may be both able and willing to comfort others And to comfort others not only by our example that because we have been comforted of God so they shall be comforted it is good but it is not the full extent of the Apostles meaning for then the dead examples should comfort as well as the living And indeed that is one way of comfort to consider the examples of former times but the Apostles meaning is that I should comfort them not only by my example of Gods dealing with me that they should look for the like comfort that is but one degree His meaning is further therefore that we should be able to comfort them by Sympathizing with them as indeed it is a sweet comfort to those that are in distresse when others compassionate their estate And not only so by our example and sympathy with them but likewise that we may be able to comfort them by the inward support and strength and light that we have found by the Spirit of God in our selves that is that that will enable us to comfort others from that very support and inward strength that we have found from God by those graces and that particuliar strength and comfort that we have had When there is a sweet expressing of our inward comfort to them shewing something in our comfort that may raise them up in the like troubles that we were in then the comfort will not be a dead comfort when it comes from a man experienced Personated comfort when a man takes upon him to comfort that only speaks comfort but feels not what he speaks there is little life in it we are comforted that we may comfort others with feeling having been comforted our selves before with feeling and comfortable apprehensions in our selves The point considerable in the first place to make way to the rest is this that Gods Children they have all of them interest in diuine comforts St. Paul was comforted that he might comfort others Divine comforts belong to all they are the portion of all Gods people the meanest have interest as well the greatest There is the same spiritual Physick for the poorest subject and the greatest Monarch there is the same spiritual comfort for the meanest and for the greatest Christian in the World St. Paul hath the same comfort as St. Pauls children in the Faith VVhat is the reason that they are communicable thus to all that they lie open to all God is the God and Father of all light and comfort Christ is the Saviour of all all the priviledges of Religion belong to all equally all are Sons and Heirs and all are alike Redeemed the Brother of low degree and the Brother of hâ—…gh degree they may differ in the references and relations of this life but in Christ all are alike Besides it is the nature of spiritual priviledges and blessings they are communicable to all alike without impairing the more one hath the lesse another hath not all have an equal share every one hath interest intire every one hath all without losse or hinderance to others As for instance the Sun every particular man hath all the good the Sun can do as well as all the World hath it is peculiarly and intirely every mans own every man in soliduâ—…m hath the use of it the Sun is not one mans more then another As a publick fountain or Conduit every man hath as much right in it as another So in Religion the graces and priviledges and favours they lie open as the prerogatives and priviledges of all Gods children and that is the excellency of them In the things of this life it is not so they are not common to all alike there is a losse in the division the more one hath the lesse another hath and that is the reason why the things of this life breed a disposition of pride and envy one envies another because he wants that that another hath and one despiseth another because he hath more then another hath but in the comforts of Gods Spirit and the prerogatives that are the ground of those comforts
as S. Paul doth here My care in my course of life and conversation hath been in Simplicity I have cast my self upon God and his government and not looked to the world and in sincerity I have aimed at God in all things I have had no false and by aimes I have not spared even my life by any carnal end I have not served my self either in Religion or in my course of life but I have laboured to serve God in serving my brethren and have led my life by the grace of God and by the Word of grace which I laboured to know that I might follow Let us be able in some measure in truth to say thus And then we may say further with S. Paul That this is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience We shall never want joy And then let the world judge of us as it will there is such a strength and power such a prerogative and majesty in Christian comfort when a man can as I said reflect thus on himself that though in a weak measure yet in truth his conversation and course of life hath been though his slidings have been something in simplicity and sincerity that nothing can daunt it in this world It is above all discouragement above all eclipse of good name the testimony of Conscience which hath Gods testimony with it The witnesse of two is a strong witnesse the witnesse of God and conscience it will so settle our soules that neither ill reports nor any usage in the world shall daunt us we shall have comfort in all the passages of our lives be they what they will Whereas other men that lead not their lives in a constant course of holy simplicity and sincerity they are as the Prophet saith like the leaves of the Forrest shaken with every alteration with every rumour of ill newes But a sound Christian in the worst alteration there may be combustions there may be alteration of State yet his heart is fixed he is not moved Likewise in the hour of death he can say with Hezekias Thou knowest Lord I have led my life in simplicity that I have served thee with a perfect heart that is in sincerity I have desired and endeavoured to grow better which is all the perfection we have in this world sincerity witnessed by growth and strength against the contrary this will comfort us in all the alterations and changes in this world which is as a Sea full of trouble and at the hour of death likewise and at the day of Judgment this is that onely that will make us able to look Christ in the face Truth hath a Divinity in it this simplicity and sincerity more then any earthly thing it hath that in it that is real and spiritual A man that hath the Grace of God in the truth of it there is a great deal of majestie in it There is the greatest majestie in heavenly things when they appear most simple because of their excellency There is some thing of Gods in sincerity so much as a man hath in truth so much of Gods He partakes of the Divine nature as S. Peter saith so much as he hath in truth though it be never so little and being a branch of God it will make him look upon God in the day of Judgment Why because he knowes he is in the Covenant of Grace that he hath title to heaven by Christ. When a mans conscience can tell him that he hath led his life not by carnal wisdome but in the truth of Grace it will make him out-look Satan and all the troubles of the world and look unto Christ with comfort Who would not be in such a state Thus we see a Christian leads his life Not in fleshly wisdome but by the Grace of God I will adde one thing more and so finish the verse We may see hence That the most Religious men are the best Statesmen I know proud carnall Machivillian dispositions make a scorn at these positions they think them to be austere and poor principles till they come to death As that Wretch said himself when he came to dye That he had provided for all things but for death but while they are in their ruffe they think they can manage States and do all When indeed they bring the vengeance of God upon their own persons and upon the State they live in For God is neither in them nor with them He is not in them for they want Grace they are led by carnall wisdome altogether And he is not with them God will not give them good successe unlesse it be to increase their Judgement He will not give good successe to those projects that they take up contrary to his rule Therefore those that will be guided by reasons of Religion and submit themselves to the guidance of Gods blessed Spirit they are best for the state of their own soules and best for the publick estate For doth not God know the mysteries of State better then any man Is not he a better Politician then any Achitophel in the world If they have any State-policy that is worth the naming is it not from him Is it not a beam from that Sunne Yes why then who is the better the difference of parts excepted but take them alike a gracious man and another that is not so let the one fetch his counsel from hell from darknesse and the other be ruled by reasons of conscience and Religion there is no comparison God will crosse and curse their projects that are for their own ends both in themselves and in the State too As for the other that are under Grace and the government of Grace God will be wise in them by his Spirit and he will be wise for them Psal. 1. Whatsoever a good man doth it shall prosper it is a large promise How wondrous happy and wise were the Children of Israel when they kept the Covenant of God This is your wisdome to keep the Commandements of God Deuteron 4. and their wisdome made them happy How happy were they in David's time who made the Statutes of God the Man of his Counsel How happy was the State in Solomons time till Solomon did warp and bend to Carnall counsell to strengthen himself How happy was his Government till that time but never after that they were environed with enemies round about but alas who could hurt the people of God so long as they submitted themselves to the government of grace they were alway happy Therefore it is an idle thing to suppose that there will be any good successe by carnal projects no the onely good States-man is the religious man And it was never better with the Church of God before or since the time of Christ then when those were in the stern Do but think of this oft as S. Jude saith God onely wise we must all of us light our candle at that fire All wisdome even this poor spark of reason that God enlightneth every
flesh is purged and the Spirit strengthened and weaning from the world is wrought and a desire to heaven By the daily crosses we suffer as men not for Religion we are much bettered and those in some sort may be called the sufferings of Christ because by them we are conformed to Christ more in holinesse we grow more out of love with the World and more heavenly minded This distinction is necessary to know which are best the sufferings of Christians as good men It is a point I say of wonderous comfort that we should be conformable in our sufferings with our Head Christ Jesus our Glorified head in heaven is it not a wonderous comfort Nay is it not a glory It is a wondrous glory that God will set us apart to do any thing that God will take any thing of us much more that he will single us out to be Champions in his quarrel and more that he will triumph in us that the comfort shall abound To give an instance if a Monarch should redeem a slave a Traitor from Prison and take him to fight in the Quarrel of his own son to be his Champion were it not an honour so the very sufferings for Christ are an encouragement the disgraces and whatsoever they are that we suffer in a good cause they are ensigns of honour they are badges of honour of Christian knighthood If a Golden Fleece or a Garter or such things be accounted so highly of and glorified in because they are favours c. much more should the sufferings for Christ be glorified in as ensigns of the love God and of our Christian profession when we fight under Christs Banner we are like to Christ we are conformable to him he went before and we follow his steps and if we suffer with him we shall be Glorified with him Therefore be not discouraged that which we think to be matter of discouragement it should be our Crown it is our Crown to suffer reproach in a good cause It is a sign God favours us when he takes our credit our goods or our life to honour himself by Is it not an honour to us doth he take any thing from us but he gives us better he takes our goods but he gives us himself he takes our liberty but he gives us enlargement of conscience he takes our life but he gives us heaven if he take any thing from us for to seal his truth and stand out in his quarrel as Christ saith he gives an hundred fold in this World that is a gracious spirit of contentment and comfort We have God himself hath not he more that hath the spring then he that hath twenty Cisterns Those that have riches and place and friends they have Cisterns but he that suffers for God and for Christ he hath Christ he hath God he hath the spring to go to if all be taken from him he hath God the spring to go to if all particular Beams he hath the Sun It is durable wondrous comfort to suffer for Christs sake Therefore let it encourage us in a good course notwithstanding all the opposition we meet with in the World let us here learn what is our duty let the malicious world judge or say or do what they will if God be on our side who can be against us And if we suffer any thing for Christ he suffers with us and in us and he will triumph in us over all these sufferings at last I will add no more to set an edge upon that I have said then this they are the sufferings of Christ we should be many wayes encouraged to suffer for him For did not he suffer for us that which if all the creatures in heaven and earth had suffered they would have sunk under it the wrath of God And what good have we by his sufferings are we not freed from Hell and Damnation and have we not Title to Heaven hath he suffered in his person so much for us and shall not we be content to suffer for him and his mystical body that in his own body suffered so much for us Again when we suffer in his quarrel we suffer not only for him that suffered for us but we suffer for him that sits at the right hand of God that is glorious in heaven The King of Kings and Lord of Lords Our sufferings are sufferings for him that hath done so much for us and for him that is so able now to over-rule all to crush our enemies for him that is so able now to minister comfort by his Spirit This is a notable encouragement that they are the sufferings of Christ that is so glorious as he is and that will reward every suffering and every disgrace we shall be paid well for every suffering we shall lose nothing And will not this encourage us likewise to suffer for Christs sake because he will be with us in all our sufferings he will not leave us alone it is his cause and he will stand by his own cause he will maintain his own quarrel he will cause comfort to increase Is it not an encouragement to defend a Princes quarrel in his own sight when he stands by to abet us it would encourage a dull mettle When we suffer for Christs cause we have Christ to defend us he is with us in all our sufferings to bear us up he puts his shoulder under by his holy Spirit to support us We cannot live long in this world we owe God a death we owe nature a death the sentence of death is past upon us we cannot enjoy the comfort of this World long and for favour and applause of the World we must leave it and it will leave us we know not how soon and this meditation should inforce us to be willing however it go with us for any thing here for life or goods or friends or credit and reputation or whatsoever to be willing to seal the cause of Christ with that which is dearest to us If we suffer with him we shall be glorified with him The very sufferings of Christ are better then the most glorious day of the greatest Monarch in the world that is not a Christian it is better to suffer with Christ then to joy with the world The very abasement of St. Paul was better then the triumph of Nero. Let Moses be judge he judged it the best end of the ballance the very sufferings and reproach of Christ and of Religion is better then the best thing in the world the worst thing in Christianity is better then the best thing out of Christ. The best thing out of Christ is the honour of a King the honour of a Prince to be a Kings Son c. but the reproach of Christ for a good cause is better then the best thing in the world I say let Moses be judge if we will not believe it our selves till we feel it the worst day of a Christian is better then the best day of
to live by sense but to live by faith it is a remote thing to lead our lives by reasons drawn from things that are not seen to live by promises it is a hard thing when things â—…at are sensible cannot work upon us When we see men dye and see the vanitie of things sensible it will not work upon us how then doe we think that things that are supernaturall which are remote farre above sense should work on us it is a hard thing not to trust to our selves we are so adicted to live by sense and there is some corruption in St. Paul in the best men to trust to present things Who doth not think but he shall live one day longer and so trusts to life As the Heathen man could say There is not the oldest man but he thinks he may live a little longer one day longer who makes that use of mortality and the uncertain fading condition of this life as he should and all because of a false trust as in other things so in the continuance of life we see we are prone to trust to put base false confidence in somewhat or other while we live in this world Again our nature being prone to outward things and sunk deeply into them it can hardly be recovered it cannot be sober without much ado and brought from trusting of present things You have some men that have things at will in this world they never know what faith means all their life they live by sense their conscience is not awaked and outward afflictions seize not on them and supply of earthly things they have what Religion means and what God and Heaven means they have heard of them perhaps but throughly and inwardly what it means they never came to know in this world without there be some alteration and changes they must have some changes The wicked have no changes saith the Prophet but while they be as they are they know not God nor themselves nor the vanity of earthly things We speak the truth of God to a company oft-times that are besotted with sensuality and that have perpetual supply of earthly things speak to them of faith and of things that are remote from sence c. they hear them as if they were in a dream Nature is prone to trust in present things even in the best in St. Paul himself Now our pronenesse to it doth justifie Gods dealing in many things As why doth God humble great ones with great afflictions why doth he humble great men great and excellent Christians with great falls that they might not trust in themselves no not in their own present graces God will not bring a man to salvation now by grace in himself to give him title to heaven his graces must onely be to help his evidence that he is not an hypocrite and to give evidence to others that others may see his good works c. but if he come to trust in them once to set them in Christs stead God will abase his pride by suffering him to fall that he may go out of himself to be saved by Christ and to seek for mercy in Christ. And this is the reason why God in his providence doth great things by small means without means and against means sometimes when he crosses and curses great means it is that we might not trust in our selves we are prone to self-confidence and because God will cure it for we must not carry it to heaven with us therefore he is forced to take this kind of dispensation Proud flesh will alway devise something but that which it should do to uphold it self withall it will not be driven from all its holds God hath much ado to work it out from all its holds if it have not wealth it will have wit and policy or if it have not that it will have Civil life and outward works to trust to and to swell it with but to come and give God the glory of Salvation onely by mercy and to depend onely on God and to see an insufficiency in any thing we do it can hardly be brought to passe Insomuch that that Article of Justification by the obedience of Christ onely it is meerly a spiritual thing altogether transcending nature No marvel if we find such opposition from the Church of Rome and all unlesse it be the true Church they understand not the main Article of salvation onely by mercy because nature is so desperatly prone to self confidence Let us take heed of false confidence in the things of this life of confidence in any thing but in God But to come to some tryals You will say how shall we know whether we put over-much confidence in them or no It is an easie matter to know it We trust them too much when we grow proud upon any thing when our spirits are lifted up Charge rich men that they be not high-minded insinuating that they are in danger to be high-minded If riches increase set not your hearts upon them saith the Psalmist there is great danger when the heart is set on them and lifted up when men think themselves so much the better as they are greater Indeed if they weigh themselves in a Civil balance it is so but the corrupt nature of man goes further and thinks a man intrinsically better and more beloved of God for these things It is a dangerous sign that we trust too much to them Again over-much grief if they be taken away any of them or if we be crossed in them the grief in wanting betrayes the love in enjoying It is a sign that Job had gotten a great measure of self-denial not to trust in himself or his riches though he were a rich man because when they were taken away Blessed be God saith he thou gavest them and thou hast taken them away He that can stand when his stay is taken from him it is a sign he trusts not too much to his stay he that is so weak that when his stay is taken away down he falls it is a sign he leans hard Those that when these things are taken from them when their friends are taken away or their honours or riches are taken away yet they can support themselves out of diviner grounds it is a sign they did not overmuch trust these things nature will work something but over-much grief betrayes over-much love alwaies Again which is but a branch of the other we may know that we over-much set by them by fretting to be crossed in any of these things A man may know Achitophel trusted too much to his policie and wit when he was crossed he could not indure it we see he made away himself for very shame When a man is crossed in his wit and policy when he is crossed in those projects he hath laid when he is crossed in his preferment or riches or friends then he is all amort he frets which is more then grieving when
