Conviction but endeavour the temporal and eternal destruction of all that are otherwise minded This Image like that of Nebuchadnezzar was once set up in this Nation with a Law that whoever would not bow down to it and worship it should be cast into the fiery Furnace God grant it to be so no more But if it should there is no preservation against the Influence of Force and Fires but a real experience of an efficacious Communication of Christ unto our Souls in this holy Ordinance administred according to his appointment This therefore is that we ought with all diligence to endeavour and this not only as the only way and means of our edification in this Ordinance by an exercise in Grace the strengthning of our Faith and present Consolation but as the effectual means of our preservation in the profession of the Truth and our deliverance from the Snares of our Adversaries For whereas it is undeniable that this peculiar Institution distinct from all other doth intend and design a distinct communication and exhibition of Christ if it be pressed on us that these must be done by Transubstantiation and Oral Manducation thereon and can be no otherwise nothing but an Experience of the power and efficacy of the Mystical Communion with Christ in this Ordinance before described will preserve us from being ensnared by their Pretences There is not therefore on all accounts of Grace and Truth any one thing of more concernment unto Believers than the due exercise of Spiritual Light and Faith unto a satisfactory experience of a peculiar participation of Christ in this Holy Institution The same is fallen out amongst them with reference unto the Church and all the principal Concerns of it having lost or renounced the things which belong unto its primitive Constitution they have erected a deformed Image in their stead as I shall manifest in some Instances SECT IV. IV. It is an unquestionable Principle of Truth that the Church of Christ is in it self a Body such a Body as hath an Head whereon it depends and without which it would immediately be dissolved a Body without an Head is but a Carkass or part of a Carkass and this Head must be always present with it An Head distant from the Body separated from it not united unto it by such ways and means as are proper unto their Nature is of no use See Eph. 4 15 16. Col. 2.19 But there is a double Notion of an Head as there is of a Body also For they both of them are either Natural or Political There is a Natural Body and there is a Political Body and in each sence it must have an Head of the same kind A Natural Body must have an Head of Vital Influence and a Political Body must have an Head of Rule and Government The Church is called a Body compared to it is a Body in both Sences or in both parts of the comparison and in both must have an Head As it is a Spiritually living Body compared to the Natural it must have an Head of Vital Influence without which it cannot subsist and as it is an Orderly Society for the common Ends of its Institution compared unto a Political Body it must have an Head of Rule and Government without which neither its Being nor its Use can be preserved But these are only distinct Considerations of the Church which is every way one and the same It is not two Bodies for then it must have two Heads but it is one Body under two distinct Considerations which divide not its Essence but declare its different Respects unto its Head And in General all who are called Christians are thus far agreed nothing is of the Church nothing belongs unto it which is not dependant on which is not united to the Head That which holds the Head is the true Church that which doth not so is no Church at all Herein we agree with our Adversaries namely that all the Privileges of the Church all the Right and Title of men thereunto depend wholly on their due Relation to the Head of it according to the distinct Considerations of it be that Head who or what it will that which is not united unto the Head which depends not on it which is separated from it belongs not to the Church This Head of the Church is Christ Jesus alone for the Church is but one although on various considerations it be likened unto two sorts of Bodies The Catholick Church is considered either as believing or as professing but the Believing Church is not one and the professing another If you suppose another Catholick Church besides this one whoso will may be the Head of it we are not concerned therein but unto this Church Christ is the only Head He only answers all the Properties and Ends of such an Head to the Church This the Scripture doth so positively and frequently affirm without the least intimation either directly or by consequence of any other Head that it is wonderful how the imagination of it should befall the Minds of any who thought it not meet at the same time to cast away their Bibles But whereas an Head is to be present with the Body or it cannot subsist the Enquiry is how the Lord Christ is so present with his Church And the Scripture hath left no pretence for any hesitation herein for he 〈◊〉 so by his Spirit and his Word by which he communicateth all the Powers and Vertues of an Head unto it continually His Promises of this way and manner of his Presence unto the Church are multiplied and thereon doth the Being Life Use and Continuance of the Church depend where Christ is not present by his Spirit and Word there is no Church and those who pretend so to be are the Synagogues of Satan and they are inseparable and conjunct in their operation as he is the Hâ—â—d of influence unto the Church as also as he is an Head of Rule for in the former sense the Spirit worketh by the Word and in the latter the Word is made effectual by the Spirit But the Sense and Apprehension hereof was for a long time lost in the world amongst them that called themselves the Church An Head they did acknowledge the Church must always have without which it cannot subsist and they would confess that in some sense he was an Head of influence unto it they know not how to have an Image thereof though by many other pernicious Doctrines they overthrew the Efficacy and Benefit of it But how he should be the only Head of Rule unto the Church they could not understand they saw not how he could act the Wisdom and Authority of such an Head and without which the Church must be headless They said he was absent and invisible they must have one that they could see and have access unto he is in Heaven and they know not how to make Address to him as occasion did require all things would go to disorder notwithstanding
conscientious respect unto it Force and Fear rule all This is that Discipline in whose execution the blood of an innumerable company of Holy Martyrs hath been shed that wherein all the vital Spirits of the Papacy do act themselves and whereby it doth subsist and although it be the Image of Jealousie or the Image of the first Beast set up by the Dragon yet it cannot be denyed but that it is very wisely accommodated unto the present State of the Generality of them that are called Christians amongst them For being both blind and carnal and having thereby lost all Sense and Experience of the Spiritual Power of the Rule of Christ in their Consciences they are become an Herd not fit to be governed or ruled any other way Under the Bondage of it therefore they must abide till the vail of Blindness be taken away and they are turned unto God by his Word and Spirit for where the Spirit of the Lord is there and there alone is Liberty SECT VII Unto the foregoing particular Instances with respect unto the Church I shall yet add one more general which is indeed comprehensive of them all or the root from whence they spring a root-bearing Gall and Wormwood And this is concerning the Catholick Church What belongs unto this Catholick Church what is comprized in its Communion The Apostle declares Heb. 12.22 23 24. It is the Recapitulation of all things in Heaven and Earth in Christ Jesus Eph. 1.10 His Body his Spouse or Bride the Lambs Wife the glorious Temple wherein God doth dwell by his Spirit An holy mystical Society purchased and purified by the blood of Christ and united unto him by his spirit or the Inhabitation of the same spirit in him and those whereof it doth consist Hence they with him as the body with its head are mystically called Christ 1 Cor 12.12 And there are two parts of it the one whereof is already perfected in Heaven as unto their spirits and the other yet continued in the way of faith and obedience in this world Both these constitute one family in Heaven and Earth Ephes 3.15 In Conjunction with the holy Angels one Mystical-Body one Catholick Church And although there is a great difference in their present state and condition between these two branches of the same Family yet are they both equally purchased by Christ and united unto him as their Head having both of them effectually the same principle of the life of God in them Of a third part of this Church neither in Heaven nor in Earth in a temporary State participant somewhat of Heaven and somewhat of Hell called Purgatory the Scripture knoweth nothing at all neither is it consistent with the Analogy of Faith or the promises of God unto them that do believe as we shall see immediately This Church even as unto that part of it which is in this world as it is adorned with all the graces of the Holy Spirit is the most beautiful and glorious effect next unto the forming and production of its Head in the Incarnation of the Son of God which Divine Wisdom Power and Grace will extend themselves unto here below But these things the glory of this State is visible only unto the eye of Faith yea it is perfectly seen and known only to Christ himself We see it obscurely in the light of Faith and Revelation and are sensible of it according unto our participating of the graces and privileges wherein it doth consist But that spiritual light which is necessary to the discerning of this Glory was lost among those of whom we treat They could see no reality nor beauty in these things nor any thing that should be of advantage unto them For upon their principle of the utter uncertainty of mens spiritual estate and condition in this world it is evident that they could have no satisfactory perswasion of any concernment in it But they had possessed themselves of the notion of a Catholick Church which with mysterious Artifices they have turned unto their own incredible secular Advantage This is that whereof they boast appropriating it unto themselves and making it a pretence of destroying others what lies in them both temporally and eternally Unto this end they have formed the most deformed and detestable Image of it that ever the world beheld For the Catholick Church which they own and which they boast that they are instead of that of Christ is a company or society of men unto whom in order unto the constitution of that whole society there is no one real Christian grace required nor spiritual Vnion unto Christ the Head but only an outside profession of these things as they expresly contend A Society united unto the Pope of Rome as its head by a subjection unto him and his rule according to the Laws and Canons whereby he will grant them This is the formal reason and cause constituting that Catholick Church which they are which is compacted in it self by horrid Bonds and Ligaments for the ends of Ambition worldly Domination and Avarice A Catholick Church openly wicked in the generality of its rulers and them that are ruled and in its State cruel oppressive and died with the blood of Saints and Martyrs innumerable This I say is that Image of the Holy Catholick Church the spouse of Christ which they have set up And it hath been as the Image of Moloch that hath devoured and consumed the Children of the Church whose cryes when their cruel step-mother pittied them not and when their pretended Ghostly Fathers cast them into the flames came up unto the ears of the Lord of Hosts and their blood still cries for vengeance on this idolatrous generation Yet is this pretence of the Catholick Church pressed in the minds of many with so many Sophistical Artifices through the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive proposed with the allurements of so many secular advantages and imposed oftimes on Christians with so much force and cruelty that nothing can secure us from the Admission of it unto the utter overthrow of Religion but the means before insisted on A spiritual light is necessary hereunto to discern the internal spiritual beauty and glory of the true Catholick Church of Christ Where this is in its power all the paintings and dresses of their deformed Image will fall off from it and its abominable filth will be made to appear And this will be accompanied with an effectual experience of the glory and excellency of that grace in the souls of those that believe derived from Christ the sole head of this Church whereby they are changed from Glory to Glory as by the spirit of the Lord. The Power Life and sweetness hereof will give satisfaction unto their souls to the contempt of the pretended order of dependance on the Pope as an head By these means the true Catholick Church which is the body of Christ the fulness of him that filleth all in all growing
