be spoke too much of for 't is Vnspeakable nor too much magnified for it is Glorious To Evidence the truth of this and to confirme his Brethren in the experienc'd knowledge of it he expresses here more particularly and distinctly the causes of this their Joy which are 1. The Object or Matter of it 2. The Apprehension and appropriation of that Object which two conjoyn'd are the entire cause of all Rejoyceing The Object is Jesus Christ verse 8. And the Salvation purchased by him verse 9. For these two cannot be sever'd and these two Verses that speak of them require as is evident by their connexion to be considered together 2. The apprehension of these 1. set forth negatively not by bodily sight 2. Positively whereas that might seem to abate the certainâ—y and liveliness of their Rejoyceing that 't is of things they had not seen nor do yet see that is abundantly made up by three for one each of them more excellent then the meer bodily sight of Christ in the flesh which many had which were never the better by 't the three are those three prime Christian Graces Faith Love and Hope The two former in ver 8. the 3 d. in ver 9. Faith in Christ begetting Love to him and both these giving assured Hope of salvation by him making it as certian to them as if it were already in their hand and they in possession of it And from all those together results this Exultation or leaping for joy Ioy unspeakable and full of Glory This is that one thing that so much concerns us and therefore we mistake very far and forget our own highest interest too much when we either speak or hear of it slightly and apply not our hearts to it What is it that all our thoughts and endeavours drive at What means all that we are doing in the World tho we take several wayes to it and wrong wayes for the most part yea such wayes as lead not to it but set us further off from it yet that which we all seek after by all our labour under the Sun is something that may be matter of Contentment and rejoycing to us when we have attain'd it now here it is and in vain is it sought for elsewhere And for this end 't is represented to you that it may be yours if ye will entertain it not only that you may know this to be a truth that in Jesus Christ is laid up true Consolation and Rejoyceing that he is the Magazine and Treasury of it but that you may know how to bring him home into your hearts and lodge him there and so to have the spring of Joy within you That which gives full joy to the Soul must be something that is higher and better then it self in a word he that made it can only make it glad after this manner with unspeakable and glorious joy but the Soul remaining guilty of Rebellion against him and unreconcil'd cannot behold him but as an Enemy any belief that it can have of him while 't is in that posture is not such as can fetch Love and Hope and so Rejoycing but such as the Faith of devils produceth only begetting terrour and trembling but the light of his Countenance shining in the face of his Son the Mediator glads the heart and 't is the looking upon him so that causeth the soul to Believe and Love and Hope and Rejoyce Therefore the Apostle Eph. 2. In his description of the estate of the Gentiles before Christ was preach'd to them joynes these together without Christ that was the cause of all the rest therefore without comfort in the Promises without Hope and without God in the world So he is here by our Apostle exprest as the object In all these therefore he is the matter of our Joy because our Faith and Love and Hope of Salvation The Apostle writing to the dispersed Jewes many of whom had not known nor seen Christ in the flesh commends their Love and Faith for this reason that it did not depend upon bodily sight but was pure and spiritual and made them of the number of those that our Saviour himselfe pronounces blessed who have not seen and yet believe You saw him not when he dwelt amongst men and walked to and fro Preaching and working Miracles Many of those that did then hear and see him believed not yea they scoff'd and hated and persecuted him and in the end Crucified him you that have seen none of all those things yet having heard the Gospel that declares him you have believed Thus Observe the working or not working of Faith doth not depend upon the difference of the external Ministry and gifts of Men for what greater difference can there be that way than betwixt the Master and the Servants betwixt the great Prophet himself and his weak sinful Messengers and yet many of those that saw and heard him in Person were not converted believ'd not in him and thousands that never saw him were converted by his Apostles and as it seems even some of those that were some way accessory to his death yet were brought to Repentance by this same Apostles Sermon Act. 2. Learn then to look above the outward Ministry and any difference that in Gods dispensation can be there and know