be like thy self thou thinkest I hate those that thou hatest that are my dear Children therefore Herod presumed to go on and lay hold on Peter but the Church falls a praying and God smites Herod with a fearful death he was eaten up with lice with worms bred in his body So I say it is no good argument to say I have prospered in wicked courses I do prosper and therefore I shall prosper I have gotten a great deal of goods by ill means and I have kept such ill company and though some mislike my courses yet I hope to morrow shall be as to day c. Take heed blesse not thy self Gods wrath will smoak against such Treasure not up wrath unto thy self against the day of wrath argue not so upon Gods patience It is an argument for Gods Children he hath been my God he is my God and he will be my God it is a Sophisme else for others and as the Prophet Amos saith He that hath escaped the Lyon shall fall into the hands of the Bear so the wicked that escape one danger shall fall into another at length it is no good argument for them to hope for the like of that they have had Nay rather it is the worst outward sign in this world of a man in the state of reprobation of a man hated of God to prosper and have security in ill courses God blesseth him and lets him go on in smooth courses as the streames of Jordan go on smooth and still and then enter into the dead sea so many men live and go on in smooth easy courses and we see at length they either end in despair as Judas or in deadnesse of heart as Nabal So that of all estates it is the most miserable when a man lives in a naughtie course and God interrupts him not in his course with some outward judgment It is a reason onely for the Children of God to support themselves with in a good cause wherein they walk with a good conscience then they may say truly God that hath been my God till now will be my God to the end of my dayes Is God so constant to his Children in his love and in his fatherly care providence that whom he hath delivered he doth deliver and will deliver let us be constant in our service and love back again let us return the echo back again and say I have served God I do serve God and I will serve God because he hath loved me he doth love me and he will love me he hath delivered me he doth deliver me and he will deliver me as he is constant in love to me so will I be constant in respect in reverence and obedience to him Therefore we see the Saints of God as God loves them from everlasting to everlasting being Jehovah as he never alters in his nature so not in his love to them so they never alter in their love to him therefore it is a clause in Scripture expressed by holy men To whom be praise for ever as they knew that he was their God for ever and for ever so they purposed to be his people and to praise him for ever and for ever And because they cannot live here alway themselves they desire that there may be a Generation to praise him for ever and for ever and they lay a plot and ground so much as they can that Gods Name may be known that Religion may be propagated for ever They know God is their God for ever they know he is constant in love to them and they are constant in their love to him and for his glory To whom be glory for ever See here the happinesse of a true Christian that is in Covenant with God he can say I have had my happinesse and my portion I have it and I shall have it for ever Take a worldling can he say so he cannot God will confound his insolence if he should say so I have been rich I have prospered in my course I have attained to this and that means I yet thrive and I shall thrive I is it so No thou buildest upon the sands howsoever God hath done and howsoever he doth thou canst not secure thy self for the time to come Onely the Christian that makes God his rock and his fortress his shield and strong tower of defence he may say he hath had that which is certain he enjoyes that which is immutable and constant God is his portion his eternal portion he hath been good he is good and he will be good to eternity no man else that hath a severed happinesse out of God can say so A sound Christian take him in all references of time he is a happy man if he look back God hath delivered him from Satan from hell and damnation and many dangers If he look to the present he is compassed about with a guard of Angels and with the providence of God God doth deliver him he hath a guard about him that cannot be seen but with the eye of faith The Divel sees it well enough as we see in Job Thou hast hedged him about how can I come to him He looked about to see if he could come into Job to see if the hedg had any breach but there was none Gods providence compassed him about God hath and doth deliver And if he look to the time to come he will deliver he seeth that neither things present nor things to come shall be able to separate him from the love of God And this is not onely true of outward dangers but especially in spiritual God hath been gracious he hath given Christ How shall he not with him give us all things A Christian is in the favour of God now how shall he not be so for ever He hath eternity world without end to comfort himself in that God as long as he is God he hath comfort as long as he hath a soul so long Jehovah the living God will be his God both of his body and soul he is the God of Abraham therefore he will raise his body he is the God that raiseth the dead and he will for ever glorifie both body and soul in heaven Look which way he will a Christian hath cause of much comfort why should he be dismayed with any thing in the world why should he not serve God with all the encouragement that may be when he hath nothing to care for but to serve him As for matter of deliverance and protection it belongs not to us but to him let us do that that belongs to us and he will do that belongs to him if we commit our soules to him as to a faithful Creator in weldoing he hath delivered us he doth deliver us and he will deliver us and preserve us to his heavenly Kingdom VERS 11. You also helping together by prayer for us IN these words the holy Apostle sets down the subordinate means that God hath sanctified to continue
them and makes them grow more afterward and recover their former backwardnesse A true Christian is alway on the mending hand An hypocrite growes worse and worse alway till he be uncased altogether and turned into hell These and such like considerations may stirre us up to labour to have a conversation in simplicity and godly sincerity Now how shall we come to carry our selves in sincerity that we may have comfort in all estates That we may carry our selves in sincerity First we must get a change of heart our nature must be changed for by nature a man aimes at himself in all things and not at God A man makes himself his last end he makes something in the world either profits or pleasures c. the term that he looks unto therefore there must be a change of heart a man must be a good man or else he cannot be a sincere man Such as we are such our actions will be therefore we cannot be sincere till we have our hearts changed No man can aim at Gods glory but he that hath felt Gods love in himself therefore as a particular branch of that labour to get assurance of the love of God in Jesus Christ for how can we endeavour to please him unlesse we love him and how can we love him unlesse we be perswaded that he loves us in Christ Therefore let us stablish our hearts more and more in the Evidences of his love to us and then knowing that he loves us we shall love him and labour to please him in all things These are grounds that must be laid before we can be sincere to get assurance of Gods love to us in the pardon of our sins Our conscience must be purged from dead works to serve the living God as the Apostle saith that is we cannot serve God to our comfort till our consciences are sprinkled with the blood of Christ which assures us of the pardon of our sins Therefore saith Zachary We are redeemed that we might serve him in righteousnesse and holinesse before him all the dayes of our life So that unlesse a man be redeemed he cannot serve him in righteousnesse and holinesse before him all the daies of his life that is he cannot serve God in sincerity For who will labour to please his enemy Therefore the Papists maintain hypocrisie when they say we ought not to be perswaded of the love of God for then we ought to be hypocrites for how shall we seek him with the losse of favour and of credit and of life it self if we know not that his favour will stand us in stead if we lose these things for him Again that we may be sincere let us labour to mortifie all our earthly affections to the world for how can we be sincere when we seek for honours and pleasures and riches and not for better things Therefore we must know that there is more good to be had in truth in a down-right Christian profession then in all worldly good whatsoever And if we be hypocrites in our profession there is more ill in that then in any thing in the world This will make us sincere when we can be perswaded that we shall get better things by being sincere in Religion then the world can give us or take away from us For why are men insincere and false-hearted Because they think not Religion to be the true good they think it is better to have riches then to have a good mind these things therefore must be mortified and a man must know that the life of a Christian is incomparably the best life though it be with losse of liberty yea with the losse of life it self Simon Magus grew to false affections in Religion because he thought to have profit by it So the Pharisees they had naughty hearts and therefore they had no good by Religion No man can profit by Religion so long as his heart is naught so long as there is some Idol in his heart A good Christian had rather have a large heart to serve God and rather grow in the Image of God to be like him then to grow in any thing in the world and that makes him sincere out of a good judgment because Christian excellency is the best excellency incomparably For he knowes well what all else will be ere long what will all do good riches honours friends what good will they do in the hour of death There is nothing but grace and the expression of it in the whole conversation that will comfort us therefore he undervalues all things in the world to sincerity and a good conscience Again that we may have our conversation in sincerity let us labour in every thing we do to approve our selves to the eye of God We see the Scripture every where shewes that this hath made Gods Children consciencious in all their courses even when they might have sinned not only securely but with advantage What kept Joseph from committing folly with his Mistresse Shall I do this and sin against God Gen. 39. And so Job in chap 31. he shewes what awed and kept him from ill doing in vers 3. Doth not he see my wayes and account all my steps this was it that kept him in awe So the Church of God Psal. 44. being in great distresse they kept themselves from Idolatry and from the contagion of the times wherein they lived upon what ground you shall see in vers 21. If we had done thus and thus shall not God search it out for he knowes the very secrets of the heart So a Christian being perswaded of the eye of God upon him it makes him sincere The eye of God being Ten thousand times brighter then the Sun he being light it self he made the heart and he knowes all the turnings of the heart The consideration of this will make us sincere in our closets in our very thoughts for they all lie naked and open to his view What is the reason that men practise secret villainy secret wickednesse and give themselves to speculative filthinesse because they are atheists they forget that they are in the eye of God who sees the plots and projects of their hearts and the nets that they have laid for their brethren Therefore David brings them in saying Tush God sees us not And that is the reason they are unconscionable in their desires in their hearts in their secret thoughts It is from a hidden Atheisme For if we did consider that the eye of God sees us in all our intents and actions and sees us in what manner we do all and to what end that he sees every action with the circumstances the aimes and ends if the heart did well ponder this it would prevent a great deal of evil Conscience is the witnesse of our conversation a witnesse that will keep us from offending If there were a witnesse by and that witnesse were a great person a Judge c. it would keep us in our
and quickens and enlivens all duties What are all duties but love Christ reduceth all to love It is a sweet affection that stirres up and quickneth to all duties it carries us along to all duties all are love What need I stand on sincere patience sincere temperance sincere sobriety c If a man have sincere love to God it will carry him to all duties remember this order Especially every day enter into your own soules and search impartially what sin there is there unconfessed and unrepented of and make your peace with God by confession And then go to sincere dependance on God by faith in the Promises And then stirre up your hearts to love him and from the love of him to love one another in sincerity not in hypocrific Thus we have the manner of the blessed Apostle's Carriage in the world whereupon his rejoycing was founded Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity We have had our conversation in the world I will speak a little of those words before I come to the negative part Not in fieshly wisdome Our Conversation By Conversation Anastrophe he means the several turnings of his life in what relation soever he stood to God to men as a Minister as a Christian as a friend as a neighbour at home or abroad in all estates in all places and at all times his Conversation was in simplicity and sincerity In the world That is wheresoever he had lived And mark how he joyns them together his conversation in the world amongst men it was with sincerity to God It was that that did rule his conversation in the world And so it should be with us wheresoever we are or whatsoever we do in the world our carriage here must be directed by a higher aspect The Ship while it is tossed in the Sea it is ruled by the Pole-starre that must guide it so in our conversation in the world the stuffe of our conversation may be the businesse we have in the world but the rule the regiment of all must be from heaven with an eye to God I touch that from the knitting of these together Now where he saith That his Conversation was in simplicity and sinceriy you may see here then that all the frame all the passages of his life were good This makes good that which I touched before which hath its proper place here That Sincerity extends it self to all the frame of a mans life He that is sincere is sincere in all places and at all times in all the turnings and windings and passages of his life or else he is not sincere at all His conversation must be sincere wheresoever he lives or whatsoever he doth in prosperity or adversity at home or abroad The veriest hypocrite in the world hath he not pangs sometimes Take an oppressour he thinks that he should not die so he thinks I must be called to an account if I do thus Doth not Ahab lie upon his sick bed sometimes Is not Herod sometimes troubled in conscience hath not a wicked man sometimes twitches of conscience which the world sees not secret checks of conscience Oh yes there is not the vilest man living but he hath his good fits he hath pangs of goodnesse but what is this to a conversation Our conversation must be in sincerity in all the turnings and passages of it God judgeth us by the tenour of our life and not by single particular acts a good man may be ill in a particular act and an evil man may be good in a particular act but I say God doth not judge us by a distinct severed passage but by the tenour of our life Uniformity equability and evennesse of life it is an undoubted evidence of a good man Because he is a new creature and being a new creature he hath a new nature and nature works uniformly Art works differently and enforcedly Teach a creature some what that is against nature it will do something but a Lion will have a Lions trick and a Wolf will have a Wolfes trick teach them never so much a Lion will be a Lion in all places a Wolf will be a Wolf and an Eagle will be an Eagle Every creature will observe its own nature and be like it self A Christian as far as he is good as far as he is a Christian is uniform his conversation is good he is like himself in all places in all times upon all occasions in prosperity in adversity The very Word shewes that the universality of a mans course must be in sincerity wheresoever he is God is every where and sincerity hath an eye to God it makes a man good every where or else it doth nothing to God Doth not God see every where abroad and at home in our closets If we plot villainy there ses he it as well as abroad therefore if I do it any where I regard not the eye of God Again where he saith Our Conversation it implies constancy as well as uniformity he was so in all places and in all times but that I noted before therefore I passe it Our Conversation In the world That is amongst other men wheresoever I was and have lived whence we see That Christianity may stand with conversing abroad in the world Men need not be mued up in a cloyster as the foolish Monks in former times they thought that Religion was a thing confined to solitarinesse Whereas oft-times it requires greater strength of grace to be alone then to be in company we know the proverb Woe to him that is alone A good Christian converses in the world and that in simplicity and sincerity We need not I say cloyster our selves up to be good men to be sincere Christians We may converse in the world in sincerity if we have Saint Paul's spirit But that which I will presse more is this that True Religion where it is in strength doth carry a man in the world and yet he is not tainted with the world Saint Paul conversed in the world in sincerity The world is an hypocrite as he said of old the whole world acts a part it is an hypocrite and a cruel opposer of sincerity and truth Saint Paul lived abroad in the world amongst men that had aimes of their own and abused themselves in the world and yet he walked in simplicity and sincerity he was a good man for all that A man that is not of the world but begotten to be a member of a higher world he may carry himself in the world without the corruptions of the world he may carry himself so in the world that he may not be carried away of the world we see S. Paul did so Noah was a good man in evil times a good man in his Generation Henoch in evil times walked with God In Act. 13. David in his Generation served the purpose of God and his Generation was none of the best for you know