Confession of Faith that Christ never commended any like it but would prescribe to Christ an exemption from Suffering not considering that Mankind would have been undone by that advice but Christ with a sharp reproof bids d Mat. 16.16.23 Get thee behind me c. In all cases about settling in the World getting Estates seeking Preferment entring into Marriage removing from one place to another be not self-conceited nor hasty to run before God nor to go out of his way but follow him follow his Commands in a way of Obedience follow his Providence in a way of Observance follow God and you may expect his Blessing Remember these two words thô you forget all the rest of the Sermon Vse 5 viz. CHRIST and HOLINESS Holiness and Christ Interweave these all manner of wayes in your whole Conversation Press after Holiness as much as 't is Possible had you no Christ to befriend you for 't is a shame to mind Holiness the less for any benefits you expect from Christ and rest as intirely upon Christ as if there were nothing else required for the best of your Holiness doth not merit acceptance 'T is serious Christianity that I press as the only way to better every condition 't is Christianity downright Christianity that alone can do it 'T is not Morality without Faith that 's but Refined Heathenism 't is not Faith without Morality that 's but downright Hypocrisie It must be a Divine Faith wrought by the Holy Ghost where God and man concur in the operation such a Faith as works by Love both to God and Man a Holy Faith full of good Works e Ephes 2.10 For we are his Workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them f Phil. 3.3.8 9. Worshipping God in the Spirit rejoycing in Christ Jesus and having no Confidence in the flesh yea doubtless counting all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus that we may be found in him not having not trusting in our own Righteousness but that which is thrô the Faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by Faith that we may be found in him c. I 'le close all with this of Solomon of whom 't is said g 1 King 4.32 33. He spake three thousand Proverbs and his Songs were a thousand and five and he spake of Trees from the Cedar that is in Lebanon even unto the Hyssop that springeth out of the wall he spake also of Beasts and of Fowls and of creeping things and of Fishes Now consider his Treatises of Natural Philosophy are utterly lost thô we may well suppose them the best that ever were writ Nay of his three thousand Proverbs those that were not divinely inspired are lost and those that were are some of them collected by other hands h Prov. 25.1 not his own but his two last and best Treatises Ecclesiastes and Canticles the one to abate our Love of the World and the other to increase our Love to Christ These are the Books these are the things with which he did with which we should close our Lives Quest How may we Experience in our selves and Evidence to others that serious Godliness is more than a Fancy SERMON II. 1 PET. III. 15. Be ready alwayes to give an Answer to every man that asketh you a Reason of the Hope that is in you CHristianity was no sooner come into the World than it was assaulted by Satan and his Instruments persecuting Believers and either Reproaching their Religion as Impious or censuring it as Madness or ridiculing it as Folly the Holy Ghost in the Scripture foreseeing this not only forewarns them of it but arms them against it and among others of his holy Penmen employs this Apostle to fence those Saints to whom he wrote against this Temptation and to direct them what to do if it came to be their Case 1. He encourageth them under Sufferings of all sorts for righteousness sake tells them that so to suffer would be so far from making them miserable that it would be their Happiness v. 14. happy are ye answerably to what his Master had before told him and the rest of his hearers Matth. 5.11 Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you c. 2. He directs them how to carry themselves 1. When persecuted and that 1. Negatively v. 14. Be not afraid of their terror c. Be not daunted nor affrighted with those fears your Enemies would work in you This passage relates to that of Isa 8.12 Neither fear ye their fear nor be afraid where the Saints are bid not to fear what others were afraid of but here with a little variation they are exhorted not to give way to or be overcome by those terrors their adversaries would strike into them 2. Positively sanctifie the Lord in your hearts v. 15. Fear him more than your Persecutors stand in awe of his Power more than their Rage fear him so as not inordinately to fear them he so afraid of offending him as not to fear suffering by them And this advice likewise is agreeable to that our Saviour gives Math. 10.28 Fear not them which kill the body c. but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in Hell 2. When reproached or scoffed at or traduced by their Enemies If they accuse or mock your Religion as impious or childish or unreasonable if they demand a reason of you why you Believe or Practise as you do Be always ready to give them an answer to give an account of your selves and shew upon what grounds ye are Christians and to make it appear that your Faith is reall and your Obedience reasonable Three things only in the words call for a little Explication 1. What is meant by Hope Either hope here is the same that Faith is and so it is in divers other places and then to give a reason of their Hope Calvin in loc Grot. is to make a Confession of their Faith so some take it Or it may be taken Synechdochically for the whole of their Religion as others And indeed the hope of a Christian being one of the most eminent Acts of Religion and seeming withall to the profane and ignorant World one of the most strange things in it and which was most cavil'd against and laugh'd at †Act. 17.18.32 for men to expect a Life after death a glorious Resurrection after a dishonourable lying in the grave and to renounce all Worldly enjoyments and expose themselves to the bitterest sufferings meerly in hope of something they did not see nor expected to enjoy till after they were dead it might well be put for the whole of Religion as being so remarkable in it 2. What is meant by this Answer they were to give 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is elsewhere frequently rendred by defence Act. 22.1 Phil. 1.7.17 it is rendred answer as here 1
it only as the Religion of their Countrey and which was delivered to them by their forefathers And so are Christians but upon the same terms as other Nations are Mahometans or more gross Pagans as a worthy Writer some time since took notice * Pink's Trial of a Christians love to Christ How few make it their business to see things with their own eyes to believe and be sure that Jesus is the Christ the son of the living God! How far are we from the riches of the full assurance of understanding How little practical and governing is the faith of the most How little doth it import of an acknowledgment of the mystery of God viz. of the Father and of Christ How little effectual is it which it can be but in proportion to the grounds upon which it rests When the Gospel is received not as the word of man but of God it works effectually in them that so believe it 1 Thes 2.13 2. Let us endeavour the revival of these principles This is that in reference whereto we need no humane laws We need not Edicts of Princes to be our warrant for this practice loving one another and cleaving with a more grounded lively Faith to God and his Christ Here is no place for scruple of Conscience in this matter And as to this mutual love What if others will not do their parts to make it so What shall we only love them that love us and be fair to them that are fair to us salute them that salute us do not even the Publicans the same What then do we more than others as was the just expostulation of our Saviour upon this supposition Mat. 5.47 And let us endeavour the more thorough deep radication of our faith that it may be more lively and fruitful which this Apostle you see not forgetting his scope and aim further presses in the following verses testifying his joy for what he understood there was of it among these Christians Thô I be absent in the flesh yet I am with you in the Spirit joying and beholding your order and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ vers 5. And exhorting them to pursue the same course As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him rooted and built up in him stablished in the faith as ye have been taught abounding therein with thanksgiving vers 6 7. And what also must we suspend the exercise and improvement of our Faith in the great Mysteries of the Gospel till all others will agree upon the same thing Let us do our own part so as we may be able to say Per me non stetit it was not my fault but Christians had been combined and entirely one with each other but they had been more thoroughly Christian and more entirely united with God in Christ that Christianity had been a more lively powerful awful amiable thing If the Christian community moulder decay be enfeebled broken dispirited ruin'd in gteat part this ruine shall not rest under my hand We shall have abundant consolation in our own souls if we can acquit our selves that as to these two things we lamented the decay and loss and endeavoured the restitution of them and therein as much as in us was of the Christian Interest Quest How ought we to bewail the Sins of the Places where we live SERMON V. 2 PET. II. 7 8. And delivered just Lot vexed with the filthy Conversation of the wicked § 1 THE Apostle vers 6. recollects the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah as the Ensamples of the Punishment that should befall those impure Seducers against whom he wrote By occasion whereof he mentions Gods delivering care of Lot whose holy carriage being so contrary to the unholy Practices of the Sodomites God made his Condition happily different from theirs also for so saith the Text he delivered just Lot vexed c. § 2 In the words there are these two distinct parts 1. Gods happy Delivering of Lot delivered just Lot 2. Lots holy Severity to himself for he was not only vexed but he vexed himself he vexed his righteous soul with their unlawful deeds The Second part is the subject of my ensuing Discourse which presents us with this doctrinal Observation Doct. It is the disposition and duty of the righteous to be deeply afflicted with the sins of the Places where they live In the discussing of which divine and seasonable Truth I shall 1. Produce those obvious Scripture Examples that clearly agree with it 2. Principally shew after what manner the righteous ought to Mourn for the sins of others 3. Shew the Reasons why it is the Disposition and Duty of the Righteous to be so afflicted and mournful for the sins of others 4. Lastly I shall endeavour to Improve the whole by Application I. For the obvious Scripture Examples Our Lord Jesus shall be the § 3 first whose pattern herein amounts to a Precept Mark 3.5 Christ saith the Text was grieved for the hardness of their hearts viz. in opposing his holy and saving Doctrines David professeth that rivers of water ran down his eyes because men kept not Gods Law and that when he beheld the Transgressors he was grieved because they kept not his Word Psal 119.136.158 The next Example shall be Ezra's who hearing of the sins of the People in marrying with Heathens in token of bitter grief for it rent his garment and mantle and pluckt off the hair of his Beard and Head and sate down astonied Ezra 9.3 And Chap. 10.6 he did neither eat bread nor drink water for he mourned because of the transgression of them that had been carryed away To these I might add the Example of Jeremiah who Chap. 13. vers 17. tells the wicked that if they would not bear his Soul should weep in secret places for their pride and his eyes weep sore and run down with tears I shall conclude this with that expression of holy Paul Philip. 3.18 Many walk of whom I tell you weeping that they are enemies of the Cross of Christ II. The Manner how this Duty of Mourning for the Sins of others § 4 is to be performed This I shall consider in three branches 1. How we should mourn in respect of God before whom we mourn 2. How we should mourn in respect of the Wicked for whom we mourn 3. How we should mourn in respect of our selves who are the Mourners 1. For the first Branch as our Mourning respects God It is to be performed with advancing of those perfections of his that relate to those great Sins and Sinners for which and for whom we mourn And in our mourning for the Sins of others in respect of God we must advance 1. His great and unparallel'd Patience and Long-suffering extended towards those whose Sins we mourn and lament over This was evident in Nehemiah's confessing and bewailing the sins of the sinful Jewes Nehem. 9.30 At large he confesseth their sins in that Chapter but vers 30 31. he