that if Jesus Christ himself were on Earth and now Preaching amongst us yet might his incomparable words be unprofitable to us not being mix'd with faith in the bearers But where that is the meanest despisable conveyance of his Message received with humility and affection will work blessed Effects Whom not seeing yet believeing Faith elevates the Soul not only above sense and sensible things but above Reason it selfe as reason corrects the Errours that sense might occasion So supernatural Faith corrects the Errours of natural Reason judging according to Sense The Sun seems less then the wheel of a Chariot but Reason teaches the Philosopher that 't is much bigger then the whole Earth and the cause why it seems so little is its great distance The Naturally wise man is as far deceiv'd by this carnal Reason in his estimate of Jesus Christ the â—un of Righteousness and the cause is the same his great distance from him as the Psalmist speaks of the wicked Psal. 10.5 Thy Iudgements are far above out of his sight He accounts Christ and his Glory a smaller matter then his own Gain Honour or Pleasure for these are near him and he sees their quantity to the full and counts them bigger yea far more worth then they are indeed but the Apostle St. Paul and all they that are enlightened by the same Spirit they know by Faith which is divine Reason that the Excellency of Jesus Christ far surpasses the worth of the whole Earth and all things earthly Phil. 3.7.8 To give a right assent to the Gospel of Christ is Impossible without divine and saving Faith infused in the Soul to believe that the Eternal Son of God cloath'd himselfe with humane
God was given to be tasted in the promises before the coming of Christ in the flesh But being accomplish'd in his coming then was the sweetness of grace made more sensible Then was it more fully broacht and let out to the Elect world when he was pierc'd on the Cross and his blood poured out for our redemption Through those holes of his wounds way we draw and taste that the Lord is gracious sayes S. August 2. Taste There is a tasting of temporary believers spoke of Heb. 6.4 Their highest sense of spirituall things and it will be in some far higher than we easily think yet is but a taste and is call'd so in comparison of the truer fuller sense that true believers have of the grace and goodness of God which compar'd with temporary taste is more than tasting the former is tasting rather an imaginary tast then real but this is a true feeding on the graciousness of God yet call'd but a tast in respect of the fulness to come though it is more than a tast as you difference it from the hypocrites sense yet 't is no more but a tast compar'd with the great marriage feast we look for Jesus Christ being all in all unto the soul faith apprehending him is all the spirituall senses it is the eye that beholds his matchless beauty and so enkindles love in the soul and can speak of him as having seen him and taken particuliar notice of him Cant. 5.9 'T is the eare that discernes his voyce Cant. 2.8 'T is faith that smells his name poured forth as an ointment faith it touches him and draws vertue from him and faith that tastes him Cant. 2.3 And here If ye have tasted c. There must be 1. a firme believing the truth of the promises wherein the free Grace of God is exprest and exhibited to us 2. A particular application or attraction of that grace to our selves which is as the drawing those breasts of consolation namely the promises contain'd in the old and new Testament 3. There is a sense of the sweetness of that grace being applied or drawn in to the soul and that is properly this tast No unrenewed Man hath any of these in truth not the highest kind of temporary believer he cannot have so much as a real lively assent to the generall truth of the promises for had he that the rest would follow but as he cannot have the least of these in truth he may have the counterfit of them all not only of assent but application yea and a false spiritual joy arising on it and all these so drawn to the life that they may resemble much the truth of them and to give clear characters of difference is not so easie as most imagine but doubtless the true living faith of a Chiristian hath in it self such a particular stamp as brings with it it s own evidence when the soul is clear and the light of Gods face shines upon it Indeed in the dark we cannot read nor distinguish one mark from another but when a Christian hath light to look upon the work of God in his own soul although he cannot make another sensible of that by which he knows it yet he himself is ascertain'd and can say confidently in himself this I know that this faith and â—ast of God I have is true the seal of the spirit of God is upon it and this is the reading of that new name in the white stone that no Man knowes but he that hath it There is in a true Believer such a constant love to