suffer violence and the violent take it by force so that the kingdome of God is come into the hearts of all the elect of God when the soul uses a holy violence and the Lord does draw the heart to an entertainment of the Lord himself Many difficulties there be between them and Christ and yet they break through all This is the condition of all men by nature they are strangers to Christ and live without God and Christ in the world and Christ from them and so Satan takes possession and rules them and so men are under the kingdome of darknesse so that the divel himself possesses every natural man as the Apostle speaks he worketh in the children of disobedience and runne on so and remain so Now the Gospel of the kingdome and the means to advance Christ in his kingdome makes a free offer of Christ himself indeed it offers pardon grace mercy life glory but all these are in Christ himself and we possesse them by possessing and receiving of Christ himself as a poor woman hath all the wealth of the man by entertaining of the man So that the Gospel firstly and primarily offers Christ himself and faith doth pitch on Christ himself and doth open those everlasting doores that the King of glory may come in Iohn 1.12 't is said So many as received him he gave power to be the sonnes of God 1 Iohn 5.12 He that hath the son hath life so that now let a man refuse or reject the Lord himself as he is thus offered in the Gospel he does refuse the kingdome of the Lord and does refuse to be under the power of the Lord. True it may be said the kingdom of God hath been nigh to him when Christ is offered in the Gospel and God layes as it were nothing shall please me so much as this if thou dost receive me Luke 10. Go and preach to these and these Cities and if they will not receive you shake off the dust of your feet and let them know the kingdome of God hath been nigh to them then Christ comes into the soul when the whole soul takes the Lord for himself Christ and all that Christ hath Christ in a pardon and Christ in a promise at that very day the Lord gave the heart to receive him then is the kingdome of God come in that heart and with him all life peace joy and glory God Spirit and all Now the whole soul receives him when 1. The minde sees him in the glory of his grace that though it had low mean thoughts of Christ before for which it mournes yet the rising of this glorious Sun upon him he esteemes all things losse for him that he may win Christ and be found in Christ I in him and He in me in Vocation and not having my own righteousnesse in Justification And to feel the life of Christ and death also in sanctification and to attain to the resurrection of the dead in glorification and now nothing is dear to the soul but Christ 2. When the will after the soul hath had some hopes the Lord may look towards it in his grace and having had many heart-breaking teares before the Lord the Lord is now pleased by the glad tidings of the Gospel to give the will power not only to receive and entertaine the Lord but gladly to receive him The soul wonders that ever the Lord should bow down to him and offer mercy to him and when as together with this by the sweet savour of his Grace chat he doth let into the heart the soul doth receive the Lord with most dear imbracings into his soul that now there is none like to the Lord. Cant. 1.3 Thy name is like an oyntment poured out where the very feet of the messengers of glad tidings are beautiful But the Lord himself is the only crown and Joy of the soul when the least look of love to a cast-away is more sweet then kingdoms ay and much more that 's love it self Isaiah 52.9 Brtak forth into joy sing together ye Wast places of Jerusalem for the Lord hath comforted his People When kings shall stop their mouths as vile in themselves and not able to set forth that glory they never heard of before and the soul for Joy sells away all to buy this pearl that it sayes with David Hon do I love thy Lan Now beloved when the soul does thus receive the Lord the kingdome of God is come to that soul and therefore try and examine is it thus with you or hath the Lord begun to deal thus with thee to give himself the glory of Angels the wonderment of heaven the mighty God of heaven to come to thy heart thou art then under the government of the kingdome of God But now on the contrary if thou canst be content to receive the ordinances of Christ or the consolations of Christ or some of the commands of Christ and that is all and the Lord never gave thee a heart to close with Christ himself it 's a strange thing to thee that which is the main thing the Diamond in the Ring of the Gospel thou art yet farre enough off from the kingdome of God I dare not say nor think for all the world that ever the kindome of God came to thy heart Again if you have received Christ but not with thy whole soul that now the offer promises blood life grace glory in the Gospel are grown common things to thee that the Lord never sent thee home wondering at the glory of Gods grace to a poor wretch never yet said'st Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord the Lord never yet lay next thy heart or if thou hast had some liking and some love and affections in pangs yet the Lord is not only precious and exceeding dear in thy heart thy heart breaks not for grief that thou hast so much slighted him so little born him on thy heart It is a signe that the Lord hath begun to reveal himself to thy soul when he gives thee a heart to mourne for thy standing out against him but this never came to thy soul Certainly here is the wound of many men The Gospel of God never hath its proper effect till the Lord help thee to give thy whole heart thus to a Saviour to a God to the Prince of peace and till this is done the Gospel is ineffectual it doth nothing It was a sweet prayer of him Make thy Sonne dear very dear exceeding dear only dear and precious or not at all If thou hadst a thousand hearts it was too little for Christ to love him and do'st grudge him one when thou hast imparted thy heart and esteem to thy lusts and creature do'st thou love the Lord with part of thy heart but a vile lust a poor creature must have a share and the remnant will serve Christ is he not the only pearl of thy heart to give him daily communion no this thou art a stranger
to Hear ye despisers and wonder and perish God will Work a worke in your dayes What is that the infinit God cannot expresse as it were the wrath that shall come against such a soul nor I cannot expresse the wrath that shall come upon such a despiser of the Lord Jesus Give him all thy heart or none if thou hast the Lord thou hast his whole heart if he had had a thousand lives he would have laid them all down for thee He poured out his blood for every one of his but for the present thou art out of the Kingdom of God to this day 2. When the whole soul closeth with the whole will of Christ having thus received him for if a Prince become and people will not be ruled by him nor any lawes that he makes though never so good but what they list the Kingdome is cast off For beloved there is a marvellous common deceit in mens hearts they would not for all the world but have Christ ay but the will of Christ is neglected that is a clog and the burden of the Lord of hosts Christ is sweet and his will is bitter Christ is precious and his will is vile Why do you make him a King and ye will make lawes for Christ and you will rule Christ and his will shall not stand here is no King Such kinde of idle Libertines were in the Apostles time 1 Joh. 1.6 If we say We have fellowship with him and Walk in darkness we lie and there is no truth in us But now when the whole soul does submit to the whole will of the Lord now his Kingdome is come indeed when his will is thus sweet Dan. 7.27 His Kingdome is an everlasting Kingdome and all nations shall serve him and his servants ye are whom ye obey whether Christ the devil or your own hearts Now the whole will 1. Directing 2. Correcting now when the soul submits to both then Christ rules in his Kingdome sometime you meet with Christs directing will now this is mens frame naturally they will not see it they Will not come to the light John 3.20 they are led by their own counsel and will not regard the light and counsel of God in his word they will quarrel with the light when it is crosse to their ends gaine honour and the like men have high thoughts against the Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 10.5 Casting down imaginations and every high thought that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God And again if men do see it yet like the devil that has much light they do not love it nor out of love not unlesse it be out of fear subject to it like Balaam that had no love to Gods command but onely was acted by fear and constraint now when the soul continues thus it casts off Christs Kingdom but if the whole soule first comes to the light though it sees little sets the whole will of Christ before it Psal 18.22 saith David I have kept the wayes of the Lord and have not wickedly departed from my God and though it hath had many quarrellings against the truth of God yet now it hath not nor dares not but sayes Lord teach me the. Lord gives them hearts to lye down at the seet of any man that shall shew them any thing that is amisse in them and they say with David Lord search me and try me I have many crooked wayes and therefore good Lord finde them out and therefore come to the Lord for that end and though there be something in them that is desperately contrary to the good will of God yet there is an inward man that does delight in the law of God and when the Lord is pleased to give them an heart to submit to the will of God Oh the soul doth wonder at the Lord that the Lord should shew him any thing and help him against temptations and though there be a great deal of wearinesse in the wayes of God yet there is a spirit within him that it is indeed heaven it self to him to be in the ordinances of God now ye stoop to the directing will of Christ when this is rhy way though thou goest oft out of it yet comed