to the end and ye see what power he had with God in Prayer for wicked Sodom God communicated his Secrets to him as one Friend to another and Abraham made Intercession to him as Favourites of Princes for Malefactors So did he for Sodom and ye know how far he prevailed for he was a Righteous man Jam. 5.16 and such a mans Prayer prevaileth much And what was Abrahams Righteousness even the Righteousness of Faith by Imputation Rom. 4. and this Faith living and working XV. We keep our selves in the Love of God when we declare a publick Spirit for the Cause of God in his Church against the Enemies of it by being zealous for his Glory and valiant for his Truth in our Station Judg. 5. This is lively asserted in the Song of Deborah and Barak who after she had praised some for their appearing and others for not appearing in this Cause dispraised the Lord she praised above all for his presence with his People and for that Spirit of Love he poured out upon them in these Words vers 31. So let all thine Enemies perish O Lord but let them that love him be as the Sun when he goeth forth in his might Now the Reason why this publick Spirit in the Cause of God is expressed by our Love to God is this Because God is so much concerned in it 1. As to his Honour to defend and deliver his People from his and their Enemies as the Midianites were 2. As to his Power in reducing thirty thousand to three hundred Jud. 7. as in Gideons case all that lapped He as a poor Barley Cake tumbled all the Enemies down and by a small company And a Woman in Deborahs case that is by her self and Jael Judg. 4.21 destroyed Jabin and Sisera's mighty Host To omit many other instances of publick Hearts in this case signally owned by God because they signally appeared for God Thus Moses Exod. 2.11 13. Judg. 5.9 This was their Love Thus saith Deborah My Heart is towards the Governours of Israel that offer themselves willingly bless ye the Lord. Zebulun and Napthali jeoparded their lives unto Death in the high places of the Field and thus did Issachar ver 15. But Reuben Gad Manasseh Dan and Asher are branded for their Cowardise I say all this appearing in the defence of all that was dear to God and them is called Love to God Therefore we may in no wise exclude this Noble publick Spirit in the cause of God and his People from the Love of God for there is no principle in the World like to the Love of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joh. 3.8 Deum odisse in sacris literis peculiariter illi dicuntur qui falsos deos colunt Maimon Which love me and keep my Commandments Illa praecipuè quae ad arcendas pravas superstitiones pertinent Grot. Hinc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pij dicti sunt Ezek. 16.33 36 37. chap. 23.5 Jer. 2.2 I remember the love of the Espousals to animate and inflame the Soul to do great things for God This Spirit was marvellous in David whose very Name was from Love Therefore it is the duty of every Child of God to pray for the Spirit of God which only sheds all divine Love abroad in the Heart Rom. 5.5 which God inspires as he pleaseth XVI A great means of keeping our selves in the Love of God is to be Sincere and Sound in the Worship of God Mark this well for herein lyes the Love or Hatred of God as appears plainly in the second Commandement Exod. 20. ver 6. Therefore Idols and Idolaters are called our Lovers Hosea 2.5 7. Jer. 8.1 Hosea 13. They kissed the Calves ver 2. Therefore our Hankering and embracing of a false Worship provokes God to jealousie Therefore the Lord deals with Superstition and Idolatry in his People after the Law of Harlots and Adulterers The Scripture is full of this Language There is no higher Act of Love in God than to espouse a People to be his own and to give them a Rule of Worship of his own Institution and to hold them to it as he did Israel And when a People follows God and serves God according to his own appointments there are no higher Acts of Love towards him in Gods account God is enamoured with such a People God in his highest acts of jealousie was inraged against his Idolatrous people Psal 78.59 They kissed their Idols giving them all the tokens of Love and Homage 1 King 19.18 Job 31.27 They burnt their Children to them as the costlyest Sacrifice as Abraham would his Isaac in Love to God but God only tryed him by it Mark 7.7 Colos 2.22 Mat. 15.2 3 6. Rev. 17.4 5. he calls them his Hephsibah and his Beulah Isa 62.4 We see it also in the instance of good Kings how the Lord prized and praised them for this very thing for Reforming and setting up the true Worship of God as David Asa Jehosaphat Hezekiah Josiah how the Lord prospered them because their Hearts were right and perfect with God in this thing On the other side how he hath branded and blasted all those that were false herein For this was David a man after Gods own Heart fulfilling all his Wills which is chiefly meant in the point of Gods Worship Act. 13.22 As for the Wills of men in the Worship of God by their Inventions Traditions and Commandements he tells you he hates them and they are Abomination to him And no wonder for what intrencheth more upon the Honour of Gods Wisdom and Soveraignty than this That he doth not know best how to appoint his own Worship but must be fain to be beholding to Man for his devices and dictates in the Case This though it seems very gay is Whorish and Poysonous this golden Dress and Cup is intoxicating XVII A great Means of keeping in the Love of God is keeping up the Communion of Saints in all the parts and duties of it What this is we shall see according to Scripture The Communion of Saints is our Participation of all the good things of God in common whereunto all the Saints and only they have right consisting in our Union to God as our chiefest good this is with God as a Father with the Son and Holy Spirit 1 Joh. 1.3 2 Cor. 13.13 1. We have Communion with the Father as Children and all in the greatest Love 1 Joh. 3.1 Rom. 8.16 17. This is procured by Christ 1 Joh. 2.23 only obtained by Believing Joh. 1.12 And maintained by the Spirit Rom. 8.14 Who walk not in darkness but in light 1 Joh. 1.6 7. 2. We have Communion with Jesus Christ the Son of God By which we are made partakers of him of his Nature and of his Grace and of his Glory all which is done by Faith that uniteing and marrying Grace and this works such Conjugal Love between Christ and his Church as makes them
so many words and put you to the blush and since the Praise is but a mistake you may not account it to your Gain for it must be discounted when the reckoning is stated aright Who so owns 't is Candor in our Neighbour and Grace in our God that covers the faults we are guilty of and accepts the Good we are doers of and humbly acknowledgeth is in great measure Cured of this loathsom Disease 9. Remember what degree of this Love you permit whether greater or lesser the more you abate of your future Reward and he that pays you more respect than is due for your Good done and you accept it this man makes you spend on and lessens your future Reward as Mat. 6. ver 1. you have no reward of your Father 10. It will contribute to your Cure if you will remember that this Love of the Praise of men is a Sacrilegious Robbery of God It is not possible to love this Flattery but you will with Herod take to your selves the whole or part of that Glory is due to God and who knows what the danger of such Sacriledge will be Remember Herod's Fault and Punishment and have it often before your Eyes that they may not look for much less dote on but abhor the undue Praises of men It is scarce possible you should affect an overgrown Praise and keep your selves from Robbery against God As therefore you would abhor open and notorious Sacriledge because of the greatness of the Sin so watch against the secret Sacriledge which God so remarkably revenged on Herod thereby tâ—lling us 't was no little sin that receiv'd so great a Punishment To conclude you that heard me you that read these Lines think not you are little concern'd in these Counsels they give you those Directions which will if well follow'd deliver you from the Paths of the Destroyer You who are more than others in danger of this Disease such are Superiours Rich Unexperienced Haughty ones and Self-lovers and if there be any other such like take more heed to these Cures prescrib'd and at least keep some of them by you as Antidote against this Poyson In the use of these prescrib'd because they are our Duty as well as Means Forget not this word I close with 1. Your great Exemplar Christ Jesus refus'd great Praises Why callest thou me Good there 's none Good but one 2. The Scriptures Condemn and Threaten Flatterers and such as love them 3. Pray for the Spirit of Wisdom Holiness Humility and Self-Denyal that Wisdom received may discover the Snare Holy Principles may set you above vain Praises and Humble Self-denyal may content you without them And 4. Then a Gracious Providence will deliver from them Quest By what means may Ministers best win Souls SERMON IX 1 TIM IV. 16. Take heed unto thy self and unto thy Doctrine continue in them for in doing this thou shalt both save thy self and them that hear thee THE words are a substantial part of the good Counsel and Direction the Apostle giveth unto Timothy and in him unto all the Ministers oâ— the Gospel In them are two things 1. A three-fold duty laid on Gospel-Ministers Take heed unto thy self and unto thy Doctrine continue in them 2. A double Advantage consequent upon the discharge of this duty For in doing this thou shalt both save thy self and them that hear thee 1. Ministers duty is in three things here 1. Take heed unto thy self Thou art set in a high Office in a dangerous place take good and narrow heed look 〈◊〉 to thy self thy heart and way 2. Take heed unto thy Doctrine Though thou be never so well gifted and approved both of God and Men though thou be an extraordinary Officer as Timothy was yet take heed unto thy Doctrine These two we pass at present because we shall resume them at greater length when we take their help to the resolving of this Question 3. Continue in them This hath relation it appears unto vers 12. and 15. as well as unto the preceding part of this Verse I shall dismiss this part of the Verse with these 1. Continue in thy work Thou who art a Minister it is a work for thy Life-time and not to be taken up and laid down again according as it may best suit a mans carnal inclinations and outward conveniencies The Apostles that laboured with their hands have by that Example set the Conscience of a Minister at liberâ—â— to provide for the Necessities of this Life by other Employments when he cannot live of the Gospel yet certainly no man that is called of God to this work can with a safe Conscience abandon it wholly Paul for Example rather than Necessity both Preached and wrought in a Handy-craft As Preaching doth not make working unlawfull so neither shoâ—ld any other business of a Minister make Preaching to cease 2. Continue in Endeavours after greater fitness for thy Work No attainments in fitness and qualifications for this work can free a man of the Obligation that lyes on him to increase and grow therein more and more It is not enough that a man study and be painful ' ere he enter into the Ministry but he must labour still to be more fit for his great work 3. Continue in thy Vigour and Painfulness and Diligence Young Ministers that are sound and sincere before God are usually warm and diligent in the first years of their Ministry and many do decline afterwards and become more cold and remiss This Exhortation is a check thereunto Continue in them The Second thing in the words is the double Advantage proposed to encourage Ministers to this hard Duty 1. Thou shalt save thy self Thy own Salvation shall be promoted and secured thereby How becoming is it for a Minister to mind his own Salvation and to mind it so heartily as to be animated from the hopes of it unto the greater diligence in his Ministry But how doth Faithfulness in the Ministry of the Gospel further the Ministers Salvation 1. Faithfulness in a mans Generation-work is of great use and advantage to Salvation Well done good and faithful Servant from the Lords own Mouth is a great Security and diligence and faithfulness in improving the Talents we are intrusted with through Grace procure that Testâ—â—ony 2. Thou sâ—â—â—â— save thy self from the guilt of other mens Sins and Ruine if thou be faithful in the Ministry Ezek. 33.9 Thou hast delivered or saved thy Soul saith the Lord to the Prophet in the case of unsuccesseful Faithfulness So Paul Acts 18.6 I am clean your blood be upon your own heads and Acts 20.26 27. I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God Every Minister pledgeth his Soul to God that he shall be a faithful Servant and he that is such may freely take up his Stake whatever his Success on others be 3. Faithfulness and Painfulness in
be condemned Tit. 2.8 Deep and weighty Impressions of the things of God upon a mans own Heart would greatly advance this A Ministers Spirit is known in the gravity or lightness of his Doctrine But now we come to the second thing proposed to give some Answer to this Question from other things in the Word And I shall 1. Shew some things that must be laid to heart about the End the saving of Souls 2. And then shall give some advice about the Means 1. About the End the winning of Souls This is to bring them to God it is not to win them to us or to engage them into a Party or to the espousal of some Opinions and Practices supposing them to be never so right and consonant to the Word of God But the winning of them is to bring them out of Nature into a state of Grace that they may be fitted for and in due time admitted into everlasting Glory Concerning which great End these few things should be laid deeply to heart by all that would serve the Lord in being instrumental in reaching it 1. The exceeding height and excellency of this End is to be laid to heart It is a wonder of condescendence that the Lord will make use of men in promoting it To be workers together with God in so great a business is no small honour The great value of mens Souls the greatness of the misery they are delivered from and of the Happiness they are advanced to with the manifold Glory of God shining in all makes the work of saving men great and excellent Preaching the Gospel and suffering for it are Services that Angels are not employed in Mean and low thoughts of the great End of the Ministry as they are dissonant from Truth are also great hinderances of due endeavours after the attaining the End 2. The great difficulty of saving Souls must be laid to heart The difficulty is undoubted To attempt it is to offer violence to mens corrupt Natures and a storming of Hell it self whose Captives all sinners are Unless this difficulty be laid to heart Ministers will be confident of their own strength and so miscarry and be unfruitfull Whoever prospers in winning Souls is first convinc'd that it is the Arm of Jehovah only can do the work 3. The duty of winning Souls must be laid to heart by Ministers That it is their principal work and they are under many Commands to endeavour it It 's a fault to look on Fruit only as a reward of endeavours so it is indeed and a gracious one but it should be so minded as the End we would strive for Col. 1.28 29. which when attained is still to His Praise yet most commonly when it is missing it is to our reproach and danger when it is as alas it's often through our default 4. The great advantage there is to the Labourer by his success is to be pondered Great is the gain by one Soul he that winneth Souls is happy as well as wise Prov. 11.30 Dan. 12.3 Won Souls are a Ministers Crown and Glory and Joy Phil. 4.1 1 Thess 2. last How far is this account above all others that a man can give of his Ministry These things fix'd upon the Heart would enliven us in all endeavours to attain this excellent End 2. For advice about the Means I shall adde these few besides what hath been said 1. Let Ministers if they would win Souls procure and retain amongst the People a perswasion of their being sent of God that they are Christs Ministers 1 Cor. 4.1 It is not confident asserting of it nor justifying the lawfulness of our Ecclesiastical Calling though there be some use of these things at some times But it is ability painfulness faithfulness humility and self-denyal and in a word conformity to our Lord Jesus in his Ministry that will constrain People to say and think that we are sent of God Nicodemus comes with this Impression of Christ Joh. 3.2 A teacher come from God It is certain that these thoughts in people further the reception of the Gospel Gal. 4.14 Ye received me as an Angel of God even as Christ Jesus 2. Let Ministers if they would win Souls purchase and maintain the Peoples Love to their Persons And this is best done by loving of them and dealing lovingly and patiently with them There should be no striving with them especially about worldly things yea meekness to them that oppose themselves 2 Tim. 2.24 25 26. It is of great advantage to have their Love how carefully doth Paul sue for it in several Epistles and condescend to entreat and make Apologies when indeed he had not wrong'd them but they only did imagine he had wrong'd them 2 Cor. 11. 