that one God will be worshipped his own way There is one God one Truth And that one Religion must needs be that in which that one God discovers and reveales himself and not that which man deviseth For will any Master be served with the device of his servant And will God suffer his creature to devise a Religion to serve him Therefore there is of necessity as one God so one Religion and that one Religion must be that which that God hath left in his Word Therefore those that are to govern States as they will answer to that one God they are to establish that Religion that he hath left to the world in his Word and not any Religion not that which men have devised To go a little further In that one Religion that is left by him there must be a care had that the people live by the rules of that one For this is a rule in nature nothing in Religion will help him that will not live according to the rules of it therefore it concerns all that are not atheists to labour to stablish one Religion and obedience to that one And every particular man as he looks for good by his Religion is not to live by the rules of fleshly wisdome but by the rules of Religion And here a man might deplore the misery of poor Religion above all other things above all other Arts and Trades In other Arts and Trades he is accounted no body that works not according to his Trade and that hath not besides some speculative skill and rules in his head that hath not skill to work he is accounted no body but a talker except he doth But in Religion men think it is enough to know practise it goes under base names Any common conscience any common care and obedience to the rules we must be saved by is reproached and rejected Religion will not do a man good except he be ruled by it Wherefore serves the rule but to bring things to it But I will not stand on this point longer There is a necessity of wisdome And this wisdome may be had and this wisdome it leads not onely to salvation but it reacheth to the State and it leads every man in his calling Well we may see to touch that by the way In the third place True Wisdome toucheth Conversation My Conversation hath been by the Grace of God that is in wisdome he puts the general for the particular there was other graces besides but together with them there was this wisdome So wisdome tends to conversation Mark what I said wisdome is not in word but in work A man that will be Master of his Trade must work when a man can work well he is Master of his Trade and not till then Religion tends to practice You know what Christ saith If you know these things happy are ye if ye do them He intailes happinesse to doing If you know these things he saith not you are happy if you know them no If you know these things happy are you if you do them For indeed true wisdome is not onely speculative This wisdome understanding and knowledge when it is true and spiritual it alway tends to practice and practice is never sound but when it springs from wisdome from things known Every Article in the Creed it tends to practice in a Christians life and quickens practice every Article so wisdome tends to conversation Now besides that main wisdome which properly concerns salvation there is another wisdome which is more particular that tends to conversation which is called Spiritual Prudence for particular actions This comes from the Spirit of God I Wisdome dwell with Prudence Wheresoever there is wisdome to salvation there is prudence to the guidance of a Christian's life But in a word if so be that wisdome tend to conversation and is joyned with it You may see that all naughty livers are no bodies in Religion they are fooles in Religion wherefore serves knowledge wherefore serves light but to walk by wherefore serves an instrument but to work by wherefore serves wisdome but to guide our lives by Is it to be matter of discourse and talk Therefore this doth demonstrate clearly to any man that thinks there is any Religion or any heaven who be the best Christians even those that by the Spirit know the wisdome that God hath revealed in his Word and apply it in their lives and conversations to be ruled by it to work to that end Wisdome prefixeth an end alway and those that work to that end they are wise men he is a wise man that works to attain his end Now there is no man that can attain his end by meer knowledge he attains his end by working by doing therefore the wisest Christian he sets himself to converse wisely and holily and he shewes his religion in his particular calling in every thing If any man be Religious let him shew it in holy Conversation let him be unspotted of the world So much for that But by the Grace of God To give a little further light to the words Grace is either the free favour of God in himself issuing from his goodnesse whereupon we have forgivenesse of sins and acceptation through Jesus Christ to life everlasting This is grace resting in the breast of God but is onely entertained of us and works no change in us of it self Or else grace is something from that favour from that free grace of God wrought in us And thar grace wrought in us is First the grace of a whole universal change for whomsoever God accepts graciously to life everlasting he gives them the gifts of grace with his favour he changeth their nature that they may be fit to entertain fellowship with him For when by grace he accepts us to favour if he should not alter our natures alas what a case were we in were we fit for communion with God No therefore that we may have communion with God he alters our dispositions that we may be holy as he is holy this change is the first change in Christianity Now in this gracious change which is a work of the gracious Spirit derived to us by Christ in whom our nature is filled with all grace and in whom we receive grace for grace there are graces wrought as First a heavenly light to see a further end then ever we saw before a heavenly convincing light to see the love of God to see life everlasting to see glorious things And withal comes the grace of Love to carry the whole inward man to the things that we see Then there is the grace of Hope to expect and Patience to indure all till we be possest of that which our understandings are enlightned to see And Faith perswades the soul where to have it and relies on the Promise so particular graces are wrought Therefore that is one reason why the Apostle names not wisdome in particular when
seek the glory of God and life everlasting to have spiritual and heavenly ends to seek God in all things The grace of God in S. Paul guided him to lead his life in the simplicity and sincerity of God that is sincerity that looks to and aimes at God in all things And indeed a gracious man and onely a gracious man can look out of himself to an end above himself onely a gracious man can aime at Gods glory at the pleasing of God why because onely a gracious man knowes that he hath better things in God then in the world A worldly man makes himself his term he makes himself his last end because he knowes not better out of himself then in himself he dares not venture upon Gods â—…avour to put all upon that he knowes not whether he be his friend or no he thinks he is his enemy as he may well enough by his ill courses onely the gracious man can put himself upon God he knowes he is redeemed out of a miserable condition into a glorious-estate and if he should be denyed of all the world yet he knowes he hath more happinesse in him then he can look for here he knowes he would be Al sufficient for him he is assured of his salvation therefore he hath higher ends he is sincere in all things God when he is honoured by trusting of him when in sincerity we make him our wisdome and make his Word our rule and the happinesse that he hath promised our chief happinesse that we aime at and rest in him when we honour him so far then he makes a supply of all other things But I spake of sincerity to the full before onely I bring it now to shew how it is a note of a man that makes the Grace of God his guide he walks sincerely he seeks the glory of God Thirdly he that walks by the Grace of God and in the grace of God by it as a rule and in it as a principle he that walks in it and by it and through it you shall see it by the ability that is in him above nature by the things that he doth that other men cannot do that walk not by grace therefore you have a trial of a man that converseth by grace from hence he can crosse the common corruptions of the place and of the time he lives in he is not a slave he is not inthralled to common feares to common hopes to the common joyes and delights that the world is carried withall but as Grace is a thing that is mighty and strong and powerful of it self it is a Spirit the Spirit is like the wind as Christ tells Nicodemus it is a mighty powerful strong thing so it makes him strong it inables a mans spirit to do above himself above that which he could do if he had not grace It makes him deny himself in matter of pleasure in matter of profit it will make him crosse himself in matter of revenge as David spared Saul when he had him in his power It will make him triumph over all estates he can abound and he can want as S. Paul saith Other men are changeable with their condition they are cast down in adversity they are puffed up in prosperity they can deny themselves in nothing they are alwayes inthralled to their base pleasures and profits and honours they are alwayes swayed with some carnal end or other Grace it raiseth a man above nature he can do that which another cannot do he can indure that which another man cannot indure he can dye he can indure shame he can resist that which another man cannot resist In a word you may know Grace in a man that hath great parts of nature How shall we distinguish grace from nature in him Thus you shall have him subdue his parts unto grace and to the rules of Religion If he have a strong wit he will not make shew of the strength of it as though he would break through businesse with his wit but he will consult with conscience You may know a man that is led by grace especially where there are great parts he can deny not onely his corruptions but other things if they stand not at that time with the will of God he forbeares ostentation of learning when he sees it is hurtfull when it is rather to shew himself then to get glory to God or to win soules When a man sees that such and such courses might crush another and advance himself yet if it touch upon conscience he will not do here is a conflict between parts and the Grace of God and goodnesse now when a man in this can deny himself it is a sign that a man makes grace his guide It is not so easie in weaker dispositions for men seem sometimes to be good when it is defect of parts but in men of ability it proceeds not from defect or want of parts but it is the power of Grace onely whereby they are swayed such a man dares not do it he wants not ability or skill but he dares not offend God he dares not seek himself he dares not give scope to his wit and to his vain mind he knowes what spirit in him moves such things and he suppresseth them presently and yields to the motions of Gods blessed Spirit But yet in weaker men a man may know when such a one is ruled by grace thus when a man sees something in him that strengthens nature as Grace takes not away nature but betters it When you see a man that otherwise is simple yet he is wondrous skilful in resisting a temptation skilfull in giving advice skilful in keeping the peace of his conscience skilful in giving reproof even above himself a man may know that he hath a better Schoolmaster that the Spirit of God the Spirit of Grace is his Schoolmaster So that whether a man have strong or weak parts a man may know whether he be led by grace or no. In the weaker it raiseth him above himself in the stronger when the exercise of his parts of nature and grace cannot stand together it makes him deny himself that he may be led by the one he denies the other altogether this is gracious wisdome Again a man may know that he leads his life in gracious wisdome or by gracious wisdome when he fetcheth reasons for his actions not from things below but from Religion from conscience from spiritual things he doth not fetch the reason of his actions from this that this will profit me or I shall advantage my self thus and thus but he fetcheth the reasons and ground of his actions higher this is pleasing to God this is according to the peace of my conscience this is for the good of the Church for the good of the State I live in this is for the good of my Christian brethren The strongest reason of a Christian is that that makes for Religion and for conscience if he may gain in his
own particular one way and gain to the State or Religion another he considers not what will it advantage me but what is it for Religion It is the chief prevailing reason how he may gain to Religion and the glory of God he will not redeem his life to impeach the glory of God and Religion This is a man that leads his life by grace Again where grace is there graces are together there is a sweet linking of them therefore S. Paul instead of wisdome names Grace of God all grace A man therefore may know that he is led by grace when there is no solitary grace for where grace is solitary it is not at all it is but a shadow For there is not one grace but it is of special use in the managing of a Christians life and conversation therefore S Panl instead of wisdome puts grace here For instance there is a great necessity of seeing by a light above nature things above nature If a man lead a life above nature there is a necessity of heavenly illumination and conviction that there is a better happinesse then the world affords And then there is a need of love to carry the soul to that happinesse that is discovered But then there are a world of impediments between us and heaven and happinesse that is discovered to us in the Gospel by Christ Jesus there must be heavenly wisdome therefore to discover the impediments and to remove them And there are many advantages how to attain our end we must use this and this meanes these and these helps that God hath ordained here must be heavenly wisdome to use the advantages and to avoid the hindrances But there are a world of troubles between our end and us between heaven that is discovered and us therefore saith the Apostle Ye have need of Patience And patience that is sustained by hope hope casts anchor in heaven and assures us of happinesse there and then patience sustains us in whatsoever befalls us in this world Therefore the Apostle saith not I lead my life by wisdome but by grace by wisdome as it hath a connexion with all other graces Therefore a man that out of hearing of the Word or reading c. hath it discovered that there is a better way then he takes and yet notwithstanding hath not love to carry him to it nor wisdome to remove the impediments he works not towards his end there is no grace at all there is illumination but it is not sanctified illumination but a meer common work of the Spirit because where true wisdome is there is love and patience and hope and all other graces to carry the whole soul to that happinesse that is discovered Therefore by this you may know a gracious wise man he works to his end alwayes another man heares and wishes Oh it were well if I could attain heaven but carnal policy and base affections hold him in a beastly course of life that he works not to that end onely he hears such things and thinks God will be merciful and Christ hath dyed and when he cannot enjoy the world longer he will have good words that way but that will not serve the turn a man must lead a life in grace that will dye and be saved by grace he must work and carry the whole man with it and not onely have knowledge but faith and love and all a man must work with it Who is a wise man in outward matters is he a wise man that only talks of States matters out of Books he hath read No but he that when he comes to a businesse to negotiate in the world can remove hindrances and attain his end and overthrow the plots of his enemies when it comes to particular actions here is a wise man that can attain his end by working that doth work to his end till he have attained it So he proves graciously wise in Religion that works to his end or else he is a foolish man a foolish builder As Christ saith If ye know these things and do them not you are as a man that builds on the sands your profession will come to nothing Again a man may know that he is guided by Grace that he doth every thing by gracious wisdome when he doth provide for himself best in the best things out of a sanctified judgment when he doth judge aright of differences when he considers that there is a difference between the soul and the body between this life and eternal life there is a main difference between the glorious eternal life in the world to come and this fading life which the soul communicates to the body in this world when a man judgeth the difference between true riches and these things that we are so set upon that are but lent us for a little while When he judgeth between the true honour to be the Child of God and the fading honours of this world that shall lye down in the dust with us and shall all depart and be gone it appears then he hath a sanctified judgment he discerns of things that differ And according to this if he lead his life in gracious wisdome he makes his provision he makes his provision as his judgment leads him his judgment leads him to the best things therefore he provides for the best things As Christ saith of the Children of this world they are wise in their courses in their Generation they provide against beggery they make friends before-hand as we see in that unjust steward So a Christian provides for his soul he looks to that he makes him friends of his unrighteous Mammon he makes him friends of his earthly things that is he doth deserve well of men that they pray for him and so help him to heaven He daily makes his account ready he cuts off impediments that he meets with in the way he troubles not himself with impertinencies he spends not more time then needs about worldly things he useth them as they may help his work to be better and better in grace to be fitter and fitter for glory As he discerneth differences so he makes his provision answerable he provides for the best in the first place Or else he were a foolish Merchant a foolish builder a foolish man every way the Scripture saith he is no better that cannot discern the difference and provide well for himself when other things fail The Scripture doth well call wicked men fooles they have no judgement they do not provide for themselves they prefer these things say what they will before better things they are fooles in their provision Achitophel he made provision he set his house in order and what became of him after he hanged himself He made much provision for the world and at last he knew not how to forecast and provide for his soul. The Scripture calls the rich man in the Gospel a fool he was wise enough to contrive for himself yet he was but a rich
Take it in the regiment and goverment of it Take it in the worship Take it in the opinions you may draw all to one of those three heads For the government of it There is a wisdome a wondrous wisdome a fine subordination to one Head the Pope to hear all controversies and under him the Cardinals and under them the Generals and all at Rome and they have th eir Provincials under them here is a wondrous fine subordination butall this is by fleshly wisdome For this beast riset out of the earth and out of the Sea out of the Tumult of the people out of base earthly respects Therefore it is said in the Revelation when the Bishop of Rome became Pope and was at the highest that a Star fell he fell when he rose when he was at the highest he was at the lowest why because his rising was carnal and earthly or lower if you will it was hellish and devillish Their government is opposite to Christs Government and being so it must needs be mightily opposed by him again and therefore it must needs down the fabrick of it being opposite to the frame of Christs Government though it be wondrous witty Therefore in the Revelation 666. is the Number of a man If you mark the frame of the Romish policy it is wondrous accurate it goes smoothly by tens and by hundreds 666. This Babylon is the number of a man a fine policy but it is but the number of a man it is the device of carnal wisdome it self therefore it is divellish wisdome Thus it is in the government of it And their Worship is according to the wisdome of the flesh some wisdome there is in not going to God immediately but by Saints and Angels What! is it not wisdome in the Princes Court first to go to the Favourite and by him to the Prince So is it not wisdome not to go directly to God it is bold rashnesse to come immediately to God but by Saints and Angels This is the wisdome of a man this is the wisdome of the flesh Colos. 2. this is carnal wisdome it is opposite against the truth Doth not Christ bid us come all to him do Angels love us better then he Is not he the great Favourite of heaven I will not enter into controversie but onely shew how they work by fleshly wisdome Here is wisdome when we cannot raise our selves up to God to bring him down to us As in the Sacrament they shew carnal wisdome Oh it is a fine thing that Christs body and ours should be joyned together it seemes to be a fine point that Christ should be hid in the bread c. But here is no spiritual wisdome The union that the Scripture speaks of is by faith ascending into heaven laying hold on Christ there and going back to the crosse and seeing Christ crucified there and so he is meat indeed and drink indeed as we see him crucified and satisfying Gods wrath for us for our sins And so again is it not a pretty wisdome to draw men by pictures and likenesses are not men delighted with the Images of their friends and of their parents and therefore is it not a good religious policy to have pictures of Christ and pictures of God the Father Here is wisdome correspondent to the dealing and affaires of men but all this is fleshly wisdome The Scripture speaks mightily against making of Images the Word of God is directly against it this is fleshly wisdome Grace doth not rule here So that the soules when they go out of this world being very unclean that they should be purged that there should be some satisfaction some Purgatory c. here seems to be wisdome but wherefore serves the blood of Christ then that is the onely Purgatory that purgeth from all sins mortall sins venial sins all sins Again is it not a seeming wisdome to come to heaven by our own works by our own merits that so we may set the people on to good works or else we dull their spirits and endeavours I but this is fleshly wisdome this is devillish wit and so it will prove in the end for the Scripture goes onely to Christ onely Christ. We are saved by faith onely by Christ. I will not enter into the point I onely shew you what a seeming wisdome they have but it is not heavenly but meerly carnal And that their Religion is carnal do but consider that all the points wherein they differ from us may be resolved either to belly-policy or to State-policy either to ambition and riches or the belly Wherefore is their Monarchy all their great preferments but to increase their ambition Wherefore are their pardons and indulgences but to get money basely as some of their own Writers confesse And their Purgatory c. these things be for carnal ends it is a Religion fitted for their own ends They make what they list to serve them Religion Nature Reason Conscience whatsoever is good they make all stoop to interest their own cause in Their orders that is their spiritual good must be their advancement it is but a colour put uponcarnal ends The spiritual good is their own advancement they aime at their own peculiar interest in all their villainies As if God stood in need of our lie as if Gods glory were advanced by the Devil As well their Government as their Religion is lies it is defended by lies by equivocation and rebellion by withdrawing the allegiance of Subjects and murthering of Princes Lawes and Religion and all must stoop to their wisdome under pretence of bonum spirituale These things are known I do but touch them to breed a deeper hatred of this Religion which is altogether fleshly and carnal And so far as they are led by carnal wisdome they are not led by the grace of God Wherefore is their lying for advantage their dispensations and horrible allowing of any thing is it not meerly carnal wisdome In a word their Religion is meerly policy if it be not too good a word for it it is meerly carnall policy it came not from heaven but from the bottomlesse pit Then they fell from heaven when they grew to their highest when they were in their top This I thought good to touch collaterally from the Text which doth characterize a true Christian indeed in his temper that he is joyful when he is as he should be and the ground of it is from a good conscience and that good conscience ariseth out of a course of life and conversation led in simplicity and sincerity to God For Religion hath majesty enough in it self without far fetches and devices And the principle from whence By the grace of God in the evidence of the Spirit and not according to fleshly and carnal wisdome In a word therefore labour that from the evidence of the Spirit having your soules sanctified by the Spirit you may reflect on your selves and look into your lives and say truly