in it again as sin is a wicked mans way although he goeth athousand times out of it Now for the other the correcting will of Christ The Lord hath strong tryals Now here subjection to Christ is required as well as to the directing will of Christ then the soul submits to this will when the minde objects not charges not God with folly as Eli 1 Sam. 3.18 It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good And likewise the will though it hath had many sad bouts yet this is his frame in the conclusion that the will of Christ is better then every thing else the will of Christ is alone sweet to him Isa 38. saith Hezekiah Good is the will of the Lord and so Lam. 3. It 's good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth and to turne his cheeks to him that smites him Nay when there is spiritual evils on the soul as was on Christ himself spiritual desertions nothing but bitternesse and sorrow yet the soul saith as Christ did Not my will but thine be done Father save me from this houre yet Father glorifie thy self and so the soul does humbly submit it self to the Lord though the Lord should never pitty it yet it will lye down at the feet of the Lord now is Gods Kingdome come But if the soul will have Christ and yet cast off the will of Christ 1. Either in his judgement that the law of God as given by Christ should be no rule to a Christian suppose you were in England and were there prest to bow before an Altar or Image what shall lead you if that Gods will and law must not be your rule The Lord will one day make you know his blessed will in that blessed law of his that ye shall never finde peace to the end of the world except the Lord do help ye thus to walke Again when men cannot endure the will of Christ cannot endure exhortations what doth the man mean to exhort us thus I tell thee there goeth forth power with the exhortations of Christ I say take heed of casting off the will of Christ here and so when men in their practice shall quarrel against any of Gods truths and are loath to see it or if they do yet not love dearly every truth of God but it 's a burden to them especially if it crosse their own ends and gaine they will not see it to be a truth lest they should be convinced and turne to the rule of it if the will and ordinances of Christ be a burden to a man and a man is not wearie of his wearinesse but wearie of them all the while Art thou under the government of Christ If a man forsaken of God led by his own councels be under the Kingdom of
Christ then thou art so long as there is credit for the truth so long it is entertained but now suppose it be costly that it shouldbring beggery affliction with it is it now sweet to you doth this support thy heart I am in Gods way canst lye down and subscribe to the equity of Christs proceedings with thee though he should never shew favour to thee if it be not thus I dare not say thou art under the Kingdome of Christ And so for the correcting will of Christ many sad afflictions the Lord tries thee withall the Lord tries men marvellously when thou art under the hand of the Lord those very things that should make men cry to heaven and wean thee from the world those very things do harden thee and make thee grudge and repine The Lord be merciful to thee if this be thy frame the Kingdome of Christ never came into that heart you are begging for mercy and the Lord sayes you mercy you have abused it no saith the Lord Go to your lust that have despised the day of grace and so now you cast off the Lord because the Lord will not give you mercy when you would have it Will you now quarrel with the Lord no down proud heart pray still and mourn still and turne to the Lord and say Lord do with me what thou wilt I am clay in thine hand thou may'st make me a vessell of dishonour I deserve not the least bit of bread such a one as is above the Lord and his will is not under the Lord therefore submit thy self to the good will of Christ 3. When the soul doth thus submit to the will of Christ by vertue of the power and Spirit of Christ i. e. when the soul doth not submit by vertue of its own power strength or ability for this is forre gne power But as it do h seek to submit to the will of Christ so it would have Christ himself act it and rule it and so inable it to submit there unto Now is the Kingdome of God come neere to that heart And herein Christs Kingdome is different from Princes they give lawes that men may keep them by there own might hence they command no imimpossible things but the will of Christ is so crosse to a carnal heart that 't is impossible man of himself should submit to it But the Lord doth it for this end chat the soul should then come to Christ in its need that he would do all the good pleasure of his will and now the Lord himself reignes and that gloriously Rom. 8 1 2. For the law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death Acts 5.31 A Prince and Saviour for to give repentance and remisspon of sint It is part of his Princely power for to give remission of sins both in turning from sin and to God and all the wayes of God and now you exalt him when he is thus set up 1 Cor. 4.20 The Kingdome of God is not in word but in power The power of Christ Jesus is come into thy soul and the soul is under the Kingdome of the Lord Jesus when it doth lye under the mighty power of the Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thess 1. 11 12. We pray alwayes for you that the Lord would work and fulfil the good pleasure of his will and the work of faith in power that Christ may be glorified Yea then is Christ glorified when God omnipotent reignes over sin and unbelief and when the Lord doth this not only the Kingdome of God is now come but the Kingdome of Christ in glory is come there is many a poor soul thinks Christ rules him not because he cannot do this nor that became he findes his heart unable and unwilling for to submit to the will of Christ I finde no strength at all saith the soul and I go to Christ and finde not strength conveyed and now he thinks he is not under the Kingdome of Christ I answer that is not the question but hath the Lord made thee willing in the day of bis power when the soul doth lye under the power of the Lord Jesus Christ when che soul doth lye like wax before the Lord Jesus when the soul saith Lord there was never any change of my nature the good Lord change it and if there be any change the good Lord increase and stir up the graces of thy Spirit in my soul and do thou lead me and guide me Brethren the Kingdome of Christ is come to this soul John 5.40 You will not come to me for life He doth not say you do not quicken your selves or ye cannot come to me but will not here is their wound they will not come to Christ for life Rom. 6.19 As ye have yeelded your members servants to sin and Satan so now yeeld up your selves servants to righteousnesse and to holinesse Psal 119.5 6. Thou hast commanded that we should keep thy precepts continually Oh that my heart were directed to keep thy precepts continually Oh that my heart were directed to keep thy statutes When a Christian is grapling with his own heart ye will never be able to overcome the unsubduednesse thereof but when ye bring them to the Lord Jesus Christ that he would take a course with them 1. Now ye please Christ 2. Ye take a sure course to have the will of God done he being in office for that end for Him hath God exalted to be a Prince and Saviour to Israel When the soul doth look up to the Lord Jesus and lye under the power and Spirit of the Lord Jesus 3. You now make the yoke of Christ sweet and his name glorious nothing glorifies Christ so much as this when Jesus doth work in a Christian now the Kingdome of Christ is come to the soul and that in power But now when men will not submit thus far to Christ 1. They can do nothing but will not come to him on whom God hath laid salvation you say you cannot understand nor edifie by the Sermons ye hear and you cannot part with your lusts Ay but now this is thy condemnation thou wilt not go to a Saviour that he may teach thee and help thee when men will not have the Lord Jesus to reigne over them or 2. If men do come they will not come to him where he may be found but say I can do nothing Christ must do all and so neglect the means wherein he will be found or 3. Will submit and come in means to him but not then at the speciall time when He is to be sought and may be found viz. in time of temptation But then forget and forsake him and cry not Hosanna Lord now save now help me against this lust When temptation comes when passion and pride come do you now go to Jesus Christ When the world begins to draw thy heart away dost thou say thus Lord I have prayed this
