the faileurs of some sincerer 〈◊〉 of God 〈◊〉 too far to the corruptions of others too many instances of which we have had The opposition which Christians have met with having been a continual dropping upon them and overpowered them to do many things against the dictates of their own consciences thus losing their beauty it is no great wonder if they appear black Indeed from hence almost are all those things which render Christians and Churches black I now come to the application Let not then Christians think it strange if their habits of grace find opposition from within and the actings of their grace meet with opposition from without There is no Child of God but findeth upon experience that his Mothers Children are angry with him his flesh is many times lusting against the Spirit and he findeth a War in his Members As Rebekah was troubled because she found Twins strugling together in her Womb so is many a good Christian when as indeed there is no greater note of Grace then this Combate of the Flesh and the Spirit if thou hadst not two parties within there would be none of these conflicts the unregenerate man hath nothing of them he hath motions to sin but no contrary habits to oppose no lustings of the Spirit against the Flesh such a man may indeed from natural light and the obligation under which the law of nature layeth him sometimes resist motions to more gross and flagitious sins but this combate is rare and in very rare cases and those such where the law of nature is offended or his honour and reputation and profit and advantage is concerned as to his avoiding of them nor is the Battel ever very hot The true Christian hath a double principle the one natural this inclineth and moveth him to sin the other supernatural and infused Both these principles are active and operative and these spiritual conflicts must be expected the discovery of the truth of Grace in thy Soul doth much depend upon thy behaviour in the Spiritual Fight and thy managery of it if thou findest this conflict if thou maintainest it with thy might if thou criest unto God for help and strength if ordinarily thou beest a conquerour Thy opposition is so far from being an evidence against thee that it is a great evidence for thee Nor let good Christians wonder if the exercise of their grace meets with opposition from without and that from their Mothers Children too As there are two parties in every gracious heart so there are and ever were two Parties in the Church of God There were some and those the greater number on whose behalf Paul saith he could wish himself accursed from Christ they were his Brethren and not only his Kinsmen according to the Flesh but Israelites to whom belonged the Adoption and the Glory and the Covenants and the giving of the Law and the Service of God and the promises yet Rom. 9. 6. they were not Israel though they were of Israel neither were they all Children because they were the Seed of Abraham v. 8. They which are the Children of the flesh are not the Children of the promise God in one place promiseth to make his Seed as the Stars of Heaven Gen 22. 17. in another place Gen. 13. 16. As the Dust of the Earth He had a Starry Seed these were a great number for he was the Father of the Faithful the Father of Believers the Father of all Holy Men that do the works of Abraham He had also a dusty Seed this was greater thus it is said he should be the Father of many Nations and he was the Father of the whole Jewish Nation the oâ—â—y visible Church God had for many years upon the Earth but these saith the Apostle are not all Children T is the same case with the Church under the New Testament it is made up partly of presumptive equivocal Members partly of real univocal Members such as glory not in appearance only but in reality that are not as Jews only outwardly nor of that circumcision which is outward in the flesh but they are Jews inwardly Christians indeed and that circumcision which is of the heart in the Spirit and not in the letter whose praise is not of Men but of God There is a Baptism in the name of Christ and a Baptism into Christ a Baptism with Water and a Baptism with the Holy Ghost and with Fire all that are Baptized with a Ministerial Baptism with Water are not Baptized with the Spiritual Baptism of Regeneration These two parties in the Church never did never will agree there is in them a different Seed they are acted from different principles and they act to quite different ends Let not therefore good Christians wonder and think it strange if they find still that their Mothers Children are angry with them it is no more then ever was the lot of the true Spouse of Christ and will be her lot until Christ shall come and with his Fan throughly purge his floor Nor do you wonder if these things make you appear b ack The Papists think they make us appear very black when they can tell us of Errors and Heresies Factions Divisions and Schisms amongst us and indeed it is a reproach to us they are spots and blemishes in the Assemblies of Protestants But 1. Are they then so well agreed amongst themselves what mean then the differences betwixt their Dominicans and Franciscans to say nothing of their other Orders What means their Secular Priests and Jesuits so bespattering one another in their Books Though it is very probable that if Protestants could dispense with their consciences to with-hold from the People the sight and knowledge of the Holy Scriptures the rule both of their faith and life so as they know no more to differ about then their Priests tell them or to set up a Judge of all controversies that should be infallible and from whose decrees none must vary And finally to set up an Inquisition to force all mens Obedience to the decrees of that infallible Judge under pain of death I say could Protestants in these things dispense with their consciences to take such methods for unity they might probably arrive at as great if not a greater unity then they can glory in who have been so far from it that themselves reckon 30 or 32 Schisms and those of that nature as according to their principles destroy all unity for so many times some of which lasted a great many years too they have been at a loss for to find the true visible head of the Church We know that the Apostolical and purest Churches that ever Christ had upon the Earth had some that were indeed Mothers Children Members of the visible Church but no Children of our Heavenly Father and that these have constantly been angry with and given opposition to those that have been the true and sincere Members of the Church and have brought in Errors and caused Schisms and
when they find more strength against motions to sin more ability and courage to suffer for the name of God when they find their Souls more ready to more free and chearful in their duty when they find more serenity peace and comfort within than they have formerly experienced then may the Lord be said to have brought them into his Chambers the Chambers of his presence when these abate and the Soul lives and no more but lives complaining that it is without strength ready to be overthrown by every motion of lust by every forreign temptation that the thoughts of God are troublesome to it it may be terrible that it moves heavily it doth something of its duty but it is rather its task and burthen than its pleasure and delight its heart is sad and heavy and dejected in such cases as these Now God is present with the Soul that is his for he dwelleth in it but he entertaineth it as it were in his low Rooms Cubiculum saith Bernard upon the Text est locus ubi vere quiescens quietus Deus cernitur The Chamber is a place where the Soul seeth God quiet and at rest Sometimes the Soul apprehendeth God as it were returned to his place to speak in the Prophets Dialect as it were risen up from the Soul and returned to Heaven only to be found there by fasting and weeping and earnest seeking after him it apprehends God as angry and not at rest in it sometimes it discerns him at rest in it the Soul can say Lo this is my God I have waited for him I have waited for him I will rejoice and be glad in his Salvation then the Soul returneth unto its rest Psal 116. 7. Return unto thy rest O my Soul saith David for the Lord hath dealt graciously with thee When God is at rest in the Soul then is the Soul at rest within itself then hath the King brought the Soul into his Chambers David when he was under apprehensions that the Lord sustained him resolves to lay himself down in peace and sleep Psal 4. 7. God had dealt graciously with him These now are the Kings Chambers and what I conceive to be here chiefly intended 5. Gregory hath another notion of these Chambers What saith he should we understand by these Chambers but the mysteries of holy contemplations The Astronomer indeed that spends his time in the contemplation of the Stars chuseth the roof of the House or some lofty room for his contemplation and we all chuse the highest places of the House for our prospects of things afar off and all contemplative Persons chuse Chambers as places of privacy for their contemplations When the Lord raiseth the Soul to further degrees of spiritual-mindedness and gives the Soul a power further to contemplate him in his Divine Nature and goodness then he may be said to have brought the Soul into his Chambers There is a time when the Soul remembreth God and is troubled thus it was with the Psalmist Psal 77. 3. Another time when the meditation of God is sweet to the Soul so it was with David Psal 104. 34. when the Soul is able to meditate of God without distractions or disturbance and can fit alone and fancy that it seeth even the Heavens open and beholdeth the glory of God and its Redeemers arms open to receive it and there is another time when it is not able to lift up an Eye to God nor to behold him with any pleasing aspect When the Soul is in the former state then the King may be said to have brought the Soul into his Chambers but this the observing person will see sell under the aforementioned consideration Lastly There are yet some other Chambers into which God sometimes brings the Souls of his people in the description of which I will not enlarge because they are more peculiar Closets into which God hath taken and may for ought I know yet take the Souls of some particular Servants of his into which believers in general cannot expect to be brought they being such as God in all times hath been pleased but to take some few of his people into and generally such as he hath designed to make some more publick use of in the world I may call them Chambers of particular instruction Before God had fully revealed his will in the holy Scriptures written for our instruction and consolation God was pleased at sundry times and in divers manners as the Apostle speaketh Heb. 1. 1. to speak unto the Fathers by the Prophets Persons whom God admitted to a more special degree of fellowship and communion with him and sometimes more plainly sometimes more typically and darkly to instruct them concerning his mind and will both concerning what they were to do and to avoid and concerning what God intended to do in the world or some particular place in it into these Chambers he took Abraham when he did not hide from him what he intended to do to Sodom and Moses when he took him up into the Mount and there gave him his law instructing him in his mind and will that he might instruct the people under his charge in these Chambers the Lord entertained Samuel Elijah Elisha Gad and Nathan and all the Seers and Prophets of whom you read in the Old Testament and after them the blessed Apostles and some primitive Christians But the bringing of any Souls now into these Chambers is no matter of our faith and expectation though we must not limit the holy one of Israel nor hath that we know he any where as to this limited himself indeed as to one part of the revelation he hath None can expect nor have any new revelation of duty for the holy Scriptures are a perfect rule and able to make the man of God wise to Salvation But we may have a fuller revelation of what is revealed and thus doubtless there is a further discovery of duty in this than in former ages no new light of truth but a new light in our Souls to discern the revelations of the word And doubtless there may be to some particular Souls some more revelations of what God intends to do in the world and as to his or their particular circumstances than others have they are things we cannot expect hope or believe for but what some may receive and for the tryal of the truth of them the issue must be expected and from that the truth of their revelations and prophecies must be judged And it seemeth by the answer of the Prophet Jeremy to Hananiah that under the old dispensation this was a piece of the Judgment Jer. 28. 8 9. The Prophets saith he which have been before me and thee of old prophesied both against many Countries and against great Kingdoms of War and of pestilence the Prophet which prophesieth of peace when the word of the Prophet shall come to pass then shall the Prophet be known that the Lord hath truly sent him Yet they must doubtless at that
say some interpreters desires his manifestation in the Flesh the publication of the Doctrine of the Gospel together with the comfortable application of those Doctrines to her conscience I am sure there is a truth in that Let me therefore a little make use of their notion Take this for the Proposition Prop. It is of the nature of a believing Soul to thirst after a communion with Christ in his Word his Gospel especially and the teachings of his Spirit in and by that I here join two of those propositions together which I distinguished upon the opening of the words She desires the kisses of his Mouth 2. That he should kiss her with the kisses of his Mouth This Proposition will offer me an opportunity to discourse to you the affection of the believing Soul to the words of Christ both in the more external and more spiritual and internal teachings and ministrations of it The words of the Gospel are the words of Christ the kisses of his mouth whether they be applied and set home to the particular conscience yea or no. The ministration of the Gospel is in itself exceeding glorious Therein saith the Apostle is the Righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith Rom. 1. 17. Therein in Gods way of Salvation revealed to lost sinners and by it life and immortality are brought to light Now this word of God is to be considered As written for our Instruction For saith the Apostle Rom. 15. 4. whatsoever things were written before were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope As preached So it is the Ordinance of God for our faith and therefore called The word of Faith Sanctification Consolation and Eternal Salvation for indeed the supply of all the spiritual wants and necessities of our Souls Hence there are three ways by which our Souls have a communion with God in his Word Reading Hearing and Meditation Reading is one means by which we come to the knowledg of the will of God in his Word The King of Israel was commanded to read in the Book of Gods Law all the days of his life that he might learn to keep the Law of his God and there is a blessing pronounced to him that readeth Indeed he that readeth the word as it lyeth before us in our Bibles hath this advantage that he is sure what is there plain to his understanding is the undoubted pure Word of God and while a man readeth the Scriptures he is but repeating of Gods Word to his own soul or hearing God immediately speaking to him Hearing the word preached is another means of communion with God in his Word This is an Ordinance of God and such a one as he honoureth with being the great means of calling and saving such as he hath ordained to life So as in that ordinance a soul hath an opportunity to meet God to draw nigh unto him to hear him speak unto it We must take heed that we do not think that all which we hear out of pulpits is spoken by God God no further speaketh by the Minister than the Minister keepeth unto his Text speaketh according to the Scriptures either by way of interpretation or application And therefore every good Christian is to search the Scriptures whether what their Preachers deliver be consonant to them Those noble Bereans mentioned Acts. 17. did so when St. Paul was the Preacher and are commended for it The Scriptures are to be judged by no other rule but Sermons are to be measured by the holy Scriptures No man hath communion with God by hearing further than so far as that is consonant to the will of God which he heareth But admitting the Minister of Christ answereth his name and Office and faithfully revealeth and applieth the will of God while we hear we have communion with God God communicateth his holy will unto us and we communicate with him by an obedient Ear who hath comanded us to hear that our souls may live A third way is by Meditation This is an act of our inward man standing upon the things which we have read or heard as necessary to the souls spiritual nourishment as Digestion is to the nourishment of our bodies by what is their proper food a duty much practised by David Psal 119. 97 99. And a good man is described by it Psal 1. 3. He meditateth in the law of the Lord night and day By this the soul doth not only fasten the word of God upon it self but it also dives deeper into the depths of it I say this communion with God in his word is very desirable to the spouse of Christ I added his gospel especially The Word of God in the holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament is made up of several parts There is in it sacred history no unuseful part of holy Writ it being that which more than any other acquainteth us with Gods way of of providence with his people of old You have in it many Moral Instructions and Precepts of Christianity and Godliness an admirable part of Scripture that which makes the holy Scriptures to be what no other book in the world is a light to our feet and lanthorn to our paths Shewing us what we are to do what to decline and avoid but yet these are not properly called Gospel doctrines You have in it many Prophesies or predictions of what God intended to do in the world most of which are fulfilled some we yet live in the expectations of You have also in it many terrible threats and curses and many woes denounced against the violaters of the law of God these are excellent portions of holy Writ to keep your souls in awe and make us afraid of sinning against God but these are not properly Gospel Doctrines but properly belong to the Law which declareth and worketh wrath You have also in those sacred books many declarations of the good will and love of God to poor lost Sinners declared in and through Jesus Christ You have an historical part of the Gospel declaring what Christ hath done and Suffered for us a declarative and promissory part proclaiming Salvation to poor lost creatures and promising life and Salvation and all grace to some poor undone sinners promises for the conferring and increase of grace These and such like I principally understand by Gospel Doctrines The Doctrine of Gods free grace in the pardoning of sin and the imputation of Christs Righteousness to the soul Doctrines that reveal Christ and tend to bring the soul to Christ or direct the soul in walking with him Now I say tho the believing soul values every line of holy Writ and hath a reverence for the whole Word of God and desires a communion with God in reading and hearing and meditating in every part of his revealed will yet it hath a special thirst after those portions of it which contain these Revelations Other parts are