God for himself and continual desire after him simply for his own excellency and goodness that no other can have On the other side would an Hypocrite deal truly and impartialy by himself he would readily find out something that would discover him more or less to himself but the truth is Men are willing to deceive themselves and thence arises the difficulty One Man cannot make another sensible of the sweetness of Divine Grace he may speak to him of it very excellently but all he sayes in that kind is an unknown language to a natural Man he hath many good words but he cannot tell what they mean The natural Man tastes not the things of God for they are spiritually discern'd A Spiritual Man himself doth not fully conceive this swetness that he tastes of 't is an infinite Goodness and he hath but a taste of it the Peace of God is a main fruit of this his goodness it passeth all understanding sayes the Apostle not only all natural understanding as some modifie it but all understanding even the supernatural understanding of those that enjoy it and as the Godly Man cannot conceive it all so that which he conceives he cannot express it all and that which he doth express the carnal mind cannot conceive of it by his expression But he that hath indeed tasted of this goodness O how tastless are those things to him that the World call's sweet as when you have tasted somewhat that is very sweet it disrelisheth other things after it Therefore can a Christian so easily either want or use with disregard the delights of this earth His heart is not upon them for the delight that he finds in it God carryeth it unspeakably away from all the the rest makes them in comparison seem sapless to his tast Salomon tasted of all the delicacies the choisest dishes that are in such esteem amongst Men and not only tasted but eat largly of them and yet see how he goes over them to let us know what they are and passes from one dish to another this also is vanity and of the next this also is vanity and so through all and of all in general All is vanity and vexation of Spirit or feeding on the Wind as the word may be rendred 3. We come in the third place to the Inference If ye have tasted c. Then lay aside all Malice and guile and Hipocrisies and Envies and all evil speakings Verse 1. For it looks back to the whole Exhortation sure if you have tasted of that kindness and sweetness of God in Christ it will compose your spirits and conform them to him it will diffuse such a sweetness through your soul that there will be no place for malice and guile There will be nothing but love and meekness and singleness of heart therefore they that have bitter malitious Spirits evidence they have not tasted of the love of God as the Lord is good so they that taste it are made like him Eph. 4.32 Be ye kind one to another tender hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ sake hath forgiven you Again if ye have tasted then desire more and this is the truest sign of it he that is in a continual hunger and thirst after this graciousness of God sure he hath tasted of it My soul thirsteth for God saith David he had tasted before Verse 4. he remembers that he went to the
through Iesus Christ our Lord. and St. Paul expresses it in his Salutations that are the same with this Grace and Peace from God the Father and our Lord Iesus Christ. As the free Love and Grace of God appointed this means and way of our Peace and Offered it So the same Grace applies it and makes it Ours and gives us faith to apprehend it And from our sense of this Peace or Reconcilement with God arises that which is our inward Peace a calm and quiet temper of Mind This Peace that we have with God in Christ Is Inviolable but because the sense and perswasion of it may be interrupted the soul that is truly at Peace with God may for a time be disquieted in it self through weakness of Faith or the strength of Temptation or the Darkness of desertion losing sight of that Grace that Love and Light of Gods Countenance on which its Tranquillity and Joy depends Thou hid'st thy face saith David and I was troubled but when these Eclipses are over the Soul is revived with new Consolation as the face of the Earth is renewed and made to smile with the return of the Sun in the Spring and this ought alwayes to uphold Christians in the saddest times viz that the Grace and Love of God towards them depends not on their sense nor upon any thing in them but is still in it selfe incapable of the smallest alteration 'T is Natural to Men to desire their own Peace the Quietness and Contentment of their Minds but most Men miss the way to it and therefore find it not for there is no way to 't indeed but this One wherein few seek it viz. Reconcilement and Peace with God The perswasion of that alone makes the Mind clear and serene like your fairest Summer Dayes My peace I give you saith Christ not as the world Let not your hearts be