the Lords Ordinances and prepare himself before he come and in all it hath many weaknesses yet it doth leave it self with Jesus Christ every thing that doth touch this Altar is sanctified and is not polluted But now when men shall enjoy Ordinances and make no great matter of sins in Ordinances especially if secret such is the venemous nature of sin it doth defile the earth a man doth tread on Now when men shall have these sins and know them and yet never leave themselves with Christ and lay themselves on this blessed Altar by faith they do pollute the Ordinances of the Lord. Fourthly When the soul doth not so openly manifestly drive away the Lord but when men shall come to the Ordinances and never come to the Lord Jesus in them now the Lord is cast off A great Prince that comes to a mans house though he be not driven out of doors yet if not attended on he accounts himself cast off The Lord Jesus Christ is in his Ordinances Ezek. 48.35 The Lord is there the Saints they come to God in them and are carried to him by them Therefore 't is said Acts 10.33 34. Now therefore we are all present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God and Psal 84.7 Every one of them in Sion appeareth before God Now the Saints and people of God when they do thus come to the Lord they finde many difficulties to break through a vallie of Baca. Sometimes their heart is turned from the Lord and sometimes God is turned from them so that now the Saints when they do come to the Lord in his Ordinances They go through the vallie of Baca that they may see God in Sion But now when men do never break through difficulties but give way to a sluggish heart when it is thus with a people it is certain the Lord is now cast off and ye do as good now as live without Christ in the world Amos 5.21 saith the Lord I hate your new Moons and Sabbaths For these fourty yeares ye never sacrificed to me vers 25. Did they not sacrifice those fourty yeares to the Lord in the wildernesse It was the very thing they came out of Egypt for that they might sacrifice to the Lord Yet saith the Lord ye did not sacrifice to me truely here was the thing they did sacrifice but to enjoy communion with a God that they did not the Lord he saw none of that and this is the frame of many a man ye never heard a Sermon ye never broke through your difficulties to come to a God in Ordinances therefore in truth though you had them yet it is as if you never had them because ye never did enjoy the Lord in them Therefore this is that I would say Oh Brethren let the Saints let it be the care of all the faithful and people of God the first thing that ye do before ye come to hear a Sermon or receive a Sacrament or to any Christian communion or other Ordinance of God Before thou do'st come indeavour it at least co bring thy soul to a God to Christ above all Ordinances and break through the difficulties heart is dead and minde is blinde and God is gone but yet break through difficulties and wrestle with the Lord in prayer and then ye will finde the blessing of the Lord. The great reason why we enjoy not that mighty presence of the Lord in his Ordinances it is this Men come to Ordinances and would enjoy Ordinances but they never broke through difficulties to come to a God When men shall come to Ordinances only and blessed be God we have the temple of the Lord truely this will do you no good in the world The 5th Degree of casting off the supreme power of Christ in his Ordinances many times when the soul cannot come to Christ the Lord comes to it Now then the supreme power of Christ is cast off when the soul is unwilling or carelesse to receive the stroke of the Eternall power of the life of Jesus into his heart but contents himself with some beginnings some sips and tastes and doth not lye under the stroke of the eternal Spirit of the life of Christ Look as it is with a company of Subjects they are in some great Town that stands it out against a Prince If the Prince send to them and they parlie with him and they are thankfuil for his gifts and glad of his parlie but yet notwithstanding they are unwilling to receive the Prince with all his power to come into the Town if they be unwilling to do that and are loath to joyn sides against the other party they cast him off from being King So it is here when men come to the Lord in Ordinances the Lord he parlies with them the Lord he sends promises and they are marvellous precious things and they have some taste of what the Lord do's send and it is sweet to them But now because they have lusts in their hearts the Lord saith make warre against thy lust and open the gates that I may come in If so be a man now out of secret love to his sin he content himself with the promises of Christ but the life of Christ he cares not for that he uses not ail meanes that he may finde that the supreme power of the Lord Jesus is now casl off and I know no difference between such a people and Capernaum they did enjoy the Gospel of God but now to entertain the Lord Jesus in his spiritual power this they were loath to come to therefore saith the Lord Wo to thee Capernaum the mighty work of Jesus Christ in their hearts this they never cared for Saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 10.5 The weapons of our warfare they are mighty through God As poor things as you think the Ordinances of the Lord to be they are mighty through the Lord When Christians shall not be willing to receive this mighty power of the Lord Jesus Christ truely now the Kingdome of Christ is cast off John 6.49 Your fathers are Manna in the Wildernesse and are dead that was outward Manna but he that eateth me shall live for ever In one word thus this is certaine a man never gets good by any Ordinance nor the Lord Jesus doth never attainc his end in any Ordinance till there bean everlasting power and life of Christ Jesus communicated by the Ordinance There saith he God commandeth his blessing Psal 133. ult life for evermore mercy for ever comforting and light for ever teaching and humbling for ever continuing and a man will never think he doth receive any good till he doth it For If a man be healed of his blindnesse and be blinde presently again what is be the better So if a man hath some flash of light in the Ordinance blesse the Lord for it The Lord quickens up the heart to walk with the Lord Blessed be the Lord for it Ay but when the heart now
death to differ or side or make a party one against another 2. Earnest prayer for the Church and all in it besides thy self and that with striving with God till an answer it given Sretcht out prayers as they made for Peter Acts. 12.5 James 5.16 Confesse your faults one to another and pray one for another that you may be healed And so Jude 20. But ye beloved building up your selves in your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost This is a means to edifie one another when there is inlargednesse of heart to pray one for another Psal 122.8 For my brethrens sake I 'le wish thy peace Sometimes a Christian can do others little good yet he will wrastle for him in his prayers to God One knowes not the good comes hereby if withall a man keeps a good Conscience making conscience of his wayes And 't is one of the greatest priviledges that a man hath when once he hath a share in all the prayers of the Saints as his own and it answers that Quere What is a Christian the better for the liberties of the Church Matth. 18.19 Again I say unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing they shall aske it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven vers 20. For where two or three are gathered together in my name there I am in the mida'st of them Now when people are false herein to their brethren and to their Covenant to their God and to their own soules for there is no one prayer thou makest that shall be lost but if it attaine not a blessing for others it shall returne again into thy bosome When there shall be no heart to spend prayer or shed tears for them whom Christ hath shed his blood for now you cast off the Kingdome of Christ Oh Brethren consider of it when there shall be many a soul in a Church taken by Satans temptations and held in temptations and ready to be overcome by temptations and it may be would not be so but because thou dost not pray publick Ordinances the ministery of the word little good done thereby because thou hast no heart to pray Acts 4.31 And when they had prayed the place was shaken where they were met together and they were all filled with the holy Ghost This is the reason the hearts of thy children servanrs and fellow-brethren remaine secure and unshaken by all the Sermons they heare nothing doth them good nothing will pierce or penetrate their adamant-like hearts because thou hast no heart to pray for them or at least not to purpose 3. Timely Exhortation when brethren are dead-hearted and heartlesse in their Christian course Heb. 3.12 13. Take heed brethren lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God but exhort one another whiles it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfulness of sin Brotherly exhortation is a remedy against Apostasie of heart for though a man cannot convince another yet he may exhort him and 't is to be done in season whiles it 's called today with due respect and taking notice of what good there is with much wisdome and a spirit of humility or else thou spoilest all thou medlest withall putting your selves in their estate and with hearty unfeigned prayer that the Lord would accompany the same with his blessing Heb. 10.24 Consider one another to provoke unto love and good works Look over the Congregation and consider such a Brothers or Sisters estate one is poor and low another falling another very much altered Now in some cases a private Brother may do more then a Minister the Lord help us and stir us up to this work Now when this is neglected many soules are hardned 4. Instructing and teaching one another as occasion serves Rom. 15.14 And I my selfe also am perswaded of you my brethren that you also are full of goodnesse filled with all knowledge able to admonish one another They were able for to instruct and teach one another Isa 54.13 They shall be all taught of God What God teacheth thee that do thou teach others what thou gainest by hearing or by praying or meditation by putting questions to others sometimes to teach and sometimes to be taught and this do if possible in all occasional meetings and worldly discourses mixe with it some sweet truth that God hath taught thee But now on the other side when Christians shall meet and a man is the worse for their fruitlesse discourse no savour of any thing of God Let them meet never so long or often walking or sitting this is sad 5. In Comforting those that be sad 1 Thes 5.14 and 4. ult Comfort the feeble-minded and supprt the weak wherefore comfort one another with these words There are many sad hearts in Gods Church and sad things are as wounds to a mans limbes that make him halt or fall Oh Brethren be much in this work 2 Cor. 1.4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God That a soul may say such a one came to me and spake some few words to me but they were as seasonable as though the Lord had sent an Angel from heaven to speak to me and of more worth then if he had given me many pounds But now when this also is neglected that one Christians hath not a word of encouragement to another but dry and savourless discourse this the Lord takes very ill at the hands of his people that have received comfort from himself in the day of their sorrow and distresse 6. Restoring a Brother fallen with a spirit of meeknesse Gal. 6.1 2. Brethren if any be overtaken with a fault ye which are spiritual restore such a one with a spirit of meeknesse Oh how will a poor soul blesse the Lord for such a Brothers prayers admonitions and exhortations when the Lord shall have brought his heart back again to himself although before he did most of all disesteem and vilifie him Now when these are not used or not with a spirit of meeknesse improved that a man never blesseth God for these the Lord Jesus is pulled down from his throne when not done according to the ability time and place that the Lord affords And this I wish the Churches mourn not for another day For my own part I do adjudge my self before God and men as most guilty of this that I enjoy many sweet Ordinances and we improve them not and hence the glory of the Lord fills not his Tabernanacle abides not on his Churches either to draw others to them or to make others abundantly blesse God for them Now here I will shew you the causes of this 1. Not gaining much in private dutties in Prayer Meditation Reading and daily Examination of a mans own heart And hence they cannot