sweet but these are sweeter than the Hony and the Hony-comb No portions of Scripture are like these to the believer Every verse in the book of God is a Star but as Stars differ one from another in glory so do the Revelations of the will of God in our apprehensionsa s more suited to our necessities For the proof of the proposition There is so much reason for it that were it not that it is fit your Faith for the help of which the Ministry is ordained should not stand in the wisdom of men but in the power of God I might for bear the use of any Scripture texts in the case The World was many hundred years old before there was any written Word of God of which we have any record The first that we read of was the Book of the Law which the King of Israel was commanded to have alwayes before him and to read therein all the daies of his life Saul was the first King of Israel he was a wicked man and regarded not the divine Law The next was David the man according to Gods own heart See his Affection to the word Superlatively exprest Psal 19. 7 8 9 10. 11. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul the Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple the Statutes of the Lord are right rejoicing the heart the Commandment of the Lord is pure enlightening the Eyes The Judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether more to be desired are they than gold yea than much fine gold sweeter also than the hony and the Hony-comb Psal 119. 14 15 16. I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy ways I will delight my self in thy statutes v. 97. Oh! how I love thy law it is my meditation night and day Read over that excellent Psalm at your leisure you will find in it a strange variety of expressions setting out David's value of and thirst after the Word of the Lord. I had saith he in one passage perished in my affliction if thy Word had not been my delight For the Word of God as delivered by Ministers you shall all along the History of the Scripture observe you read not of one good King of Judah and Israel but they were very desircus in all cases of consulting with the Prophets of the Lord and no doubt but the reading the Law and the Exposition of it in the Sanctuary was the reason why David Psal 42. Psal 63. and Psal 84 so passionately bewailed his being banished from it In short look through all the New Testament you shall find no company of Believers but by some Expressions or other declaring their Zeal for and fondness of the Word of God And the same Spirit continued in gracious Souls after the times that the Scripture makes mention of I remember Hierom tells us of a good woman whom he saith he could never find without a Bible in her hand aud Mr. Fox in his Martyrology tells us a story of Three Maids in Lincolnshire if I remember right who sold their Estates in a time of Persecution to buy a few Leaves of the Bible It were infinite to tell you the instances we have in Ecclesiastical History of the great thirst after and delight in the Word of God which good people have expressed What need we any further Instance than what the Experience of our own Age doâ—h afford How naturally do Souls born again as new born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word of God It is true some Hypocrites especially in times when Religion is in credit and reputation may lay hold of the Skirts of a Jew and say We will go with you I mean may shew some fondness of hearing and reading the Word but no Child of God no regenerate man but is indeed thirsty of it So that as it was said of Paul as soon as he was converted Behold he prayeth so it may be said of every man and woman let them before have been never so loose and vain and careless as to reading and hearing the Word Behold he readeth or Behold he heareth Nor indeed is it possible it should be otherwise If we consider first That this is the Will of God concerning every Soul The Soul is unchanged till it be in some degree willing and obed ent So as what St. Paul spake more openly he saith to God though more privately Lord what wilt thou have me to do Now this is one of the first things that God calleth such a Soul to do Hear saith God and your Souls shall live As God said to Paul Go into the City and it shall be told thee what thou shouldst do So God saith unto the changed Soul Go to Church and hear my Word and go and read in my Word and there it shall be told thee what thou shouldst do Augustin tells us a story that being in a great Agony of Spirit and not knowing what to do he heard a voice as out of an inward Room saying Tolle lege Take up and read The Soul in this doth but conform himself to an impression that is made by the Spirit upon his heart and is coaevous to the hour of his New Birth and this you shall see exemplified not in this or that particular Soul but in every Soul born of God The Infant is not more naturally disposed to suck the breasts of the Mother or Nurse than such a Soul is disposed to read and hear the Word of God from the impression of the holy Spirit of God upon it in the first hour of its Conversion Nor is any thing more reasonable than such an impression if we consider God's Ordination of his Word as the pabulum animae the food and nourishment of the new born Soul 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born Babes desire the sincere Milk of the Word that you may grow thereby And for this very reason this thirst after and delight in the Word of God never goeth out of a sanctified heart for the Word is the proper nourishment of the Soul in all states it is not only Milk for Babes but Meat for stronger ones By these things men live saith Hezekiah The just shall live by Faith saith the Prophet The Word is the object of this Faith You shall observe that the God of Nature hath planted in most sensitive creatures a knowledge of their proper food and an appetite or desire to it The God of Grace hath given the renewed Soul a knowledge of its proper food too and created in it an appetite to it so as no soul is born again without a knowledge of the Word as that by which it is to live or an appetite to it Nay it is not only necessary to uphold the Spiritual Being of the the Soul but to all the purposes of its well-being Such a Soul findeth the Word an inexhaustible Fountain a large
be translated Let him kiss me or He shall or will kiss me with the Kisses of his Mouth Her Prayer was the Prayer of Faith This is a prime requisite in all our Prayers to God Math. 21. 22. And all things whatsoever you shall ask in Prayer believing you shall receive Jam. 5. 15. The Prayer of Faith saveth the sick He saith the Apostle that cometh unto God must believe that he is and that he is a Rewarder of those that seek him Nor is that General Faith enough for that Soul that goeth to God for any particular Mercy there must be a more particular Faith both as to Gods Power and Love with reference to that good thing that God is able to do that thing for him yea and willing also so far as in his infinite Wisdom he shall see it good When the blind men had come to Christ begging Mercy Matth. 9. 27 28. saith he Believe you that I 'am able to do this They said Yea Lord then he touched their Eyes Nay the Prayer of Faith signifieth more a trusting and relying on God for the doing of the thing we ask It is very much to observe how much the holy Scripture layeth upon this with Reference to the hearing and answering our Prayers Jam. 1 5. If any of you lack Wisdom let him ask of God But v. 6. let him ask in Faith nothing wavering According to your Faith saith Christ so be it to you The Unregenerate man cannot ask in Faith he wants the Habit his Soul is shut up in Unbelief and Gods People may be too guilty of not asking in Faith giving too much way to temptations and hearkening too much to the jealousies and suspicions of their own Souls Secondly The Spouses Phrase speaks an holy boldness He shall kiss me with the Kisses of his Mouâ—h Indeed this differs but gradually from the other it must be a boldness of Faith and in this Sense we are to come boldly to the Throne of Grace Eph. 3. 12. We have boldness and access with confidence through the Faith of him Hence Heb. 4. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain Mercy and find Grace to help in a time of need Thirdly The abrupâ—ness of the Phrase speaketh Passion and Ferveney The fervent Prayer of the Righteous availeth much Jam 5. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The working Prayer When the whole Soul is in Prayer set on work the Understanding discerning the good the Soul prayeth for discerning God able to give it and willing also discerning the Promise by which God hath made himself a Debter to the Creature for it The Will in willing it the Affections in intense desires of it Men may pray and their Souls be hardly set at work at all only they so far as it influenceth the Eye to see Words in a Book or the Understanding to invent Words which the Tongue may utter This Prayer signifies little it is the fervent working Prayer that availeth much when the whole Soul is at work wrestling with God as Jacob did that it may receive the Blessing Fourthly The form of the Word speaks Reverence Let him kiss me O that it might please the Lord to kiss me so much the Phrase sounds in our Dialect In all our Service of God he requireth Reverence and a godly Fear He that dareth not to come to God but doubteth whether he may presume to ask of him knoweth not the Lords goodness he that dares to come without Reverence knoweth not the Lords Majesty and Greatness As boldness and Confidence without doubting becomes us with respect to his Goodness Love and Faithfulness so Fear and Reverence becomes us with reference to the Greatness and Majesty of the Divine Being Lastly her Speech speaketh Modesty She asketh but a Kiss Modesty is not opposite to an holy Boldness in Prayer She peremptorily asks somthing which might speak his special peculiar Love Yet there is a modesty imported in her words in that she asketh no more than the Kisses of his Mouth In three things we should shew a Modesty in Prayer if it be rightly ordered 1. In the asking the good things of this Life with a due Submission to the Will and Wisdom of God It speaketh too much boldness with God to be too importunate for things that are not absolutely and infallibly good for us under all circumstances It is enough for us that God hath promised to withhold from us no good thing We prefer our own to the Divine Wisdom in such importunities 2. In the asking of Spiritual Mercys Modesty ought to be shewed also in submitting our selves to the VVill of God as to Dispensations or Degrees of gracious Manifestations not absolutely necessary they may be asked but they ought to be asked with limitations if God seeth they be good for us if he that knoweth our Hearts seeth that we will use them for his Glory c. 3. In not prescribing time to God as to the granting of those things which are not in the present time necessary We ought to believe God wiser than our selves and to limit our Requests by the Terms of his Promise to beg the things which God hath promised upon the Terms which he hath promised I have now finished my Discourses as to the Spouses first Petition Let him kiss me with the Kisses of his Mouth I shall in my next exercise proceed to the Argument by which she backeth this her first Petition For thy Loves are better than VVine Sermon IX Canticles 1. 2. For thy Loves are better than Wine I Have done with the Spouses first Petition Let him kiss me with the Kisses of his Mouth Wherein as I have shewed she manifested her Desire after near and special Communion with her beloved and some distinguishing token of his favour I come now to the Argument by which she backeth this Petition that is expressed in the words I have now read to you The Argument is drawn from the value she had for his Love The reason of her before mentioned Desire was the excellency she apprehended in the favour of her Lord which she expresseth in a way of comparison She saith It is better than Wine And she makes this her Estimate of the Love of Christ an Argument for Gods manifestation of it to her Soul I shewed yon the Sense of the words before I have nothing now to do but to discourse the Propositions arising from the words so opened the first of which was Prop. That Christ hath Loves There are Loves in Christ He is not onely lovely and so the object of our Love the chiefest of Ten thousand but he is Loving and we are the Obiects of his Love Of old He rejoiced in the habitable parts of the Earth and his Delights were with the Sons of Men Prov. 8. 31. The Apostle telleth us 1 Jo. 4. 16. That God is Love It must be understood of God in Christ For take Man as he is stated upon the Fall and
of the Spirit necessary and that both as to the Souls first coming to God and further walking with God tho as to the latter the Soul being renewed and sanctâ—fied there be a far less influence necessary than as to the former yet even after sanctification the Apostle tells us that we are kept by the power of God through Faith to Salvation and Christ tells his Disciples that without him they could do nothing Joh. 15. 3. And St. Paul saith 2 Gal. 20. I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live I live by the faith of the Son of God But indeed the great question is upon the first Arminians will grant special grace to believers but no more than common grace to all men in astate of unbelief Let us therefore first enquire 1. Whither there be not something of a divine power and influence necessary to cause any Soul to come to Christ beyond the Preaching of the Word and that common concurrence of the Spirit with the word Preached and all the suasions and arguments can be used by Ministers and of what nature this pâ—wer is We affirm it Jesuites and Arminians deny it let me shew you upon what arguments we assert it I shall not instance in all or the 4th part of what hath been or might be said only speak something to satisfy you remembring that I am now preaching a Sermon not writing a controversy 1. Those who assert that there needeth no such act of the divine power must necessarily make man a God to himself I mean the Author of the greatest Spiritual and Eternal good both in respect of action and fruition whatsoever is moved is moved from a living principle within self or from another Either man is moved to Christ as drawn by the Father or from a principle of life within himself I know they will say it is from his own power of willing now besides the multitude of Scriptures which this is opposed to Eph. 2. 1. You hath he quickned who were dead in Trespasses and Sins Psal 110. 3. The People shall be a willing People in the day of thy Power Phil. 2. 13. For it is God which worketh in you to will and to do of his own good pleasure I say besides these This opinion makes man the author of the greatest good to himself 1. In point of action it makes him the author of th se gracious acts and habits by which a Soul is made meet for the inheritance of the Saints of life repentance faith and new obedience expresly contrary to those Scriptures which tell us that it is given to us to believe Phil. 1. 29. That Faith is not of our selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2. God gives repentance unto life and a multitude of other Scriptures 2. And in point of fruition too man by this Doctrine is his own Saviour for Eternal life is every where promised to repentanâ—e faith and new obedience which according to this principle are all works proceeding from our selves so man is become a Saviour to himself by this new Divinity and the author of the highest good to himself and hath nothing to bless God for but only making him a Man not a Beast for being indued with a reasonable Soul and living under the Gospel he hath a power of himself to repent to believe in Christ to do whatsoever Eternal life is promised to in the Gospel unless they will say he is beholden to God for the Covenant of Grace annexing eternal life to these performances and accepting sincerity instead of perfect obedience which yet leaves the regenerate Soul no more to bless God for than the vilest and most profane Sinner that liveth where the Gospel is preach'd for he also hath a reasonable Soul a will equal with others there is a covenant of grace equally established for Judas as well as Peter according to this Doctrine One is under the means of Grace and the common aids and assistances of the Spirit as well as the other for the good inclination of his will to accept the terms of the Gospel which the profane person hath not the regenerate Soul hath no body to thank but himself and to applaud himself for the principle of goodness of which it seems he is an author to himself Secondly This Doctrine leaves the Soul something to glory in before God The Apostle treating of Justification by faith in opposition to that of works argueth thus Rom. 4. 