troubled All the Peace and Favour of the World cannot calm a troubled heart but where this Peace is that Christ gives all the trouble and disquiet of the world cannot disturb it When he giveth quietness who then can make trouble and when he hideth his face who then can behold him whether it be done against a Nation or against a man only See also for this Psal. 46.123 All outward distress to a mind thus at Peace is but as the ratling of the Hail upon the Tiles to him that sits within the House at a sumptuous Feast A good Conscience is called so and with an advantage that no other Feast can have nor could men endure it A few hours of feasting will weary the most profest Epicure but a Conscience thus at Peace is a continual Feast with continual unwearied delight What makes the World take up such a prejudice against Religion as a sour unpleasant thing they see the Afflictions and griefs of Christians but they do not see their Joyes the inward pleasure of mind that they can possess in a very hard Estate Have you not tryed other wayes enough hath not He tried them that had more ablility and skill for 't then you and found them not only vanity but vexation of Spirit If you have any belief of holy Truth pâ—t but this once upon the tryal seek Peace in the way of Grace This inward Peace is too precious a Liquor to be poured into a filthy Vessel a holy Heart that gladly entertains grace shall find that it and Peace cannot dwell assunder An ungodly Man may sleep to Death in the Lethargy of Carnal Presumption and Impenitency but a true lively solid Peace he cannot have There is no Peace to the wicked saith my God Isa 57.21 And if He say there is none speak Peace who will if all the World with one voice would speak it it shall prove none 2 ly Consider the Measure of the Apostles desire for his Scattered Brethren that this Grace and Peace may be Multiplyed This the Apostle wisheâ— for them knowing the Imperfection of the Graces and Peace of the Saints while they are here below and this they themselves in sense of that Imperfection daily do desire They that have tasted the sweetness of this Grace and Peace call uncessantly for more This is a disease in Earthly Desires and a disease incurable by all these things desired there is no satisfaction attainable by them but this Avarice of Spiritual things is a Vertue and by our Saviour is called Blessedness because it tends to Fullness and Satisfaction Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Righteousness for they shall be filled Mat. 5.6 Verse 3 4. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who according to his abundant Mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Iesus Christ from the dead To an Inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fadeth not away 'T Is a cold lifeless thing to speak of spiritual things upon meer Report but they that speak of them as their own as having share and interest in them and some experience of their sweetness their discourse of them is enlivened with firm belief and ardent affection They cannot mention them but their hearts are straight taken with such gladness as they are forc'd to vent in praises Thus our Apostle here and St. Paul Eph. 1. and often elsewhere when they consider'd these things wherewith they were about to comfort the Godly to whom they wrote They were suddenly Elevated with the Joy of them and broke forth into Thanksgiving So teaching us by their Example what real Joy there is in the Consolations of the Gospel and what praise is due from all the Saints to the God of those Consolations This is such an Inheritance as the very thoughts and hopes of it are able to sweeten the greatest Griefs and Afflictions What then shall the Possession of it be wherein there shall be no Rupture nor the least drop of any grief at all The main Subject of these veâ—ses is that which is the main Comfort that supports the Spirits of the Godly in all Conditions I. Their after Inheritance in the 4 verse 2. Their present Title to it and assured hope of it v. 3. 3dly The immediate cause of both assigned viz. Iesus Christ. 4ly All this derived from the free Mercy of God as the first and highest Cause and return'd to his Praise and Glory as the last and highest End of it For the First The Inheritance But because the 4th verse which describes it is link't with the subsequent we will not go so far off to return back again but first speak to this 3 verse and in it Consider 1. Their Title to this Inheritance Begotten again 2. Their assurance of it viz. A holy or lively Hope The Title that the Saints have to their rich Inheritance is of the validest and most unquestionable kind viz. by Birth Not by their first natural birth By it we are all born to an Inheritance indeed but we find what it is Eph. 2.3 Children of Wrath Heirs