3. It would further the winning of Souls to deal particularly and personally with them Not alwayes nor altogether in publick Col. 1.28 Acts 20.20 21. Great fruit hath constantly followed the conscientious discharge of this duty The setting of it up in Geneva did produce incredible Fruits of Piety as Calvin reports when the Ministers and some of the Elders went from House to House and dealt particularly with the Peoples Consciences And we are not without many Instances of the Fruit of this mean in our own time and in these Nations Blessed be the Lord for the Labourers and their success 4. Ministers must Pray much if they would be successeful The Apostles spent their time this way Acts 6.3 Yea our Lord Jesus preached all day and continued all night alone in Prayer to God Ministers should be much in Prayer They use to reckon how many hours they spend in Reading and Study it were far better both with our selves and the Church of God if more time were spent in Prayer Luthers spending three hours daily in secret Prayer Bradfords studying on his knees and other instances of men in our time are talk'd of rather than imitated Ministers should pray much for themselves for they have Corruptions like other men and have Temptations that none but Ministers are assaulted with They should pray for their Message How sweet and easie is it for a Minister and likely it is to be the more profitable to the People to bring forth that Scripture as Food to the Souls of his People that he hath got opened to his own Heart by the Power of the Holy Ghost in the exercise of Faith and Love in Prayer A Minister should pray for the Blessing on the Word and he should be much in seeking God particularly for the People It may be this may be the reason why some Ministers of meaner Gifts and Parts are more successeful than some that are far above them in abilities not because they preach better so much as because they pray more Many good Sermons are lost for lack of much Prayer in Study But because the Ministry of the Word is the main instrument for winning Souls I shall therefore adde somewhat more particularly concerning this and that both as to the matter
Exercise of Faith is always accompanied with diligence and perseverance in all holy Duties of Prayer with Fasting Godly Sorrow daily renewed Repentance with a continual watch against all the Advantages of sin Herein consists principally that Spiritual warfare and conflict that believers are called unto this is all the killing work which the Gospel requires That of Killing other men for Religion is of a latter date and another Original And there is nothing in the way of their Obedience wherein they have more experience of the necessity power and efficacy of the Graces of the Gospel This Principle of Truth concerning the necessity of Mortification is retained in the Church of Rome yea she pretends highly unto it above any other Christian Society The Mortification of their Devotionists is one of the principal Arguments which they plead to draw unwary Souls over unto their Superstition Yet in the height of their pretences unto it they have lost all experience of its nature with the power and efficacy of the Grace of Christs therein and have therefore framed an Image of it unto themselves For 1. They place the eminency and height of it in a Monastical Life and pretended Retirement from the World But this may be hath been in all or the most without the least real work of Mortification in their Souls For there is nothing required in the strictest Rules of these Monastick Votaries but may be complyed withal without the least effectual Operation of the Holy Spirit in their minds in the application of the vertue of the death of Christ unto them Besides the whole course of life which they commend under this name is neither appointed in nor approved by the Gospel And some of those who have been most renowned for their severities therein were men of blood promoting the cruel slaughter of multitudes of Christians upon the account of their profession of the Gospel in whom there could be no one Evangelical Grace for no Murderer hath eternal Life abiding in him 2. The Ways and Means which they prescribe and use for the attaining of it are such as are no way directed unto by the Divine Wisdom of Christ in the Scripture such as multiplied Confessions to Priests irregular ridiculous Fastings Penances Self-Macerations of the Body unlawful Vows Self-devised Rules of Discipline and Habits with the like Trinkets innumerable Hence whatever their Design be they may say of it in the issue what Aaron said of his Idol I cast the Gold into the Fire and there came out this Calf they have brought forth only an Image of Mortification diverting the Minds of men from seeking after that which is really and spiritually so And under this Pretence they have formed a State and Condition of Life that hath filled the world with all manner of Sins and wickedness and many of those who have attained unto some of the highest degrees of this Mortification on their Principles and by the Means designed unto that End have been made ready thereby for all sorts of Wickedness Wherefore the Mortification which they retain and whereof they boast is nothing but a wretched Image of that which is truly so substituted in its room and embraced by such as had never attained any Experience of the Nature or Power of Gospel-Grace in the real Mortification of Sin SECT XIV The same is to be said concerning Good Works the second Evangelical Duty whereof they boast The necessity of these Good Works unto Salvation according unto mens Opportunities and Abilities is acknowledged by all And the Glory of our Profession in this World consisteth in our abounding in them but their Principle their Nature their Motives their Use their Ends are all declared and limited in the Scripture whereby they are distinguished from what may seem materially the same in those which may be wrought by Unbelievers In Brief they are the Acts and Duties of true Believers only and they are in them Effects of Divine Grace or the Operation of the Holy Ghost for they are created in Christ Jesus unto good Works which God hath ordained that they should walk in them But the principal Mystery of their Glory which the Scripture insists upon is that although they are necessary as a Means unto the Salvation of Believers yet are they utterly excluded from any influence unto the Ju-stification of Sinners so there was never any Work Evangelically good performed by any who were not before freely Justified Unto these Good Works those with whom we have to do lay a vehement claim as though they were the only Patrons of them and Pleaders for them But they have also excluded them out of Christian Religion and set up a deformed Image of them in defiance of God of Christ and the Gospel For the Works they plead for are such as so far proceed from their own free will as to render them Meritorious in the sight of God They have confined them partly unto Acts of Superstitious Devotion partly unto those of Charity and principally unto those that are not so such are the Building of Monasteries Nunneries and such pretended Religious Houses for the maintenance of Swarms of Monks and Friers filling the World with Superstition and Debauchery They make them meritorious satisfactory yea some of them which they call of Supererrogation above all that God requireth of us and the Causes of our Justification before God They ascribe unto them a Condignity of the heavenly Reward making it of Works and so not of Grace with many other defiling Imaginations but whatever is done from these Principles and for these Ends is utterly foreign unto those good Works which the Gospel enjoyneth as a part of our New or Evangelical Obedience But having as in other Cases lost all Sense and Experience of the Power and efficacy of the Grace of Christ in working Believers unto this Duty of Obedience unto the Glory of God and Benefit of mankind they have set up the Image of them in defiance of Christ his Grace and his Gospel These are some of the Abominations which are pourtraied on the Walls of the Chamber of Imagery in the Church of Rome and more will be added in the consideration of the Image of Jealousie it self which God willing shall ensue in another way These are the Shadows which they betake themselves unto in the loss of Spiritual Light to discern the Truth and Glory of the Mystery of the Gospel and the want of an Experience of their Power and Efficacy unto all the Ends of the Life of God in their own Minds and Souls And although they are all of them expresly condemned in the Letter of the Scripture which is sufficient to secure the Minds of true Believers from the admission of them yet their establishment against all Pleas Pretences and Force for a compliance with them depends on their experience of the Power of every Gospel-Truth unto its proper End in communicating unto us the Grace of God and transforming our Minds into the Image and Likeness
Actions and Accidents two things considerable 1. The Action for example such a Text was handled such a charitable Action done such a Man brake his Leg was drunk or the like 2. The Inference or Observation to be gathered from thence for all Events whether good or bad are intended by the wise God for mans Instruction Now the Memory lays up the former and can retain it a long time but the Lesson which we should learn from it that 's neglected that 's forgotten 2. Things Hurtful to us to wit Injuries These usually stick in the memory when better things slip out If any body hath spoke or done evil to us the memory is trusty enough about these As one says we can remember Old Songs and Old Wrongs long enough yea those whom we profess to forgive yet we declare that we cannot forget them Not but that a man may have a natural remembrance of an injury so that he have not an angry remembrance of it As our heavenly Father himself remembers all a Believers sins but puts away his anger so we may rationally remember them but we must spiritually forget them for else the remembrance of them generally doth us a great deal of hurt but no good at all it cools our love weakens our trust and prepares us for revenge as did Amnon towards Absolon 2 Sam. 13.32 3. Things Sinful thus we can remember a filthy Story seven years when we do forget a saving Sermon in seven hours And herein the Memory is the great Nurse of Contemplative wickedness and represents to the idle and sinful heart all the sins it wots of with renewed delight and so strengthens the impression and doubles the guilt Ezek. 23.19 She multiplyed her Whoredoms in calling to remembrance the days of her youth wherein she had played the Harlot in the Land of Egypt The depraved Memory is herein fitly compared to a Sive that lets the good Corn fall through and reserves only the chaff by which its plain that the Faculty is not lost but poyson'd So that in this respect we may say as Themistocles did to Simonides when he offered to teach him The Art of Memory rather says he teach me The art of Forgetfulness for the things which I would not I remember and cannot forget the things I would 2. The cortuption of the Memory stands in Forgetting those things which we should remember But these things being so exceeding many great and useful though I cannot enumerate them yet I shall comprize the chief of them in these following general heads 1. Our Creator and what he hath done and what he hath done for us Eccles 12.1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth And yet whom do we more forget Jerem. 