2. If Abraham were justified by works he hath whereof to glory but not before God The Proposition of that Text which alone in this case I will make use of is That God hath so ordered the causes in the Salvation of Man that man hath no cause of glorying before God to that purpose he speaks Rom. 3. 27. Where is boasting then it is excluded but admitting that there needed no power to change the heart but what is in mans will boasting is not excluded a man hath wherein to glory and that before God he shall say Lord it is true thou fixedst an eternal Covenant of Grace thou madest me a man thou gavest me the Gospel and the preaching of it but notwithstanding all that thou ever didst for me I might have gone to Hell as well as a thousand more for whom the same Covenant was made as well as me to whom thou gavest a Soul of the same species with mine the same Gospel the same Preaching the same common grace if I had not had a principle of goodness in my own will of which my self was the cause I had been damn'd notwithstanding all thou didst for me as many others shall be for whom thou didst as much as for me Is not here glorying before God Is boasting excluded by this Divinity The main parts here as to mans Salvation are given to a mans self For I pray observe a man cannot repent truly and believe and obey the Gospel and perish for ever now all these it seems a man may do from himself without any act of Divine power inabling him more than a reprobate to do them but he may have a common Covenant of Grace establish'd for him as well as others he may have a reasonable Soul he may have the Gospel preach'd to him and the common aids and assistances of the Spirit and yet perish for ever So as plainly all that necessarily brings Salvation makes the Soul meet for it and accompanieth it all this is from man nothing is from God but that notwithstanding which he might have perished for ever Thirdly This Doctrine most absurdly ascribes unequal vertues to Souls that are equal as to their species faculties and vertues All reasonable Souls are equal their faculties are the same their vertues and powers the same their Souls are under equal means motives aids assistances whence is it that one mans will is enclined to believe to receive Christ to obey his laws the others not Are not here inequal vertues ascribed to
Christ told the Inhabitants of Hierâ—salem that he would have gathered them but they would not And hence appears that it is no wonder that Arminians who will allow none but common grace before conversion should contend that it may be finally resisted for there is no doubt but all common grace may be finally resisted 2. But secondly We say there is a working drawing grace which may be for a while opposed but cannot be finally resisted By this the Soul is regenerate and born again and that not after the will of the flesh or the will of Man but the will of God This we say cannot be finally resisted the reasons are 1. Because by this God gives a new heart and a new spirit and causeth the Soul to walk in his statutes as you will find Jer. 31. 18. ch 36. v 26. Now grace cannot be resisted but from an old heart and indeed it is a contradiction to say God may be resisted by a new heart 2. Again if this grace might finally be resisted the whole business of mans Salvation must depend upon his own goed nature and the power of his own will and the proximate cause of a mans repentance faith holiness must be in himself Thirdly We say there is a co-working Grace by which as Augustine saith being first drawn we move being acted we act this is that grace which God followeth converted Souls with that Grace which followeth the Child of God all the days of his life without which he can do nothing Job 1â— 3. through which strengthening and assisting him he can do all things through which he lives and moves in his spiritual sphere this is resistible in part through that law in our members which rebelleth against the law of our mind and brings us into captivity to the law of sin Hence is the spiritual combate the lustings of the flesh against the Spirit Yet this is but a partial resistance not from the whole of the regenerate Soul but from the flesh in it which lusteth against the Spirit from that part which is yet unregenerate Nor shall this resistance be victorious but the same Soul that crieth out O wretched man who shall deliver me from this body of Death shall in the next words say I thank God through our Lord Jesus Christ Thus I have shewed you how God in the drawing of a Soul to Christ worketh powerfully But 2dly As he works powerfully so he works sweetly powerfully so that he will be obeyed sweetly so that he is freely obeyed the conversion of a sinner is an act of power but not of violence the mystery of this lieth here Because the effect of grace is upon the will of man Violence is then offered to us when we are compelled to actions contrary to our wills The will is not indeed capable of violence the will may be changed renewed otherwise inclined but not forced force can only be offered to the outward man and why those who contend for a power in man so renew change alter otherwise incline his own will should find a difficulty to allow God as much power as they claim for man who is but a creature I cannot understand Thus far I have shewed you that a Soul must be drawn before it come to Christ I have yet further to shew you that it must be drawn or it will not run after Christ In this drawing indeed there needeth not such a power as in the former the reason is because now to will is present with the Soul as St. Paul saith it only wanteth strength to perform But an influence a powerful influence there must be I believe said he in the Gospel Lord help my unbelief Lord increase our faith said the Apostles without me you can do nothing saith our Saviour Joh. 15. 3. and again saith he as the branch cannot bring forth fruit except it abide in the Vine so no more can you except you abide in me and 2 Cor. 3. 5. Our sufficiency is of God we are not able of our selves so much as to think any thing Phil. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me we are kept by the power of God to Salvation 1 Pet. 1. 5. The Apostle speaking of the weak Brother saith God is able to make him to stand We stand in grace Rom. 5. 3. Christ prayeth that Peters faith might not fail while Satan winnowed him like wheat God giveth both to will and to do both of his own good pleasure but I shall not need heap up Scriptures in so plain a case I shall have advantage enough to prove it from Reason concluding from Scripture principles 1. In the first place the Scripturé speaketh of the Children of God in this life as in a state of imperfection Not saith the Apostle as though we were perfect or had already attained Phil. 3. 12. To have no further need of Grace speaketh a self-sufficiency and a state of perfection which is every where in holy writ denyed to man in this life nothing needs be added to that man who stands in no need of the power and assistance of Divine Grace but the holy Scripture every where speaketh of the state of man while on this side Heaven as a state in which something is lacking to him of Heaven only as that state wherein just Souls are made perfect wherein that which is perfect shall be come and that which is in part shall be done away Secondly As the Child of God before he comes to Christ is in Scripture represented in a state of death Eph. 2. 1. You hath he quickned Eph. 2. 1. Who were dead in trespasses and sins So when come to Christ it represents him in a state of weakness Ro. 5. 6. When we were yet without strength Christ died for us Not only life but strength was a piece of the purchase of Christ for us Christ saith as to his Sheep John 10. 10. I am come that they might have life and that they may have it more abundantly The Children of God are all as Mephibosheth the Sons of Jonathan and so beloved of David united to Christ and so beloved of God and must eat bread at his Table but they are all of them like him lame of their Feet Now those that are without strength cannot run running doth not only require life as the principle of motion but strength also to assist the motion what the Apostle saith of their knowledge and prophecying they know in part and prophecy in part is as true concerning all their other gracious habits and acts they are all but in part they are in this like Nebuchadnezzars Image part of Iron and part of Clay Adam indeed had both his legs a full strength and could of himself without any need of the assistance of a Mediator have done all that God required of him in that state as necessary to his Salvation but he fell and did not only for his posterity as well as for himself lose his innocency and
again hath here made thee to differ No pious Soul that understands itself but will here cry out Grace Grace powerful distinguishing Grace So as this Doctrine is consonant to the experience and judgment of the best of men the other contrary to their experience and reason and therefore not like to prevail much in the world with any who either understand what grace and holiness is nor what the state of man is since the fall I could only wish that those who so glory in a power they have to come to Christ and to walk with him and run after him and to incounter and overcome the greatest Lions in the way would let us see it by their strict and close walking with God without putting such a sense upon the Commandments of God as the Pharisees did of old whom Christ confutes Mat. 5. according to which they may indeed be kept by vertue of that common Grace of God which he denieth to no man This is enough to have spoken Doctrinally upon this Subject Sermon XVIII Canticles 1. 4. Draw me and We will run after thee I Proceed to the Application of the Proposition which I largely opened and confirm'd in my last exercise viz. That no Soul cometh to or runneth after Christ till it be first drawn not only sweetly allured but powerfully by God inclined I come now to apply it This in the first place may inform you of the Vanity both of the Arminian and Popish Tenets as to this great point Arminians think it hard to be accounted Enemies to the Grace of God yea they will profess themselves to own special Grace but by the Grace of God they understand no more than exciting Grace the Grace of God in the Gospel which hath appeared to all men and by special Grace they only mean that further Grace which is given to them who have first made a good use of the power God hath created in their wills They say that wherever the Gospel is preached there goes alongwith it such a presence of the Spirit that if men will they may without any further influence of Divine Grace upon one more than another repent and believe c. That God when he calleth them by his Gospel giveth to sinners not only necessary but sufficient Grace for faith and obedience and seriously commandeth them to believe and obey under the promise of eternal life if they do these things and the contrary threatning of eternal death if they do not This calling they say is in Scripture called an Election unto Grace differing from that unto gloty and Eternal Salvation This calling is effected and perfected by the Preaching of the Gospel and the vertue of the Spirit conjoined with it and that with a gracious and serious intention on Gods part of working faith in all those who are so called whether they believe and be saved in the issue or pertinaciously refuse faith and eternal Salvation for they tell us there is an effectual calling so called rather from the event than from the intention of God properly so called which calling obtaineth its saving effect not from any precise intention of God to save men or because it is so made by the secret and singular wisdom of God that it effectually agreeth with the will of him that is called or because in and by it the will of him who is called is so determined to faith by an irresistible and an almighty power not less than that of Creation or raising the dead that it cannot but believe and obey but because man doth not put in a bar which he might do to the call of God nor resist Divine Grace They tell us there is another sufficient grace which is ineffectual which through a failure on mans part hath not a saving effect but is unfruitful and obtaineth not its due and desired effect only through mans voluntary and vincible fault Hence they will tell you that they attribute all to Grace they make that the beginning the reason of the progress and perfection of all good so that without preventing exciting following and co-operating grace the regenerate man himself can neither will nor do any good nor resist any temptation But they mean by Grace nothing but the means of grace and such an assistance of the holy Spirit as alwaies attends it and one as well as another hath that sits under the Gospel for that which we call special grace or distinguishing grace the drawing of the text by which God powerfully influenceth the Souls of some not of others and worketh faith and dispositions to new obedience in them they deny any such thing and so attribute to the will of man all the change of the heart which we call conversion or regeneration hence they will tell you that God never so worketh in any Soul but man may hinder and finally resist his operations This is their opinion which how contrary it is to truth and how absurd it is I have shewed you in my former discourse what Bradwardin saith of the Pelagians may be applied to these Teachers They make God pauperculum Mercatorem like a poor Pedlar that indeed carries about his Grace and persuades men to receive it But man is made the buyer Thus saith that grave Author God should rather gratiam suam commutare ac vendere quam dare commute and sell his grace rather than bestow and give it Doubtless the will of God is the efficient cause of every good thing that is done the first mover in every good motion the begetter and preserver of it Amantissima genitrix vivifica conservatrix as Bradwardin expresseth it l. 1. cap. 9. and maintaineth it from reason and the concessions even of Philosophers They will tell us they will grant this That God is the first cause and mover as to all good and that all this is of his grace but he moves us only by external calling and the common assistance of his Spirit They much delight in those terms aids and assistances of his Spirit by which they plainly grant the will of man the first cause and make the Spirit but an aiding assisting cause Again how is the conversion of a sinner from the Grace of God whose Grace it seems extends no further before conversion to the person to be converted than to the person that still continues in its hardness and inconverted state so as it is not the Grace of God that causeth the Soul to differ for as to that there is no difference the same administration of grace both to those whose hearts are changed and to those whose hearts are not changed They tell us grace and in the same degree of administration may be yea is resisted by many of those to whom it is administred This opinion must be faulty either 1. By maintaining that God doth not seriously and efficaciously will the salvation of any Soul the contrary to which in words they affirm and instead of it say he seriously willeth the salvation