do good because they receive none or very little themselves they have not a treasure within hence they can spend little have no heart or ability to exhort instruct comfort He that keeps not his shop his shop will never keep him As Psal 41.6 His heart gathereth iniquity to it self when he goeth abroad he telleth it 2. A low spirit which makes a man to have low thoughts and endeavours I mean not an humble but a narrow spirit not inlarged to hold much or to do much hence it doth little As take a plaine countreyman he neither seeks or regards the affaires of the State in publick because his spirit and condition is low but Princes do minde and attend to the affaires of the Kingdome to advance it because their condition is high and they know it Moses he suffered reproach with the people of God losse of all the honour and pleasure of Pharaohs Court feared not Pharaoh nor losse of life for their sakes For he saw that God which is invisible like Saul when once a Kingdome comes to be in his eye he leaves off to seek the Asses 3. Sloth There are Thornes Prov. 15.19 and Lions Prov. 26.13 in a sluggards way There be many difficulties businesses occasion and objections when as if once he were resolved to break thorough them then the work would go on Like a man when he is in his warme bed he is loth to rise but when he is up he would not be in his bed againe if he might be hired again to put off his clothes I shall get no good saith one nor do none saith another and when these businesses are past and occasions over and at another time I will seek God and go about Gods worke and thus a slothfull spirit hinders 4. Want of Faith 2 Cor. 4.13 We believe and hence we speak Faith empties us most and hence fills us with Spirit and Life of Christ Jesus hence Steven full of faith and the holy Ghost A lively Christian when he comes in another Christians company it may be he knows not what to speak but he looks up to Christ and sayes Now Lord here is an opportunity in doing or receiving some good and therefore now Lord help 5. Want of fear of God and consolation of the spirit of God from the sense of Gods love Acts 9.31 They walked in the fear of the Lord and consolations of the holy Ghost the Church was edified by the consolations of the holy Ghost A man that 's wounded keeps within and stirs not but when he is in health and strength now hard work is his meat he cannot live except he worke 1 Cor. 15. ult 6. Not considering the shortnesse of our time of sowing Heb. 10.25 Whereas if men were on their death-bed they would wish Oh that I had walked more blamelesly and fruitfully men care not for a comfortable reckoning as yet There are two causes why they receive no good 1. From a mean esteem of the Saints looking on them as men and not as an Ordinance of Christ their persons prayers and speeches And this is a rule Men never gain any good by that Ordinance which they despiseâ— if all were Schollers Ministers or Saints glorified they could then esteem them Hence Eph 4.16 Edifying is by love Making increase of the body edifying it self in love 2. From want of being poor in spirit and sensible of their extream need of Christ continually in all means Beggers will pick up crums and watch for a word of encouragement Isa 11.6 A little childe shall lead the Wolfe and the Lion that is when the Lord hath humbled the heart of a man Oh when a Christian thinks none so poor and shallow and heartlesse as I and every one is better then I however I need more then any This soul will be glad to suck the brest and the Lord will fill others with light and life and his own bowels to do such a one good Whereas else they are shut up and they finde no good conveyed to them by any of the Ordinances of the Lord nor any presence of God in them 3. There is a Ministerial power committed from Christ by the Church to the ruling Officers thereof I say by the Church for all power in the Church is properly Christs yet he nextly communicates it ordinarily to his Church or multitude of Beleevers to whom is committed the supreme power of the Keyes in his word and of binding and loosing as hath been shewen and by this Church this power hath been by Christs appointment and still is to be communicated to those that are chosen out of themselves to be Officers and Rulers over them in the Lord to exercise the power of Christ over them according to his will Hence the very power of binding and loosing opening and shutting given to the Church is also given to Peter and the rest of the Apostles and the successors of Christs Apostles in Doctrine sent of Christ John 20.23 Whosoevers sins ye remit they are remitted c. Because though the power of Communication of it is in the Churches hand yet the power of usual administration of it is in their hand whiles they exercise it according to Christ yet by the Church And hence Paul puts a difference between this extraordinary Ministery as Apostleship and ordinary Gal. 1.1 An Apostle not of men nor by the will of men but by Christ for the Church not by it Now this I say is by the Church from Christ Hence Acts 20.28 The holy Ghost hath made them overseers so that 't is no invention of man or act of man or the power of man but of Christ and hence refuse to be under this power men cast off the yoke and power of Christ Jesus For though the estate of the Church be Democratical and Popular and hence no publick administrations or Ordinances are to be administrated publickly without notice and consent of the Church Yet the government of it under Christ the Mediator and Monarch of his Church t is Aristocratical and by some chief gifted by Christ chosen by the people to rule them in the name of Christ who are unable and unfit to be all Rulers themselves and to cast off these or not to be ruled by these is to cast off Christ Luke 10.16 He that rejecteth you rejecteth me Numb 16.3 You are gathered together against the Lord The Lord accounts himself opposed and resisted when the Officers of his Church are slighted and their government despised Quest What is this power Answ 1. Negatively Quest Answ 1 1. It is not any Lordly pompous power to bear the bell of great smoakie titles to govern in worldly pompe or by worldly rewards and civil punishments 2 Cor. 10.4 The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds It shall not be so with you saith Christ but as I have been without all worldly state so must you be one to another And hence 1 Peter
grace and Christs The Lord he saith I intend to make this man a vessel of glory and I intend he shall have a great deal of glory and peace at the last The lord he leaves such an impression of the word upon him as that thereby he enlargeth the heart Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it 4. A Christian may have the everlasting efficacy of the word and voice of God preserved in a spirit of thankfulnesse and love to the Lord for those joyes and good that it findes by the word sometimes When it feels that the sweet and savour of the word is gone a spirit of thankfulnesse and love to the word that doth remaine The Lord he preserves the efficacy of the word in this way Psal 119.7 I shall saith David then praise thee with uprightnesse of heart when I shall have learned thy righteous judgements The Lord he may teach his people his righteous judgements and the savour and feeling and strength of them to their feeling may be gone and yet it is preserved in a spirit of thankfulnesse and praise that ever the Lord should shew it such mercy When the Spirit is gone the spirit of love and thankfulnesse remaines As now a man hath heard the word the Lord he hath effectually wrought on him and changed his heart and drawn him to himself a Christian it may be he may lose those sorrowes and humiliations and the remembrance of those things yet there remaineth to his dying day this Spirit he blesseth God and wondereth at God that ever he should make the word effectual that he should leave so many thousands in the world and cast his skirt over him and say to him Live this do's remain still Brethren the Lord do's sometimes let light into a mans minde to discover his sin now this light it do's not sensibly overcome the power of sinne But now the soul blesseth God for that word which hath convinced it had I never seen my sinne saith the soul I should never a sought for power a-against it and pardon of it and this continues now and cannot but continue here is the efficacy of the word the word of Gods grace though the flower of it be gone yet there is an eternal power of the word that the soul can say It hath come to me and helped me against these sins and the soul wonders at the Lord it should be so much as it is So again a Christian he findes marvelous refreshings and affection whiles he is a hearing when he is gone away he findes not the same but he blesseth God for those affections he findes and there remains an eternall efficacy of