flesh and dwelt amongst Men in a Tabernacle like theirs and suffered death in the flesh that he who was Lord of Life hath freed us from the sentence of Eternal Death that he broke the bars and chains of Death and rose again that he went up into Heaven and there at the Fathers right hand sits in our flesh and that glorified above the Angels This is the great Mistery of Godliness And a part of this Mistery is that he is Believed on in the World 1 Tim. 3.16 This Natural Men may discourse of and that very knowingly and give a kind of natural Credit to 't as to a History that may be true but firmly to believe that there is divine Truth in all these things and to have a perswasion of it stronger then of the very things we see with our eyes such an assent as this is the peculiar work of the spirit of God and is certainly saving Faith The Soul that so believes cannot chuse but Love 't is commonly true the Eye is the ordinary door by which Love enters into the Soul and it is true in this Love though t is denied of the Eye of sense yet you see 't is ascrib'd to the Eye of Faith though you have not seen him you Love him because you believe Which is to see him spiritually Faith indeed is distinguish'd from that Vision that is in Glory but it is the Vision of the Kingdom of Grace 't is the Eye of the New Creature that quicksighted Eye that pierces all the Visible Heavens and sees above them that looks to things that are not seen 2 Cor. 4.18 And is the evidence of things not seen Heb. 11.1 that sees him that is invisible v. 27. 'T is possible that one may be much Lov'd upon the report of their worth and Vertues and upon a Picture of them lively drawn before sight of the party so commended and represented but certainly when they are seen and found answerable to the former it raises the Affection that it first begun to a far greater height We have the report of the perfections of Jesus Christ in the Gospel yea so clear a description of him that it gives a picture of him and that together with the Sacraments are the only lawful and the only lively pictures of our Saviour Gal. 3.1 Now this Report Faith believes and beholds this picture and so lets in the Love of Christ to the Soul but further it gives a particular experimental knowledge of Christ and acquaintance with him It causes the Soul find all that is spoken of him in the Word and his beauty there represented to be abundantly true makes it really taste of his sweetness and by that possesses the heart more strongly with his Love perswading it of the truth of those things not by reasons and arguments but by an Inexpressible kind of Evidence that they only know that have it Faith perswades a Christian of these two things that the Philosopher gives as the causes of all Love Beauty and Propriety the Loveliness of Christ in himself and our interest in him The former it effâ—ctuaâ—s not only by the first apprehending and believing of those hâ—s Excellencies and Beauty but by frequent beholding of him and Eyeing him in whom all Perfection dwells and looks so ofâ— on him till it sets the very Impression of his Image as it were upon the Soul that it can never be blotted out and forgot The latter it doth by that particular Uniting Act which makes him our God and our Saviour Ye Love The distinctions that some make of Love need not be taken as of differing kinds but different actings of the same Love by which we may try our so much pretended Love of Christ which in truth is so rarely found There will then be in this Love if it be right these three qualities Goodwill Delight and Desire 1. Goodwill earnest wishing and as we can promoting Gods Glory and stirring up others so to do They that seek more their own things then the things of Jesus Christ more their own Praise and Esteem then His are strangers to this divine Love-For it seeks not her own things This bitter Root of self-love is most hard to pluck up this strongest and sweetest Love of Christ alone doth it actually though gradually This Love makes the Soul as the lower Heaven slow in its own motion most swift in the motion of that first that wheels it about so the higher degree of Love the more swift It Loves the hardest tasks And greatest difficulties where it may perform God service either in doing or in suffering for him It is strong as death and many waters cannot quench it The greater the task is the more real is the testimony and expression of Love and therefore the more acceptable to God 2. There is in true Love a complacency and delight in God A Conformity to his will Loving what he Loves and studious of his will ever seeking to know more clearly what it is that is most pleasing to him contracting a likeness to God in all his actions by conversing with him frequent contemplating of God and looking on his beauty as the Eye lets in this Affection so it serves it constantly and readily looks that way that Love directs it thus the soul that is possess'd with this Love of Jesus Christ hath its eye much upon him thinks often on his former sufferings