particular is in letting us know 1. That that faith which will do the Soul any good as to Eternal Salvation must be as the Apostle stiles it Col. 2. 12. a faith of the operation of God The work of Faith with power as the Apostle speaks 2 Thessal 1. v. 11. It is call'd the gift of God Eph. 2. 8. Not of our selves it is the gift of God Eph. 2. 8. The work of God Joh. 6. 29. This is the work of God that you believe on him whom he hath sent It is not only the Commandment of God 1 Joh. 3. 23. and the gift of God but the work the operation of God a work with power such a faith as is an effect of the Fathers drawing This if duly observed will go a great way to guide us in this inquiry it will let us seeâ— that that believing which is the mere product of natural powers is not that coming to Christ to which the promise of life and Salvation is annexed Two things men ordinarily deceive themselves with as to this business of Faith 1. Judging any kind of blind and languid assent to the proposition of the Gospel to be that believing to which the Holy Ghost in Scripture annexeth the promise of Salvation A great many know no more by believing but their agreement that Jesus Christ is the Son of God that he was made man and died for us All which and much more the Devils believe and yet tremble I do not think that an assent to the Proposition of the Gospel be the assent what it will is that Faith which justifieth It is not the Proposition of the Gospel but the Person of the Mediator that is the object of that Faith some indeed tell us that Faith is an operative assent and by that they have mended the matter but if the Person of the Mediator not the Proposition of the Word be the formal and proper object of true Faith no assent can be the justifying act of Faith for the Proposition must be the object of that There are several kinds of assent according to the light in which we see a Proposition We assent to things oft-times meerly upon report and hear-say so as the assent is a meer humane Faith Thus most Englishmen assent to this that there was such a Person as William the Conquerour A thing they can see in no other light than that of humane reports in History of all other assents this is the weakest and most invaluable and before we give it there must appear to us a probability in the thing upon this account none but those who judge themselves obliged to believe what the Church saith and that those Books were written by the order of the Church believeth or assenteth to the strange stories in the Popish Legends because their reason tells them the things are improbable yea impossible without a miraculous operation which they see no reason God should work in such a case nor will men give their assents in such cases but where they are not much concerned whether the thing be true or false so as it is equal to them to agree the thing or to deny it 2. Men assent to things upon the evidence of ratiocinations they form conclusions from principles and then assent to them Now in regard our reason is not infallible this assent likewise though more strong than the other yet is but saint and incertain and alters as we see better reason for the contrary 3. There is an assent which is given to a Proposition upon the account of a divine revelation Now this assent is stronger or weaker as the Revelation is more fully or imperfectly incertainly agreed A man by a natural power may assent to the Proposition of the Gospel as delivered to him by men he that thus assenteth doth no more assent to what the Gospel saith of Christ than to what Histories tell him of what was done by the Saxon or Norman Kings many hundred years ago Reason working upon its own principles sheweth us nothing of Christ The Scriptures are by all Christians generally lookt upon as the Word of God but no man hath any certain and firm persuasion that they are so but he who is persuaded of it by the Holy Spirit of God all arguments from tradition and reason have their incertainties and though they are useful to make it probable to others yet they do not produce a certainty of persuasion in our own Souls hence the assent to such Propositions as are only revealed in Scripture must also be faint and incertain and consequently not operative or very incertainly operative so that although it may produce something of practice whiles the fit of assent is upon the Soul yet it produceth no steady certain constant practice so as though it should be granted that a practical assent to the Proposition of the Gospel be true justifying faith to which is annexed the pardon of sin yet if by it we mean such an agreement of our minds to the truth as produceth a certain steady constant or ordinary practice and course of life conformable to the propositions of truth which we agree as this will imply trusting and relying on Christ for life and salvation so it is such as is the operation of God in the Soul and that not in a way of common providence as our abilities to speak or move are but in a way of special favour and working for mans agreeing to the holy Scriptures to be the Word of God firmly and steadily being the reason why he agrees the truth of the propositions which are revealed in it alone and that being the special work of God in Souls that shall be saved of necessity such also must be the assent to the Propositions that are revealed in it and which can be seen by the Soul in no other light So as indeed I do not think there is much in it more than a strife about words or at least a very great nicety whether true justifying Faith be a practical assent to the Propositions of the Gospel or a reliance on the Person of the Mediator or rather both for a practical assent doth necessarily infer a reliance on the Person of the Mediator Admitting that this is one Proposition of the Gospel Acts 4. 12. That there is no Salvation in any other for there is no other name given under Heaven amongst men whereby we must be saved and that the Soul in its practice of holiness hath any Eye to the recompence of reward it is impossible there should be any practical assent to use the term of some that is any assent to the Proposition that shall produce any truth or constancy of practice without a reliance upon and trusting to the Person of the Mediator and this must be the special work and powerful operation of God in and upon the Soul But now if men make any kind of languid weak and incertain assent to the Gospel Faith and think that they have true Faith
because they agree the truth of the Propositions of Scripture they may miserably deceive their own Souls a Man by a mere natural power may as well agree that there was such a one as Jesus of Nazareth once in the world who went about doing good exhorting men to a good life and was Crucified c. as that there was in England a William the Conqueror or any thing else that is to be found in other Books of tolerable credit and reputation in the World Or if men think that they do truly believe because they agree many propositions of the Gospel which are evident in the light of Reason they again deceive themselves here may be nothing of the operation of God in this faith Nay if they agree the Propositions of the Gospel because they are revealed there and in the mean time do not agree the Scriptures to be the Word of God but look upon them in the same rank with human writings or only by an human saith agree them to be the Word of God because the Church hath so deliver'd and transmitted them here is all this while no thing of the special operation of God Nor will this agreement produce any steadiness and firmness of practice commensurate to the Revelation but only commensurate to the nature of the Assent which being not fixed constant nor it may be not universal but to some part only of the revelation must necessarily bring forth no more than a saint partial and incertain practice Hence it is that Hypocrites may do many things contained in the law and at one time be more warm than at other times But if thy Assent be the special operation thou assentest to the whole revelation because God hath fixed in thy Soul a persuasion that it is from him who cannot lie it is also steady and fixed and tho some doubts may possibly incumber thee sometimes yet they hold not long and thou firmly and generally with allowance for the frailty and infirmity of human nature endeavourest to live up to the whole of that duty which the revelation imposeth upon thee which thou canst not do without relying on Christ and him alone for Salvation and having a respect to all the Commandments of God And indeed herein that agreement or assent which is the special work of God in the Soul differs from that which is but a meer natural action 1. In that it is more fixed certain and universal and this must be so for our assent is according to our light we must first see before we agree the truth of a proposition now the light of the holy Spirit is without doubt the clearest and brightest light Our natural reason gives us but a dim light as to matters of Faith 2. In that it layeth a stronger obligation to practice Reason will tell us that the more firmly we believe the truth of Propositions holding forth rewards and punishments relating to our practice the stronger we shall find our obligation to practice in order to the obtaining such rewards or avoiding such punishments 3. In that it layeth an obligation to a more universal practice The obligation to practice riseth no higher than the assent so as if there be any duty to which we do not agree our assent obligeth to no practice of that Now the holy Spirit persuades us of the truth of the whole revelation and that in the fullest and truest sense Hence it is that the true believer is more warm and universal in his obedience than it is possible another should be because his assent unto the truth is from a quite differing light and a quite differing work of God the assent of the former proceeding but from a common work of God in nature the latter from a work of special grace by the Spirit of God upon the Soul I will not much contend with those who will have true Faith to be a practical Assent to the Proposition of the Gospel if they by Assent mean a firm and steady Assent and by practical such an Assent as obligeth strongly to an universal practice of whatsoever is revealed as our Duty 1. Because I know a reliance upon Christ for eternal Salvation must be the effect of such an Assent 2. Because I know there can be no reliance on Christ without such a praevious Assent to the Proposition of the Gospel 3. Because I know there can be no such thing without the mighty Power of God upon the Soul So that in this sense the Soul must be drawn by the Father before it come to Christ Only let none deceive themselves as to this point of true Believing by fancying such an Assent to the Doctrine of the Gospel true Faith wherein God hath no further concern than as he influenceth acts of Humane Nature flowing from that order of operations which he hath set in all rational Souls True Faith must be more than this 2. As to Faith men are also prone to cheat themselves by calling their Natural presumption Faith we say Faith lies in a resting and reliance on Christ Now many will tell us they rest and rely on Christ and yet it is no difficulty to evince they do but presume and not believe Resting and relying on Christ for Salvation must be the Father's drawing Natural presumptions are meerly from our selves Every man is willing to hope well for and to prophesie good unto himself Hence living under the publication of the Gospel and having heard of an eternal Life and Salvation and this to be had through Christ and by resting on him many naturally cry they rest on Christ and trust in him and him alone And our Saviour lets us know that men may die with such confidences Matth. 7. 22 23. Now there is a resting and reliance on Christ which is the Operation of God yea and the mighty work of God upon the Soul and this many a poor Soul finds that lives months and years under the Spirit of bondage before it can rest on Christ and quietly commit it self unto him and there is a resting which is no more than a natural hope or confidence arising either from the Souls natural desire of good to it self or from its ignorance of the true grounds of a true resting and reliance And indeed by this may these two be distinguished and known asunder That resting and reliance upon Christ for any spiritual and eternal blessing which is the Operation of God is alwaâ—es bottomed on a Promise and testified by a life suitable to the condition upon which that Promise is made These two things are alwaies in it 1. I say first it is founded upon a Promise for all Grace and Eternal Life being the gift of God it is as vain a thing for any to be confident they shall have it without God's revelation of his Will as to it with reference to them as it is for any man to pretend a confidence and trust in another for the making him rich with a great part of his Estate
Heresies So as we are not to wonder if the things that have been still are whiles the state of the Church is yet militant we are not indeed to cause them or be the Authors or Abettors of them but neither are we to be discouraged or condemn Churches for them who may be comely though they have something of this blackness thus caused I shall shut up this discourse with a few words of Exhortation 1. To all such as own themselves Christians and glory in the name of the Sons and Daughters of the Church That they would answer that name and relation and not be a cause of the Spouses blackness or appearing blackness There are two ways by which we may be so 1. By a loose and scandalous conversation 2. By being angry with our Brethren By the first we make the Spouse black By the second we cause her to be reproached and called and counted black 1. Take heed of a loose and scandalous conversation This makes you spots in the Assemblies of Christians and declares you to be but presumptive Members Can a man be a Member of Christ and a Member of a Harlot Christs Companion and a Pot companion A Disciple of Christ who hath commanded us not to swear falsly idly or prophanely and yet being a common Swearer and Curter and Blasphemer Only let your conversation saith the Apostle he as becometh the Gospel of Christ Loose livers are the blots of any Church the Church is a body of called ones now you are not called to uncleanness or profaneness but unto purity and holiness It is for your sake that the name of Christ and the body of Christ is evil spoken of Consider that though it be the way of God to denominate his Church a parte meliori from the better part of it and therefore he calls the Church those that are called and sanctified in Christ Jesus though they all be not so that are Members of the visible Church yet it is the way of the World out of their hatred both to Christ and all that have relation to him to denominate them a parte deteriori from the worser part and to call all Professors of Religion by the name that belongeth only to the worser part of them But this is not so proper an application of this Proposition which speaks of the anger of false Brethren as the cause of the Spouses blackness 2. Therefore let me speak to you whose corruptions will not allow you to be so strict in your walking with God as others are whether in matters of Worship or your more ordinary conversation yet not to be angry with those who desire to walk more closely with God then you think needful and in some things dare not give themselves that liberty which you dare allow your selves I will offer three things to your consideration which may help you to abate your wrath 1. Consider first How little reason there is for you to be offended You all profess to be going the same journey aiming at the same end you all profess to be going towards the new Hierusalem Your dispute is only about the nearest way you are satisfied that this way of worshipping God this course of Religion will bring you to your journies end others cannot be so satisfied but take a straiter way what reason is there here for thy wrath who thinkest a broader will bring thee as well to thy Journies end how doth his walking more strictly prejudice thee Thou thinkest thou doest enough in the Service of God another thinks he can never do too much never do enough and therefore he heareth more and readeth more and prayeth oftner wherein art thou hereby prejudiced Hast thou not rather cause to bless God for the good example of others and to examine thy own ways and why another should not take up with those measures in duty with which another cannot be satisfied Thou thinkest that in the Worship of God thou mayest be guided and limited by the precepts and practices and traditions of other men others considering that it is but reasonable Worship being an Homage which the Soul payeth to God that God should prescribe his own Homage and considering that God hath declared himself to be a jealous God and affixed the declaration of this his jealousy to the second Commandment which concerneth his external Worship and that in the whole course of Scripture the revelations of Gods wrath appear more against sins relating to the Worship of God then any other sins they dare not in the matters of Divine Worship deviate from the Divine Rule wherein art thou by this prejudiced What reason is there for thine anger Surely they walk most safely that finding the Holy Scriptures a perfect rule able to furnish a man to every good work keep close to that and dare not in practice admit any thing but what they find there commanded or practised Thou ownest the Holy Scriptures as thy rule Why art thou offended that another keepeth closer to it then thou dost 2. Consider you are a great cause of the Spouses appearing black She is reproached for the contentious divisions and Schisms that are in it who are the cause of them those that keep to the rule of Gods Word or those that depart from it Surely the whiteness and purity of any Church lieth in its adherence to the Divine Rule the more a particular Christian or any society of Christians keep close to the pattern which Christ and his Apostles have set them and to the rule which God hath given them the more pure the more white and comely they are Their deviation from it is their blackness so are those contentions and divisions which arise in the Church because of those deviations it is a dreadful text 1 Cor. 3. 17. If any man defile the Temple of God him shall God destroy The Apostle is there speaking with reference to the Bodies of Professors which he had called the Temple of God But it is as true concerning the Church of God that is the Temple of God this is destroyed or defiled for the word may be translated by either of these words God saith the Apostle will destroy him who are they that defile the Church and indeed destroy it but those that are the cause of scandals in it either of its being black or of its appearing black unto the World 3. Lastly Let the words of our Saviour sink into your hearts Mat. 18. 7 Woe unto the World because of offences for it must needs be that offences must come but woe to that man by whom the offence â—ometh Luke repeating that passage ch 17. v. 1. addeth v. 2. It were better for him that a milstone were hung about his neck and he cast into the Sea then that he should offend one of these little ones Whoso considereth the Church as the only body of People in the World by whom God is spontaneously glorified and how God hath expressed his favour and love to it must dread the laying