the word 5. The eternall efficacy of the word it may be and is preserved by nourishing increasing and restoring the new man that is eternall There is a double efficacy that the word hath the first is to beget a Christian to life and this new man is eternall I conceive all the actions of the new man may be suspended and the increasings of the new creature may be decayed though God doth renew it again But this never do's decay it never dies He that is born of God cannot sin because he is borne of God and because the seed of God remaines in him 2. There is efficacy in the word when it hath begotten a man to nourish him up and so the word it is food to him that was seed to him to beget him which food is eternal How is it eternal Is it in this that now the sweetnesse savour and remembrance of every thing that doth refresh him shall last in it self No buâ— in this respect it is eternall in that it leaveth its secret vertue in the nourishing of that which is eternall As now Adam when he was in innocency and had an immortall body his food it should have been an immortal food to him but how should that have been should he alwayes have had the same strength from the same diet which he ate long before No but in this respect it should have been an immortall food to him in that it was to nourish that which was to be eternal So it is here the word of Gods grace it begets a man it humbles a man and drawes the soul to Christ but afterwards there are many things that God speaks to the soul in the word that hath an eternall vertue in that it doth nourish up the new creature the word hath a secret vertue in it for this end I will shew it you thus Isa 58.11 The Lord he professes to his People Thy soul shall be at a watered garden The Lord will make the souls of his people like watered gardens in peace and joy and life Now look as if so be trees by water or by some springs that run by it and slide away and ye cannot tell which it is that makes them to grow yet yâ— know this there is in all of them joyned together a secret insensible vertue that every one of them addes something to the flourishing of the tree So it is here the Saints of God the word of God it comes to them and passes by them and ye cannot tell whether this part or that part of the word leave any vertue but many times a man feels no vertue yet it is manifest here is aflourishing Christian here is heart and life and peace that it hath with God and the soul it remains flourishing there is a secret vertue all the words that run by and passe by the souls of Gods people they do leave a marvellous vertue to make the soules of Gods people like watered gardens and to increase in grace Note it by the way you that live under the means of grace your soules shall be like watered gardens if God have spoken to you first or last the Lord speaks many times to you sometimes affecting and sometimes warning sometimes convincing and humbling and speaking Peace and there is a vertue that remaines and if ye finde it not know that God hath not spoken to you 6. The eternal efficacy of the word may be preserved in a power of Conflict against the power of sin for therein the Lords power of the Word does principally appear in this life though not in a power of victory I mean a compleat victory yet an imperfect and incompleat victory there ever is first or last whereever there is a power of Conflict I mean thus the Word it singles a man out and speaks to his heart and sets him at variance with his sin and with himself for his sin and he joynes side with God in the use of all meanes that his unbelieving heart and proud Spirit may be subdued it sets him at variance with his sin now there is many a Christian thinks there is no power of the Word oh my unbelief continues still and my vain minde and I can finde little strength no ye must not look for a power of compleat victory but yet there is a power of Conflict God
SUBJECTION TO Christ IN ALL HIS ORDINANCES AND APPOINTMENTS The best means to preserve our LIBERTY Together with a TREATISE Of Ineffectual Hearing the Word How we may know whether we have heard the same effectually And by what means it may be come effectual unto us With some remarkable Passages of his life By Tho. Shephard late Pastor of the Church of Christ in Cambridge New-England Now published by Mr. Jonathan Michell Pastor of the said Church in New-England MATTH 11.29 Take my yoke upon you c. London Printed for John Rothwell and are to be sold by Tho. Brewster at the three Bibles in Pauls Church-yard neer the West end 1652. To the READER ONe of their sweetest refreshing mercies of God to his New-England People amidst all their wildernesse-tryals and straits and sorrowes wherewith they at first conflicted in those ends of the earth hath been their Sanctuary-enjoyments in the beauties of holinesse where they have seen and met with him whom their soules lâ—ve and had familiar and full converse with him above what they could then enjoy in the land from whence they came This is that that hath sweetned many a bitter Cup to the remnant of Israel The Lord a one led him and there was no strange God with him was said concerning Israel of old and this was accounted mercy enough when he led them into a land where no man dwelt and which no man passed thorough What God hath done foâ— New-England in this respect and what their Sanctuary mercies be thou hast here a taste though but a taste These notes may well be thought to be lesse accurate then if the Author himself had published them and to want some polishments and trimmings which it were not sit for any other to adde however thou wilt finde them full of useful truths and mayest easily discern his Spirit and a Spirit above his own breathing in them Concerning the Author it were worth the while to write the story of his life It is needlesse to speak in his commendation His works praise him in the gates They that know him know he had as real apprehensions of the things of God and lived as much with God and with his own heart and more then the most of Christians do He had his education at Immanuel-Colledge in Cambridge The Conversion and Change of his heart was wrought betimes when he lived in the Vniversity and enjoyed Dr. Prestons Ministery whereby God had the very best and strength of his parts and yeares for himself When he was first awakened to look after Religion having before swam quietly in the stream of the times he was utterly at a losse which way to take being much molested with suggestions of Atheisme in the depths whereof Junius was quite lost for a time and moved and tempted to the wayes of Familisme also some advised him in this condition to go to Grindlestone to hear Mr. Brierley and being informed that the people were wont to finde a mighty possessing over-powering presence and work of the spirit when they heard him he resolved upon the journey but God in mercy diverted him having reserved him for better things Yet he read what they said and the books of H.N. amongst the rest where meeting with this passage That a Christian is so swallow'd up in the spirit that what action soever the spirit moves him to suppose whoredom he may do it and it is no sin to him this was enough for being against the light of his natural conscience it bred in him an utter abhorrency of those loose and vile wayes and principles ever after This advantage also he had that Doctor Tuckney was then his Tutor whom he acquainted with his condition and had his direction and help in those miserable fluctuations and straits of his soul Happy is the man whose doubtings end to establishments nil tam certum quà m quod de dubio certum but when men arrive in Scepticism as the last issue and result of all their debates and thoughts of heart about Religion it had been good for such if they had never been borne After his heart was changed it was observed of him that his abilities of minde were also much enlarged divinity though it be chiefly the Art and rule of the will yet raising and perfecting the understanding also which I conceive came to passe chiefly by this means that the feare of God fixed him and made him serious and taught him to meditate which is the maine improvement of the understanding Therefore such as came to him for direction about their studies he would often advise them to be much in meditation professing that having spent some time in meditation every day in his beginning times and written down his thoughts he saw cause now to blesse God for it He was assigned to the worke of the Ministery at a solemn meeting and conference of sundry godly Ministers about it there were to the number of twelve present at the meeting whose solemne advise was that he should serve the Lord in the Gospel of his Sonne wherein they have been the salvation of many a soul for upon this he addrest himself to the work with that reality and seriousnesse in wooing and winning souâ—s that his words made deep impâ—essions and seldome or never fell to the ground He was lecturer a while at Earles-cone in Essex which I take it was the first place of his Ministery where he did much good and the people there though now it is long since and many are gone yet they have a very precious and deep remembrance of him of the mighty power of God by him to this day But W. Lawd then Bishop of London soon stopt his mouth and drove him away aâ— he did many other godly Ministers from Essex at the same time After this he lâ—ved at Butter-chrome in Yorkshire at Sir Richard Darleys house till the iniquity of those times hunted him thence also Then he went to Northumberland till silenced there also and being thus molested and chased up and down at home he fled to New-England and after some difficulties and delays by great stormes and disasters at sea upon the sands and coasts of Yarmouth which retarded his voyage till another yeare he arrived there at last where he was Pastor to a precious flock at Cambridge about fourteen yeares He was but 46. or 47. yeares old when he dyed His sicknesse began with a sore throate and then a squinancy and then a fever wherof he dyed August 23. 1649. This was one thing he said upon his death-bed Lord I am vile but thou art righteous and to those that were about him he bade them love Jesus Christ dearly that little part that I have in him is no smal comfort to me now His manner of preaching was close and searching and with abundance of affection and compassion to his hearers He took great paines in his preparations for his publick labours accounting it a cursed thing to do the work of the