and present Glory the more it lookes upon Christ the more it loves and still the more it loves the more it delights to look upon him 3. There is in true Love a Desire for 't is but small beginnings and tastes of his Goodness that the soul hath here therefore 't is still looking out and longing for the day of Marriage the time is sad and wearisome and seems much longer then it is while 't is deteind here I desireâ— to be dissolved saith St. Paul and to be with Christ. God is the Sum of all things lovely thus excellenâ—ly Greg. Nazian expresseth himself Ovat 1. If I have any Possessions Health Credit Learning this is all the contentment I have of them that I have somewhat I may despise for Christ who is totus dâ—sâ—derâ—bilis totuâ— desiderabile And this Love is the sum of all he requires of us 't is that which makes all our meanest Services acceptable and without which all we offer to him is distasteful God doth not only deserve our Love by his matchless Excellency and Beauty but by his Matchless Love to us and that is the strongest Loadstone of Love He hath loved me saith the Apostle Gal. 2.20 How appears that in no less then this he hath given himself for me Certainly then there is no other Character of our Love then this to give our selves to him that hath so loved us and given himself for us This affection must be bestowed somewhere there is no Man but hath some prime choyce somewhat that is the predominant delight of his soul will it
enough and therefore upon the sight desired to have his eyes clos'd Now let thy Servant depart in Peace for my eyes have seâ—n thy salvation Therefore our Saviour sayes to his Apostles Math. 13.16 Blessed are your eyes for they see for many Prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see and have not seen them This is he whom we disesteem and make so small account of being now so clearly Revealed that they studied and sought and wish'd so much for so many ages before Now the sucess is in seeking they found the certainty and the time of that his coming they sought out till they found and then they prophesied of that Salvation and Grace they searched what and what manner of time and the Spirit did manifestly foretel it them They sought to know what manner of time it should come to pass viz. In a time of great distress and bad Estate of the People as all the Prophets testifie and particularly that place Gen. 49.10 gives an express character of the time though there be some diversity of Exposition of the particular words yet the main sense is agreed on by all sound Interpreters and the Chal. Parah hath it expresly that that Shiloh is the Messiah And of his sufferings and after glories they prophesied very clearly as Psal. 22. Isa. 53. c. And our Saviour himself makes use of their testimony in both these points S. Luke 24.25 26 27. Then there is the benefit of their search and finding in the extent of it in Verse 13. to the Believers in the Apostles times and to the succeeding Christian Church and so to us in these dayes but in some peculiar sense the Prophets ministred to them of those times wherein Christ did suffer and enter into glory for that they were the first that enjoyed the accomplishment of those Prophesies they being fulfilled in their own dayes They knew well that the things they Prophesied were not to be fulfilled in their own times and therefore in their Prophecying concerning them though both themselves and People of God that were contemporary with them did reap the comfort of that Doctrine and were by faith partakers of the same Salvation and so it was to themselves as well as to us yet in regard of the accomplishment they knew it was not to themselves it was not to be brought to pass in their dayes and therefore speaking of the Glory of Christs Kingdome they often foretel it for the Latter dayes as their phrase is And as we have the things they Prophesied of so we have this peculiar benefit of their Prophesies that their fuiting so perfectly with the event and performance serves much to confirm our Christian Faith There is a foolish and miserable way of verifying this Men ministring the Doctrine of Salvation to others and not to themselves carrying it all in their heads and tongues and none of it in their hearts not hearing it even while they Preach it reaching the Bread of Life to others and eating none of it themselves And this the Apostle sayes that he was most careful to avoid and therefore dealt severely with his body that it might not this way endanger his soul. I beat down my body sayes he and keep it in subjection lest when I have Preach'd to others I my selfe should be a Castaway 'T is not in this sense that the Prophets ministred to others and not to themselves No they had Joy and Comfort in the very hopes of the Redeemer to come and the belief of the things that any others had spoke and that themselves spoke concerning him and thus the true Preachers of