our thoughts upon God admiring him c. But that which the Scripture calleth Worship most ordinarily is some external acts testifying that inward homage and submission of the heart 3. These acts are either such as the Light of Nature directeth and the Law of Nature obligeth us unto or such as God hath prescribed us in his Word Worship being in the general nature of it nothing but an external homage done to God in testification of the inward and more secret homage and subjection of our Soul It is the most reasonable thing imaginable that God should prescribe it this he hath done as the God of Nature imprinting a Law in our hearts obliging us to call upon him for good things we want and to praise him for good things received partly in his holy Writ There is no natural Worship but is also instituted but there is much instituted Worship which the Light of Nature doth not shew nor the Law of Nature oblige us to such as Reading the Scriptures hearing the Word Preached communicating in the holy Sacraments 4. External acts of Worship that depend meerly upon Institution must be either instituted by Christ or by our own wills or the wills of others Col. 2. 23. there is a Will-worship mentioned 5. All true Divine Worship must have a Divine Institution Whatsoever is pretended as an immediate act of homage to the Divine Being and is not directed by Nature and directed also and confirmed and regulated by the Revelation of the Divine Will in the Word of God is what we call False Worship or Will-Worship As the first Commandment directeth our homage to God as the alone true Object so the second directeth the manner of it to be according to his revealed Will for certainly that Commandment must not be interpreted as meerly prohibiting the Worship of God by or before a graven Image or the similitude of a thing on purpose set before us either as representative of the Divine Being or as a Medium by which we worship God but as prohibiting all other Modes Acts and Methods which have no more of a Divine Institution than that hath only that one instance is given and under it the other included So that a graven Image is but species pro genere and those that worship God before a painted Image or any other way which God hath not prescribed are also transgressors of that second Commandment Hence it is observable that God directed the Jews not only every Act by which an homage was paid to him but also every Rite and Ceremony and it was guilt enough for the Jews in his Worship to do that which he commanded them not Uzziah must not offer Incense nor Saul Sacrifice nor Nadab and Abihu make use of ordinary fire nor Uzzah carry the Ark upon a Cart nor touch it The same we conceive to be the will of God in the New Testament God being a Spirit and to be worshipped by us in Spirit and in Truth as well as by the Jews and it seemeth the most reasonable thing imaginable 1. Considering that our Worship in its self is a pitiful thing infinitely disproportioned to the perfection and excellency of God so as it deriveth all its value from the Divine Institution 2. And being an homage done to God it is most reasonable that God himself should direct what he will accept 3. Nor is it to be imagined had God left man in the case to his own conduct and direction how vain and various man would have been 4. Besides it is not reasonable to think that the holy Scriptures should be a less perfect Rule in matters of Worship than it is in matters of Doctrine or that concern our ordinary course of conversation or that acts of Worship as to which it appeareth in all the Scripture that God had a special jealousie and in which we are said to draw nigh to God should be none of those good works as to which the holy Scriptures are sufficient to furnish every good man 6. Divine Worship being an humane act and that of the most noble nature as it must have such circumstances as are necessary to all humane acts such are Time and Place so it is reasonable that it should have such circumstances as suit such acts so as they may be performed in such manner as the Light of Nature and common guise and custom of Countries shall not determine sordid filthy or indecent and such as may render it useful and more profitable and advantageous and answering to their ends which circumstances being necessary to the acts as humane acts or at least plainly expedient to avoid the indecent and sordid performance of the acts or for the more profit and advantage of the acts and such as in regard of the variety of Countries the Customs and Usages of them c. could not be determined by the Word of God must be determined by the Governours of Churches Nations or Kingdoms but still with respect to the general ends of the action But for any things used in the Worship of God neither directed by Nature nor yet by holy Writ and appropriated to the Worship of God as a Religious act out of a respect to the excellency of the Divine Being and as an homage to it I cannot see how they can be lawful they must have something of the nature of Worship in them and having so they ought to have a Divine Institution without which I cannot see how they should avoid the guilt of Idolatry or Superstition which differ thus If the faileur respect the Object either terminatively where the creature is made the term and ultimate Object as in Ahab's Idolatry and the Papists Adoration of the Bread in the Eucharist or mediately as in Jeroboam's case and the Jews relating to the golden Calf or Micab's all which worshipped the true God though by an Image and using an Image as a mean of their Worship as the Papists now do in their Veneration of their Images This is Idolatry called in Scripture Whoredom spiritual Whoredom and as Adultery in marriage so this is the highest sin can be committed in Worship and which God hath more severely punished at all times than any other sins People have been guilty of If the faileur respect the Acts or the manner if it be only internal it is Hypocrisie if in the external Acts or Manner it is Superstition such are the Papists Salt Oil Cream Spittle superadded to the Institution for Baptism and an hundred other Rites and Ceremonies used in all parts of their Worship 7. It is very observable that from the beginning of the Church there hath been a strange Itch in men to be adding and mixing their own fancies inventions and Will-worship with the true Worship of God God gave unto Moses the particular Rule and Law of his Worship he communicated it to the People David added to it but no more than God by his Spirit directed as appeareth 1 Chron. 28. 19. All this said David
unbeliever one that is not married to thee Those senses of the words express her fear of scandal Prop. That sin and Scandal are the two great objects of the believing Souls fear What sin is I need not spend many Words to tell you The Apostle gives you the full notion of it when he calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Non-conformity to the divine law which notion comprehendeth original sin which lyeth in the absence of the divine Image and the ill complexion of the Soul resulting from it and actual sin which is well described by Augustine to be every thought Word and deed which is contrary to the holy Law of God Sin is often in Scripture set out under the notion of erring wandring going astray and that dependeth upon another Metaphor we often meet with in Scripture comparing a course of holiness unto a way with relation to which sin which is a deviation from holiness is expressed by the notions of erring wandering going astray turning aside c. The Precepts of God are expressed also under the notion of a rule and a guide hence sin is called a crooked way Now all sin is the object of the believers fear but not all alike For as there is a difference in the guilt of sin so there will be a difference in the Souls fear it will most tremble at those sins which render it most obnoxious to the wrath of God of which nature Idolatry is and indeed the guilt of it much lyeth here that in that sin the creature is made the companion of God and the Worship due unto God alone is either given unto it or shared betwixt God and it The notion of Scandal is not so obvious I shall therefore inlarge a little in my discourse on that The Words Scandal and Scandalize are hardly found in any Prophane Authors the Scripture therefore must open that term to us A Scandal properly and strictly is something laid in a mans way at which one is prone to stumble and fall the Word which the Septuagint translate by this Word we translate a stumbling block Levit. 19. 14. Thou shalt not put a stumbling block before the blind The Hebrew Word is by our translators rendred offence 1 Sam. 25. 31. This is all we can get from the Etymology of the Word it signifies any thing at which another stumbles and falls thence it is applyed to such things as are to others occasions of sin which is the stumbling and falling of the Soul so Aquinas I think rightly describeth Scandals to be any Words or actions of ours by which others have an occasion of ruin That is sinning which is the Spiritual ruin of a man or woman In this sense man only can be Scandalized he cannot be tempted to evil But two wayes a Scandal may reflect upon God 1. As by our carriages his glory may be prejudiced amongst men his name blasphemed his wayes reproached and these actions which produce such effects we call Scandals 2. As others by our carriages may be induced to sin against God So that Scandals may be committed two wayes When we so behave our selves as we cause the Master which we serve the Gospel which we profess or the way wherein we walk to be evil spoken of or that others by our example are inticed to sin Scandals are ordinarily divided into such as are not only taken but given also and such as are meerly taken but not given 1. The latter is what is called Seandalum Pharisaeorum The scandal of the Pharisees because they were so offended at our Saviour This is when men are offended at us and speak evil of us or of the wayes of God for our sake though we do nothing but what is our duty and we must not omit for the offence of any Persons These are now only passive Scandals Scandals taken and not given and the guilt lyeth not upon those who do the actions but upon those who are troubled that others are more righteous then they and will do what they judge God requireth of them without regard to the pleasing or displeasing of any These are not the Scandals which a good man feareth 2. But then there is an active Scandal or a Scandal given and this may be two wayes 1. By any open sinful actions Thus we call open sinning Scandalous sinning Because it giveth a just offence to all good People and because it of its own nature tendeth to cause the name of God to be blasphemed and the Gospel and wayes of God to be reproached and evil spoken of and is an inducement to others also to sin against God 2. It is also committed by an ill use of our liberty in things where Gods Law hath left us our liberty when we will do actions which although we think we may do yet others think are unlawful and our doing of them may either cause them that have another opinion to reproach us and our profession or induce them doubting concerning the lawfulness of them yet to do them because they see us whom they look upon as stronger doing of them thus we abuse our liberty by chusing that action by which our Brother is offended grieved or made weak now these Scandals are such as next to our personal plain sinnings ought to be the object of all good Christians fear I must confess as to these last mentioned Scandals by actions in which I judge God hath left me in his Law a full and perfect liberty but others have not the same apprehensions so as my taking one part may cause in other Christians hard thoughts or hard speeches concerning me Or if not so yet my example may induce them though they doubt yet to adventure upon the same actions and sin against God for he that doubteth is damned if he eateth that which another who doubteth not may freely eat I say as to such Scandals there is a very hard question in Divinity viz. what is a Christians duty suppose him pressed by a Superiours command on the one side if he doth not do it he disobeyeth his Superiours in a thing which he confesseth not to be forbidden by the Word God and so seemeth to sin against the Precept of obedience to them On the other side he seeth that if he doth the thing he shall not onely grieve many good Christians who think the thing lawful but possibly cause them to intertain hard thoughts of him or to speak hardly of him or if not so yet which is worse to do the same thing though they doubt of the lawfulness Nay further it may be that the command of Superiors in the case may be attended with penalties which may ruin a man his family What is to be done here is an hard case That it is not our duty to obey Superiours in all things is out of question that we ought to obey them in things of which we are strongly persuaded that they are unlawful whether they be so or no is what no weighed
us in the way of holiness And feed thy Kids by the Shepherds tents Kids as you know are young Goats Once in Scripture Goats are put in opposition to sheep Math. 25. to signify the wicked of the Earth which hath given Interpreters occasion to interpret this phrase thy fi lt by and unclean thoughts But it is observable that though Goats be a term once used in Scripture in that sense yet Goats are not alwaies mentioned in holy writ in an illâ—sense In this very Song the Spouses hair is compared to a flock of Goats Ch. 4. v. 1. The Goat to the Jews was not an unclean beast the hair of it was much used about the Tabernacle and the body of it was often used in Sacrifice Their interpretation therefore is doubtless to be preferred who interpret it 1. Either of the weak Members of Christ oâ— 2. of the infirm faculties of the Soul By the Shepherds tents It is all along a Metaphor The flock is the Church The true Sheep of this Flock are those who hear the voice of Christ and follow him as himself tells us My Sheep hear my voice and follow me The Principal Shepherd is Christ John 20. 1 I am the true Shepherd He administreth this great charge committed to him by his Father by inferiour Shepherds He led his ancient People the Jews like a Flock by the hands of Moses and Aaron and afterwards made use of several Shepherds to feed them Christ committed his Flock to the 12 Apostles with power to ordain Pastors and Teachers The Shepherds tents signify the places where they feed the Flock of Christ Shepherds in those countries had no fixed houses but moveable tents which they carried about with them and pitched now here now there as was most convenient for the feeding of their Flocks If any ask me where we shall find these footsteps of the Flook I answer in the Word of God we have no other infallible record of them that I know so that by the footsteps of the Flock and the Shepherds tents two things are clearly to be understood 1. The Examples of Gods Saints recorded in Scripture 2. The Ordinances of God dispensed by his faithful Ministers Hither doth Christ send his Spouse inquiring where he fed where he made his Flocks to rest at Noon You see whither my Text would lead me viz. To a discourse concerning the Word of God â—s the Rule of Christians the certain footsteps of the Flock are to be found there 2. To a discourse concerning our duty to imitate the Saints of God Something I must touch upon as to both these but I shall discourse neither of them in their latitude having fully done it lately in set Discourses upon those Arguments I shall now speak to neither of them further than they relate to the direction of the Text Being both the surest compass for a Christian when he is at loss to direct his course by when he is in distress and knows not what to do Hence the Doctrine is Prop. The surest way for Christians to support and maintain their communion with Christ under any doubts or dark dispensations of God to them is for them to keep to the examples of the Saints of God under such dispensations and to keep themselves close to Divine Institutions The Proposition you see is concerning Christians injoying and upholding their communion with Christ in a day of darkest dispensations in the Noon of Trials and Afflictions 2. It directeth a double means in order to this end 1. A keeping to the footsteps of the Flock 2. Feeding by the Shepherds Tents I shall speak to this by way of Explication Confirmation and Application By way of Explication the only Question is What Flock what Shepherds are here spoken of 1. It must be Christ's Flock that is plain There are other Flocks in the World but the Text is doubtless to be understood of the Flock of Christ which I before shewed you was the Church of Christ 2. I think it reasonable also to determine That that Flock is here meant for whose feet we have the best assurance that they were guided and upheld by the unerring Spirit of God The Papists call to us for this to keep to the footsteps of the Flock But when we come to ask them where that Flock is they will tell us it is at Rome where it hath been kept and fed by a lineal Succession of Bishops from the Apostles times The name of the Church of Christ is an honourable name this maketh every Party cry out as the Jews of old The Temple of the Lord The Temple of the Lord are we There is scarce any company of Hereticks and Sectaries but lays claim to this name Neither can this Text be understood of all those that are within the Pale of the Visible Church which hath in it bad as well as good but of that little Flock only who hear Christ and follow him and those to whom it is our heavenly Father's will to give a Kingdom the footsteps of those who have made the Word a light to their seet and a lamp to their paths for none can be so absurd as to think that Christ here directeth his Spouse to go her way by the footsteps of those who walk contrary to the will of his Father Now where shall we find where can we find those of whom we are sure they were of this little Flock or where shall we find the certain practice of such but in the Records of holy Writ For the present Church of Rome those that know the second Commandment or any of the Revelations of the Divine Will against Idolatry must know this Flock is not to be found there For the Primitive Church if they mean the Apostolick Church the Church in their Age whose Story we have Recorded in the Acts of the Apostles we agree with them that this is the Flock whose footsteps we are to follow yet no further than they followed Christ Be you followers of me saith the Apostle as I am of Christ but for the following Church after their Age we are so much at loss to know what they did Antichrist hath so trodden out their footsteps so purged and corrupted all Writings that should give us any true account of what the Church did that we can by no means allow the Record of their practice to be a sufficient Guide to us We have no sufficient Evidence of the prints of their feet in matters wherein the Eternal Salvation of our Souls are concerned We have a more sure word of Prophecy and we are sure we are not to follow them in any thing wherein they did not follow Christ We conclude then as to this matter that Christ in these words intended to give his Spouse a certain Rule to follow the steps of those whom they might be sure it was Christ's Flock and whose footsteps might be seen This Flock can be only that the print of whose feet we have in the unerring Word