2.32 Can a Maid forget her Ornaments or a Bride her Attire yet my people have forgotten me days without number And our Forgetfulness here is most inexcusable because we may see taste and feel him every moment forasmuch as he is not far from every one of us seeing in him we live and move and have our Being and yet we can make shift to forget Him which shews the great Craze we had by the Fall And then the great things which he hath done to wit in the Works of Creation and Providence especially for his Church these we early forget but should remember Psal 77.11 I will remember the Works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of Old And particularly what he hath done for us the many and great Mercies and Deliverances especially the most remarkable of them which every good Christian should have a Catalogue of in his mind or in his Book Deut. 8.2 And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy GOD led thee these Forty Years c. 2. Our Redeemer and what he hath suffered for us Never was there such an Instance of free and transcendent Love in the World as that the Eternal Son of God should give himself to be a Sacrifice to expiate our Sin and yet we that can profess of far less kindnesses from men that we shall never forget them can forget this else he had never instituted the Lords Supper on purpose to keep up the solemn and useful Remembrance thereof which Remembrance sets a work all our Graces our Faith Love Repentance Thankfulness c. And without the frequent Use of this Ordinance where it may be had a defect will be forced in these Graces for the greatest things wear off with time and Holy David himself found cause to charge it uopn his Soul Ps 102.3 Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits c. 3. The Truths of Religion especially the most weighty Malach. 1.4 Remember ye the Law of Moses my Servants which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel with the Statutes and Judgments And of these the Apostle Peter saith 2 Pet. 1.12 13 15. he would put the Christians in remembrance though they knew them that they might be established in present Truth yea he would stir them up by putting them in remembrance as long as he lived The Doctrine of God of Christ of the Creation of the Fall of the Covenant of Grace of Faith Repentance the Resurrection as in my Text and Judgment to come these things should be so ingrafted into the hearts of Christians that they should know and remember as well as their own Names or the rooms of their Houses and yet it is a shame to find how easily and almost utterly these things are forgotten by too many How few do we find that have been long Hearers of Gods Word that can give any tolerable account of the Nature of that Faith by which the Soul lives 4. The Duties of Religion The Scripture that so often requires us to remember them plainly implies that we are apt to forget them what 's the meaning of that Exodus the 20 Chap. Verse 8. Remember the Sabboth to keep it holy but that we easily forget it we are surprized by it it returns ere we are aware so that Heb. 13. Verse 2 3 16. which is called by some a Chapter of Remembrance be not forgetful to entertain Strangers Remember them that are in Bonds to do good and to Communicate forget not All which as they shew our duty so do they imply our defectiveness herein though to forget those and such like are as absurd as if we did forget to eat or sleep For as Christians we live by Faith and breath by Prayer so to forget to repent to believe to pray and to discharge the duties of our Relation Callings and all other duties toward God and toward men is to forget Christianity it self 5. Our Sins As there is a culpable so there is an useful and necessary remembrance of them when we remember sin to renew our love to it that 's damnable but when we remember it to loath it and to loath our selves for it that 's saving Ezek. 36.31 Then shall ye remember
is to be humbled at Gods threatnings and comforted at his Promises for great griefs and Joys leave great Impressions on us And therefore apprehend spiritual things to be very excellent and also receive the Truth in the love of it and you will remember it better but when we have a mean and low opinion of heavenly Truths or only a common kindness for them they are then easily forgotten Ps 119.16 I will delight my self in thy Statutes and what then why I will never forget thy word 5. Serious Meditation is the last help I shall mention When people read or hear and presently plung themselves in forreign business then generally all is lost Jam. 1.24 25. For he beholdeth himself and goeth his way and straightly forgets what manner of man he was But who so looketh the word signifies to penetrate into a thing with his Eye and continueth therein that is so considering he being not a forgetful hearer but a door of the VVork this man shall be blessed in his deed By which is not meant a speculative and fruitless meditation but that which is practical that is which digests the things we read or hear for use and practise Psal 119.11 Thy word have I hiâ—â—â— my heart that I might not sin against thee Here 's a truth or a duty or promise for such a time or case Such rolling good things in our thoughts doth habituate and familiarize them to the Soul and they abide the longer This is clear in other Cases for if one hath received an injurious or unkind word if it go out at one Ear as it came in at the other it leavs no great impression but if you set your self to ruminate upon it and to aggravate it then it s a long time ere you forget it And so in some measure it would be in good things give them a little heart-room bestow some second thoughts upon them shut the Book when you have read a little and think of it and it will abide it is the soaking rain that enters deepest into the Earth when a sudden showr slides away Hence what one Evangelist Mat. 26.75 calls remembring the word of Jesus that is spoken of Peter the other calls it thinking when he thought thereon he wept But herein our ordinary Hearers are strangely negligent they read they hear they forget for they never think nor meditate of it They turn down Leaves in their Bibles in the Congregation but they seldom turn them up again in reflecting upon what they heard and so their labour is lost and ours also And so much for the Helps to a better Memory which is the sixth point VII I come in the next place to answer some Cavils of the wilful and also some Doubts of the weak The former use to Object and say Obj. 1. Why The Scripture tells us that to fear God and keep his Commandments is the whole Duty of man what need then is there of such Remembring Answ Why this which you mention doth plainly require Remembring Must he not remember the Commandments that will keep them and not the meer words only but the true extent of them or else how can he possibly keep them There are Ten Commandments but there are ten hundred Duties commanded and Sins forbidden and how shall those be performed and these avoided unless we remember them And is there nothing but Commandments to be remembred Are not the Promises of the Covenant Are not the Doctrines of Life and Salvation to be remembred also Surely this Apostle was of this mind when he tells in the Text that if the Corinthians kept not in memory what was preached unto them concerning that only Doctrine of the Resurrection from the dead they would believe in vain and their Salvation was in danger Obj. 2. I but it is impossible to remember so many Scriptures so many Doctrines so many Vses as we have heard what man in the world can do it Answ It is true that Perfection in this Faculty is not attainable in this Life but it is is as true that every Christian ought to endeavour to reach as far as he can We cannot keep all the Commandments perfectly in this Life yet we should strive to do what we can and then our heavenly Father will accept and assist us But it is plain sloth to be urging impossibilities in opposition to Duty I say carnality and sloth for these same men can readily remember a thousand vain Matters and there is no difficulty in it But ye were best to beware of that Curse Mal. 1.13 Cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock a Male and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing If you have a Masculine strong Memory for other things and only a corrupt crackt Memory for God and Godliness ye are near to Cursing Obj. 3. O but we have as good Hearts as the best though we have not such strong Memories and an honest Heart 's worth all Answ 1. This is a proud boasting for no humble modest man will thus vaunt himself 2. This is meer shuffling for when you are reproved for the defectiveness of your Faculties or the immoralities of your Lives then you plead the honesty and goodness of your Hearts and when you are convinced and urged concerning the newness and holiness of your hearts then you boast of the innocence and orderliness of your lives but you cannot mock God thus he beholds the unregeneracy of your hearts and is witness to all the evil of your lives but if you have as good hearts how is it that you have not as good Memories for the honest heart is good all over and though ye cannot remember as much yet ye will remember as well as they Do not deceive your selves do not imagine that ye are spiritually rich when ye are poor and miserable and blind and naked If many of your Memories were dissected I am afraid they would be found to be stuffed like that Roman Legates Sumpter that was gorgeous enough without but being broken up by a fall in the street was filled with nothing but Boots and Shoos and such like worthless trash but I must turn now to the other Branch of this Point which is to answer the doubts of the weak Christian in this case about the memory Doubt 1. If no Faith nor Salvation without remembring Spiritual things then crys the poor soul to be sure I have no Grace for I can remember little or nothing I hear and love to hear and so I read but nothing abides with me I shall believe in vain Ans There is an Historical memory and there is a Practical memory The former is either a great natural faculty or a particular gift Now though this be a great help to Grace yet it is not absolutely necessary What advantage is it to a mans Salvation if he could do as it is reported of Cyrus and of Scipio Cael. Rhodig Ant. q. p. 525. that they could repeat two thousand Names in order or
industry bless thee in thy Basket and thy store bless God for it and as you but now heard labour to honour God with what thou hast but covet not inordinately these things Heb. 13.5 Be content with such things as you have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee 3. Seeing Providence hath placed you in that condition which is truly most eligible labour to answer it and evidence it to be so by your proficiency and progress in Holiness and Godliness I suppose thee at present to be in the way of Life if you be not whatever your Condition is whether in a poor rich or middle Estateâ— let me say to thee as the Angel said to Lot Gen. 19.17 Escape for thy life look not behind thee neither stay thou in all the Plain escape to the Mountain the Rock Christ Jesus lest thou be consumed But if thou art got into Christ then let me say As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord Col. 2.7 so walk ye in him rooted and built up in him and stablished in the Faith c. And remember thou in thy Condition hast fewer Hinderances and Temptations and more Helps and advantages from the very worldly condition that God hath set thee in Up and be doing and the Lord be with thee Quest How may we Graciously improve those Doctrines and Providences which transcend our Understandings SERMON XVIII ROM XI XXXIII Oh the Depths of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his Judgments and his Ways past finding out IN this Chapter the Apostle discoursing about the great Point of Election and Reprobation comes to an Instance in Gods wonderful Providence towards Jew and Gentile The Jews who were formerly Gods People are now under Unbelief and the Gentile a stranger to his Covenant hath now obtained Mercy This Doctrine and Providence of God both together doth fill the Apostle with Admiration and this Admiration breaks out into these words Oh the Depths of the Riches both of the Wisdom and Knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his Judgments and his ways past finding out In this Text therefore we have exemplified our Subject in hand thus There are Doctrines and Providences which transcend our Vnderstandings Wherefore I shall first offer some Demonstrations by proposing to you some of those Doctrines and some of those Providences and then shall come to shew How they may be graciously Improved I will begin with the Doctrines 1. That there are some Doctrines contained in the sacred Scripture which transcend the largest create Capacity will with much conviction appear to any that will with any intention of mind fix their thoughts on those Doctrines which I single out and insist on 'T is true there are some Doctrines so plainly reveal'd in Scripture that he that runs may read 'em especially such as do principally concern Salvation but even these contain in them somewhat extraordinary and surprizing there are some necessary Points so plainly revealed in Holy Writ that to be acquainted with and believe the Scriptures and yet not believe the Truth of these is impossible but then there are also other Points which as they are not very clearly reveal'd so they are so deep and profound that the framing distinct Conceptions of them is beyond our reach Though we may be satisfied that 't is a Truth yet we cannot comprehend how it should be there is somewhat that lies deep out of our view which after the utmost study cannot be found out Not that Gospel-Truths contradâ—ct our soundest reasonings but do transcend them There is a great difference between these two viz. a Contradicting and a Transcending our Reason What contradicts our Reason is not it cannot be received by us but what transcends may yea in many cases must be entertained and embraced That what contradicts our Reason is not to be received nor can it be a part of true Religion is manifest in that whatever is so has nothing of Reason in it 't is unreasonable and rather suted unto the nature of Brutes than unto that of Men which is Rational True Religion is designed for the regulation of the Rational Powers in their Actings and Exercises and therefore must be somewhat agreeable unto Reason and not what is contrary unto it What is contrary unto Reason must be rejected and by no means embraced as a part thereof In like manner all Contradictions