the Gospel though their Ministerial gifts are for the use of others yet that Salvation they Preach they lay hold on and partake of themselves as your boxes wherein perfumes are kept for Garments and other uses are themselves perfum'd by keeping them We see how the Prophets Ministred it as the great and never failing Consolation of the Church in those dayes in all their distresses 't is a wonder when they are foretelling either the sorrowes and afflictions or temporal restorement and deliverances of that People of the Jewes what sudden outleaps they will make to speak of the Kingdome of Jesus Christ and the dayes of the Gospel that who considers not the spirit they were moved by would think it were Incoherence and Impertinency but they knew well what they meant that those newes were never unseasonable nor besides the purpose that the sweetness of those thoughts viz. The Consideration of the Messiah was able to such as belie'v'd it to allay the bitterest distresses and that the great deliverance he was to worke was the top and summe of all deliverances Thus their Prophecies of him were present Comfort to themselves and other believers then and further were to serve for a clear evidence of the divine truth of those Misteries in the dayes of the Gospel in and after their fulfilling These sweet streams of their Doctrine doe as the Rivers they made their own banks fertile and pleasant as it ran by and flowed still forward to after Ages and by the Confluence of more such Prophecies grew greater as it went till it fell in with the main current of the Gospel in the New Testament both acted and Preach'd by the great Prophet himselfe whom they foretold to come and recorded by his Apostles and Evangelists and thus united into one River clear as Crystall This doctrine of Salvation in the Scriptures hath still refresh'd the City of God his Church under the Gospel and still shall do so till it empty it self into the Ocean of Eternity The first discovery we have of this stream nearest its source the Eternall purpose of divine mercy is in that Promise which the Lord himself preach'd in few words to our first parents that had newly made themselves and their Race miserable The seed of the Woman shall break the head of the serpent Gen. 3.15 The agreement of their Predictions with the things themselves and the preaching of the Apostles following the other kind of Men employed in this Salvation make up one Organ or great Instrument Tun'd by the same hand and sounding by the same breath of the spirit of God and that is express'd here as the common Authority of the Doctrine in both and the cause of their harmony and agreement in it And all these extraordinary Gifts of the holy Ghost the Calling of Prophets and Apostles and Evangelists and the ordinary Ministry of the Gospel by pastors and Teachers tends to that great designe that God hath in building his Church making up that great assembly of all the Elect to enjoy and praise him for all Eternity Eph. 4.11 For this end sent he his Son out of his bosome and and for this end sends he forth his messengers to divulge that salvation that his Son hath wrought and sends down his spirit upon them that they may be fitted for so high a service Those
are reprov'd for it they say and possibly think so too I will take heed to my self I will be guilty of this no more and because they go no deeper they are many of them ensnared in the same kind again But however if they do never commit that same sin they do but change it for some other as a current of waters if you stop their passage one way they rest not till they find another The conversation can never be uniformly and entirely good till the fram of the heart the affections and desires that lodge in it be changed It is naturally an evil treasure of impure lusts and must in some kind vent and spend what it hath within 'T is to begin with the wrong end of your work to rectify the outside first to smooth the conversation and not first of all purge the heart Evil affections are the source of evil speeches and actions Whence are strifes and fightings sayes St. Iames are they not from your lusts which war in your members Unquiet unruly lusts within are the cause of the unquietnesses and contentions abroad in the world One Man will have his corrupt will and another his and thus they chock and justle one another and by the cross encounters of their purposes as flints meeting they strike out these Sparkes that set all on fire So then according to the order of the Apostles Exhortation the only true principle of all good and Christian conversation in the world is the mortifing of all earthly and sinfull lusts in the heart while they have possession of the heart they do clog it and straiten it towards God and his wayes it cannot walk constantly in them but when the heart is freed from them 't is enlarg'd and so as David speaks fits a Man not only to walk but to run the