of God We believe that in all Ages of the World Christ hath had a Flock a number that have heard his voice and followed him to whom he hath given and will give Eternal Life but they have been under various dispensations sometimes more and sometimes less perspicuous to the World We believe that it hath been the design of Rome ever since the Mystery of Iniquity began to work in it to blot out the prints of the feet of the Flock of Christ in former times we therefore reasonably in pursuit of this Direction of Christ's overlook the Churches of this and former Ages The practice of those of Rome in this and late ages we know to be directly contrary to the Word of God The practice of the Primitive Church in former ages we are incertain of further then what is contained in holy writ we know that it hath been the policy of the Papists to blot out all the records of those times which might make against them any thing that might shew us that the Doctrine Worship Discipline of the Church in those ages was different from their present practices we know that the records of the Primitive Churches practice excepting that in the Apostles time recorded in Scripture have been mostly in their hands and they have blotted out and put in what they pleased to justify their Idolatry and Superstitions we therefore call to the Law and to the Testimony to the holy Scriptures we are sure they have not been kept in their hands onely we believe them the pure Word of God We say there is no other certain rule no other unquestionable record of the footsteps of the flock We know they are able to make the man of God wise to salvation thoroughly furnished to every good work All Protestants acknowledg them a perfect rule as to matter of Doctrine we say they also are so as to Worship and Discipline and as to all our conversation We know the practice of the Saints and Servants of God in holy Writ not reproved by it are the footsteps of Christs flock for others we know not we are sure if they were contrary to the footsteps of the Servants of God in holy Writ they are no footsteps of the flock of Christ which hears his voice and owneth that only and will not follow strangers 2. As to the Shepherds mentioned in the Text We know Christ is the true Shepherd the chief Shepherd He feedeth his Flock like a Shepherd He ascending up into Heaven hath betrusted his Flock to Pastors and Teachers to Under-Shepherds we know that if these be Christs Shepherds they must take and follow Christ's directions and they are no further Shepherds then they do so He hath indeed betrusted to some his Gospel the Ministration both of the Doctrine and the Ordinances of the Gospel As they are to publish no other Doctrine so they are to prescribe no other Rules of life either for the Worship of God or government of the Church they have no legislative power in the Church committed to them only an executive power to execute those Laws those Ordinances which Christ the Supreme Shepherd and his Apostles which were his first Commissioners have left This is the trust which Christ hath committed to them in the discharge of which alone they can be faithful they are not the Ministers of men but the Ministers of Christ By the Tents of those Shepherds who do this all Christians are bound to ab de and to feed themselves neither casting off Divine institutions nor submitting to humane institutions contrary to the Divine rule and if the Divine rule be a perfect rule whatsoever is besides it is contrary to it for it reproacheth it with imperfection or else is meerly idle and Superfluous That this is the duty of Christians will appear both from the the consideration of the end for which God hath left us the footsteps of the flock in holy Writ and also from comparing this with other courses 1. Let us first consider the end for which God hath lest us the footsteps of his flock in holy Writ and when he ascended up on high gave gifts unto men and amongst others Pastors and Teachers The footsteps of the flock of Christ are to be found in the Word of God you have in Scripture not onely the instructions of David the words of the man according to Gods own heart but the practice of David recorded under several circumstances Not onely the Doctrine and instructions of the Apostles in their Sermons and Epistles but the Acts of the Apostles teaching us their practice Now though it be true that their examples oblige us in nothing wherein they did not follow the Lord Jesus Christ nor in any thing which they did in conformity to the Ceremonial law wherein they used a liberty that law being dead with Christ but through a gracious indulgence allowed for a time till the believing Jews could be Satisfied concerning the abolition of it in order to the gaining the Jews and walking towards them without offence upon which account Paul both circumcised Timothy and purified himself Nor are their examples our rules in what they did as Apostles or as men indued with the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost working miracles or speaking with tongues for as we cannot do the latter so we want their mission and more extraordinary commission to do the former Hence Ministers are under no obligation to do as they did fixing no where but going up and down preaching the Gospel and settling Churches yet in other things wherein they acted as Ministers of the Gospel or private Christians we are bound to the imitation of them and God hath left us their actions upon sacred record for our instruction For whatsoever is written aforetime is written for our learning Rom. 15. 4. The Apostle telleth us That all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness This is the end for which God hath given us the Scripture and all the Scripture 2 Tim 3. 16. 2. It is the most safe and certain rule The two great things that commend a rule given with reference to any end is the security of it and the certainty of it To walk by the footsteps of Christs flock recorded in Scripture must be a safe rule no man needeth fear sinning against God by obeying his Word and living up to the rule direction and prescription of it sin must be something contrary to the Divine Rule In following other rules men may err in following of this rule they cannot err The certainty of a rule much commends it If the Trumpet give an incertain sound who shall prepare himself for the battel If there be no certainty in a rule who can follow the direction of it Let us now compare this rule as to this case what a Christian is to do especially in a time of affliction and distress to maintain and uphold his
forth by the footsteps of the flock who feed not their Souls by the Shepherds Tents under this condemnation fall 1. All such who having no regard to the Word as their rule walk according to the imaginations of their own hearts which you shall find to be the constant Character of wicked Men in Scripture 2. Such as follow the incertain examples and traditions of men 3. Lastly Such as cast off ordinances under a pretence of a more immediate fellowship and communion with God There is a middle way betwixt resting in and taking up with mere external performances and casting them off It is true a Soul may wait upon God in ordinances and have no communion with God in them Communion with God lies in more then meer lending an Ear to God and allowing him our bodily presence in more then a communication of the will of God to our external senses but this is to be had by the Shepherds Tents in places where God hath recorded his Name to dwell and the performance of such external acts as God hath required and made his promises of that nature unto To look for a presence of God with us in a neglect or contempt of these institutions is to look for what we have no reason to expect to find Let me only further persuade you that hear me this day to follow the counsel given you in the Text. To go your ways by the footsteps of Christs flock to feed your Souls by his Shepherds Tents 1. In all your actions go forth by the footsteps of the flock Do what you have found the Servants of God have done whose names and practices you have upon a sure record in Holy Writ As it was prophecied of old that there should come times when many should say Lo here is Christ or lo there is Christ to amuse Souls and make their way incertain to them So the times are come when many say Lo here is the Church others say lo it is there the Papists say it is with them and other parties say it is with them in this incertain cry we have a certain rule In the Holy Scripture we have a certain record of the flock of Christ we have certain prints of their feet peace shall be upon those who walk according to that rule you may be deceived as to other scocks as to that you cannot be deceived The practice of the Primitive Church not recorded in Holy Writ the pretended Traditions of the Primitive Church of which the Scripture maketh no mention are very incertain things the Word of God that is a sure rule let none leave that which is certain for those things that are incertain if you cannot find in the Holy Scriptures a sufficiency to make you wise to Salvation both as to what you are to do in the Worship of God and in the whole of your conversation then there may be some reason for you to hear what others say and to listen to your own reason but there is a sufficieney there Some will tell us That Scripture is obscure and who shall interpret it to us but the Church If there be any thing in Scripture necessary for us to know that is obscure I am sure the practice of the Church after the Apostles times is much more obscure who shall vouch the Authority of any one Book that pretendeth to give us any such account There is a great deal of fault found with that principle that we ought to do nothing but what we have a Warrant for from the Word of God If it be rightly understood I know no fault that is to be found with it not that we must have a particular Warrant from the Word of God for every action that we do none ever asserted any such thing But we ought to do nothing for which we have not a particular or general Warrant from the Word of God In fome actions those especially which relate to the Worship of God the Word of God is a particular rule in all things No act of Worship no mean of Worship is to be used but what we have a particular Warrant in Gods Word the reason is because there is all the reason in the World God should prescribe his own Homage and because it is a sufficient rule he that worshippeth God according to the rules of the Word neither adding thereto nor diminishing therefrom shall worship God acceptably As to particular natural and civil actions the word is not a particular sufficient rule but it is a general rule it is impossible that the Word of God should particularly direct all the civil actions of a mans life it hath left a thousand things of that nature to our own liberty and wisdom only hath given us some general rules which we are to observe in them in these things a Christian hath not such a liberty but that he ought to obey the Ordinances and laws of men so far as they respect the order and government of Nations and Kingdoms and that out of conscience to the Commandment of God requiring such obedience to men in their Spheres and the capacities which God hath set them in Secondly Feed your Kids by the Shepherds Tents Keep to the Ordinances and Institutions of Christ administred by those whom he hath set over his flock as Shepherds That is the sense of that part of the direction and by the way this sheweth us a necessity and usefulness of a Gospel Ministry It is the design of Jesuites and Romish Priests to take you off from your Ministers The Socinian complaineth that the world hath been a long time troubled with an idle sort of Persons called Ministers Quakers and other Enthusiasts all sing the same Song yet there is none of these but have their Heads their Guides and Teachers only possibly some of them would have none who should wholly set themselves apart and give up themselves to this work others would only bring you off the true Ministers of the Gospel to put you under Idol Shepherds Certain it is that the Shepherds mentioned in the Text are such as are sent by the great Shepherd and can truly derive from the Lord Jesus Christ Here is the question how shall we know which be the Shepherds tents our reason will direct us not to give credit to those who only bear witness of themselves Christ saith John 5. 31. If I bear witness of my self my witness is not true That is if I alone bear witness of my self Such a Testimony is also more to be suspected when it is arrogant when men challenge to themselves to be alone the true Shepherds But for your direction I shall lay down a few conclusions 1. It is both impossible for any to know them by their lineal succession from the Apostles who were the first deputed by Christ to feed his flock and needless to make such an inquiry for them The former assertion proveth the latter for it is doubtless needless to look for what is
is with them I come to the Application I shall only apply it by Exhortation to two great duties Fortitude and unity I begin with the first upon which I shall most inlarge as to which I shall shew you 1. Wherein it lies and discourse it to you as it stands distinguished from a natural Spirit and stomack 2. From a moral fortitude 2. I shall offer you some directions in order to the promoving of it 3. Lastly I shall press it by some arguments It is agreed on all hands that the object of it is dangers and sufferings That the nature of it lyeth in a bold encountring and going through them That the vices opposed to it are 1 Cowardise 2. Rashness or fool hardiness as we call it There is a courage or fortitude which ariseth only from the natural Spirit and courage of the creature Now this is to be found in beasts as much as in men yea and more then in men the reflections of whose reason makes them less Spiritful then Horses or Dogs or Lions c. This commendeth no man for no man hath more of this then many Beasts have So it removeth not man at any distance from a Brute Creature Secondly There is a moral fortitude Which though it must have some foundation in nature for none that is naturally fearful and cowardly will by reason be improved to any degree of valour yet differeth from the other As it ariseth from knowledge and some just improvement of reason and is governed by the dictates of reason and directed to some noble and rational end such now as the preservation of our honour or Country c. But now Christian fortitude is quite another thing as it ariseth 1. From a threefold principle of grace 2. As it is directed by the rule of the Word 3. As it is exercised upon and against sin As lastly it works for a more noble end the glory of God and the Salvation of the Soul you may take this Description of it It is an habit infused into the Soul by the holy Spirit of God inabling the Soul from the dread of the Eternal God a Love to him and a faith in him and his promises to despise the prospect or presence of any danger in a resistance and fighting against sin and all temptations to it governing it self by the rule of Gods Word in order to the glory of God and the Salvation of a mans Soul From hence may easily be gathered both how it differeth from Natural Spirit and stomackfulness which is under no government either of reason or Religion and is a mere natural quality and found in beasts as much and more then in man It also differeth from Moral sortitude both in the Principle the rule and manner of its exercise and the End All which I shall open I shall begin with the first of these 1. The first Principle of Christian Fortitude is the holy Spirit Fear not saith God I will strengthen thee and uphold thee with the hand of my righteousness It is indeed God as the God of Nature that puts the natural Spirit and courage into the Horse or other beasts Job 32. 19. Hast thou saith God given strength to the Horse Hast thou clothed his neck with Thunder But here God acts as the Author of saving grace The holy Spirit is the Author of all gracious habits now there is a threefold Spiritual habit from which this fortitude or Christian courage proceeds they are as it were the Parents of it 1. The first is the fear of God No man is valiant against sin when temptations to it lye from great dangers but he that hath a true dread of God in and upon his heart It is said of Moses Hebr. 11. 