man that comes into the world withall it comes from Christ Jesus In him are all the treasures of wisdome God and God-man onely wise There is no wisdome without him therefore let us submit our selves to his Government let us pray to him and seek for wisdome of him in all things But I go on to the next Verse VERSE XIII For we write none other things unto you then what you read or acknowledge and I trust you shall acknowledge even to the end HEre S. Paul strengthens himself by another course First he retires to his own heart and conscience My rejoycing is this the testimony of my conscience c. and he sets this as a Bulwark against all the slanders and detractions of his opposers whatsoever he sets it as a flag of defiance the testimony of his own conscience But to set himself the more upright in their hearts whom he was to deal withall knowing what a great advantage it was to have the good opinion of them and to wipe away all imputation he passeth from his conscience to their conscience For my own conscience my rejoycing is this that you cannot accuse me that I have led my life by carnal false principles but by reasons of Religion and by the blessed motions of Gods Spirit Nay I can go further then so for what I say of mine own conscience I dare say you can say too for I write no other things then what you read or acknowledge What you read Some take it What you know or acknowledge because these are distinct things The word Anaginoskein signifies to know or to read but usually to read We may well therefore take it so as most translate it here I write no other thing concerning my simplicity but what you read or acknowledge I write of my simplicity simply I speak not of my sincerity insincerely but what I write you read or acknowledge because S. Paul knew he had a place in their conscience they could not but acknowledge what a man he was for the Spirit was wondrous effectual by his Ministery in their hearts and they were his Epistle as he saith in another place and therefore he appeales to their acknowledgment to their conscience We write no other thing c. And for the time to come I trust you shall acknowledge to the end So he doth appeal to their conscience for the present and he doth take in trust the time to come what their thoughts shall be of him and what his estate shall be You shall have Grace to think well of me to the end because you shall have ground to think well of me from my constancy I hope you shall acknowledge to the end and you shall have wisdome and experience of my goodnesse to acknowledge to the end I will give a touch on these things because they be useful and but a touch because I stood somewhat on them before and shall have fit occasion for them severally after We write no other things then what you read This seemeth strange why how could they read other things then what he wrote Yes if he had written falsly if he had not expressed his thoughts in his writings then they had read one thing and he had been another As a woman that is painted there is Prosopon and Prosopeia there is the visage and the true natural countenance she is not the woman she appeares to be her face is one and her self is another but I am as I expresse my self His meaning is I speak of my simplicity and sincerity simply and sincerely I speak not of my vertues to go beyond you but I speak sincerely what I speak you read for I think not that he means his former Epistle but what he wrote concerning himself and the leading of his life that which I speak concerning my self that you read and what you read that I speak It yields me this Observation which though I had occasion to speak of when I handled Simplicity yet I shall now touch it That A Christian man is one man he doth act one mans part He hath not a heart and a heart he is not a man and a man there is a harmony between his thoughts and resolutions between his speeches and his actions they all sweetly accord together what he thinks and resolves on that he speakes what he speakes that he writes what he writes and speaks that he doth he is one man in all he doth not deal doubly It is the easiest thing in the world to be politick to be naught to double the nature of man teacheth a man to be false mans heart is full of naughtinesse it is a hard thing for a man to be one and till a man be a gracious man he shall be a double man Therefore you must take heed of a fault which is called the abuse of signes of such signes as serve to expresse what a man is inwardly Let your inward disposition and the signs that expresse it accord The signs of expression that come from one man to another are speech writing countenance and the like A man should not be one thing within and his speech another he should not be one thing and his writing another he should not be one thing and any other expression another This abuse of signes and expressions when they are one way and the heart another besides the odiousnesse of it to God as being contrary both to his Nature and to his Word it is contrary to his nature for he is simple and sincere he is one in all there is no shadow of change in him there is no mixture As it is contrary to his Nature so it is contrary to his Word that bids us not dissemble nor lie one to another It makes a man most like the Devil who never appears in his own shape but alwayes in another He comes in our friends as an Angel of light he never discovers himself in his own colours Besides all these and such like respects it is the overthrow it cuts the sinewes of humane society for what is the band of humane society but the entercourse by speech and writing and the like Now if there be abuse of these signes that they are one thing and we another that we do not expresse what is the true thought and impression of our hearts all society is dissolved Therefore we cannot too much hate Popish principles of not keeping fidelity with Hereticks as they call them it is the custome of them to deal so As you know in a War of theirs with the Turks the story is well known when the Cardinals had broken their promise after they had in a manner gotten the Victory the Turks even cryed to Christ that he would revenge their treachery and the Turks came again upon them and overcame them and gave them a mighty overthrow Their grosse principle of equivocation and the like which stands in the abuse of expressions and signes Yea their abuse of the blessed sign and seal
and serious and weighty and firm in their resolutions that they may build on them and know where to have them as we say it breeds authority and maintains authority For then what they say is regarded and how their affections stand if it be love it is much sought after if displeasure it is much feared for they are men of a fixed disposition it gains wondrous respect Let men be never so great if they be such as S. Paul here declines from himself that they use lightnesse they lose their authority Authority is the special help that Governours have to rule and that Ministers have to prevail now nothing weakens esteem and authority more then when men are tossed between the waves of contrary affections when men are such as we know not where to have them as we say off and on fast and loose one while fitting another standing no man will build on them or much regard their love or hatred Now you know Authority is a beam of Majesty and God hath put it upon Magistrates above others and imprinted likewise the respect of it in the peoples hearts to maintain the World the pillars of the earth will shake else as the Psalmist saith What would become of the Pillars of Government if it were not for Authority in them that are above and respect of that Authority an impression of it in them that are under Now there are many grounds of Authority as successe when God blesseth them with it wonderfully to admiration and good parts c. but one main Ground of Authority is Constancy and firmnesse this raiseth a high respect in the hearts of the people I will not multiply reasons why those that are in place should avoid the imputation of lightnesse Ministers especially should take heed of it because they are Ministers of Gods truth and if they take not heed of it people will be ready to go from their moral civil carriage to their doctrine and think there is an uncertainty in that they speak because they do not regard what they say But let me adde this by the way Mater erroris similitudo Likenesse is the mother of errour so there is somewhat like Constancy in Governours and others when they are nothing lesse but meerly refractory and obstinate to maintain the reputation of constancy they will run into the fault of wilfulnesse Such as are subject that way had need of strong wits to rule their strong wills to guide them or else wo be to those that have to deal with them that I thought good to adde left we mistake We should all labour to avoid inconstancy and lightnesse in our resolutions in our purposes and affections If we ought to avoid it how shall we come to know it what is the ground of lightnesse The grounds are many Sometimes from the temper of the body some are of a moveable temper of a moveable quick spirit that they cannot out of their constitution fix long except they set weights upon nature I am by disposition thus but my resolution shall be otherwise as where Grace and wisdome is it will fix the temper and fix the resolution and the thoughts This I could not do if I should yield to my own disposition but this I will do and I should do there are many resolutions as in the younger sort and some out of their very temper are more fixed and resolved But now consider it as it is in Religion Lightnesse comes out of the disposition of the mind Inconsideration oft-times is the ground when we do not see the circumstances of a thing that we promise or purpose You know there is nothing comes to action but it is beset with circumstances there are advantages of it and there are stops and hinderances of it somewhat may fall out Every thing that comes to action is besieged with circumstances circumstances you know have their name of standing about a businesse about a thing now when the things that are about the impediments and the hindrances and le ts are not weighed a rash man sees not the things he considers not the things that he enters upon he resolves without considering the circumstances that beset the thing he never considers what oppositions he may meet with or what advantages there be which perhaps he neglects but he thinks of the thing it is good and suitable to his purpose he resolves and never considers the circumstances about a thing but runs on in confidence of his own wit and parts and thinks to rule all by the strength of his wit not foreseeing not casting in his mind to prevent before-hand what may fall out It is just with God to shame such men frustration of their purposes it is a just reward of their folly Therefore we should take heed of Inconsideration and have our eyes in our heads to set the soul to foresee what possibility there is of the businesse and what may fall out this is the right way if we would avoid imputation of lightnesse Again another ground of lightnesse and of that decay in authority and respect that comes from it is the passion of men therefore they are light they are carried with the hurry and wind of their passion And Satan joynes with passion A passionate man is subject to Satan more then a man that is led by reason or with grace For that is a beam of God even reason it self judgment it is an excellent thing and it prevents many temptations Give not way to passion for those are unreasonable things As we see Saul in his passion Satan the evill spirit mingled with his passion of anger So let men be in any passion over-joy or be over-angry let them give the rains to unruly passion and they give advantage to Satan that we cannot settle our soules in any good resolution Again in the things themselves there is cause of lightnesse and inconstancy from the nature of the things and then it is not so great a fault to change then it is not properly inconstancy but it is inconstancy when the things are mutable and variable and we do not think of it as we should Now the things of this life are variable and uncertain the event of things in this life is wondrous variable Grace and glory they are certain things and the way that God directs us to heaven they are certain promises and certain grounds but the things of this life are subject to much change God takes a great deal of liberty in altering things in this world they fall out divers wayes But now therefore we must take heed that we take not inconstancy for that which is not Every change of opinion and purpose is not lightnesse It is not inconstancy for a man to change his mind and purpose when it is from the things Men are men and the things that we deal with in the world are subject to variety and inconstancy and for a man to alter according to the
the soul under God A man may keep his wisdome and understanding safe still so he keep it under and let Divine truth sway and bring all in us into captivity to it self But alas the scope of the world is contrary instead of bringing the soul into captivity to Gods truth to be led by him to have no thoughts no aimes contrary to Gods will they make Gods truth a captive and prisoner to their own base affections as S. Paul saith Rom. 1. They hold the truth they withhold it as a prisoner under base affections And whereas all should serve the main end and intend better things they make a counterfeit loving of good things to serve their carnal ends they make heaven serve earth they make God serve man the Spirit serve the flesh they invert the order of things clean which is as contrary to nature if they had wisdome to consider it as that the heaven should be under the earth and the water above the air it overturnes all in Religion when we suffer carnal wisdome to rule all to imprison that light that God hath put into the heart and conscience and the light of his Word to base affections and not to bring all into captivity to the Spirit and the Word When we come to hear Gods Word we should consider that we come not for recreation but we come to a Counsellour to that that should sway and direct all our wayes and words to that that is not onely our comfort in the time of affliction but our counsellour as David saith it was the man of his counsel So we come here to be counselled to hear that which must direct us in the way to heaven we must come with a purpose to be guided by that to be taught As Cornelius faith We are here in the presence of God to hear what shall be said to us from God Saint Paul gives this direction 1 Cor. 3. If a man will be wise in heavenly things let him be a fool first It is a strange thing Let him be a fool that is let him be content to be esteemed so let him be content to lose his reputation of wisdome that he may be wise When he knowes others to be fooles let him take a substantial course that the vain world may think him wise It is hard counsel for of all imputations in the world many and the most had rather be accounted wicked then be accounted fooles account them the veriest fools which are unfit to speak think of them in the highest degree of ill you can oh they have wit enough for that they have learning and parts for that take not away their learning and parts account them not fooles account them what you will Religion masters this base opinion Saint Paul saith Let a man be a fool if he will be wise Let no man deceive himself and think Let poor men be so and so Religion is the private mans good and let them make conscience of such things but for us that are in place and authority we must rule by policy and he knowes not how to rule that is not a Politician Let no man deceive himself there is no man great or small but if he will be wise for heaven let him be a fool let him take courses that are conscionable though he be accounted a fool for his pains Let us be jealous of our own hearts in private and publick let us take heed to our own hearts that the flesh come not in Let us labour to be acquainted with Christ that he may be our counsellour and our guide in all things Specially now when we come to the Communion we now renew out Covenant with God and our acquaintance with Christ Jesus we come to feast with him Do we think to have any good by him any benefit by his death except we make him our King and Prophet to rule and guide us except we make him our Counsellour Therefore let us think before-hand we cannot come as we ought to receive the Communion unlesse we intend before-hand to renounce the flesh Christs enemy can you be welcome guests and resolve after to be led and ruled by his enemy If you will have good by Christs death as a Priest to reconcile you to God as this Sacrament seales the benefits of his death the breaking of the bread and the pouring out of the wine come with a purpose to be ruled and guided by this Counsellour in all things he is the great Counsellour Isai. 9. 7. that is willing to advise us by his Word and Spirit in all the particular passages of our lives and the more we enter into acquaintance with him by the Sacrament and maintain it by private prayer and by all sacred means the more ready he will be to do the office of a friend and counsellour in all the passages of our lives to advise us what is best I had occasion in verse 12. to speak at large of fleshly wisdome therefore I passe it That with me there should be yea yea and nay nay This sets down the manner of inconstancy the form of it yea yea to be on the affirmative part once and then nay nay the negative to be of one mind and peremptory in it and then to be of another mind and peremptory in that this is the issue of carnal wisdome and followes on it The things that I purpose do I purpose according to the flesh that with me there should be yea yea and nay nay insinuating that those that purpose things according to the flesh they are yea yea and nay nay Whence first we may observe which I touched before a little but it issues more properly hence from the dependance That Carnal men are alway inconstant men For a fleshly man led with the flesh being led with the things of the world and they being inconstant he must needs be as that which he is ruled by A man cannot stand safe upon the Ice because it self is not safe a man cannot stand in a thing that stands not that hath no consistence Now a Carnal man he hath no prop to hold him but the things below he cleaves to them and they are inconstant and variable and uncertain He that purposeth according to the flesh is yea yea nay nay Therefore his love is yea yea nay nay If he may have good by you he is yea yea he is for you but can you do him no good he is nay nay he will not own you then Therefore one way to be constant is not to be ruled according to the flesh which I spake of before for they that are are yea yea nay nay Therefore take heed how you trust carnal men in near intimate society as in marriage Or in near friendship never take a man that hath his own aimes and ends for he will respect you no more then he can advance his own ends by you Trust not the Wife of thy bosome saith the Prophet if she