must be exploded as unreasonable God lays no man under the Oligation of believing what cannot possibly be true and our soundest Reason assures us that to believe Contradictions is to believe what cannot be true But though what is contrary to Reason must not be received as an Article of our Creed yet what transcends it may What is above our Capacities may be true and from God though what is contrary unto our Reason is not true nor can be from God On this Distinction I do the rather insist as well to obviate what is suggested by Papists and others who receive for Articles of their Faith what is contrary unto right Reason as to anticipate the Socinians Objections who will believe nothing that transcends our scanty and narrow Capacities That this may be the more plain and convincing before I proceed to shew what are some of those Mysterious Doctrines which transcend our Intellects I will acquaint the Reader with some Notions received by many which being contrary unto our clearest and surest Reasonings are not to be improved but rejected I 'll mention but some 1. Transubstantiation 2. Merit quod Justitiam commutativam And 3. A Physical transition of Sins actually inherent in us from us unto Christ and of Christ's Righteousness unto us All which are to be rejected as Notions contrary to our Reason I. Transubstantiation A Doctrine asserted by the Papists to be contained in Holy Writ but really not so By Transubstantiation is meant the turning of the Elements in the Lords Supper into the very Substance of Christ's Body Though the Accidents which are proper unto Bread and Wine distinguishing them from every other Being be there yet the Substance of Bread and Wine the only Subject of the proper Accidents is not there That is 1. The Proper Accidents of Bread and Wine are Common unto these Subjects and a Humane Body which is a Contradiction 2. These Accidents namely the Colour and Taste of Bread c. whose whole Existence is Inexistence in a Subject do exist even when they do not inexist namely when they pass from the Bread unto Christ's Body Moreover the Body of Christ is asserted to be bodily under these Accidents even when there is not any one Accident proper unto an Humane Body These and many other Contradictions must be received as true if you will with the Papists put the Doctrine of Transubstantiation into your Creed But as this Conceit of theirs has not the least countenance of Scripture so 't is contrary unto our Reason as well as Common
made me free from the Law of sin and death v. 2. If ye through the spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live v. 13. The spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the Children of God v. 16. Likewise the spirit also helpeth our infirmities v. 26 27. But I must confine my self to that One in the Text the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leading Conduct Manuduction which this Blessed Spirit vouchsafes to the people of God He is the Saints Leader their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dux viae the Guide of their Life Look as by Christ they have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leading Accesse Admission to God the Father in Prayer Eph. 2.18 and 3.12 So by the Spirit they have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Leading and Guidance in their whole course of Life In the discussing of this weighty Point I will 1. Open the nature of the Act the Leading of the Spirit 2. Propound and answer some practical Enquiries about it For the better opening of it I must 1. Lay down some things more Generally concerning it 2. Then come to the closer and stricter Explication of it Under the First I shall commend the following Particulars to you Distinctions premis'd about the Spirits Leading 1. The Leading of the Spirit is either General and Common or Peculiar and Special If we consider him as God in his joint participation of the Deity with the Father and the Son and in his joint Operations with them according to their Divine Essence so there is a Leading by him which does extend to all Creatures whatsoever For all of them by his Divine Power and Influxe in their several Beings Actions Motions and Tendencies are disposed ordered governed and overrul'd to the Glory of the Creator and the good of the Universe Take them in all their Faculties and in all their Operations they are all excited directed actuated by this Spirit And so in a general Sence they all come under his Guidance and Regency This also may be said to extend to all men to the Unregenerate as well as to the Regenerate How why as they all doe act and move * Acts 17.28 in and by him as He in a Common and Providential way does order and regulate all their several Actions and Motions For this he does in all as he is the first cause and the supream Soveraign So that as there is his common Illumination common Conviction common Restraints common Gifts which even the Graceless partake of so there is too a common Leading by Him which they also have Now most certainly this is not that Leading which the Text speaks of for this cannot be the Foundation or Evidence of the Priviledge mention'd A common Act will never entitle to a special Relation Ductus spiritus quo Filij Dei aguntur non est Generalis Dei Actus quo omnia moventur sed est specialis Gratia quâ Filii Dei Sanctificantur in viâ salutis diriguntur ad Deum Pareus Observare convenit esse multiplicem Spiritus Actionem Est enim Vniversalis quâ omnes Creaturae sustinentur ac moventur sunt peculiares in Hominibus illae quidem variae sed hic sanctificationem intelligit quâ non nisi Electos suos Dominus dignatur dum eos sibi in Filios segregat Calv. in loc How many are thus led by the Spirit who yet are far from being the Sons of God! That Leading therefore must be here intended which is special and peculiar to Gods people such as will amount to the making of the Proposition here Reciprocal and Convertible thus All the Sons of God are led by the Spirit and All that are led by the Spirit are the Sons of God 2. The special Leading of the Spirit is Extraordinary or Ordinary The former was confin'd to some Persons and to some Times and was not to extend to all Saints nor to continue in all Ages Thus the Holy Prophets the Apostles were led by the Spirit as they were immediately inspir'd guided and moved by Him in the discharge of their Extraordinary Work and Office These in the penning of the Holy Scriptures and in all that they revealed of and from God were acted and †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 moved by the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1.21 and hereupon they were infallible in what they reveal'd But this was extraordinary and so Limited and Temporary The latter Leading of the Spirit therefore must be that which is here spoken of that which appertains to all Gods Children and at all times Did the Apostle when he says As many as are led by the Spirit are the Sons of God mean that as many as have Extraordinary Visions Revelations Inspirations Impulses from the Spirit of God are thus related to God and none Other surely no! Should we carry it thus high we should exclude all but the foremention'd Prophets and Apostles from being Gods Children which would be both sad and also false Wherefore 't is unquestionable that the Ordinary Abiding and Permanent Leading of the Spirit and that which reaches to all Believers is here intended 3. This Act of the Spirit may be consider'd either as 't is exerted at the first Conversion or after For as we distinguish the Grace of God into Prevenient and Subsequent so we may also distinguish of the Leading of the Spirit He leads at and in order to the first Conversion as he then does irradiate the Mind incline the Will spiritualize the Affections and so lead or guide the whole Soul to God and Christ Then he leads after Conversion as this is done by him all along in the whole course of a Christians Life for it is a continued Act. The Guidance of the Sp rit to bring a man into the state of Grace that 's done but once but the Guidance of the Spirit in the state of Grace that 's done Daily and Renewedly The first imports the infusing of a Living Vital Principle into the Soul the latter supposes this Principle and makes use of it in the Conduct of a Child of God in the way of Holiness Both are here to be taken in yet I conceive the last may be most proper And Observe these two Leadings of the Spirit have a different respect to our Sonship with God For the former Constitutes it the latter only Discovers and Evidences it The Spirit as leading me to God at the first Conversion makes me a Child of God the Spirit as leading me after Conversion causes it to appear that I am a Child of God 4. There is the Having of the Spirit and there is the Leading of the Spirit We have both in this Chapter the One v. 9. if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his the other in the Text. Now although these two be conjunct and inseparable whoever have the Spirit they are led by the Spirit yet they are distinct things To have the Spirit is to
is with the Body for these united make one person whereas the personality of the Spirit is incommunicable but that the Holy Spirit performs such Offices in a believing Soul as have some resemblance and are some way correspondent to what the Soul does in and for the Body and which the Scripture expresses in like terms and this we find frequently the Spirit is said to quicken and act those in whom he dwells they have new life and motion by his inhabitation Rom. 8.11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal Bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you The Apostle having signify'd in the former verses that our Union with God and Christ is by the Spirits dwelling in us he expresses what may be expected from this inhabitation Christ's Spirit dwelling in us will quicken our mortal bodies will be a principle of Life in them quickning them to a new Life a Life of Holiness The same Spirit as he quickens so he acts those in whom he dwells who are therefore said to be led by him ver 14. For as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sons of God they are excited directed enabled to act like the Children of God by his Spirit dwelling in them so Ezek. 36.27 And I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them the Spirit which I will put within you shall make you active in my wayes So much for the first Proposal II. What encouragement have we from Christs Prayer that this Vnion II. Observ and the Blessings relating thereto shall be vouchsafed Answ Our encouragement in general is the full assurance given us that his Prayer is prevalent for what he desired the particular grounds of this assurance are more particular encouragements There are several things requisite to a Prayer which when they concurr the Word of God assures us that it will prevail 1. When the things desired are according to the Will of God 1 Joh. 5.14 2. When the Person praying hath a special Interest in God and duly improves it There are some whom the Scripture declares God will not hear Joh. 9.31 Psal 66.18 Prov. 28.9 3. When the persons prayed for are such as the Lord hath some particular favour or respect for There are some for whom the Lord will not hear the best of his Servants interceding on their behalf Jer. 7.16 11.14 14.11 Now in the Prayer of Christ there is a concurrence and that in a transcendent manner of all those things that render a Prayer undoubtedly prevalent 1. The things that he prayed for were consonant to the Will of God in every instance He knew what was the Fathers Will in its full extent and discerned it with the greatest clearness and certainty for as he is God he is one with the Father of one and the same Essence and Will and as he is man he had in him all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge a fulness of the Spirit of Revelation so that he did perfectly apprehend what was the good and perfect and acceptable Will of God He did not only know this in particular instances by general rules of Scripture as we do but had the conduct of an Infallible Spirit and that alwaies not sometimes only and in some things as holy men of God the Prophets and Apostles had it but in every Act and Word And as he perfectly and infallibly understood what was agreeable to the Will of God in all points so he gave himself up intirely to the most exact observance of it without varying without the least shadow of mistake or deviation This was the end why he came into the World Joh. 6.38 This was his constant practice Joh. 5.30 in his Sufferings and Actings and in his Prayers this was his delight Joh. 4.34 Now since he presented nothing in his Petitions but what was his Fathers own Will desired nothing but it was his Fathers Will to grant we may be as certain that his Prayer was granted as we are sure that the Lord will comply with his own Will For the Second It will be apparent by shewing who it was that prayed and how he prayed of which take an account in some particulars 1. This was the Prayer of the Man Christ Jesus who was Holy Harmless and separate from Sinners he was a Lamb without spot or blemish and so was this Offering the pure Eye of God could see no blemish in him or it His requests were not prejudiced by any antecedent guilt nor tainted with any impure mixture either apparent or secret nor chargeable with the least defect in Fervour Faith Affectionateness c. It was a sinless Prayer in all respects and so such a Prayer as was never offered to God on Earth since the Foundation of the World and Sins entring into it It was not liable to the least exception no not at the Tribunal of strict Justice and so could not but be acceptable and prevalent Nay it was not only clear from every the least speck of sin but was the product of admirable Holiness such as is not to be found in the Holyest Soul or Spirit Saint or Angel He had it in larger measures in an higher degree and in a more excellent way Some tell us that if all the Holiness that is in all the Angels and Saints were united in one subject it would fall short of that which is in Christs Humane Nature However it is taken for granted that the capacity of his Soul was wonderfully enlarged by its personal Vnion with the Godhead far beyond the capacity of any other finite-Being and all this capacity was wholly filled with Holiness it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell and God gave not the Spirit by measure unto him Joh. 3.34 Saints and Angels receive it as Vessels of small measure but in Christ it is unmeasurable Now all this Holiness was exerted in this Prayer and diffused through it Grace in him was not acted sometimes intensely sometimes more remisly for remisness seems to import some culpable effect but was put forth on proper occasions and particularly in this Prayer in its full power and vigour Upon this account this Prayer was the Holyest Offering that ever was presented to the most Holy God either on Earth or in Heaven and therefore could not but be most acceptable to him and accordingly prevalent and succesful 2. It is the Prayer of him who is God of him who is God and Man in one person As the Blood of Christ is said to be the blood of God Act. 20. by the same reason the Prayer of Christ may be said to be the Prayer of God And though it be properly the Act of Christ's Humane Nature yet this Nature being personally united with the Godhead it is upon that ground duly ascribed to