27. That by faith he forsook Egypt not fearing the wrath of the King for he indured as seeing him who is invisible He forsook Egypt in obedience to the command of God he feared not the wrath of the King When he saw he must either incur the Kings wrath or Gods displeasure he feared not the wrath of the King though as Solomon saith The wrath of the King is as the Messenger of death Yet he feared not the wrath of the King here now was courage here was Christian Fortitude Whence was it that he was so courageous The Text tells you He indured as seeing him who was invisible he had the dread of the King of Kings upon his Soul agnovit imperatorem coeli he knew there was one that was higher then the highest mortal and this is necessary and that too in a very good degree to every Soul that is valiant for God Every Person that feareth not God will be a coward in the Spiritual fight 2. A Second habit contributing to this fortitude or Christian courage is The Love of God The Apostle tells you it constrains we see in daily experience the lover will indure no difhonour to be done unto no affront to be put upon the woman that he loveth The vain Gentleman is ready to fight upon any such account The Soul which truly loveth God will fuffer no affront no dishonour which he can help to be done unto and put upon God much less can he allow his own Soul in any such thing what ever be the consequent of it 3. A third habit from which this Christian courage or fortitude ariseth is Faith Faith respecting both the Proposition of the Word and the promise of the Gospel and Person of the Mediatour Faith agreeing to all which the holy Scripture revealeth concerning the wrath of God his power justice greatness concerning the reward of those who well fight the good fight who overcome c. And also hoping and trusting in God for the fulfilling of those promises Natural courage is much from Nature and derives much from the Blood Moral Fortitude deriveth much from Education and Reason Christian Fortitude in encountring dangers ariseth from quite different principles The Christian is stout and valiant in the resistance of sin because he feareth the great and living God whose wrath is a thousand times more formidable then the wrath of the greatest man who when he hath killed the body can do no more God can cast both body and Soul into Hell-Fire Because he loveth God and will suffer any thing rather than grieve and offend him and because he believeth whatsoever God hath revealed in his holy Word concerning the greatness power wrath and justice of God against sin and concerning those who strive in the resistance of it Hence you read in that martyrology which you have Heb. 11. 33. That they through faith subdued Kingdoms v. 34. quenched the violence of fire escaped the edge of the sword waxed valiant in the fight v. 35. they were tortured not accepting deliverance v. 36. they had Trials of cruel mockings and Scourgings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonment c. The principles of the Christian valour are not meer Natural Spirit and stomackfulness nor meer principles of honour and
his sake how beautiful saith he are thy Cheeks 2. Secondly the Neck is that part of a man upon which men use as to beasts to put ropes and yokes to bring them into Subjection as also upon which men of labour Porters and such like use to carry burdens Hence we often in holy Scripture read of a stiff neck to express stubbornness and disobedience Isaiah 48. 4. Thy neck was as an Iron sinew Jer. 17. 23. They made their neck stiff that they might not hear and the disobedient Israelites are often called a stiffnecked People Exod. 32. 9. 33. 3 5. And so in many other places of Scripture The Freedom and pliableness of the Neck are also often made use of to signify the Freedom and obedience of the Person So Gen. 27. 40. Thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck So Isa 10. 27. His yoke shall be taken from off thy neck that is thou shalt be at liberty from him The neck is that part of man which the Holy Ghost maketh use of in Scripture to express disobedience by the stiff necked man is the man that is stubborn disobedient to the Law of God the man that hardened not his Neck is the Obedient man Christ hath Chains for the necks of his People wicked men put yokes upon their necks their yokes are yokes of Iron God promiseth to break these yokes but yet they are not without a yoke Christ hath a yoke Matth. 11. 29. Take my yoke upon you for my yoke is easy and my burden is lâ—â—ht Christ hath Chains but they are of Gold the Enemies Chains are of Iron they are hard and grate but saith Christ my yoke is easy By the Spouses neck our Saviour doubtless means his Spouses Obedience whether in doing or in suffering The next Question is what is here to be understood by the Rows of Jewels and the Chains that are here mentioned I noted to you before that the Word here used signifieth an orderly disposal of things and from that word the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the Law of God cometh in the Law of God the duties of men and women are orderly disposed To say nothing of the variousâ—fancies of Interpreters I take the most genuine probable sense to be this thy external conversation is beautiful and comely by thy orderly walking according to the rule of my Law Holiness which lyeth in the ordering and government of a Christian steps according to a divine order and rule is exceeding beautiful comely in the Eyes of Jesus Christ To this sense the Chaldee Pharaphrast an ancient Interpreter but applying the whole song to the Jewish Church carries it for he thus Paraphraseth upon my Text How comely is this People which hath the Words of the Law given to them That they may be as an ear-ring on their Cheeks that they may not depart from the right way as the Horse that hath a bridle in his mouth is kept that he doth not go back And how beautiful are their necks or backs which bear the yoke of my commandments which are upon them as a yoke upon the neck of the Ox which ploweth in the field He as you see applyeth all to the Jews and therein he is very fond and partial but you see by the rows and Chains he understandeth the Laws and Precepts of God according to which every good man ordereth his conversation aright Chains for the most part both for the hands and necks and feet use to be made of brass or Iron or some baser metal with these Prisoners in war or Malefactors in peace use to be bound and hence the term is made use of to signify the greatest and basest subjection and servitude Chains are also made of Pearls and gold or some valuable metal Pro. 1. 9. And these Chains denote greatest liberty being used and worn by none but by Persons of Quality The Text is to be understood of the latter and the most valuable Interpreters interpret the Chains here concerning the yoke of Gods Commandments Solomon counselleth the young man Pro. 1. 8. to hear the instruction of his Father and not to forsake the law of his Mother for faith he v. 9. They shall be an Ornament of grace to thy head And Chains about thy neck Certainly the instructions and the Laws of God are much more so Holiness is a great Ornament and beauty to a Soul take Chains in which sense you will either for Chains of Iron with which Enemies load the necks of Saints for I told you those Words of Gold are added by our Interpreters or for those Chains which are of gold and Pearl and the richest Ornaments either of them are lovely in the Eyes of Christ but I rather concur with our own Translators and the most Interpreters who expound the term of the latter sort of Chains not only because our Saviour seemeth here to allude to the Ornaments of women but because the Heb. Word here used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is never used to express Chains of Bondage in all those Texts of Scripture where any mention is made of such Chains And Pagnin assureth us from three of the Hebrew Rabbits that the word properly signifies Chains made of Gold or precious Stones joined with a thread together By this time you may easily understand the Proposition the sense of which according to this explication is The Spouse of Christ whether by her we understand the Church which is a body made up of several believers or a particular believer is not only inwardly comely and beautiful in respect of those habits of grace by which she is made as the Psalmist expresseth it all glorious within but she is also visibly comely in her more external appearance by her orderly conversation according to the Laws of God which is as an Ornament or Chain of well set Jewels unto her and by her ready submitting her Neck to the yoke of Christs Commandments his several Precepts being like a Chain of Gold or precious stones about her neck This is enough for the explication the Child of God is not only inwardly but outwardly holy and his holiness is a great beauty to him Here are two things 1. The Child of God is not only inwardly but externally holy 2. This external holiness is to him a great beauty A Child of God hath a good heart but that 's not all he must live a good life this is a point exceeding obvious whether we consider 1. The Rule by which he walketh Or Secondly The influence that the heart hath upon the life Or 3. The example he is to follow Or 4. The Patterns of holy men upon Scripture record 5. Or the promises of God to whom they are made Or 6. The descriptions of good men in holy writ Or 7. The end which he serveth 1. If we consider the Divine rule it reacheth not the heart alone but the outward man Let your light so shine before men saith our Saviour that they may
see your good works Shew me thy saith by thy works faith James Faith without works is dead It were endless to reckon up the several Texts of Scripture by which God hath directed the Government of our Tongues our Eyes our Ears our Hands our Feet In short the several Precepts for good works are all proofs of this 2. It must be so if we consider what influence the heart and will affections have upon our whole outward man commanding all the outward members out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh from the dictates of the heart the Eye looketh the hand moveth the mouth speaketh the Feet turn this or that way So that if the Tree be good the fruit must be good also the Fig-tree brings not forth thistles nor the Vine thorns A naughty tongue eye hand foot is a certain indication of a corrupt and naughty heart 3. The â—â—liever is made conformable to Christ He went up and down doing good finishing the work which his Father had given him to do glorifying his Father on Earth doing his will manifesting his name no guile was found in his mouth no iniquity in his hand No iniquity towards God no unrighteousness towards men 4. See the Patterns of holy men upon Scriptural record Abraham and David all the holy Servants of God you will find their holiness did not lye only in the obedience of their heart but of their whole external converse a strict walking with God in obedience to his will 5. Observe the promises of God they are not onely made to Faith and Love and the more inward habits of the mind but to external acts such as Prayer hearing the Word Sanctification of the Sabbath shewing mercy to the poor doing justly walking righteously 6. The descriptions of holy men also make out this They are described to be men fearing God and eschewing evil walking in the Commandments of God Working righteousness all which expressions signify that a believer must not only be internally holy but externally so also Lastly the end which they serve shews also a necessity of it they are lights to inlighten the World and therefore they must not be hid under bushels They are Salt to season the World and therefore must be exposed to their use their end is to glorify God before men which cannot be without an external as well as an internal holiness thus the first thing appeareth I have passed over these things easy enough to have been extended into a much larger discourse Because it is a point so exceeding obvious and indeed agreed by all men The 2d thing is that holiness is a believers beauty it is so in the Eyes of Christ which is here spoken of Nor is this of any thing more difficult demonstration then the other What is that which we call beauty but an amiable external appearance of a Person arising from a Symmetry of parts a due mixture and Proportion of colours in conformity to some Original Pattern or Idea A Christians Original Pattern is God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be you holy at your Heavenly Father is holy As I am holy saith the holy Writ What can be a Christians beauty but his conformity to God and that amiableness which ariseth from that All Spiritual beauty is to be measured from the symmetry of the Soul to the divine law That which makes the Soul amiable to God and to all those who are like God This is holiness But I shall sum up all in some few Words of application I shall first observe from hence two or three Corollaries for our instruction then close all with a few words of exhortation Observe then That it is not enough for one that owneth the name of a believer to glory in a good inside There goeth a good outside as well as a good inside to make up a good Christian There are 2 Sorts of hypocrites and I am at loss with my self to determine which is worst The first sort glory in appearance but not in reality The Pharisees were of this Sort they were painted Sepulchers they made clean the outside of the platter of this Sort are men that pretend much to acts of devotion praying fasting hearing and acts of righteousness toward men and perhaps charity but are without any true faith in God or love to God full of malice and envy and cruelty and covetousness these are Pharisaical Hypocrites The 2d are such as will pretend to a good inside but they have a bad outside These men bite and devour their brethren lye and cheat and defraud and oppress neglect duties of Religion c. And yet tell you they have a good heart they have faith in God Love to God c. Thou Hypocrite shew me thy faith by thy works thy pretended Love to God by thy keeping his commandments Truly of the two these are the worst they pretend to holiness but which way will you look for it What notion of holiness have these men taken up Will you look for it in their conscientious constant attendance upon duties of publick Worship there you see their places empty or if they be filled observe their behaviour they are prating or sleeping or sporting or with their Eyes compassing the whole congregation Will you look for it in their private families There it may be you may hear the voice of Cursing or Swearing or reviling but the voice of Praying of reading the Word of those that sing praise unto God is seldom or never heard in their Houses Will you look for their holiness in their behaviour toward men you shall there find neither Justice nor Charity cheating defrauding Oppression cruelty hard-hearted behaviour c. Yet they will tell you they have good hearts Either now these men have Souls not like other mens Souls that have no command of their tongues and hands c. Or else they speak falsely I say these are of all others the Vilest Hypoerites 1. Because they have nothing good the first mentioned do some good things materially good they read fast pray walk justly give alms But these wretches have nothing do nothing at all that is good There is nothing good in their lives and that assureth us there 's nothing good in their hearts 2. These men do much more hurt then others do these are they that cause the name of God to be Blaâ—â—â—emed and evil spoken of Brethren be not deceived they are fifty men that you can impose upon but you cannot impose upon that God who searcheth the heart tryeth the reins Let none be deceived by the pretences of these Hypocrites The Spouse of Christ hath beautifull Cheeks and a beautiful Neck as well as a beautiful inside her Cheeks are comely betwixt rows of Jewels She hath a Chain of gold upon her Neck The laws and instructions of her Heavenly Father are an Ornament to her head and a Chain upon her Neck She durst not before men dishonour God Let this be the first