That they may know my service c. For explication 1. What is meant by service Answ There are two things in service 1. Government 2. Subjection cheerfull obedience to that government Both the Hebrew word as also the nature of the thing it selfe hath these two God sets up his government over a people his people do or should subject cheerfully to this government By my service is therefore meant my government and your subjection wrought by me to this government 2. They shall know 1. Not by the knowledge of the brain for that they know now but knowledge of experience as it 's said in Ezek. 6. ult When I shall have made the Land desolate in all their habitations they shall know that I am the Lord. Now what shall they know of it Ans The difference between them the sorrow of the one the sweet of the other the misery of the one and blessednesse of the other the bondage of the one and the liberty of the other There might be many things observed from the words but I note only the generall Obser Doctr. 1 That when any people of God forsake the Lord and cast off his government over them they provoke the Lord to put them under the bondage of another government They that abuse Gods liberty must be under bondage the Lord hath a Kingdome in this world most glorious hence when men will not be under it if they will not be ruled by him they must be ruled by the whip and if Christs laws cannot binde Christs chains must Jer. 5.19 And it shall come to passe when ye shall say Wherefore doth the Lord all these things unto us then shall thou answer them Like as ye have forsaken me and served strange gods in your land so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours Psal 107.10 11. Such as sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death being bound in affliction and iron because they rebelled against the words of God and contemned the counsell of the most high Ezek. 20.24 25. Because they had not executed my Judgments but had despised my Statutes and polluted my Sabbaths c. Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good and judgements whereby they should not live c. Zach. 11.15 16. And the Lord said unto me Take unto thee yet the instruments of a foolish Shepherd Vers 16. For lo I will raise up a shepherd in the land which shall not visit those that be cut off nor seeke the young one nor heal that that is broken nor feed that that slandeth still c. When people break covenant with God and loath him then saith the Lord I 'le not feed and then he sets over them Idol-shepherds This is certain when the soule will not subjecl it selfe to God he goes about to subject God to him nay to his Iusts Isa 43.24 Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins For one of them must stoop and a man would have the Lord be mercifull patient and pittifull to him when he is in league with his lusts now this the Lord will not do And hence if he does not destroy him he with-draws himseif from serving of the creatune and hence other evils take hold of it and bring it under When Adam stood and was for God all creatures served him and the riches of Gods goodnesse preserved him the Lord communicated the sweet of his government or service to him but when he turned away from the right ways of God Now if the Lord should serve him by governing of him in goodness he should serve a lust and bow to the creature nay to a lust which is a vilet thing then for one creature to fall downe and worship another Therefore now hence it comes to passe because the Lord will not be a servant to any mans lust there must be some other government that must seize upon them Hence set all the Saints in the Churches with their faces subjected to the Lord his good will and righteous wayes and then his goodness shall flow down upon them in and through Christ for otherwise we have nothing to do with good but when we are set right for God Hos 2.19 I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse in judgment in loving kindnesse and mercy c. The Lord will then command all creatures to be serviceable to his Church and people Vers 21 22. But on the contrary misery must needs seize upon the soule that doth cast off the government of the Lord Jesus Thus much for the general explication of the point Now in particular 1. What is this government or service of God 2. What is that bondage he captivates his unto 3. Why doth the Lord do thus Quest 1. What is this government or service of God Quest 1 which being shaken off the Lord gives them over to bondage Ans There is a double government of the Lord over his people Answ 1. Internall or inward of which our Saviour speaks Luk. 17.21 The kingdome of God saith Christ comes vot by observation and outward pomp For behold the kingdome of God is within you And this is nothing else in generall but when the Lord doth bv his Spirit in the word of his grace cause the whole soule willingly to submit and subject it self to the whole will of God so farre as it 's made known to it this is the inward kingdom of God government of Christ in the soul Rō 8.14 So many as areled by the Spirit are the sont of God Ps 110.2 The Lord shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion c. 2 Cor. 10.4 Far the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds Vers 5. Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ There are mighty boisterous distempers but the Lord when he comes in his Kingdome to sit upon the royall throne of the hearts of his people now they flie and this is the inward Kingdom of Christ like a poore Subject pardoned and received to favour he is before the face of the Prince continually attending on him Revel 7.14 15. These are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Vers 15. Therefore are they before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple c. Now this is meant in part by Gods service in these dais do you think the Lord cared for thousands of Rams no but to walke humbly Mica 6. Did he care for Temple and Ordinances no but Isa 1.19 If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eate the good of the land Neb. 9.20 In those dayes he gave them his good Spirit to instruct them 2. Externall or outward the end and institution of which was to set up and help forward the inward for externall Ordinances are nothing in themselves meane
bitter as death as sharp as arrows the Lord is pleased for the forsaking of his righteous wayes to make a mans self rip his own bowels the father against the childe the master shall be a scourge to the servant and the servant shall be a scourge to his master weary him of his life the government of the Lord in a mans heart or family being cast off Mic. 7.4 5. Trust not in a friend No greater bondage in the world then for men professing the Lord to be desperately set one against another 4. By taking from a people all that righteous power of government the Lord hath set over them when a people despising the Lord and inward government first for there all begins and so not prizing what they have nor praying for them nor subjecting to them the Lord hereupon sends some sicknesse or some other evill that they are either suddenly taken away or gradually and when they are gone all sink or else such crosse carriages that as Moses said so say they I cannot beare this people Thus Judges 21.25 Men did what was right in their owne eyes when there was no King in Israel No State so miserable as an Anarchie when every one is a slave because every one will be a master Thus Isa 3.1 2.6 Be a ruler to us No I 'le not undertake to rule So 2 Chron. 15.3 5. when without a teaching Priest then no peace at all men will not be under government of them you shall not have them they shall rest in peace and you shall then know the want of them 5. By giving them over to Satans and their own hearts lusts that seeing they will not serve the Lord they shall serve their lusts their sins that now the Lord he hath left off chastising of men and conscience shal check no more prosper saith the Lord and go on in thy sin Psal 81.12 So I gave them up to their own hearts lusts and they walked after their owne counsels Rev. 22.11 Let him that is filthy be filthy still When the Lord shall give a man over to Satan not only to winnow him to let out the chaffe and so to make the grain the purer or to buffet them as he did Paul but to insnare them and hold them that he shall not only tempt but his temptations shall take and not onely take but hold 2 Tim. 2. ult Who are taken captive by him at his will taken alive as a snare doth that now a man is beyond the reach of all means only peradventure God may give repentance Isa 1.5 Why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt yet more and more The Lord leaves smiting and sayes Go on and prosper in thy sinne and which is the worst of all Satan shall so blinde him and harden him fill him with pride passion lying hatred of Gods people cavilling against the Lords wayes of grace slighting of his betters despising of wholesome counsell from his dearest friends that he knowes not that gray hairs are upon him And after this when God hath cast out it may be the Church doth also a most fearfull bondage that the Lord gives such a soule over unto There are two reasons of this point which I collect only from the story in this Chapt. Reason 1. Reas 1 Inregard of the righteous Judgement of God It 's just and equal that he that will not be ruled by this blessed Lord Jesus he should be ruled by his lusts he that will not be in subjection to a merciful Christ he should be in bondage to unmerciful men this an humbled heart will acknowledge as these do here Verse 6. They acknowledged the Lord to be righteous Mam being fallen it had been righteous with God to have left all men as