Redeemer and yet notwithstanding to need the help of other Mediatours and Intercessours here is yea and nay it is a contradiction That the Church of Rome is the Catholike Church if it be Roman it is not Catholike The universal Catholick Roman Church it is as much as the universal particular Church it is a contradiction one thing overturnes another The sacrifice of the Masse an unbloody sacrifice a sacrifice is the killing of a thing that was alive a sacrifice is with blood the offering of Christ in the bread is an unbloody sacrifice a sacrifice and not a sacrifice here is yea and nay a contradiction So that besides their thwarting of Scripture they thwart and contradict themselves in their fundamentall points they are yea and nay And then they are full of uncertainties they are not undoubtedly yea There is no Papist in the world would end his dayes so if he be not drunk if he be advised if he be not surprized with passion if he do not forget himself Come to a Papist and ask him what are the main points of Popery that you believe alwayes yea Can you say when you confesse your sins that you confesse all No can you then say then you have a perfect absolution that depends upon your confession No it is an uncertain thing What an absutd thing is Popish Religion it wracks the conscience of people Can you say that the Priest intends consecration in these words This is my body No and if the Priests intention be not there then Christ is not there and then you are Idolaters Can you tell certainly that Transubstantiation depends upon his consecration No how full of uncertainties and contradictions is Popery you cannot say the Points of Popery are alwaies yea Perhaps they are yea in life but are they yea in death It is yea in life that they merit salvation by works but is it yea in death No Bellarmine disclaimes it It is safe not to trust in our own merits for danger of vain-glory c. but to trust onely in the mercy of God in Christ. So their doctrine it is yea in life to sin by to live riotously by but then it is nay in death they reverse it if they belong to God they disclaim their works and other things and cleave onely to Christ and there is hope of them that have grace truly to do so So their doctrine is not yea that in life and death they can stick to To go on a little further to lay open the grossenesse of their tenents and the danger of their Religion We are better bottomed then they are which make the Word of God our rule and ground that is not yea and nay but yea The Canonization of Saints The Pope he makes Garnet a Traytor and Thomas of Becket Saints how can he know that these were Saints that he Canonizeth he that makes a Saint must know the hearts of men and search the heart for the truth of grace is there now it is the priviledge of God to know the heart So that Popery is full of uncertainties and pitifull perplexities Indeed they maintain the doctrine of doubting that we must doubt as if our nature were not sufficiently prone to doubt but we must get arguments to make us doubt as if it were needful to have infirmities to stablish grace in us Alas we are too prone to doubt and the Devil is ready to make us stagger in the time of temptation Again the Invocation of Saints it is a Point wondrous full of uncertainties Can they know and say certainly that the Saints hear them They cannot know that one Saint having a finite power should hear a hundred Petitions at once A finite creature hath but a finite power to hear one thing at one time distinctly how can they be perswaded that a finite Saint in heaven at one time distinctly should hear many thousands that put up their Petitions at once Can a man that is but a capable creature though glorified as Peter or Mary c. distinctly consider a thousand Petitions that are made they cannot how then can they think that a certain truth the Invocation of Saints The main ground of all their Religion is yea and nay the Pillar of it what is that The infallible judgment of the Pope but how can they tell when he speaks ex Cathedra for 9. or 10. exceptions and tricks they have when he speaks to be built on and when not how can poor soules know when he speaks so that the people may infallibly build on his judgment Because many times he is an illiterate man that knowes nothing in Divine things wherein he is to judge So the very foundation of Popery is yea and nay that is a most uncertain thing And then the ground of that that he is the Successour of Peter there is no place of Scripture for it neither dare they bring any It is but a Tradition It is somewhat uncertain whether ever Peter were at Rome that he was Bishop there is more uncertain but that the Pope should be his Successour is most uncertain and impossible of all So indeed the Religion of Popery is a rack to conscience especially to conscience that is awaked and knowes what Religion means at all Why is it a rack to them There is no certainty in it in the main Tenents of it It is not onely contrary to Gods yea but it is yea and nay uncertain in it self Now here the Apostle he frees his preaching from this imputation Our Word to you was not yea and nay and he calls God to record God is true and as he is true my Word to you was not yea and nay but was certainly yea Thus you see what use we are to make of it for confutation and conviction of our own judgments It may be moved by some perhaps How doth it appear how shall we know by what arguments that it is yea and not yea and nay I answer The testimony of S. Paul here is that it is so and his appeal to God with an asseveration As God is true But our own experience doth tell us that the Word of God is certain and true if we belong to God for we stand convict in judgment by many arguments which I will not now repeat But how shall any man certainly know it is yea the Word is the undoubted Word of God unchangeable wheresoever it is In a word you may know it is so he thinks it is so if he yield obedience to it as to such a Word absolute obedience to Gods truth without questioning when once a thing is clear to be agreeable to Gods truth he yields obedience to it then it is yea If it be a duty he must do it if it be a threatning he must avoid it by repentance if it be a promise he must believe it this is absolute obedience Likewise reverence in hearing it as Cornelius did Act. 10. To hear it as the
yea and amen to be yea and nay We make truth a lie and do rather believe our own lying hearts then Gods immutable and unchangeable Promises Therefore let us see the fulnesse of our hearts and complain of them to God and desire him to cure it and redresse it and he will do it This is to give glory to God indeed we cannot honour God more then to believe his Promises and build on him This will breed love when we feel the comfort of the Promises Foolish men think to honour God by complements by dead performances filly men consider that the principal honour in the world to God is to seal his truth that thou shouldest not make him a liar Hath he promised all things in the world get faith that will honour him and he will honour thy faith What makes God honour faith so much He that believes he will bring him to heaven Faith honours him it gives him the glory of his truth the glory of his goodnesse of his mercy of his truth c. as it honours him he honours it The Believer shall come to heaven when the idle fashionable Christian shall vanish with his conceits that thinks to serve God with empty vain shadowes Honour God with the obedience of faith man cast thy self upon him trust in him in life and death and then thou givest him the honour that he requireth at thy hands For as the honour of his mercy is the greatest honour he will have in this world more then that in the Creation so thou honourest him more in the Gospel to cast thy self on him for forgivenesse of sins and life everlasting and for the guidance of thy daily course of life thou honourest him more then by looking on the creature or by doing him any service He is honoured more by faith in Christ then by any other way Let faith go to him as faith honours him so he will honour it Let it be according to thy faith Let not all be lost let us bring vessels for the precious Promises the vessel of a believing heart Shall all this be lost for a vain heart that will not lodge up these promises shall we have a rich portion and neglect it shall we have so many promises and not improve them and make use of them Therefore I beseech you let it be our practice continually every day of all portions of Scripture make the Promises most familiar to us for duties follow promises if we believe the Promises with our heart they are quickning Promises we will love God and perform other duties Faith works by love If we believe love will come kindly off Therefore he saith here All the Promises are Yea and Amen insinuating that all is included in the Promises Let us empty our hearts of confidence in any thing and fill them with the Promises in Christ that are Yea and Amen Let us stablish our hearts with the Promises let us warm and season and refresh our hearts every day with these In these times of infection what do we those that are careful of themselves that go abroad in dangerous places they have Preservatives they take something to preserve their spirits and to strengthen them against the contagion abroad and it is wisdome so to do it is folly to neglect it and to tempt God not to be careful in this kind it is very well done But what is this if thou do not fence thy soul and thy spitit and take a draught of the Promises every day afresh Let us take out our pardon of course every day of the forgivenesse of sins We sin every day let us go for our pardon If we sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ and he is the propitiation for our sins And the blood of Jesus Christ shall purge us from all sin And he is in justifying us still every day he is acquitting our soules and there is a pardon of course to be taken out every day Let us renew and refresh our hearts with the Promises of pardon and forgivenesse of sins every day Let us strengthen our soules with renewing the Promises of grace for that day to walk comfortably before God that he will keep us by his Spirit from sin that he will be a shield and a Sun to us that he will give us wisdome to carry our selves as we should and he will give us his holy Spirit if we beg it Let us every day take these Promises to be Cordials in these dangerous times and then come life come death all shall be welcome why because we are in Christ and have imbraced the Promises and Christ and all in Christ is Yea and Amen it shall go well with us What a wondrous comfortable life would a Christians life be if he could yield the obedience faith answerable to the promises What a shame is it that having such rich promises we should be so loose so changeable that we should be cast down with crosses and lift up with prosperity It is because we believe not the promises of better things therefore we are proud of present things and cast down with present crosses and are fast and loose Now we have good things for the present afterward the devil comes between us and the promises and makes us let go our hold Religion stands on this which makes me to presse it the more If this were well taken to heart and digested we should know what Religion means if we know Christ and the promises all other things will come off All others are but formalities they will never comfort without the confideration of knowing God in Christ and the rich promises to us in Christ. Likewise if this be so that the promises of God in Christ are Yea and Amen This teacheth us how to make use of all former examples of others and of all former goodnesse to our selves Was God merciful to Abraham and to David Our father 's trusted in thee and were not confounded Psal. 22. Therefore he reasons If I trust in God I shall not be confounded for the Promises are Yea and Amen they are true to one as well as another And whatsoever was written afore was written for our comfort Rom. 15. And this is a singular good use we may make of reading of the stories of the Scripture and of holy men that the same God he lives for ever his arm is not shortened he that was is and is to come and therefore we should read histories with application Did God make sure his Promises to them surely he will make sure his Promises to us Had David forgivenesse of sins upon his confession surely so shall we Abraham believed and it was accâ—…ed to him for righteousnesse and â—…o it shall to us if we believe It is alledged for that end Rom. 4. And S. Paul prefixeth his example to all posterity God was mercifull to me and not so onely but to all that believe in him 2 Tim. 2. This is an Use
have it in Psal. 1. As the chaffe that the wind driveth to and fro because it hath no consistence it is a light body or as the drosse Psal. 119. God shall destroy the wicked as drosse see how the Scripture compares men not onely for their wickednesse but for their misery that have no certain being but on earthly things though they be never so great and as they think deeply rooted when troubles come they are as drosse they are as chaffe that hath no firmnesse before the wind when the wind of Judgment comes they are as stubble presently wasted and brought to nothing I beseech you therefore without deceiving of our own hearts let us enter into our own soules and examine for our knowledge first and then for our boldnesse What doest thou know in Religion that thou wouldest die for or die in we are stablished in no more to purpose then we would dye for Are those truths thou knowest so firmly wrought in thee by the Spirit of God hast thou such experience of them such spiritual sense and taste of the goodnesse of them that thou wouldest be content to part with thy life rather then to part with them thou art stablished then by the Spirit of God in Christ. I do not speak of every little truth it needs not that a man should die for that but I speak for fundamental truths canst thou prove them so out of the Scripture and doest thou find the testimony of Jesus Christ witnessing to thy heart that they are true then thou art confirmed and stablished in these truths I beseech you let us often examine upon what grounds and how firmly we know what we know For have we not many that if the Adversaries should come would conform to Popery and joyn themselves to Rome because they cannot back their principles with Scriptures and because they have not a spiritual understanding and apprehension of Divine truths Now he that is stablished stands firm against temptations and against arguments he will not be won away from his faith but remains unmoveable Therefore I say let us often examine our selves in this particular I believe this and this against the Papists and others I but how shall I stand out for this If tryals should come am I able to prove this from the Scriptures so clear as if it were written as he saith with a Sun-beam The temptation and assaults of the Devil by mens subtile wits and arguments will shake our judgments will hurt more and if time should come try us better then fire and fagot Those Spies that brought an evil report upon the Land of Canaan we see that though the Land when it was won was fruitful enough and the conquest of it honourable c. and therein those Spies discovered their own weaknesse yet when they had made that shrewd Oration and brought subtile arguments to the eye of flesh and blood we see I say how the people were discouraged and how they staggeted So a man that is not stablished he may sometimes have shrewd men to deal withal perhaps Atheists Papists Jesuites and the Devil joyning with them to unsettle men and they will prevail if men be not well settled and stablished before And so for the course of our life and conversation amongst men we should examine how we are stablished in that for we are not onely to stand firm in cases of Religion but for causes of honesty John Baptist was as good as a Martyr though the cause he dyed for was not Religion but a bold telling of Herod when he thought he took an unlawful course in keeping his brothers Wife An honest man may dye and suffer much for civil matters Therefore examine your selves in this I have undertaken this cause upon what ground in what confidence how far would I willingly go in it could I be content to lose the favour of great ones to dye in the quarrel if need be So far as a man is stablished by Gods Spirit so far is he settled also in this You have had Heathen men that would stand out firmly even to the death against all disfavours against all losses and crosses for evidence of Civil truths as you have it storied of Papinian an excellent Lawyer that in the defence of right stood forth to the losse of his life and many other the like examples have been But much more doth the Spirit of God stablish men this I understand this cause is good this I will stand in come what will when I am called to it Let us oft call our selves to an account what we believe and upon what ground what we do and upon what ground we undertake it whether on grounds of conscience or out of spleen and passion When a man undertakes things on natural grounds in great temptations if God do not assist him he will sink Take the strongest courages that are if they have no more but nature though they may stand out sometimes to the shame of Christians yet in some cases they will shew themselves to be but meer natural men And therefore labour for the Spirit to stablish us It is not necessary that we should enjoy our wealth nor the favour of men nor our life it self but it is necessary that we should keep a good conscience it is necessary that we should be saved it is necessary that we should look upon our Judge with confidence at the day of Judgment It becomes Christians who besides the light of nature have the Spirit to stablish them to be settled in their courses to look that the conscience be good the cause good the aym good If such a one give over when the cause is clear and good it is a sign that his heart is not stablished by the Spirit of God in Christ he hath either corrupt aymes or else he is weak and understands not the grounds of Religion and the vanity of this life as he should do There are none that flinch and give over in a good quarrel but either it is from hypocrisie that he pretends to believe in Christ and life everlasting and yet he doth not or else it is from extream and wonderful weaknesse which if he belong to God he shall recover as Peter did and shall stand more strongly another time It is but a forced a false encouragement and stablishing when a man that hath not the Spirit of God shall set light by death though perhaps he die in a good quarrel and with some comfort For when a man shall know that after death there is a Judgment and that God hath many things to lay to his charge when his conscience shall tell him that he is guilty of a thousand deaths if he be not in Christ and his pardon sealed by the Spirit of God in the blood of Christ is it not madnesse to be couragious in that which he cannot conquer It is good for a man to be couragious in time of conquest It is a dastardly thing for