way of Gods commandements And without this freeing of the heart a Man will be at the best very uneven and incongruous in his ways one step like a Christian and another like a worldling which is an unpleasant and an unprofitable way not according to that word Psa. 18. Thou hast set my feet as hindes feet set them even as the word is not only swift but straight and even and that is the thing here requir'd the whole course and revolution of a Christian's life to be like himself and that it may be so the whole body of sin and all the memberâ— of it all the deceitful lusts must be crucified In the words there are 3. Things 1. One point of a Christians ordinary entertainment in the world is to be evil spokne of 2. Their good use of that evil to do the better for 't 3. The good end and certain effect of their so doing The glory of God 1. Whereas they speak against you as evil doers This is in the general the disease of Mans corrupt nature and argues much the baseness and depravedness of it this propension to evil speaking one of another either blotting the best actions with misconstructions or taking doubtful things by the left ear not chusing the most favourable but on the contrary the very harshest sense that can be put upon them Some Men take more pleasure in the narrow Eying of the true and real faults of Men and then speak of them with a kind of delight All these kind of evil speakings are such fruits as spring from that bitter root of pride and self-love which is naturaly deep fastened in every Mans heart But besides this general bent to evil speaking there is a particular malice in the world against those that are born of God which must have vent in calumnies and reproaches If this evil speaking be the hissing that is natural to the Serpents seed sure by reason of their natural antipathy it must be breath'd forth most against the seed of the Woman those that are one with Jesus Christ If the tongues of the ungodly be sharp swords even to one another they will whet them sharper than ordinary when they are to use them against the righteous to wound their name The evil tongue must be alwayes burning that is set on fire of hell as St. Iames speaks but against the Godly it will be sure to be heated seven times hotter than 't is for others Reasons of this are 1. Being naturaly haters of God and yet unable to reach him what wonder if their malice act it self against His Image in His Children and labour to blot and stain that all they can with the foulest calumnies 2. Because they are neither able nor willing themselves to attain unto the Spotless holy life of Christians they bemire them and would make them like themselves by false aspersions they cannot rise to the Estate of the Godly and therefore they endeavour to draw them down to theirs by detraction 3. The Reproaches they cast upon the Professors of Pure Religion they mean mainly against Religion it self and intend them to reflect upon it These evil speakings of the World against pious Men professing Religion are partly gross falshoods invented without the least ground or appearance of truth for the World being ever credulous of evil especially upon so deep a prejudice as it hath against the Godly the falsest and absurdest calumnies will alwayes find so much belief as to make them odious or very suspected at least to such as know them not this is the Worlds Maxime Lye confidently and it will alwayes do something As a Stone taken out of the Mire and thrown against a white Wall tho it stick not there but rebound presently back again yet it leaves a spot behind it And with those kind of evil speakings were the Primitive Christians surcharg'd even with gross and horrible falshoods as all know that know any thing of the History of those times even such things were reported of them as the worst of wicked Men would scarce be guilty of The Devil for as witty as he is makes use again and again of his old inventions and makes them serve in several ages for so were the Waldenses accused of inhumane banquetings and beastly promiscuous uncleanness and divers things not once to be named amongst Christians much less to be practised by them so that it is no new thing to meet with the Impurest vilest slanders as the Worlds reward of Holiness and the practice of pure Religion Then again Consider How much more will the wicked insult upon the least real blemishes that they can espy amongst the Professors of Godliness And in this there is a threefold injury very ordinary 1. Strictly to pry into and maliciously to object against Christians the smallest imperfections and frailties of their Lives as if they pretended and promis'd absolute perfection They do indeed exercise themselves such as are Christians indeed with St. Paul to keep a good Conscience in all things towards God and Men they have a regard unto all Gods Commandments as David speaks they have a sincere love to God which makes them study