the Angels that fell in chains of darknesse for ever But among his church and people the Lord sends the Gospel to proclaime liberty and with it sends Christ with his Spirit to come to the prison-doores of poor sinners to give repentance as well as remission of sinnes and now if they will not come out of their bondage accept of the Lords liberty 't is exceeding righteous to deal with them as we do with prisoners condemned to die if the Prince comes to the prison-doores and saies I am come to give thee thy life nay and here is pardon nay favour and to pull off thy chaines also now if he saies no I had rather be in prison every one will say it is just and as it was in the yeare of Jubile he that would not go free was to be a bondman for ever 'T is very righteous to give men their own choice 't is no wrong to let them have their own will If indeed the lawes of Christ were Draco's lawes hard and heavy there were something to object but they are most sweet and for which of all other blessings men have cause to blesse him Psal 147. ult Reason 2. Reas 2 In regard of the mercy or merciful wisdome of the Lord towards his Church and people especially his peculiar ones that hereby they keep the closer to the Lord set a higher price upon the rules and government of the Lord love his kingdome the more and the liberties thereof and use them better when they have them again so here that they may know my service c. 1. How sweet it is Experience we say is the Mistris of fooles such is the foolishnesse of mens hearts that men are many times never truly taught a truth till they are taught it by sense Prov. 5.11 and thou mourn at last when thy flesh is consumed tell a man of all the glory of the Saints they never understand it till they feel it tell men of the wo of their wayes they will not beleeve it till they see it Psal 32.9 Be not as the horse or mule that hath no understanding whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle Hosea 10.11 Ephraim is like an Heifer that is taught Like untamed Horses that will cast their rider unlesse they be held under and backt and then they are gentle so 't is here and truly 't is long before a man can learn the sweet of Christs government hence Israel must be long in Egyptian bondage and many long miseries so that if there be either justice or mercy in the Lord he will do this and this point shall be true Vse 1. Vse 1 Hence then see that the greatest liberty and sweetest liberty is to be under the government of Christ Jesus although men do not think so hence the Lord tells them here they shall know my service they might have replyed we do know it No till they be in bonds they know it not nor cannot learn it So 't is now and hence let men observe whiles they live loosly and are guided by their own wisdome for their own ends according to their own will at peradventures at rovers as they please they do think this liberty very sweet and 't
Verse 16. Then they spake often one to another there was good effect of his Sermon now what follows Chapter 4.1 Hence the wicked shall come and cut off Branch and Root in Antiochus time there is a burning day a coming that shall burn down house root and branch and hence Matthew 21.43 The kingdome shall be given to them that bring forth fruit You will say we do No thy own mouth shall condemne thee you do not you finde no good by all the ordinances of God and hence come those Questions what warrant for such an ordinance the bottome is they never felt good of it and hence grow weary of it well if it be your burthen the Lord will ease you of it 2. When you see men professing the feare of God mutually naturally contentions and continuing so I say contentious with Saints which they say they love and which by covenant bound to love either from some conceived wrong and hence cannot forgive as Christ doth them or from aprejudicate groundlesse opinion they care not for me nor I for them or from a spirit of scornful Censoriousnesse what are such and such or because distasted because of some reproofe in their sinne or by some opinion or by sōe worldly conveniency or laying out lots or restraint of some liberty c. or because of some sin Now can sit and censure and I say when this is mutual for a godly man may be contended with but he prayes mournes and pitties unlesse it be at some time but when it shall continually abide so fierce and implacable Eccles 7.9 Anger resteth in the bosome of fools when a man shall be glad of an occasion of difference that so he may depart and have something to quiet conscience for breach of Covenant that there can be no healing but Bellies of pigs are more deare then bowels of Saints and when quiet upon the least occasion apt to pick holes and quarrel Now it 's time for the Lord to give over to another government Zach. 11.14.15 When Brother-hood is broken then an Idol-shepheard is set up Exodus 2. Moses was sent to deliver Israel but he findes two Hebrews oppressed striving and must not be checkt neither well then fare-well deliverance if you be of that spirit you shall love one another better if ever the Lord doth that for you It hath been the wisdome of some Princes when their subjects have been at Civil warres to call them forth to a common enemy and there they can agree Oh brethren there is no sinne like this and yet none so slighted You shall know what it is either by being yoked under enemies or sinnes The first of these breaking bonds of union to Christ the other with his members Vse 4. Vse 4 Hence see the reason why many men are delivered up to the bondage of their own lusts the most sad bondage and power of Satan who have seemed to be delivered from it truely they have cast off the government of the Lord. Men wonder why in this countrey men are more vile then ever they were men that gave great hopes the reason is this they have seemed to be under Christs government but secretly cast it off And hence filthy and vile lusts are their Apparitors and Pursevants c. Objection Object The Saints feel a bondage how shall one know the difference Answer The first and greatest inthralment is Answ 1 when Satan and sinne so rule as that they know them not this is lamentable that like those John 8.33 when Christ told them if they continued in the truth it should make them free they would not believe that ever they were in bondage so here a man thinkes himself free when he is a slave thus Psalm 81.13 God gave them up to their own hearts lusts and they were led by their own Councels The Saints may be much carried away by the power of Satans temptations but never so far as to think their bondage is their freedome and to have reasons and arguments prevailing against the good wayes of Gods grace and to have reasons to maintaine their sinfull courses and that is in such as have wit and parts and knowledge which through the righteous judgement of God are left so farre to abuse it as to make use of it to maintain their sin-ful lusts 2. Answ 2 When men if they see their bondage yet have no heart to come out of it in using all means for that end When the will is in captivity no captivity like it no gally-slave like it A childe of God hath a bondage and is led into captivity but Oh miserable man he cries but these Prov. 17.10 have a price in their hand but no heart to make use of it Ezra 1.5 So many whose hearts the Lord stirred they gat up to go to Jerusalem But the Lord never stirs the hearts of these poor creatures they know and feare yet have no heart to get out of that condition nay rather willingly are so They sell themselves to their lusts and sins and Satan here is saith Satan this gaine neglect prayer for it tell a lie for it breake Covenant for it lose thy peace for it here is this honour and credit look big on it here is this estate carry thy countenance high and thus apparrel thy selfe with these trappings walke thus with thy bootes French-like here is this pleasure and mirth keep thou this company loose thy heart neglect thy God give thy selfe over to it here is this ease deferre thy repentance be cold in prayer neglect thy family and a man sells himselfe to his lust pleasures and honours thou art thus provok't and therefore now thou must fret and murmur and rage and hold thy own and so ease thy heart thus men set themselves to sale willingly 3. Answ 3 When men have some heart to come out of it but the Lord leaves men to an indifferency and consequently to apostasie as it was with Agrippa almost perswaded and like the Iraelites that refused to go into that good land Numbers 14. And hereupon the Lord was wroth and said they should not but they repentedand would faine have had some pitty shewed in regard of their misery but their enemies fell upon them and destroyed them al the plea of the Arminians is for this which is nothing else but mens misery Luke 14. those that were invited made their excuses and said I must needs go and see it But found no necessity to come to Christ Now the Saints the Lord never leaves them to a spirit of indifferency but keepes them in a spirit of necessity I must come out of this miserable condition saith the poore soul they say not flesh is weak but I must have helpe Psalm 110. because 't is the day of the Lords power they will not rest contented without helpe and if the Lord delayes them and hears not they will follow the Lord so much the harder 4. If they have any resolution to come out and think it must