imperfection that desires to be searched in preaching hearing searching Sermons and desiring to be searched in Conference and that doubts not his conscience but would be searched throughly When men fret at the searching of their sins they will not be searched and are content to go on in presumptuous courses and think all is well it is a sign there is not so much as an Earnest But not to go farther that in the Revelation shews the truth of a little grace what saith he Thou hast a little strength what doth that little strength move the Church of Philadelphia to do Thou hast kept my Word and hast not denyed my Name Where there is a little strength there will be a keeping of the Word in obedience a keeping of it in conversation where is not a regard to Gods Word a moulding of the soul into it in obedience of it there is not so much as a little strength of grace and therefore those that live in rebellious courses have not so much as an Earnest to them yet Thou hast kept my Word and withal thou hast not denyed my Name Where a little strength is there they will not deny Christs Name they will hold out in the profession of the truth and confesse it if occasion serve and therefore where any are slight in their profession that give in if they be ready to dash upon any displeasure of any one if they be to venture their estates or so then they are ashamed of Christ and that profession which they took upon them they deny his Name at least they do not own it they have not so much as a little strength if they do not recover Peter was in such a temptation but he recovered his strength and got more strength and a firm standing upon it the shaking of Peter was for the rooting of him So God to shame his children suffers them sometimes to have dastardly spirits but they recover themselves they are ashamed of it but those that are common Politicians in this kind that will not stand out in a good cause to maintain their truth and profession when God thrusts his cause into their hands specially at such times when God saith to them Who is on my side who now is the time to appear then if they have not a word for God they will not own the quarrel and cause of God and Religion they have not a little strength for they that have a little strength here keep the Word and have not denyed the Name Those therefore that can fashion themselves to all Religions to all companies they will have a Religion mutable and flexible to their occasions where is the Earnest of the Spirit the Spirit as much as he is is strong and vigorous and powerful these men have not so much as a little strength that are as water which is fashioned to the vessel it is in like to the Samaritans as Joseph the Historian of the Jews writes of them When the Jewes prospered oh then they would be Jewes when the Jewes had ill successe then they were great enemies to the Jewes so you have many that are no friends to the afflicted to the disgraced truth but as long as the Cause of Religion is carried out with the Countenance of the State with the favour of great ones so far they will own it but if Christ once comes to be abased they will not know Christ nor his Cause I beseech you let us take notice of it it is a sign there is no grace at all where there is such an habitual disposition without shame or grief or repentance for Gods children sometimes may be overtaken with a spirit of dastardlinesse which afflicts them sore afterwards that they gather more strength A man may know if he be Gods child in such a state for it is universally true Gods children are never overtaken with a spirit of cowardlinesse and fear but they regain it and grow more strong upon it as we see in Cranmer and others God purposeth sometimes to let them see what they are in themselves without his support and strength but afterwards they gather new resolutions new purposes to stick firmer to the truth then ere before I might adde many other things but I go on to that which followes You see here now how we may try if we have any true Earnest in us at all or no. Now I beseech you let us labour to have this Earnest if we have it not to have this assurance especially let me desire those of the younger sort to labour to have the seal of this Spirit and the Earnest before they be further and further engaged into the world and before they be so hardened that they will not receive a contrary stamp to their corruptions It is a wondrous advantage that Gentlemen and others that are young before the world hath soiled them and before their understandings be darkened and their affections are crooked and carried away much with the stream and errours of the time they have much advantage above others for they have spirits fitter for grace fitter to receive the impression of this seal of the Spirit fitter for the Earnest Let us labour for this Earnest betimes what a comfortable thing will it be to carry along with the Earnest an assurance of a better estate from our youth to our age and from our age to our old age and so to heaven with us what a deal of comfort do young ones deprive and rob themselves of that will not be gracious betimes Let us labour to have the stamp of the Spirit set on us in our prime time in the strength of our years But I will presse the Point if the time will give leave afterwards Now we must know that God gives this Earnest not for himself but for us to secure us and that is one reason why it is called an Earnest There is besides bargaining another state and condition that Earnest is applyed unto which perhaps the Apostle aimes at as marriage whatsoever was before the Consummation of the marriage was a kind of Arrah a kind of Earnest to assure the affection of the contracted person and persons that loved one another till the Consummation of the marriage So Christ now contracts us on the earth and having love to us and taking our Nature on him that he might woo us in our own flesh and in our own nature taking upon him the Earnest of our flesh he gives us the Earnest of his Spirit and to assure us thaâ—… he loves us and that he means to make up the bargain afterwards he sends us love-tokens graces and comfort and joy Even as Isaac when he was to marry Rebecca he sent by his servants Bracelets and Jewels and such things to secure her of his love So Christ in heaven intending the consummation of the Match he sends us here graces and comforts of the Spirit and all to secure us all is for us I say
Church is for they come at length in the grand Point of all to meer traditions What is the present Church The Pope is the Church virtually How do they know that he cannot erre he is Peters Successour How do they know he is so the Scripture saith not so it is Tradition so that the foundation of their Religion is meer tradition a thing from hand to hand that is questionable and uncertain that is the foundation of all their Religion what a resolution of faith is this We stand upon this against the gates of hell and against all temptations and tryals whatsoever we believe and fasten our soules upon this truth why It is the Word of God How do we know it is the Word of God Indeed the Church first of all hath an inducing leading power perswading to read to hear the Word of God and to unfold the Word by the Ministery and that is all that the Church doth but when we hear this there is a Divine intrinsecal majestie in the Word it self by which I know the Word to be the Word How do I know light to be light from it self it gives evidence from it self so Divine light in the Scriptures gives light of it self to all those for whom the Scripture was penned For whom was the Scripture penned For Gods people To all that have gracious hearts the Word carries its own evidence with it as light carries its own evidence it discovers it self and all things else so doth the Scriptures You have a sure Word of the Prophets Our Saviour Christ himself founds what he teacheth upon the Word Shall not we therefore ground our faith upon the Word when he that was the Head of the Church brings all to the Word in his teaching Therefore we have a better resolution for our faith then they have For indeed to say the truth as we may say of their kind of prayers when they may to Saints c. They worship they know not what So we may say of their faith they believe they know not what they believe in a 〈◊〉 man for the present Pope is all their Church which is an ignorant man many times in the Scriptures perhaps he never read them and he must determine controversies and get into the Chair and judge that that shall judge him ere long he must judge the Scripture that must be his Judge and the Judge of all mankind I list not to be large in this point a 〈◊〉 discovery is enough I hasten to something more practical We see then that faith hath an establishing power to stand by faith Then hence we may see these truths which I will but touch First that faith is certain it is a certain thing and makes the soul certain it is not a weak apprehension Again in that it is said here By faith ye stand we see here the perseverance of faith But you will say That faith whereby we stand is changeable and therefore we may fall No S. Peter makes a Comment upon this place We are kept by faith to salvation and receiving the end of your faith the salvation of your soules We are kept through faith to salvation So God by his power keeps that faith that keeps us There is a divine power that keeps faith that faith may keep us so we stand by faith and that faith stands to salvation because it hath a firme bottom to stand on and because it is kept by God himself We are kept by the power of God through faith to salvation Mark how it runs along to salvation Salvation is not onely certain in it self but that faith that layes hold on salvation is sure By faith we stand not onely for the present but we continue by faith and stand even to the death Again in the third place which followes from the other faith is a certain thing in it self and we are assured of our continuance we are assured that we shall be saved he that believeth may be assured that he shall be saved First faith is a certain thing in it self laying hold upon a strong foundation the Word of God And it is sure to continue it builds upon the rock Therefore a man may believe and he may know that he shall be saved he may know that he shall continue in a sure faith There is a latitude a breadth in faith and sometimes there is doubting and sometimes faith but yet there is alwayes faith more or lesse There is a little and a great faith but there is alwayes faith By faith we stand These things need not further inlargement I onely shew how they spring from this Text. In a word hence we learn That it is by faith that we stand and withstand all opposition whatsoever for faith is our victory This is your victory even your faith 1 Joh. 5. 4. By faith we overcome the world by it we stand and stand against all opposition whatsoever To make it a little clear The reason is partly because faith doth present to the soul greater good then the world can therefore nothing on the right hand can shake the soul of a believing Christian. Shall pleasures and profits and the honours of the world draw a Christian from his faith when faith presents better honours better pleasures at the right hand of God plesures for evermore No they cannot for there is nothing in the world but there is better in Religion incomparably better There is no comparison of the pleasures of Religion and of the world between the honour of being a child of God and the honours that the world can give Therefore there is nothing on the right hand in the world that can overcome the faith of a Christian but he can stand against all though it be a Kingdome Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter why Faith presented him greater honours in the Church of God he accounted the very reproach the worst thing in the Church better then the best thing in the world the reproach of Christ better then the treasures of Egypt Let discouragements be offered to Faith by Satan and the world let them come with all the terrours and threatenings they can faith is victorious and triumphant against them all it stands against them all because it sets before the soul greater good then the ill that the world can inflict and sets before the soul greater ills if it apostatize then the world can inflict Saith the world If you do not thus and thus you shall be cast into prison or perhaps you shall lose your life O but saith the soul If I yield to the temptations of Satan and my own vile corruptions I shall be cast into hell is not that worse There can nothing be presented to the soul that is terrible but faith will present to it things more terrible therefore if there be faith in the soul it will stand against all those terrours whatsoever Fear not them that can kill the body when they have done
their worst if you will needs fear I will tell you whom you shall fâ—…ar Fear him that can cast both body and soul into hell So if we be forced to suffer the losse of any thing that is good in the world or be cast into any ill condition what saith S. Paul The troubles and afflictions of the world are not worthy of the glory that shall be revealed Let us set that glory before us and that will prevail against that all the world can threaten or take from us what is all to it nothing Therefore by faith we stand we keep our own standing and withstand all oppositions whatsoever Oh but what if there come more subtile temptations end the Lord himself seemes to be our enemy that we have sinne and God is angry and we see he followes us with afflictions that are evidences of his anger how shall we stand now and keep our selves from despair This is a fiery dart of Satan when a man hath sinned and conscience is awakened to make him sink in despair O but faith will make the soul to stand in these great temptations against those fiery darts faith puts a shield into the hand of the soul to beat back all those fiery darts For faith will present Christ to God Indeed I have been a sinner but thou hast ordained a Saviour and he is of thine own appointing of thine own aâ—…ting a Saviour of thine own giving and thou hast made a promise that Whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life I cast my self upon thy mercy in him hereupon faith comes to withstand all such fiery temptations whatsoever nay against God himself Lord thou canst not deny thine own Saviour thou â—…mest to be an enemy and though I be a sinner and have deserved to be cast into hell yet I come to thee in the Name of thy Son that is at thy right hand and pleads for me by vertue of his blood shed for me I came in his Name thou canst not refuse thy owne Son For all temptations when a man hath faith in him it will send Satan to Christ to answer for him Go to Christ he is my husband he hath paid my debts he hath satisfied for my sins So that whatsoever the temptation be make it as subtle as you will there is a skill in faith to stand against it and to beat back all the fiery darts of Satan Therefore to end all we see here what an excellent estate a Christian is in above all others that he hath a better standing then others have not onely a better standing in Religion then the Papists have but in the profession of Religion he hath a better standing then common professors why he stands by faith by sound faith He stands not upon opinion or because he hath been bred so he stands not upon his wit because he sees reason for it he stands upon faith and faith stands upon divine authority he stands partly upon his own experience that seconds faith Those then that care not for Religion what standing have they those that stand only in pleasures and profits and in the favour of great men what standing have they They stand as the Psalmist saith in slippery places There is no man but if he nave not faith he stands slippery though he be never so great if he be a Monarch alas what is it to stand a while all these things are but uncertain though they yield present content they are but uncertain contentments the Wise-man saith they are but vanity they are like the reed of Egypt that will not uphold they will not sustein the soul in the time of trouble there is nothing that a man can stand upon and fasten his soul upon if he be not Religious that will hold scarce the fit of an ague that will hold in the pangs of death even in the entrance of it that will hold in terrours of conscience How little a trouble will blow away all those that stand on so weak a foundation as an earthly thing is For they have but an Imaginary good to speak of and that Imagination is driven out by the sense of the contrary Let contrary troubles come and all their fooles Paradise and their happinesse they had before is at an end it goes no deeper then Imagination All the things in this world stablish not the heart Those that do not stand by faith in the favour of God in Christ let their standing be what it will it will soon be over turned by any temptation they can stand out against nothing Therefore let us labour above all things in the world to have that faith strengthened by which we stand and let us often be encouraged to strengthen our faith by all means that we may stand the better upon it and try our faith before we trust it it is that that we must trust to and stand to in life and death Therefore let us often think Is my faith good is it well built Let us oft put this query to our soules I believe the Religion I professe but upon what grounds I believe the truths in the Word of God but upon what grounds have I a clear understanding of them because they are divine doth the Spirit of God open them and shew a light in the Scripture that is divine doth the Spirit of God give me a relish of the Scriptures above all the pleasures in the world Do I find God speaking to my heart in the Word do I find the Spirit of God with his Ordinance then my knowledge and my faith will hold out I can stand by that faith in the Word that is wrought by the Spirit and fastened upon the Word with the Spirit But if I believe the Religion I professe only because the State doth so and if the King and State should do otherwise I would change my Religion or if it be because my parents were so or my friends and Patron is of that religion whom I depend upon or because I see greater seeming reason for this then for the other I can hold argument for this and not for the other Alas this will not hold But labour to know the truth of the Word of God by experience as much as we can and by the Spirit of God giving evidence to our soules from the inward grounds of Scripture that it is the Word I know whom I have trusted I know the promises are good I have felt them in my soul the Spirit hath reported them to my soul they are sweeter then all the things in the world It is a sure Word I bottome upon it I have found the comfort of it before therefore I will build upon it We can never stand unlesse we can make our knowledge spiritnal it is but acquisite knowledge else We fall in three things vilely we labour that our knowledge of Religion be spiritual and fetched divinely out of the Word of God together with the Spirit We
fall into sin from this very ground for why do men fall into sin because at that time they stand not upon the Word of God revealed by conscience to be the Word of God Ask them why they sweat if they did believe the truth the Word saith I will not hold them guilâ—…lesse that take my Name in vain But I am not convinced by the Spirit assuring my soul that it is the Word of God if men did believe it would men bring a curse upon themselves And so whoremongers the Word of God saith Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge would men if they did believe this truth live in these sins But they have only an opinion of these things I hear that these things are divine perhaps they are not so and the knowledge that we have is not divine faith is not mingled with the Spirit Then again from sin we fall into despair for sin at last why because our knowledge of divine truthes is not spiritual nor from inward grounds of Scripture felt by experience the Spirit sealing the Scripture to my heart by some spirituall experience and thereupon men fall into despair for sin at length For Satan plies them with temptations from their own guilty conscience the grounds of their fears are present and the grounds of their terrours are present to their soules for they are there as it were sealed and branded in their very soules but their comforts are overly the promises are overly the Word is not rooted in their hearts by faith it is not sealed there by the Spirit of God the sanctifying Spirit never brought the Word and their soules together Hereupon they fall into desperation when their terrours are present and their comforts are overly If a man have never so sound a foundation if he stand not but float upon it he may fall and sink if a man be never so weak if he lie on a rock the strength of the rock is his so in our temptations if we have a strong foundation if we do not rest on it the foundation will not uphold us Now how can those rest on it that stagger in it that were never convinced by the Spirit that these things are so and that have had no spiritual experience Satan drawes thousands of soules to perdition because their terrours are present and their comforts are overly they are not built upon divine truth by the Spirit of God Again for Apostasie in the times of the alteration of Religion why do men alter as the State alters they are ready to have every Moneth a new faith if the times and Goverment alter why because they were never convinced by the Spirit of God of divine truths They had it from forreign arguments The former State of things countenanced this way now another State countenanceth another opinion therefore I will be of the safest This is because the soul was never convinced of the truth Therefore I beseech you labour to have arguments from the experience of the power of the Word in your soules and arguments from the Spirit of God to your spirits that it is the Word of God I will stand to divine truth I find such a majesty such a humbling pacifying satisfying power in it to all my perplexities and doubts that it cannot but be the Word of God it stayes my soul in all oppositions in all temptations and corruptions it gives a stay and foundation to my soul that no truth in the world else can do When the soul is brought to such a frame such a soul will not fall into grosse sins while it is in such a frame much lesse will it despair for sin and if there be altering of Religion a thousand times it stands as a rock unmovable because it knowes from inward grounds from the Word of God it self sealed by the Spirit to my spirit that it is the Word of God such a soul will hold out and only such a soul. We should labour therefore by all means to have our faith strengthened and amongst other meanes by the use of the Sacrament whereby God sweetly conveys himself to us by way of a banquet strengthening our faith in Christ he presents Christ to us as the food of our soules to refresh us even as the bread and wine doth Our blessed Saviour is wiser then we he knowes what we stand in need of that we have need to strengthen our faith For we have need to strengthen that that must be our strength which is faith And what is the Ordinance of God to strengthen faith is it not the Sacrament The proper use of the Sacrament is to strengthen faith which the Sacrament doth being a visible Sermon to us for here we see in the outward things Christs body broken and his blood shed it is a lively representation a visible crucifying of Christ a breaking of his body and pouring out of his bloud And withall here is an offer of Christ to us in the elements sealing of what it represents to our soules if we come prepared God feeds us not with empty signes but together with the outward things themselves he gives the spiritual to the soul that is a worthy Receiver Therefore come with a humble stooping to Gods wisdom in appointing these Ordinances to this end to strengthen faith And come with a desire to have faith strengthened that will uphold us against all temptations to sin or to despair for sin Oh beloved if we knew what good our faith must do us ere long we would labour to have it strengthened by all means What will become of us in the hour of death and in great temptations we shall be as chaffe driven with the wind if we have no consistence and stability in divine truth if our soules be not built on that if we have not faith whereby our soules may be rooted in Christ we shall be but a prey for Satan Therefore considering that faith is of such wondrous consequence it is the root of all other graces whatsoever as the Apostle saith here By faith ye stand He doth not say By patience or by hope or the like they are drawn from faith Strengthen that and strengthen all other that are infused from it As a tree we cast not water on the branches but on the root all the branches are cherished by the root so strengthen faith we strengthen love and hope and all if we strengthen faith and assurance of Gods love in Christ. Thus I have at length gone over this fruitfull portion of Scripture FINIS AN Alphabetical Table DIRECTING The Reader to the Ready finding out the Principal Points and Matters handled in this Book A. Achaia AChaia the Countrey wherein Corinth was Page 5 Acknowledge Acknowledge or Acknowledgment what p. 316 331 To acknowledge Christ what pag. 331 Christ acknowledged in the Minister p. 331 333 How to know whether we acknowledge the Minister p. 331 332 333 Action Three sorts of Actions good ill indifferent p. 254