or to come though it alwaies was and will be plainly to every capacity might this be thus adapted if you look backwards you cannot think of any one moment wherein God was not if you look forwards you cannot think of any one moment when God shall not be for if there had been one moment when God was not no thing could ever have been neither God nor Creature unless that which is nothing could make it self something which is impossible because Working supposeth Being and a contradiction because it infers the Being of a thing before it was for in order of time or Nature the Cause must be before the Effect Neither can you conceive any one moment beyond which God should cease to be because you cannot imagine any thing in God or distinct from him that should be the cause of his ceasing to be The Object then of Believers looking is the unseen Eternal God as their Happiness objectively considered which is so Eternal as to be without beginning and end and the enjoyment of this unseen Eternal God in the invisible Heavens which fruition being their happiness formally considered hath a beginning but no ending Should I follow the signification of the Greek word as looking at a mark we aim at or an end which we desire to obtain I should limit my Discourse only to unseen Eternal good things but if it be taken in a more extended sense to take heed to mark and diligently consider I might bring in the unseen evils in the World to come and indeed to keep our Eye fixt upon invisible things both good and bad that make Men Eternally miserable or Everlastingly Blessed Would have a powerful influence upon every step we take in our dayly travels to the unseen Eternal World To look at unseen Eternal Evil things that we might not fall into them To look at unseen Eternal Good things that we might not fall short of them Which is the design of the question propounded from this Text viz. How we should Eye ETERNITY that it may have its due influence upon us in all we do Which question will be more distinctly answered by resolving these following questions contained in it Q. 1. Whether there be an Eternity into which all men must enter when they go out of Time That we might not only suppose what too many deny and more doubt of and some are tempted to call into question but have it proved that no man might rationally deny the Eternity of that state in the unseen World for upon this lyes the strength of the reason in the Text why Believers look at things unseen because they are Eternal and the object must be proved before we can rationally urge the exerting of the act upon that object Q. 2. How we should Eye Eternity or look at Eternal things For if they be unseen how shall we see them And if they be to us in this World invisible how shall we look at them Q. 3. What influence will such a sight of and looking at Eternity have upon our Minds Consciences Wills and Affections in all we do Q. 1. Whether there be an Eternity of Happiness that we should look at to obtain and of Misery to escape Doth any question this Look at Mens Conversations see their neglect of God and Christ their frequent yea constant refusals of remedying Grace their leading a sensual flesh-pleasing Life their seldom thoughts of Death and Judgment their carelesness to make preparation for another VVorld their minding only things Temporal and then the question may be who do indeed believe that there is such an Eternal state Yet the real existence and certainty of Eternal things may be evidently manifested by Scripture and by Arguments 1. If you give assent to the Divine Authority of the Scripture you cannot deny the certainty of another World nor the Eternal state of Souls therein though this be now unseen to you Luk. 20.34 Jesus said the Children of this World marry 35. but they that shall be accounted worthy of that World and the Resurrection from the Dead neither marry nor are given in marriage 36. Neither can they dye any more for they are equal to the Angels Is not here plain mention of This and That World and the different state in both In this Men marry and die in that they neither marry nor die yea Christ himself affirms that in That World they cannot die and whatsoever words the Scripture borrows from the best things of this World to help our conceptions of the Glorious state of Holy ones in the other World some word denoting the Eternal duration of it is annexed to them all Is it called a Kingdom It is an Everlasting Kingdom 2 Pet. 1.11 a Crown It is a Crown incorruptible 1 Cor. 9.25 that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 5.4 is it called Glory is it Eternal Glory 1 Pet. 5.10 2 Cor. 4.17 an Inheritance it is incorruptible 1 Pet. 1.4 Eternal Heb. 9.15 an House it is Eternal in the Heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 Salvation it is Eternal Salvation Heb. 5.9 Life it is Eternal Life Matth. 25.46 No less certain is the Eternity of the state of the Damned by the Scriptures adding some note of Everlasting duration to those dreadful things by which their misery is set forth is it by a Furnace of fire Matth. 13.42 by a Lake of fire Rev. 21.8 it is fire Eternal and Unquenchable Matt. 3.12 Matt. 25.41 by a Prison 1 Pet. 3.19 from thence is no coming forth Matth. 5.25 26. by darkness and blackness of darkness it is for ever Jude ver 13. by burning it is Everlasting burning Isa 33.14 by torment Luk. 16.23 the smoak of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever Rev. 14.11 and 20.10 by Damnation it is Eternal Damnation Mar. 3.29 by Destruction it is Everlasting Destruction 2 Thess 1.9 by Punishment it is Everlasting Punishment Matth. 25.46 by the gnawings of the Worm it is such that never dyeth Mar. 9.44.46 48. by wrath that is to come Matt. 3.7 1 Thess 1.10 When it comes it will abide Joh. 3.36 Is any thing more fully and plainly asserted in the Scripture than that the things in the other World now unseen are Eternal things those that enjoy the one in Heaven and those that now feel the other in Hell do not cannot doubt of this and a little while will put all those that are now in time quite out of all doubting of the certainty of the Eternity of the state in the unseen world 2. The Eternity of the unseen things in Heaven and Hell the Everlasting Happy or Everlasting Miserable state after this Life may be evidenced briefly yet clearly by these following Arguments I. God did from Eternity chose some to be fitted in time to partake of happiness to all Eternity Eph. 1.4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the World that we should be holy and being made holy shall be happy in obtaining that Salvation to which he chose us 2
of obedience whereby the work of purifying and cleansing the whole person may be carryed on toward perfection see 2 Cor. 7.1 1 Thes 5 2â— 1 John 3.3 And he who is constantly engaged in that work with success will see the folly and vanity of any other pretended way for the purging of sins here or hereafter The consequent of these things is peace with God for they are assured pledges of our justification and acceptance with him and being justified by Faith we have Peace with God and where this is attained by the Gospel the whole Fabrick of Purgatory falls to the Ground for it is built on these Foundations that no assurance of the love of God or of a justified state can be obtained in this life For if it may be so there can be no use of Purgatory This then will assuredly keep the souls of believers in a contempt of that which is nothing but a false relief for sinners under disquietment of mind for want of peace with God SECT XI Some other instances of the same abomination I shall yet mention but with more brevity and sundry others must at present be passed over without a discovery It is granted among all Christians that all our helps our relief our deliverance from sin Satan and the world are from Christ alone This is included in all his Relations unto the Church in all his offices and the discharge of them and is the express Doctrine of the Gospel It is no less generally acknowledged at least the Scripture is no less clear and positive in it that we receive and derive all our supplies of Relief from Christ by Faith other wayes of the participation of any thing from him the Scripture knoweth not Wherefore it is our duty on all occasions to apply our selves unto him by Faith for all supplies Reliefs and deliverances But these men can find no life nor power herein at least if they grant that somewhat might be done this way yet they know not how to do it being ignorant of the life of Faith and the due exercise of it They must have a way more ready and easy exposed to the capacities and abilities of all sorts of Persons good and bad yea that will serve the turn of the worst of men unto this end An Image therefore must be set up for common use instead of this spiritual application unto Christ for relief and this is the making of the sign of the Cross Let a man but make the sign of the Cross on his forehead his breast or the like which he may as easily do as take up or cast away a straw and there is no more required to engage Christ unto his assistance at any time And the vertues which they ascribe hereunto are innumerable but this also is an Idol a teacher of Lies invented and set up for no other end but to satisfie the carnal minds of men with a presumptuous supposition in the neglect of the spiritually laborious exercise of Faith an Experience of the work of Faith in the derivation of all supplies of spiritual Life Grace and Strength with deliverance and supplies from Jesus Christ will secure Believers from giving heed unto this triffling deceit SECT XII One thing more amongst many others of the same Sort may be mentioned it is a notion of Truth which derives from the Light of Nature That those who approach unto God in divine Worship should be careful that they be pure and clean without any Offensive defilements This the Heathen themselves give Testimony unto and God confirmed it in the Institutions of the Law But what are these defilements and pollutions which make us unmeet to approach unto the presence of God how and by what means we may be purified and cleansed from them the Gospel alone declares And it doth in opposition unto all other ways and means of it plainly reveal that it is by the sprinkling of the blood of Christ upon our Consciences so to purge them from dead Works that we may serve the Living God see Heb. 9.14 chap. 10.19 20 21. But this is a thing mysterious nothing but spiritual Light and saving Faith can direct us herein Men destitute of them could never attain an Experience of purification in the way Wherefore they retained the notion of Truth it self but made an Image of it for their use with a neglect of the thing it self And this was the most ludicrous that could be imagined namely the sprinkling of themselves and others with that they call Holy Water when they go into the places of sacred Worship which yet also they borrowed from the Pagans So stupid and sottish are the minds of men so dark and ignorant of heavenly things that they have suffered their Souls to be deceived and ruined by such vain superstitious Trifles This Discourse hath already proceeded unto a greater length than was at first intended and would be so much more should we look into all parts of this Chamber of Imagery and expose to view all the abominations in it I shall therefore put a close unto it in one or two instances wherein the Church of Rome doth boast it self as retaining the Truth and Power of the Gospel in a peculiar manner whereas in very deed they have destroyed them and set up corrupt Images of their own in their stead SECT XIII The first of these is the Doctrine and Grace of Mortification That this is not only an important Evangelical Duty but also of indispensable necessity unto Salvation all who have any thing of Christian Religion in themselves must acknowledg It is also clearly determined in the Scripture both what is the nature of it with its causes and in what acts and duties it doth consist For it is frequently declared to be the crucifying of the Body of Sin with all the Lusts thereof For Mortification must be the bringing of something to death and this is sin and the dying of sin consists in the casting out of all vitious habits and inclinations arising from the Original depravation of nature it is the weakning and graduate extirpation or destruction of them in their roots principles and operations Whereby the Soul is set at liberty to act universally from the contrary principle of Spiritual Life and Grace The means on the part of Christ whereby this is wrought and effected in believers is the communication of his Spirit unto them to make an effectual application of the vertue of his death unto the death of sin for it is by his Spirit that we mortifie the deeds of the flesh and the flesh it self and that as we are implanted by him into the likeness of the death of Christ By vertue thereof we are crucifyed and made dead unto sin in the Declaration of which things the Scripture doth abound The means of it on the part of Believers is the exercise of Faith in Christ as crucifyed whereby they derive vertue from him for the crucifying of the Body of death And this