particular Soul is But God himself supplieth that place Now The Word and Ordinances of the Gospel though they be not Anima Mundi the Soul of the World Yet they are Anima Eâ—clesiae as it were the Soul of the Church of God without which the Church would be no such thing as the Church of the Living God They are those things which make the Church to be a Church and the whole Church to be but one Church Let this therefore engage every Christian to prize the Word and to prize the Ordinances of the Gospel That 's the first Branch Hence in the second place you may observe what is a sad Symptom of a decaying Church and by this you may also discern a lame and imperfect Church Look as in a Building there are some more principal Beams and pieces of Timber without which there can be no House no Building Others that are integral parts without which the Building is not compleat yet the House may be an House though lame and imperfect So it is in this case without the Doctrine of Faith and some Ordinances of Worship the Church is no Church If any part of the Doctrine of Faith be wanting or corrupted in a Church the Church is however true yet lame and imperfect Suppose a Church wholly want some Ordinances as some do the Ordinances of Ecclesiastical Censures yet they are not by this made no Church if they have the Doctrine of Faith and some Ordinances of Worship much less ought a Church to be so censured for the temporary want or suspension of the Exercise of some Ordinances which was the case of the Jewish Church in the Wilderness as to Circumcision but yet the Church that wanteth such Ordinances is imperfect and lame And again I say this is a sad Symptom of a decaying Church when either the Doctrine of Faith or Ordinances of Worship are denied or corrupted in it for these are the Beams and Rafters of the House and every one grants that House to be a decaying declining House where the Beams and Rafters are rotten We need no further Evidence of this than what we have in God's Epistles to the seven Churches of Asia recorded by St. John in the second and third Chapters of the Revelation The Church of Smyrna was a decaying Church The Doctrine of Balaam and of the Nicolaitans was holden in it The Church of Thyatira was a decaying Church for the Woman Jezebel taught and seduced the Servants of God in it And but a while after these Rafters and Beams being decayed these Houses of God fell and to this very day lie in their rubbish From that time that Jeroboam set up the Calves at Dan and Bethel and the Kings of Judah set up Altars in Groves the Church of the Jews was a declining decaying Church and the Rulers of it and Members of it having no heart timely to repair and reform it the House fell It is true God raised it again after the Captivity but it decaying the second time fell and lies buried in its Ruines this day Thirdly From this Notion may be drawn a great argument both for unity and uniformity Vnity in matters of faith Vniformity in matters of practice The Doctrine of unity in the Church of the Gospel is exceedingly pressed in Scripture scarce is there any one of the Epistles of the Apostles in which it is not again and again pressed Be of one mind there is a double union which is our duty to labour after The first is unit as fidei the unity of faith as to the understanding The second is unit as Charit at is quoad affectum the unity of Love and Charity as to the affections The latter of these hath been highly pleaded for in these sinful and wofully divided times and indeed never more need of it but it hath not been duly considered that considering the corrupt state of man The former union must be the Mother of the latter For as all love is founded in some similitude so this love and affection where it hath any where grown up to its due heighth we shall find hath been founded in the similitude of understanding and de facto it is evident that amongst Christians of different persuasions in the things of God there hath seldom been an intireness of cordial affection Indeed these things ought not to be therefore I do not Commend them nor yet blame the exhortation of brethren of divided Principles to an union in affection forbearing one another where all things have not been alike revealed to all but such is the corruption of our natures that this is rather optandum then sperandum to be wished for rather than hoped for if there could be unity in Judgment and uniformity in practice which the Apostle calls a thinking and a speaking the same things the other union of affection would follow more readily O let us labour for this There is but one truth but one true rule of Worship This Doctrine these rules are contained in the Word of God these are the Beams and Rafters of the Church and if the same Beams and Rafters run through the whole Church and be upon every part of the roof we may expect that the building should be strong and durable on the other side the difference of these Beams and Rafters whiles one Church holds one thing in maâ—ter of faith another Church holdeth another thing nay whiles one particular Christian believes one thing another Christian believes another thing whiles this Church or this Christian Worships God after one way and order another Church or other Christians they Worship God after another way though indeed it is possible their differences may not be so great but they may yet agree in one and the same head the Lord Jesus Christ and so both parties differing may at lest be saved yea it may be their differences are not so great but there may be a just forbearing one of another provided all Christians were of equal understandings or that they rightly understood each other yet doubtless this breach of unity as to matters of Judgment in things relating to the Doctrine of Faith and breach of Vniformity as to matters of practice is a great weakening of the Church of God and much spoileth the beauty and glory of it O therefore study unity and study uniformity you strengthen the building by both these you weaken it by dividing or disagreeing at least to open notice It is to me very remarkable that St. Paul almost in every Epistle presseth these things and Phil. 4. 2. when but two women dissented he thought it worthy of his pains to persuade them to it I beseech Euodias and I beseech Syntyche that they be of the same mind in the Lord. Doest thou therefore O Christian differ from other Christians amongst whom thou livest in any matter of faith or in any matter of practice as to fellowship in Ordinances sit not down Satisfied but labour for this unity for
and from formality 300. it is the Christians Ornament 725 726. Arguments to persuade it 726 727. Horses why believers are compared to them to a company of them in Pharaohs Charrets 701 702 703 704. I. JEsuits Notion of Grace 269 270. Influence of God upon our natural and upon our Spiritual acts how different 763 764 765. Joy the Nature of it 398 399. The special Nature of Spiritual Joy 399 400. Christ the peculiar object of the believers Joy 404 405 406. The reasonableness of rejoicing in Christ 407 408 409. K. KIsses various used as various Indications 41 42. Kisses of Christs mouth what 44. 45. Knowledge the various degrees of it 178 179. The Kings sitting at his Table what it signifieth 761 762. What we are to do that we may keep Christ sitting at his Table 772 773. L. LEast tokens of Christs distinguishing love what 67 68. desirable to believers and why 69 70 71. all persuaded to value them 75 76. Looking on the Spouses blackness how far our duty how our sin 524 525 526 527 528. Vnkind lookings upon the Spouse because she is black reproved 529 530. Love to Christ in what seen 443 444. by what it may be discovered 450 451 452 601 602 603. How far it may be in an unbeliever 813 814. Love to Christ persuaded from his love to us 157 158 159 160. Loves of Christ what 148 149. proved better then wine 162 163 164. Love of God to man whether more commended from the Doctrine of Common or special grace 282 283 284. M. MErcies of several sorts distinguishing mercies what 58 59. Ministers of the Gospel how necessary 662 663. Murmurings for God's inequal distributions of special grace unreasonable why 386 387 388 389. Myrrh the several acceptations of it 777 778. A bundle of Myrrh what 778 779. Why Christ is compared to it 781 782 783. N. NAme of Christ what 54 216 217 218. How sweet 212 213 214. Whence its sweetness is 219 220. Neck of the Spouse what it signifieth 719. O. OYL its sacred and civil use 51 52 53. the met aphorical sense of it 52 53. pouring forth what it imports 54. Ordinance of the ministry how necessary 662 663. Ordinances the Beams and Rafters of Christs house 890 891. how properly so called 892. Why compared to Beams of Cedar 903 904. their beauty power durableness 900. what to conclude from hence 905. Ornaments of believers what 726. Excess in other Ornaments dissuaded 727 728. P. PErfection of Christians threefold 481 482. Pleasant what it signifies 861. How Christ is not only fair but pleasant 861 862 863. What rendreth him so 865 866. Prayer rightly ordered what 146 147 148. it is a mean of our communion with God 140 141 142. Sometimes presently answered 345 346 347. What Prayers usually meet with such answers 348 349. Prayers of faith what 349 350 351. what to be done when we have not a present answer of our Prayers 368 369 370. Prayers heard a cause of joy and rejoycing in Christ 410 411. How to discern an answer of Prayer 420. 421 422. Special Presence of God what 375 376 377. Presumption no saith 296. R. REsisting divine grace how far there may be or not be 258 259 the great danger of such resistance 308 309 310. Rejoycing in Christ our duty how to be discerned 413 414. Persuaded by Arguments 416 417. Remembrance of Christ and his loves what it importeth 424 425 426 427. Why our duty 428. Who come short of it 429 430 431 432. The duty persuaded 433 434. Directed 435 436. Repetitions of Christs Love to Souls why used 823 824. Why not to all Souls alike 825 826. Returns of Prayer sometimes very quick 345 346. In what cases usually 348 349. Rows of Jewels and Chains about the Spouse what they signify 719 720. Running after Christ what it implies 242 243 244. 318 319 320. Many run not 327 328. S. SCripture rule compared with other rules 675 676. Scandal and sin the two great objects of believers fears 627 628. The Nature and difference of Scandals 628 629. why to be feared 630 631. Shepherds Tents what they signify 670 671. By what Shepherds Tents we are to feed our kids 673 674. How to know the true Shepherds Tents 680 681 682 683. Smell of grace what and whence 752 753. How to be promoved 759 760. Smells of wicked men what 754 755. Solomon what he was 18 19. whether he sinned in marrying Pharaohs Daughter 19 20. whether his Apostacy was total and final Opinions and Arguments on either side 21 22 23 24. That it was not total nor final proved 22 23 24. In what order he wrote his books 27. Song of Solomon of Divine Authority Objections answered 28 29 30. The Nature of the Song 32. Why called the Song of Songs Spirit how it teacheth and how by it we have communion with God 108 109 110 111. Special favours of God what 172 173. Sweetness of Christ to a Believer 785 786 787 788 789. T. TIme for mercy set how to know God's set time 353 354 355. V. VAriety of Divine Grace 81 82. Valuing of Christ's Loves an excellent Argument when it can be used in truth in our Applications to God 188 189. None but Believers can use it 193 194 195. Means to bring our Souls to a due value of Christ 196 197. Vineyard what the Church's Vineyard is 580 581. What the particular Christian's Vineyard is 578. How Both are to be kept 581. Not duly keeping our own Vineyards the cause of our blackness 585. Tht due keeping them persâ—aded 587 588 589. Virgins who 55 223. Why Believers so called 223 224 225. Whence it is that they love Christ 445 446. Upright who 439 440 441. Those who are so love Christ they cannot but love him why 445 446. Unity persuaded 713 714. In what 895 896. Means to it 897 898. W. VVAnts of men what the principal 162 163 164. Willingness to a communion with God if true how to be judged 141 142. Arguments to persuade it 143 144. Wine in no notion to be compared with the Loves of Christ 165 166 167. How to know whether we do not prefer Wine to the Loves of Christ 170 171 172. Word of God its several parts 95. Communion with God in it three waies 94. Why desirable 97 98 99. Those who despise it reflected on 101 102 103. In what sense the Word of God is as the Beams and Rafters of the Church 893. The Beauty Power and Duration of the Word 904. Worldly Imployment a cause of the Spouses blackness why 571 572. Worship the Nature of it several Propositions about it 564 565. The sinfulness of corruptions in it 567 568 569. FINIS V. 2. Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth Of thy mouth Kisses pl. For thy loves are better then Wine V. 3. Because of the savour of thy good Ointments thy name is as an ointment poured forth Therefore do the Virgins love thee V.
a foundation for those scandals which arise in it and are thrown upon it from which it appeareth black Lastly You that are the sincerer part of the Church and have heard that you must expect that your Mothers Children should be angry with you that there should be some bad fish in the drag-net with the good some Tares in Christs Field of Wheat some that will be spots in your Assemblies and that these if they do not make you black yet will make you appear black what remaineth but that you take care that neither the lusts of your own hearts which are in a sense your Mothers Children make you black nor the opposition that you will meet with from such as are false Brethren make you appear more black then indeed you are This care of yours must be shewed 1. In a watchfulness against your motions to sin especially such sins as are your proper lusts the sins which do most easily beset you 2. In a mortifying of your Members 3. In a care that you be not unwarrantably disturbed and unduly disquieted because of the opposition which you find srom the law of your Members 4. In a maintaining the Spiritual Combate c. 5. In an innocent and inoffensive carriage in your stations that those who would speak evil of you as evil doers may see your good works and glorify your heavenly Father for so saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2. 15. is the will of God that with well doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolishmen in avoiding unnecessary divisions and separations we ought to walk with all that own the name of Christ as far as the Shooes of the Gospel will carry us where we cannot walk with any who call themselves Christians and walk with Christ that is keep to the rule and law which he hath given us there we must part and the offence lieth on their parts who give the cause of it but otherwise we ought to keep Unity Finally in a peaceable and quiet departing from them with whom we cannot agree I know all this will not avoid the unreasonable anger of some of our Mothers Children but by doing this we shall remove the stumbling stone and rock of offence from our own doors they will be those by whom offences come and the woe pronounced by our Saviour will belong to them Sermon XXXIX Cant. 1. 6. They made me the Keeper of the Vineyards THE Spouse is yet apologizing for her Blackness of which she assigneth four Causes 1. Her afflictions The Sun saith she hath looked upon me 2. Her opposition both from within and without My mothers Children were angry with me These I have discoursed and come now to the third Cause assigned by her expressed in these words They made me the Keeper of the Vineyards They that is my Mothers Children before mentioned made me the Keeper of the Vineyards In my Explication of the Text I hinted a double sense of the words the one literal the other metaphorical In the former it signified her intanglement in secular affairs Keeping the Vineyards is a secular imployment a mean imployment and a laborious imployment Thence you read that the General of the Assyrian Army 2 King 25. 12. left of the poor of the Land to be the Dressers of the Vineyards and those in the Parable who had laboured in the Vineyard told their Lord that they had born the heat of the day Thus the sense is I have been too much intangled in secular affairs that hath been the cause of my blackness 2. Others understand the term Vineyard in a metaphorical sense God useth the term to signifie his Church Isa 5. 1 2 3. As God hath a Vineyard so Idolaters and superstitious persons had their Vineyards Most Heathen Nations having some notions of a God have had some Worship of a Deity and wanting the guidance of holy Writ grew vain in their own imaginations hence came Idolatry and Superstition the Israelites having lived many years in Egypt and in their passage through the Wilderness conversing with the Moabites and Midianites and not driving out all the Canaanites out of the promised Land by converse with them learned to know and to serve their gods as you shall read in their whole story in the Books of Kings and Chronicles there being a corrupt as well as a sincerer part in the Jewish Church the corrupter part imposed upon the whole the Idolatrous and Superstitious Worship and Rites of these Nations This is the sense into which the Chaldee Paraphrast interpreteth these words I am not apt to think this the sense but more incline to the former yetâ—â— shall not wholly pass it over partly because the Chaldee Paraphrast is a very antient Interpreter and partly because that sense carries a truth in it Hence arise two Propositions Prop. 1. That a submission to false Worship and Superstitious Rites in the Service of God will make the Spouse of Christ appear black Prop. 2. That great entanglements in secular affairs will make the Spouse of Christ black I shall speak shortly to the first and more largely to the second which I rather think to be the sense The Church of God hath three things committed to her trust the Doctrine of the Gospel the Ordinances of Worship The Rules of Discipline The admission of corruption in any of these maketh a Church black as it is a breach of trust and a deviation from the Divine Rule This is sufficiently proved by the message Christ sent to the seven Churches of Asia He let the Church of Ephesus know that he had something against her because she had left her first love Rev. 2. 4. v. 13. He reflecteth upon the Church of Pergamus because she had those in her who held the Doctrine of Balaam and of the Nicolaitans v. 20. He reflecteth on the Church of Thyatira for suffering the woman Jezabel to seduce the Servants of God to commit fornication and to eat things offered to Idols Nor is any thing plainer in the whole story of the Jewish Church than that the admission of corruption in the Worship and Order of that Church was that which made it black and defiled and look unlovely in the Eyes of God and was at last the cause of its ruine and destruction But because Christians may not so distinctly understand either wherein the Nature of Worship lies or wherein the difference lieth betwixt that which is true and false I shall in a few Conclusions lay down what I conceive to be truth in this case and then pass on to the handling of the Proposition arising from the other sense of the words 1. Worship is an homage performed to God immediately in consideration of his Excellency This is Aquinas's and other of the Schoolmens notion about Worship and it is a very good one 2. This homage is either the homage of the outward or inward man The homage of the inward man lieth in the exercises of our Faith Love Fear the exercise of