subordinate Religion to State-Policy p. 294 295 Religion tends to practice p. 295 Popish Religion is a carnal Religion p. 312 313 The most Religious men are the best States-men p. 315 Wherein our Religion and the Pâ—…pish agree and differ p. 395 398 Popish Religion unsound and rotten p. 546 Popish Religion is not founded upon the Scriptures but upon Tradition p. 545 546 Popish Religion crosseth the Word of God p. 385 386 Popish Religion is full of contradictions p. 386 Popish Religion is full of uncertainties p. 386 387 It's safer to be of the Protestant Religion then of the Popish p. 397 Whether one living and dying in the Romish Religion may be saved p. 397 398 Repentance Late Repentance such as is in time of sicknesse and death seldome true Repentance p. 33 Reproof It 's a sign of a gracious heart to endure reproof and to esteem and affect the reprover p. 330 513 A Minister must not spare to reprove people for sin committed p. 512 c. A three-fold Reproof or Correction p. 514 Resolution Of good Resolutions pag. 323 324 c. Resurrection The Resurrection is an argument to strengthen faith p. 167 There will or shall be a Resurrection p. 167 c. God raiseth the dead p. 167 to 171 Rock What is meant by Rock Matth. 16. 18. p. 394 S. Saint OUr love and respect should be carried to all Saints p. 5 God scatters his Saints why p. 6 All that make profession of Religion should indeed be Saints ibid. Professours called Saints why ibid. Four things required to make a Saint viz. 1. Separation 2. Dedication 3. Qualification 4. Conversation pag. 7 8 How to know a Saint from a meer civil man p. 8 True Saints wherein different from hypocrites and formal professours ibid. See Christian. Salvation Salvation wrought by affliction or suffering how and how by Christ p. 108 to 113 How Afflictions or Patience in suffering afflictions helps to salvation p. 110 111 112 Two wayes to obtain salvation p. 108 Salutation Use of holy Salutations three-fold p. 9 Salutations should be holy p. 10 Gods Name when taken in vain in salutations ibid. Salutations in what cases to be omitted ibid. Satisfaction Against Popish Merits and satisfactions for others p. 107 See Indulgences Scripture How to know the Scripture to be the Word of God and truly Divine p. 386 392 Whether the Scriptures receive any authority from the Church p. 3 4 545 The Scripture is to be believed for it self not because of the Church p. 392 393 See Word Seal Christ the head is first sealed and then the members viz. Christians pag. 473 Our sealing what p. 474 Four uses of a Seal p. 474 475 The Spirit compared to a Seal wherein pag. 474 475 476 478 481 How the Spirit differs from other seales p. 476 How the Spirit seales us p. 476 477 Four things the Spirit works in this sealing 477 c. How to know the sealing of the Spirit or that we are sealed by the Spirit p. 477 478 Objection against the Spirits sealing answered p. 479 c. Motives to labour to get the Spirits sealing or to have the image of Christ stamped upon our soules by the Spirit pag. 481 to 486 Simplicity Simplicity what and how taken p. 216 242 243 Why called godly simplicity or the simplicity of God p. 243 Difference between Simplicity and sincerity p. 241 S. Paul's conversation in Simplicity how p. 241 242 To what things Simplicity is opposed p. 244 245 246 Directions or Means to get Simplicity p. 251 Simulation Of Simulation p. 244 Aggravations of this sin p. 245 See Dissembling Sincerity Sincerity what p. 253 How Sincerity differs from Simplicity p. 241 Why called godly Sincerity or the Sincerity of God p. 253 A Christians conversation in the world should be in sincerity p. 253 271 Sincerity in good actions how discovered or tryed p. 254 255 Sincerity how tryed or discovered in ill actions p. 256 Sincerity how tryed or discovered in actions indifferent p. 257 Motives to labour for sincerity pag. 258 259 263 264 Means to get sincerity pag. 260 261 262 Corruptions and imperfections may stand with Sincerity p. 264 c. Order in sincerity how to be kept pag. 265 Sincerity extends it self to all the frame of a mans life p. 266 We must have our conversation in sincerity while we live in the world pag. 271 Singularity There is a spirit of singularity in many pag. 3 Slander How to arm and fence our selves against Slander pag. 357 Society The comfort and benefit of Society p. 71 267 Solitarinesse Solitarinesse very dangerous pag. 71 267 See Alone Society Son Christ the Son of God how differing from others sons p. 388 Soul Gods Spirit alone speaks comfort and peace to the soul p. 536 God in all things that are ill intends the good of the soul p. 151 The soul must have somewhat to trust to ibid. People should do well to open the case of their soules to their spirituall Physicians p. 535 Spirit The Spirit with its graces compared to Anointing or Oyntment See Anointing Ointment The Spirit compared to an Earnest See Earnest The Spirit compared to a Seal See Seal Why the work of Grace is attributed to the Spirit rather then to the Father or the Son p. 498 Why the Spirit is said to seal and to be an Earnest and not the Father or the Son ibid. Means to attain or come by the Spirit p. 501 502 503 How to know that we have the Spirit p. 499 500 Of our anointing by the Spirit p. 463 to 473 Of our sealing by the Spirit p. 473 to 485 Gods Spirit alone seales comfort to the soul p. 536 Stablish Stablishing grace necessary why pag. 442 Christ is the foundation of our stability p. 443 Our judgment will affections c. are stablished in Christ p. 444 It 's onely God that can stablish the soul he must do it none else can pag. 446 c. As God can so he will stablish us pag. 446 c. God stablisheth us by working in us stablishing graces viz. 1. Fear 2. Wisdome 3. Faith 4. Peace of Conscience c. 449 Means of stablishing or whereby we may come to be stablished pag. 455 456 457 Signes or Evidences of our stablishing p. 458 to 463 Strength How these two may stand together 2 Cor. 18. We were pressed out of measure above strength and 1 Cor. 10. 13. God is faithfull and will lay no more upon you then you shall be able to bâ—…r p. 124 125 Suffering The sufferings of Christ abound in us or Gods Saints are subject to many sufferings why p. 74 All Christians suffer how p. 112 A threefold suffering in the Church since Christs time p. 76 The sufferings of Christians are the sufferings of Christ and why so called p. 77 Christs sufferings two-fold ibid. Differences between the sufferings of Christ and ordinary crosses p. 78 Motives to suffer for Christ ibid. How the sufferings of Saints do good
part Prophane men Hypocrits Dan. 7. Quest. Ans. To make a St. there must be 1. a Separation 2. Dedication 3. Qualification 4. Conversation Quest. Answ. Civil man who True Saint wherein different from an hypocrite Simile Grace sweetens all a Christians conversation use of salutations Quest. Blessing what Answ. Salutations should be holy Gods name taken in vain in Salutations Salutations to be omitted 1. In serious businesse 2. To an Heretick Quest. Grace what Answ. Doctr. A Christian needs Grace when he is in state of Grace Reas. We run daily into new breaches Ephes. 1. How to conceive of God To maintain Gods Grace daily Quest. how to have continual assurance of Grace Ans. 1. abase our selves Labour to be rich in grace Quest. Answ. How to know we are in Gods favour 1. By joy of the Spirit 2. By the graces of the Spirit 3. By going to God in extremity Observ. Obser. The disposition of Gods Children to be thankfull Ephes. 〈◊〉 To blesse God what We add nothing to God when we blesse him 1. It is a duty to God 2. It stirs up others 3. It is good for our selves 2. To mind them Spirituall favours especially to give thanks for Why a carnal man is unthankful Beg the spirit To stir up our selves to praise God To shame our selves for unthankfulnesse Motions to thankfulnesse 1. it is the imployment of heaven 2. It mitigates crosses God how considered the object of praise Doct. God as the Faâ—â—â—â— of Christ to be praysed Use 1. To bless God for Christ. God the Father of mercies because the Father of Christ. God is stiled Father of mercies 1. Because Christ his justice is satisfied 2. Because he is naturally mercifull All Gods attributes without mercy terrible Mercie what Kinds of Gods mercie Simile Forgiving mercies the principal Men prone to presume of Gods mercies to whom Gods mercy is unlimitted Gods Wrath to presumtuous sinners Simile Simile Object Use 2. To those that are in the state of Grace An encouragement to come to God Simile Late Repentance seldom true Mercy the greatest terror to impenitent To imitate God in mercy Men unmerciful to their own souls Gods mercy should comfort us in all estates To be fit for mercy I. Get broken hearts Quest. Answ. How to improve mercy daily Thankfulnesse for mercy Comfort what 1 The thing it self 2. Comfortable reasons 3. By the Spirit Comfort stronger then the maladie Comfort not compleat in this life Philosophicall reasons will not comfort God of comfort 1. That he can create it out of nothing God only can make something of nothing Out of contraries In what order God is 〈◊〉 God of comfort Conclusion Whatsoever the means of comfort be God is the spring Ground of unthankfulnesse in wicked men Ground of thankfulnesse in Christians Ground of prayer To seek to God in the use of things comfortable Double application Quest. Answ. Christians ground of comfort in all estates Quest. Answ. Christians are uncomfortable 1 Ignorance 2. Passion 3. Aggravating the grievance 4 Forgetfulnesse of Gods comforts 5. Looking to the streame forgetting the spring Object Answ. God comforts his children in all tribulation Comfort answerable to all miseries in this life Inward comfort best To comfort What. Use. To go to God in the use of meanes We must not tempt God by neglecting meanes Ashame for Christians to be over much disconsolate Quest. Answ. How to derive comfort from the God of comfort 1. Look to the grievance especially sin Comforts against sin Luther No comfort for such as go on in sin Comforts for those that are relapsed Caution 2 Comfort against other grievances General comforts 1. The Covenant of Grace 2. The promise of mitigation 3. In the presence of God 4. Consider the end all work for good Simile 5. The promise of finall deliveanec To keep a daily course of comfort 1. Keep the soul in a good temper 2. Renew our resolutions Dayly feed on Christ. To be thankful 6. To be fruitful 7. Labour for sinâ—…erity And growth 8. Not to grieve the spirit 9. Be conversant in the scripture 10. To study Principles of Religion Observ. All are subject to discomforts In Comforting others there must he Ability Will. Example Sympathy Doctr. Gods children have all of them interest in divine comforts Reason The priviledges of religion are common to them 2. They are not impaired by being communicated Use Comfort to weak Christians Doctr Comforts derived to men by men Every Christian to Communicate his comfort Simile Reason 1. To trie our obedience God not tied to means Reason 2. To knit us in love to one another Use We are debtors of the comforts we have To be able to comfort others Take notice of their grievance 2. To labour for bowels of compassion Graces of communion what 3. Get experience our selves Simile Quest. Answ. Why experience is such a help to comfort others 1. It increaseth knowledge It gaines confidence in the speaker How to comfort others from our experience 1. Search out their sin and misery 2. Shew them their interest in the covenant of grace Comfort belongs to them that think themselves furthest from it 3. To comfort them from our owne experience 4. By experience of Saints in scripture Object Ans. Object Ans. Object Ans. Object Ans. Wisdom of the Apostle Use. To depend on Gods ordinance The ministers Simile 2. Common Christians Difference in gifts and Grace How to distinguish men of great parts Simile Use. 3. To see the goodnesse of God in this ordinance Ground of praising God Doctrines Doct. The sufferings of Christ abound in us â—ll suffer not alike Reas. 1. In respect of God Râ—as 2. In respect of Satan Reas. 3. In respect of the word Reas. 4. In respect of our selves 1. In respect of the good in us 2. The evill in us Afflictions necessary to purge corruptions contracted by the peace of the Church Object Ans. August Afflictions in the most peaceable times Three-fold suffering in the Church Use. How to judge of afflicted men Doctr The sufferings of Christians are the sufferings of Christ. Christ three waies taken in scripture Quest. Ans. They are the sufferings of Christ. 1 Because of Christ mystically 2. They are for Christs cause 3. By way of sympathy 4. He is present with us Differences between sufferings of Christ and ordinary crosses 1. Sufferings as creatures 2. As men 3. As holy men Use encouragement to suffer for Christ. Christ persecuted by wicked men Encouragement to do good to Christians Consolation what Doctr. Comfort proportionable to sufferings Reas. 1 Troubles enlarge the capacity of the soul. Because they humble it 2. They exercise grace Reas. 3. From Gods wisedom Reas. 4. We have a nearer presence of God Reas. 5. Then we pray most Disproportions of sufferings and comfort Use 2. To judge aright of those that are afflicted Simile Use 3. Thankfulness Object Answ. What hinders comfort in afflictions No comfort to wicked men Doct. 4. Consolation 〈◊〉 bounds by
sincerity by pleading corruptions By pleading afflictions Order in sincerity 1. A deep foundation 2. Faith 3. Love Simile Sincerity extends to all a mans life Wicked men have fits of goodnesse God judgeth by the tenour of our life Observ. Christianity may stand with converse in the world Observ. Religion makes a man converse in the world untainted Reason A Christian hath a spirit above the world Grace increased by opposition Not to tempt God by rushing into ill company Object Answ. Times appointed by God Halting in Religion brings danger Observ. We must have our conversation in sincerity while we live here Depravers of goodnesse blamed Observ. A true Christian best where he is best known Christians substantial not painted Use. To approve our selves most where we are best known Simile Ministers win by Life as well as Doctrine Wisdom either 1. Natural Simile Politick wisdome 3. Spiritual 4. Fleshly wisdom Wisdome what Carnal wisdome what Why fleshly wisdome Flesh what The Soul placed between good and evil Wisdome according as the man in whom it is All carnal men have not fleshly wisdome Observ. Fleshly wisdome where there is not sincerity Doctr. Gods Children noâ—… ruled by fleshly wisdome Reason 1. It is Gods enemy 2. It is our enemy Reason 2. It is base Reason 3. They must mortifie it Reas. 4. It doth all the mischief in the world It hinders from good It sets it self against good It hinders from reforming of ill It hinders from suffering It provokes to evil It keeps in ill Carnal wisdome mistaken Ground of Credulity Jealousie Use. To disclaim fleshly wisdome A great Judgement to begiven up to our selves August Use 2. To get our hearts changed Get assurance of salvation See the vanity of earthly thingse Not to walk by fleshly wisdome breeds joy To repent of carnal devices Gods Children not led onely by the rules of reason Christians renouncing fleshly wisdome have a better guide Quest. Why tâ—… Apostle names Grace not Wisdome Answ. Wisdome not from our selves but Gods Grace 2. We are guided not only by wisdome but other Graces 3. Our want of wisdome supplyed by grace Gods wisdome for us more then in us Why weaker christiani are sometimes safer Obser. A Christian needs wisdome 1. To avoid dangers 2. Because of the likenesse between good and evill 3. In regard of hindrances and helps to good 4. Good is not good without it 5. Good is hid under evil Wisdome may be bad Use. To go to God for wisdome God gives wisdome for the things of this life Men leaving Gods wisdome miscarry Use. Reprooâ—… of those that subordinate Religion to State-Policy Observ. True wisdome toucheth Conversation Use. Bad livers no bodies in Religion Grace two-fold 1. The favour of God 2. Something wrought in us 1. A Change 2. Particular graces 1. Heavenly light 2. Love 3. Hope Patience 4. Faith 3. Exciting applying strengthening Grace Doctr. All our wisdom from Grace Every thing necessary to heaven a grace Use. Not to ascribe any thing to our selves God ready to give Grace Reason Christ hath undertaken it Presumption Against Despair Consider our parts and duty Beg assistance of God Go to Christ. Go to the Promises Renounce Carnal Wisdome Incouragements to be guided by Grace Quest. Answ. Signes of being led by Grace 1. To renounce carnal wisdome Sign 2. Simplicity Sincerity Sign 3. The strength of Grace Sign 4. In men of great parts By abasing his gifts and parts In men of weaker parts Sign 5. From the ground of his actions Sign 6. Graces are together Every Grace of use to a Christian Sign 7. When a man provides for his best good Help 1. Submit all to the Spirit of Grace Self-denyal 〈◊〉 Humility 3. High esteem of wisdome 4. To acquaint our selves with God 5. To meditate on the free love and Grace of God 6. Challenge the Covenant of Grace Popery founded on carnal wisdome 1. In the Government 2. In their Worship 3. Opinions Best Statesmen who Observ. A Christian uniform Abuse of signes Observ. God is wise for those that walk by Grace Observ. Gods Children have place in the conscience of others Use. To approve our selves to mens consciences Trust what S. Paul's good conceit of the Corinthians Reason 1. Reason 2. Reas. 3. To entertain good conceits of others Saint Paul's resolution to hold to the end S. Paul's sourse to persevere How the Corinthians were S. Paul's rejoycing To imitate S. Paul in this Resolution The glory of a good life To take God in our resolutions Saint Paul's comfort Things of the world uncertain To examine what we acknowledge Men deceived in the death of others Danger of ill company Aggravation of Hell-torments Ground of ill mens cruelty To be constant in good courses Observ. A sign of a good estate to acknowledge him that hath told us of our sins Use. Tryal Acknowledgment what Christ acknowledged in the Minister Acknowledge Christ what Who acknowledgeth not Christ. To acknowledge the Word To acknowledge the Minister Ministers joyned with Christ in acceptance and neglect Doctr. A faithful Minister the joy of the people Reason He brings Christ the cause of joy Original of our joy Christ must be opened by the Ministery Use of the Ministery Ministers wooers for Christ. Ministers a gift of God The Ministery a great blessing Why God brings men to heaven by men Gods benefits come by the Ministery Use. To rejoyce in enjoying Gids Ordinance Doct. The peoples good is the Ministers joy 1. The matter of his joy 2. A meanes to increase his joy 3. The seal of his Ministery 4. To evidence that he was a good man Use. To be good under the Ministery Good communicative Wicked men draw others to sin Use. To labour to make others good The misery of opposers of goodnesse Not to leave Churches for some corruptions Observ. Christ hath a Day Simile Doctr. Christians rejoycing as it will be at the last day What will avail at the last day who take the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Application to the Sacrament How we are acquainted with Christ. To acknowledge Christ in the Sacrament what Thoughts of Judgment make us painful Observ. Good as far as may be to cherish a good opinion of others Reason 1. Reason 2. Not to cast off men for infirmities Use. Encouragement to inferiours to give occasion of good hope Observ. Personal presence hath a special power Use. To esteem Gods Ordinance Object Answ. Saint Paul's end in coming to Corinth Observ. Holy men work from holy ends Use. To look to our aimes in our actions Doctr. The preaching of the Gospel a special grace Reason It is the means to work all good in us Use. To esteem the Word as a Grace How to come to be thankful Doctr. Those that are in the state of Grace need a second grace Reason 1. From inward opposition Reas. 2. From without Reas. 3. From new temptations Reason 4. From the time to come Reason 5. From Satan Reason 6. From the capacity of the soul.