and they have it not to pay them its hard to keep all this from going too near the heart and hard to bear it with obedient quiet submission to God especially for Women whose Nature is weak and liable to too much Passion 2. And this Impatience turneth to a setled Discontent and Vnquietness or Spirit which affecteth the Body it self and lieth all day as a Load or continual Trouble at the Heart 3. And Impatience and Discontent do set the Thoughts on the Rack with Grief and continual Cares how to be eased of the troubling Cause they can scarce think of any thing else and these Cares do even feed upon the Heart and are to the Mind as a consuming Feaver to the Body 4. And the secret Root or Cause of all this is the worst part of the Sin which is too much Love to the Body and this World Were nothing ovâ—â—loved it would have no power to torment us if Ease and Health were not overloved Pain and Sickness would be the more tolerable if Children and Friends were not overloved the Death of them would not overwhelm us with inordinate sorrow if the Body were not overloved and worldly wealth and Prosperity overvalued it were easie to endure hard Fare and Labour and Want not only of Superfluities and Conveniences but even of that which is necessary to Health yea or Life it self if God will have it so at least to avoid Vexations Discontents and Cares and inordinate Grief and Trouble of mind 5. There is yet more Sin in the root of all and that is it sheweth that our Wills are yet too selfish and not subdued to a due submission to the Will of God but we would be as Gods to our own chusing and must needs have what the Flesh desiâ—◠〈…〉 â—â—â—t a due Resignation of our selves and all our Concerns to God and 〈…〉 as Children in due dependance on him for our daily Bread but â—â—â—t needs be the keepers of our own Provision 6. And this sheweth that we be not sufficiently humbled for our sin or else we should be thankful for the lowest state as being much better than that which we deserved 7. And there is apparently much Distrust of God and Vnbelief in these troubling Discontents and Cares could we trust God as well as our selves or as we could trust a faithful friend or as a Child can trust his Father how quiet would our minds be in the sense of his Wisdom All-sufficiency and Love 8. And this Unbelief yet hath a worse Effect than worldly Trouble it sheweth that men take not the Love of God and the Heavenly Glory for their suffâ—cient portion unless they may have what they want or would have for the Body this world unless they may be free from Poverty and Crosses and Provocations and Injuries and Pains all that God hath promised them here or hereafter even everlasting Glory will not satisfie them and when God and Christ and Heaven are not enough to quiet a mans mind he is in great want of Faith Hope â—nd Love which are far greater matters than Food and Rayment III. Another great cause of such trouble of mind is the guilt of some great and wilful sin when conscience is convinced and yet the foul is not converted sin is beloved and yet feared Gods wrath doth terrifie them and yet not enough to overcome their sin some live in secret fraud and robbery and many in drunkenness in secret fleshly lusts either self-pollution or fornication and they know that for such things the wrath of God cometh on the Children of disobedience and yet the rage of appetite and lust prevaileth and they despair and sin and while the sparks of Hell fall on their consciences it changeth neither heart nor life there is some more hope of the recovery of these then of dead hearted or unbelieving sinners who work uncleanness with greediness as being past feeling and blinded to defend their sins and plead against holy obedience to God Bruitishness is not so bad as Diabolisme and malignity But none of these are the persons spoken of in any Text Their sorrow is not overmuch but too little as long as it will not restrain them from their sin But yet if God convert these persons the sins which they now live in may possibly hereafter plung their souls into such depths of sorrow in the review as may swallow them up And when men truly converted yet dally with the bait and renew the wounds of their consciences by their lapses it is no wonder if their sorrows and terrours are renewed Grievous sins have fastened so on the consciences of many as have cast them into uncurable melancholly and distraction IV. But among people fearing God there is yet another cause of Melancholly and of sorrowing overmuch and that is Ignorance and mistakes in maâ—â—â—â— which their peace and comforts are concerned in I will name some particulars 1. One 〈◊〉 Ignorance of the tenor of the Gospel or Covenant of Grace as some Libertines called Antinomians more dangerously mistake it who tell men that Christ hath Repented and believed them and that they must no more question their Faith and Repentance than they must question the righteousness of Christ so many better Christians understand not that the Gospel is tidings of unspeakable joy to all that will believe it and that Christ and Life are offered freely to them that will accept him and that no sins how great or many soever are excepted from pardon to the soul that unfeignedly turneth to God by faith in Christ that whoever will may freely take the water of life and all that are weary and thirst are invited to come to him for ease and rest And they seem not to understand the conditions of forgiveness which is but true consent to the pardoning saving baptismal Covenant 2. And many of them are mistaken about the use of sorrow for sin and about the nature of hardness of heart they think that if their sorrow be not so passionate as to bring forth tears and greatly to afflict them they are not capable of pardon though they should consent to all the pardoning Covenant and they consider not that it is not our sorrow for it self that God delighteth in but it is the taking down of pride and that so much humbling sense of sin danger and misery as may make us feel the need of Christ and mercy and bring us unfeignedly to consent to be his Disciples and to be saved upon his Covenant terms Be sorrow much or little if it do this much the sinner shall be saved And as to the length of Gods sorrow some thinks that the pangs of the new birth must be a long continued state whereas we read in the Scripture that by the penitent sinners the Gospel was still received speedily with joy as being the gift of Christ and pardon and everlasting life humility and self-loathing must continue and increase but our first great sorrows may be swallowed up with
holy thankfulness and joy And as for hardness of heart in Scripture it is taken for such a stiff rebellious obstinacy as will not be moved from their sins to obedience by any of Gods commands or threats and is called oft an Iron sinew a stiff neck c but it s never taken from the meer want of tears or passionate sorrow in a man that is willing to obey the hard hearted are the rebellious sorrow even for sin may be overmuch and a passionate woman or man may easily grieve and weep for the sin which they will not leave but obedience cannot be too much 3. And abundance are cast down by ignorance of themselves not knowing the sincerity which God hath given them grace is weak in the best of us here and little and weak grace is not very easily perceived for it acteth weakly and unconstantly and it is known but by its acts and weak grace is always joyned with too strong corruption and all sin in heart and life is contrary to grace and doth obscure it and such persons usually have too little knowledge and are too strange at home and unskilful in examining and watching their hearts and keeping its accounts And how can any under all these hinderances yet keep any full assurance of their own sincerity if with muchado they get some assurances neglect of duty or coldness in it or yielding to temptation or unconstancy in close obedience will make them question all again and ready to say it was all but hypocrisie and a sad and melancholly frame of mind is always apt to conclude the worse and hardly brought to see any thing that is good and tends to comfort 4. And in such a case there are too few that know how to fetch comfort from bare probabilities when they get not certainty much less from the meer offers of Grace and Salvation even when they cannot deny but they are willing to accept them and if none should have comfort but those that have assurance of their sincerity and salvation despair would swallow up the soules of most even of true believers 5. And Ignorance of other men increaseth the fears and sorrows of some They think by our preaching and writing that we are much better then we are And then they think that they are graceless because they come short of our supposed measures whereas if they dwelt with us and saw our failings or knew us but as well as we know our selves or saw all our sinful thoughts and vicious dispositions written in our fore-heads they would be cured of this errour 6. And unskilful Teachers do cause the griefs and perplexities of very many some cannot open to them clearly the tenor of the Covenant of grace some are themselves unacquainted with any spiritual heavenly consolations and many have no experience of any inward holiness and renewal by the Holy Ghost and know not what sincerity is nor wherein a Saint doth differ from an ungodly sinner as wicked deceivers make good and bad to differ but a little if not the best to be taken for the worst so some unskilful men do place sincerity in such things as are not so much as duty as the Papists in their manifold inventions and superstitions and many Sects in their unsound opinions And some unskilfully and unsoundly describe the state of grace and tell you how far an hypocrite may go so as unjustly discourageth and confoundeth the weaker sort of Christians and cannot amend the mis-expression of their Books or Teachers * One of my Hearers fell distracted with reading some passages in Mr. Sheepherds sincere Beleever which were not justifiable or sound And too many Teachers lay mens comforts if not Salvation on controversies which are past their reach and pronounce heresie and damnation against that which they themselves understand not even the Christian world these one thousand three hundred or one thousand two hundred years is divided into parties by the Teachers unskilful quarrels about words which they took in several sences Is it any wonder if the hearers of such are distracted IV. I have told you the causes of distracted sorrows I am now to tell you what is the cure but alas it is not so soon done as told and I shall begin where the disease beginneth and tell you both what the Patient himself must do and what must be done by his friends and Teachers I. Look not on the sinful part of your troubles either as better or worse than indeed it is 1. Too many persons in their sufferings and sorrows think they are only to be pittyed and take little notice of the sin that caused them or that they still continue to commit and too many unskilful friends and Ministers do only comfort them when a round chiding and discovery of their sin should be the better part of the Cure and if they were more sensible how much sin their is in their overvaluing the world and not trusting God and in there hard thoughts of him and their poor unholy thoughts of his goodness and in their undervaluing the heavenly Glory which should satisfie them in the most afflicted State and in their daily Impatiences cares and discontents and in denying the mercies or grace received this would do more to cure some than words of comfort when they say as Jonah I do well to be angry and think that all their denials of Grace and distracting sorrows and wrangling against Gods love and mercy are their duties its time to make them know how great sinners they are 2. And yet when as foolishly they think that all these sins are marks of a graceless state and that God will take the Devils temptations for their sins and condemn them for that which they abhor and take their very disease of melancholly for a crime this also needs confutation and reprehension that they may not by errour cherish their passions or distress II. Particularly Give not way to a habit of peevish impatience though it is carnal love to somewhat more than to God and Glory which is the damning sin yet Impatience must not pass for innocence did you not reckon upon sufferings and of bearing the Cross when you first gave up your selves to Christ And do you think it strange look for it and make it your daily study to prepare for any tryal that God may bring you to and then it will not surprize you and overwhelm you Prepare for the loss of Children and Friends for the loss of Goods and for Poverty and Want prepare for slanders injuries or poysons for sickness pain and death It is your unpreparedness that maketh it seem unsufferable And remember that it is but a vile body that suffereth which you alwayes knew must suffer death and rot to dust and whoever is the instrument of your sufferings it is God that tryeth you by it and when you think that you are only displeased with men you are not guiltless of murmuring against God or else his overruling hand