all the truth at all times except he be called to it in judgement c. Otherwise truth as all good actions it is never good but when it is seasonable and then it is seasonable when there is convenient furniture of circumstances when a man is called to it For there may be a reservation a man is not bound to speak all things at all times but to waite for a fit time One word in a fit time is worth a thousand out of time but mentall reservation to speak one thing and to reserve another it is absurd and inconsequent and so is dissimulation there is a lie in fact a mans life is a lie that is a dissembler dissimulation is naught A man may sometimes make some shew to do something that he intends not Christ made as though he would have gone further when he did not mean it but dissimulation is that which is intrinsically naught But some man will say Except I dissemble I shall run into danger Well it is not necessary for thee to live but it is necessary for thee to live like an honest man and keep a good conscience that is necessary For come what will upon true dealing we ought to deal truly and not dissemble Those that pretend a necessity they must do it they cannot live else they cannot avoid danger else unlesse they dissemble saith Tertullian very well There is no necessity of sin to them upon whom there lies no other necessity but not to sin Christians they are men that have no necessity lies upon them but not to sin It is not necessary they should be rich it is not necessary they should be poor it is not necessary they should have their freedom and liberty there is no necessity lies upon them but that they be good that they do not sin Can he pretend I must sin upon necessity who hath no necessity imposed upon him by God but to avoid all sin As for lying which is against this simplicity that should be in speech all kinds of lies officious lies or pernicious lies officious lies to do a good turn to help our selves or others with a lie it is a giosse sin It is condemned by St. Austin in a whole Book which he wrote against lying therefore I passe it I shall have occasion to speak somewhat of it afterward It is intrinsically ill every lie because it is contrary to the hint of speech God hath made our reason and understanding to frame speech and speech to be the Messenger and Interpreter of reason and of the conceit now when speech shall be a false Messenger it is contrary to the gift of speech speech should be the stream of understanding and reason now when the fountain is one and the spring is another there is a contradiction it is against nature so it is intrinsically ill It is not onely against the will of God but it is against the Image of God which is in truth It is ill not by inconvenience or by inconsequence but a pernicious lie is inwardly ill jesting lies pernicious lies officious lies all lies let them be what they will they come from the father of lies the Divel and are hated of God who is truth it self Besides that it is a sin opposite to society and therefore by Gods just judgment it is punished by societie all men hate a lyar a false dissembler as an enemy to society as a man that offends against that bond whereby God hath knit men together Now to move us the better to this simplicity this direct course of life that there may be a conformity and harmony between the outward and inward man in the thoughts speeches and actions that they may be one Consider first of all that this simplicity it is a comely thing comelinesse and seemlinesse it is a thing that is delightful to the eyes of God and to a mans own conscience and it stands in onenesse and proportion for you know where there is a comely proportion there all things suite in one As in a comely body the head and all the rest of the members are suitable there is not a young green head upon an old body or a fair face on a deformed body for then there is two the body is one and the complexion another Beauty and comelinesse is in one when there is a correspondency a proportion and harmony in the parts In Revel 13. you have a cruel beast there with the horns of a Lamb there is two there is a goodly pretention and shew but there is a beast that is hid within Dissimulation is double where there is singlenesse and doublenesse there is deformity alway It is an ugly thing in the eyes of God it is a mishapen thing it is a Monster Jacob's voice and Esau's hands words as smooth as oyl and war in the heart It is a monstrous thing Even as there be Monsters in nature so there be in disposition Where there is such a grosse mixture the Devil and an Angel of light outwardly an Angel of light and inwardly a Devil to hide a Devil in the shape of an Angel of light there is a horrible deformity It is a comely thing therefore when all things hold conformity and correspondence in our lives when they are even amongst men when we labour to have sanctified judgments of things and speak what is our judgment and have outward expressions answerable to the inward impressions wrought by the Spirit of God every way then a man is like himself he is one there is not a heart and a heart Adam at the first was every way like himself but after falling from God to the creature the changeable corruptible creature to have his corruptible end he fell to this doublenesse And as S. James saith A double-minded man is unconstant in all his waies That is another reason to move us to simplicity of disposition for where doubling is a man is unconstant in all his waies What doth S. James mean by this where he saith A double-minded man is unsettled Because a double-minded man he looks with one eye to Religion and to those things that are good and with another part of his heart to the world and hereupon he can never be settled any way Why Because having unsettled intentions having false aimes double aimes he will be crossed continually Please God he would he would be Religious that is one intention but now comes the world and Religion to dash one against another and then he must be inconstant because he hath not simplicity he hath not a single eye as Christ saith If the eye be single then the body is light He hath not a right intention a right judgment of things he judgeth too high of the world and not high enough of grace and goodnesse And hereupon it comes that when the world comes to crosse his good intentions having his mind on earthly things because it is crosse to Religion his mind
is unsettled Again by terrours of conscience a double-minded man that will please God and yet be a worldling is unconstant in all his wayes If his eye were single then all his body would be light that is if a man had a single judgment to know what is right to know what in life and in death to stick to all would be single the judgment and intentions go together when a mans judgment is convinced of the goodnesse of spiritual things upon judgment followes intention When a man desires and resolves to serve God and to please him in all things then all the body and his affections are lightsome his affections and his outward man goes with a single eye A man that hath a false weak judgment and thereupon a false weak double intention his body is dark he hath a darksome conversation A double-minded man is unconstant in all his wayes Therefore we should labour for this simplicity in all our conversation Again we should the rather labour for this simplicity because it is part of the Image of God therein we resemble God in whom is no mixture at all of contraries but all is alike And as it resembles God so it bears us out in the presence of God and our own conscience as he saith here Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity c. Now God is greater then conscience A man that carries himself in simplicity and in an uniform even manner to God and to men that man hath comfort in his conscience and comfort before God And of all other sins the time will come that none will lie heavier on us then doubling both with men and with God when it will appear that we have not been the men that we carried our selves to be The reason is the more will there is in a sin and the more advisednesse the greater is the sin and the greater the sin is the greater the terrour of conscience and the greater that is the more fear and trembling before God that knowes conscience better then we do Now where there is doubling where a man is not one in his outward and inward man in his conversation to men when there is a covering of hatred and of ill affections with contrary pretences there is advisement there is much will and little passion to bear a man out to excuse him but he doth it as we say in coole blood and that makes dissimulation so grosse hecause it is in cold blood The more will and advisement is in any sin the greater it is so the aggravation of sin is to be considered and where temptations are strong and the lesse a man is himself so there is a diminution and a lesse aggravation as when a man is carried with passion with infirmitie or the like But usually when men double they plot David he plotted before and after his sin he doubled before and after his sin that was laid to his charge more then all that ever he did in his life He was a man after Gods own heart except in the matter of Uriah Why Because in that he plotted We see before what many shifts and windings and turnings he had to accomplish it He sends Uriah to Joab and gives him a letter to place him in the fore front and useth many projects And after it was committed how did he cover it and when it was hid from men he would have hid it from God a great while till God pulled him from his hiding place and made him confesse roundly Psalme 32. till he dealt directly with God My bones were consumed and my moisture was turned into the drought of summer He did it from men and would have hid it from God Therefore because there was much plotting in that sin that is set down as the onely blemish in all his life He was a man after Gods own heart except in the matter of Uriah Many other faults are recorded in the Booke of God of David but because there might be some excuse they were from infirmity or out of passion or oversight c. they are not so charged on him But this was with plotting it was in cold blood there was much will and advice in it therefore this is doted for a great sin And if it be in our dealing amongst men we should consider who it is we deceive who it is we go beyond in doubling who it is that we circumvent and who it is that doth it Are we not all Christians we are or should be all new creatures And who do we do it to to our fellow-members and to our brethren Therefore in 1. Thess. 4. when the Apostle disswades the Thessalonians from this from double dealing and double carriage to men saith he You are members one of another Let us consider who we are and whom we deal with Now there be some persons and some courses that are likelier and more prone to this doubling then others for want of this grace of simplicity Wherethere is strength of parts there is oft-times a turning of them against God and against our brethren where Grace hath not subdued strong Imaginations strong thoughts and brought all under it there is a turning of those parts against God and against our brethren And as it is in particular persons So some callings are more prone to double-dealing to this carriage that is not fair and commendable before God nor comfortable to the conscience As we see now adaies it reigns every where in every street We see amongst men of Trade Merchants and the like there is not that direct dealing they know one thing and pretend another So likewise in the Lawes there are many imputations I would they were false that men set false colours upon ill causes to gild a rotten post as we say to call white black and black white There is a woe in Esay pronounced against such as justifie hard causes such as call evill good and good evil it is a greater sin then it is usually taken for So go to any rank of men they have learned the Art of dissimulation in their course they have learned to sell wind to sell words to sell nothing to sell pretexts to overthrow a man by way of commendations and flattery such tricks there are which are contrary to this simplicity To cover hatred with fair words to kill with kindnesse as we say to overthrow a man with commendations To commend a man before another who is jealous of the vertues he commends him for To commend a man for valour before a coward to commend a man and thereby to take occasion to send him out of the way To commend a man and then to come in with an exception to marre all To cover revenge and hatred with fair carriage thereby to get opportunity to revenge such tricks there are abroad which oft-times discover themselves at length For God is just he will discover all these
was he walked not according to carnal wisdome as he saith afterwards where be your Nullifidians then that are of all beliefs and yet are of no belief that fashion themselves to all Religions And if they be of the true Religion yet it is their wisdome to conceal it S. Paul did not so But I shall have occasion to touch that in the negative part afterward not in fleshly wisedome c. Again where he saith My conversation hath been thus in the world He means in this life my conversation here hath been sincere I will give you a touch on that though it be not the main aim here yet notwithstanding it may well be touched That We must while we live here in this world converse in simplicity and sincerity We must not turn it off to live as we list subtilly politickly and carnally and then think to die well No we must live soberly righteously and justly in this present world Tit. 2. Do you think to begin to live well when you are gone hence No that is a time of reward and not a time of work This world is Gods Work-house here you must work This is Gods field here you must labour This is Gods Sea here we must saile here we must take pains we must sweat at it here we must plow and sowe if ever we will reap Doest thou think to carry thy self subtilly to have thy own ends in every thing here and then when death comes a Lord have mercy upon me shall serve for all No thou must converse as a Christian while thou livest here in this world in simplicity and sincerity God must have honour here by thee thou must have a care of thy salvation here Doest thou think to have that in another world which thou doest not care for here Doest thou think to have glory in another world which thou didst not think of here Doest thou think to reap in another world that which thou didst not sowe here Let us in this world stand for the glory of God openly and boldly and for the example of others for the exercise of our own graces A true Christian hath his conversation in sincerity in this world The more too blame the world then to deprave their dealing Why Because they are lights in the world and they serve the world to good purpose if the world would take benefit by them they shine in the world to lead them the way to heaven But the world is willing to let them go to heaven alone if they will But if the carriage of Gods Children be like S. Pauls as it is true for they are all of one disposition they converse in simplicity and sincerity wheresoever they are wicked slanderous malicious depraving persons are to blame that lay to their charge hypocrisie and this and that when it is nothing so They deserve well of the wicked unthankful world and God upholds the World for their sakes When the righteous are exalted the City rejoyceth saith Solomon Because wheresoever they live they live not onely in simplicity and sincerity but they live fruitfully the City the whole community all the people are the better They make the times and the places the better wherein they live Because a good man is a publike good The Spirit of God when it makes a good man it puts him out of himself and gives him a publick affection it teacheth him to deny himself it teacheth him to love others it teacheth him to imploy and improve all that is in him that is good for the service of God and of men to serve God in serving men in the place he lives in Therefore malicious and devillish is the world to deprave such kind of men as live in the world in simplicity and sincerity that serve God and the world by all the means they can Our Conversation hath been in simplicity and sincerity in the world But more abundantly to you-ward Why was it in hypocrisie to others and in sincerity to them onely No that is not the meaning but thus that wheresoever he had lived in the world in what estate soever he was he carried himself in simplicity and sincerity but to you I have made it more evident then to any other Why because he had lived longer with them and they were such as he was a Father unto in Christ therefore saith he I have evidenced my simplicity and sincerity more abundantly to you then to any other Whence we may observe That A sincere Christian is best where he is best known It is a note of a truly good and sincere man to be best where he is best known as I touched when I opened the words It is otherwise with many their carriage abroad is very plausible but follow them home what are they in their families they are Lions in their houses What are they in their retired courses and carriage they do not answer the expectation that is raised of them abroad they never pray to God c. those that know them best will trust them least It is not so with a Christian my conversation in the world hath been good wheresoever it hath been but among you with whom I have conversed more familiarly who have seen my daily carriage and course of life among you my conversation was best of all It is a note of a man that is sincere that the more he is seen into the more he shines The godly are substantially good and therefore where they are best known they are best approved For Christians they are not painted creatures that a little discovery will search them to the bottom and then shame them they are not gilded but gold and therefore the more you enter into them the more metall you shall find still They have a hidden treasury the more you search them the more stuffe you shall have still their tongues are as fined silver and their heart is a rich treasury within them A Christian he labours for a broken heart still he labours to get new grace and new knowledge of the Word of God still and the more you converse with him the more you see him the more you shall approve and love him if you be good as he is therefore saith the Apostle I have carried my self well to all but especially to you with whom I have lived longer Therefore as we would have an evidence of our sincerity which is the best evidence that we can have in this world that we may be able to say that we are sincere and true Christians which is better then if a man could say he were a Monarch that he were the greatest man in the World let us labour to carry our selves in our courses to those that know us best and in our most retired courses like to Christians And not to put on the fashion of Religion as men put on their garments their best garments when they go abroad and so to make good things serviceable to our purpose
but to be so indeed at home amongst our friends among those that know us when we are not awed as there is a great deal of liberty amongst friends wheresoever we are let us remember we are alway in the eye of God and labour to approve our selves most to them that know our courses most God knowes more then men therefore let us chiefly labour to approve our selves to him And next to God let us approve our selves to conscience fear conscience more then all the Monarchs in the World because that knowes most and will be most against us And then again for others that know our conversations good men that converse with us let us approve our selves to them most that have the best and the sharpest judgments A true Christian as he loves goodnesse so he loves it most that it should be in his own heart He lives more to God and to conscience then to same and report he had rather be then seem to be And as he hates all ill so he hates even secret ill the nearer corruption is the more he hates it As a man hates Toads and venemous creatures and the nearer they are the more he hates them The most retired carriage of a Christian is most holy and best of all Again where he saith My Conversation hath been in simplicity c. to you-ward Here is a good note for Preachers that if they look to convert any by their Doctrine they must win them by their conversation likewise in simplicity and sincerity Saint Paul being to gain the Philippians to Christ he doth it not by words onely by arguments of Logick and by perswasions onely to convince the understanding of the truth of that which he taught but he demonstrates to them how they should live Walk as you have me for an ensample I shew you that that which I teach is possible by my practice I shew to high and low how I carry my self My conversation hath been in simplicity and sincerity Those that I would convert by my Doctrine I labour by my Conversation to gain them So I say Ministers have here a special direction how to carry themselves And others likewise that have a gaining disposition as indeed we should not stand upon terms of this and that but every one labour to gain others would you work upon others and gain them from Popery c Then not onely shew them arguments to convince their judgments which must be done that is certain but likewise let them see that the things that you speak are possible things things that you are perswaded of And if you be not good and presse them to goodnesse you cannot perswade them of the truth of that you speak they will think it is not possible for then you would act it your selves But when they see one go before them and demonstrate it to their eyes how they should carry themselves this is the way to teach them to be sound Christians indeed But I hasten to the negative part Not in fleshly wisdome c. Here is a secret wipe a secret taxing of the false Apostles and Teachers My Conversation hath been in simplicity and sincerity whatsoever you think of me Not in fleshly wisdome as theirs is Not in fleshly wisdome To distinguish it a little There is a natural wisdome planted in the soul of man even as there is a natural light in the eye to see both things that are hurtful and that are good for the outward man So in the soul of man which is his eye there is an inbred light of natural wisdome a common light to discern of things and of creatures a natural kind of wisdome which may be polished and advanced to a higher degree by experience and Art As the eye of the body it sees better when it is helped with an outward with a forreign light This is natural wisdome There is likewise a Politick or Civil wisdome gotten by observation and increased by observation and withal it is a gift of God though it be a common gift As Achitophel's it was not meerly carnal wisdom that was in him but he had a gift of policy So some men though they be not truly Religious yet God gives them a gift of politick wisdome to be able to discern the difference of things to lay States and Common-Wealths together to be able to judge and resolve and to execute wisely and politickly and prudently It is an especial gift of God This the Apostle doth not aime at neither natural nor civil wisdome though it be a gift of God I say which is increased by observation and by other means Besides this there is a spiritual a heavenly wisdome whereby the soul having a right end and aime set and prefixed to it it directs all its courses to that end whereby the soul is able to deliberate to consult and to resolve on heavenly things and what hinders heavenly comfort and to resolve upon good duties and to resolve against that which is ill to resolve upon all advantages of doing good to the Church and of all hindrances of our selves and the Church and of the places we live in It is a heavenly kind of prudence to guide our own waies yea and to guide others too But besides all these there is another wisdome which is here the wisdome of the flesh which because the flesh hath correspondency with Satan it is also a divellish wisdome for the most part For the Devill plowes with our Heifer the most mischief that he doth in the world it is by the correspondency that he hath with our flesh our enemy within The flesh and Satan do joyne together and work all strongly with the mischievous policie of the world and therefore it is called likewise worldly wisdom And hereupon Christians that are meere professours and not Christians soundly some are called flesh because they are ruled of the flesh and they are called the world because they frame themselves to the wisdom and to the courses of the world and if you would annatomize them there is nothing but the world in them worldly pride and worldly ends And they are called Divells too as Judas was called a divell they plot with Satan by carnall wisdome they yield to Satan they savour not the things of God Men have their name and denomination in the Scripture by that which they are ruled by when they are ruled by the flesh they are called flesh when they are ruled by the world and the evil examples thereof they are called the world And when they are ruled by Satan so far as they are ruled by him they are called Satan One of you is a Devil saith Christ. Not in fleshly wisdome What is meant here by fleshly wisdome If it be fleshly why is it wisdome wisdome is but one there is but one wisdome Wisdome we know in it self it is a knowledge of principles and grounds and deductions and conclusions from principles A wise man