not be thus and purpose never to live thus again yet notwithstanding all their purposes and resolutions they fall again and never get any real conquest their untamed hearts wils are never a whit more subdued Isaiah 63.7 8. For he said Surely they are my people children that will not lie So he was their Saviour but they soone rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit their wills were never subdued But now the Saints either the Lord preserves them from such falls and apostasies Or if they do depart from the Lord by reason of the prevailing power of any temptation they ever get real conquest by their fall their sinful corruption thereby gets its deadly wound Rom. 11.10 Their backs are not alwayes bowed down but the Lord raiseth their bowed down spirits Psalm 145.14 and upholdeth their spirits for them when they think they shall one day fall by the hand of such Saul-like sins and distempers A carnal heart may carry a faire profession and be in subjection to Christ for a time but his back stands alwayes bowed down under his profession it is his burthen and hence at last he casts it off as a man doth his wearisome burden but on the contrary childe of God being indeed weary of his sinne and carrying that up and down with him as his burden with his soul bowed down in the sense of his own vilenesse by this means through the helpe of Christ at last he comes to get real conquest over his sinne and cast it off 5. When the Lord in this case lets them alone without inward or outward troubles this is a fearful signe Hosea 4.17 Ephraim is joyned to his Idols let him alone the Lord will take no more paines with them he is wearied out with striving Isaiah 1.5 Why should ye be stricken ye will revolt yet more and more when the Lord sees men the worse for his merciful corrections he deales like parents that have have striven long with their children and can do no good on them they then resolve to let them take their own course and will own them no longer to be of their family the Lord never deales thus long with his but if their sinne will not waste by words the Lord will then try what chaines will do and now they shalt finde good now they shall remember their backslidings and apostasies from God and their impenitency in finne in fecret sinnes especially in the dayes of their peace and prosperity now the Lord will make finne as bitter as ever it was sweet Oh consider this you that are prosperous and because the Lord is good to you therefore you think the Lord likes well of your wayes No greater plague then for the Lord to give a man peace in his sinne or if the Lord begins to afflct thee in thy name or estate begin to be blasted and thou canst see Gods hand on thee and knowest it and yet thou remained unhumbled this is a signe thou art under the bondage of thy finne Vse 5. For examination whether we do Vse 5 or when a people do cast off the government of the Lord and destroy his kingdome it's needful to know the sinne that we may prevent the misery and 't is certaine let New-England be watchful and make sure here to advance the Prince of peace and to keep the right and government in his hand and you shall have the blessing of God and his ordinances peace and mercy in your times and continued to your children for his kingdom is an everlasting kingdome and of the increase of his kingdome there is no end and on the contrary if New-England cast off the government from over them and refuse his service the Lord will then take the kingdome from you and you shal then know the want of what now ye injoy Now because Christs government or kingdome is 1. Inward 2. Outward in Church in State I shall let you know 1 when the inward kingdome of Christ is set up and when 't is tazed down which I shall do by giving you a briefe view of the nature or it and wherein it consists and so you may the better Judge of your own hearts in this particular As Satan hath an inward kingdome in the hearts of those that are without so the Lord Jesus hath an inward kingdome in the hearts of all his Saints Col. 1.13 Blessed be God saith the apostle which hath translated us from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan into the kingdome of his dear sonne which is very spiritual little seen a man may be under all outward government and yet naught here and therefore attend this inward kingdome therefore consists in four things or when the whole soul submits it self to God in these four particulars 1. When the whole foul gives entertainment unto the Lord himself to come into it for if a people shall say they are under such a government and yet will not admit the Prince himself to come amongst them but keep him out of the kingdome they cast off his government and his kingdome 2. When the whole foul closeth with the whole will of the Lord for if a people shall receive a Prince amongst them but he shall make no wholesome Laws to governe them but will be led by their own wills and lusts they pull down his kingdome 3. When the whole soul thus closeth with the will of Christ by vertue of the power and Spirit of Christ for if a people submit to the will of their Prince but 't is not by vertue of his authority over them command of them and helps he hath given them for that end but it is by reason of some forreign power that underhand incourageth them to yield this is poore subjection 4. When the soul thus submits to Christs will for the Lords ends denying its own wisdome or will and is-led by the Lord to his end for if a people shall submit to their Prince but 't is to set up other princes he is cast off from his throne When a man shall serve God and be under his government because it is profitable or honourable it suits his own end this is poor service in the Lords account 1. I say then the soul is under the inward kingdome or government of Christ when the whole soul gives entertainment to the Lord of Lords the Lord himself with all his traine in and by the Gospel of graâ—e the royal sword and Scepter of Christs kingdome for when Christ himself is thus received the kingdome of God is come to that soul and entred into that heart and hence Marke 1.14 15. the Gospel is called the Gospel of the Kingdome and when John and Christ preached believe and repent for the kingdome of God is at hand Under which word is comprehended much but principally Christ Jesus ready to enter the souls of his people and hence Iohn preached Christ Now 't is said those that were effectually wrought upon Matt. 11.12 that the kingdome of heaven did
day against this sin and Lord I have no strength against it now Lord help me but here is the misery of the soul it doth not go to Christ and by this means live in complaints all their life-time 4. If lastly any thing be to be done they will do it themselves as Paul Gal. 1.12 Not but that a Christian should put forth himself a Christian is not a dead-hearted Christian at all times but the grace of God which comes from Christ doth act the soul in a continuall dependance on Christ and where Christ acts not there Satan doth Now I say the Kingdome of God is come when the soul doth thus submit to the stream of the blessed Spirit of the Lord that the Lord may guide it Oh beloved here is the skill that poseth the Angels how to tell you so to yield your selves to Christ as that Christ may come so to abide in the stock that all your fruit may be from him So to lye under the Lord as that the stream of the Spirit of life may fall on thee so to be implanted in the Lord as to fetch life from him and bring forth fruit to him But try this course submit to the will of the Lord Jesus be nothing in thy own eyes and if the Lord do give thee any thing blesse the Lord for it if any strength against thy sin be vile in thy own eyes and try and see if ye finde not the Kingdome of God the glory of Heaven come into thy soul Oh the light life prayers you might have the heavenly conference ye will have together that it would do a mans heart good to be with such a Christian that those that are with you might say Verily God is in this man verily there is joy in Heaven when the Saints keep in this frame 4 When the soul yeelds thus to the will of Christ for Christs ends for such is the subtil wretchednesse of mens heart that men would have Christ glorifie himself that he may glorifie and honour them like Simon Magus that would give any money for Apostolical gifts that he might be some tody that way also Now if a man shall submit go to Christ for gifts and parts that 's to set up another King to advance a mans self and so also sin and the devil and Christ must be made a servant for this end He is now no King like a Rebel that is not content that thousands of the Kings Subjects should serve him but he will have the Prince serve him also Every man will say this doth utterly overthrow the Kingdom of such a Prince When a man shall secretly fight against the Lord and be for himself and for the devil and sin within When a man shall make all the creatures serve him the souldiers of his army meat drinke and outward comforts this is a marvellous thing Ay but when a man shall make Jesus Christ and God himself and profession of Christ make these to serve him to raise up his name this the Lord takes very ill Only this I would adde when the soul doth look at Christ with a single eye that Christ is sweet and precious and lyes under the blessed Spirit of Christ for that end and now looks up to Christ that he may submit to him with a single eye that the name of Christ may be glorified by life and death true it is self will be in every duty and so is contrary to the Lord in all and not for the Lord. Yet though it be thus there is another thing in the soul that is wholly for God and Christ and hence seeks that he may do his work his heart loves him and so seeks him and he begs it with many teares Oh that my children might serve and love this God nay that all the world might see and blesse and admire this God and the Lord inlargeth his heart herein Psal 72.19 and truely now the Kingdome of God is come to thy soul Rom. 5. 17. As sin and Satan do reigne by death So Jesus Christ doth reigne by life to eternall life Matth. 25.14 He is the true Subject that improves his Talents for the King Christ will subdue all his to himself Psal 66.3 Through the greatnesse of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves to thee Rom. 14.17 For the Kingdome of God is not in meat and drinke but in righeousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost When a man shall be picking fault with things and this and that offends him get ye gone the Kingdome of God consists not in that But when the soul do's go to the Lord maintain his peace with God and love to the people of God and joy in the holy Ghost here is the Kingdom of God He that serves Christ in these things the Kingdome of God is come into his soul He that thus submits to the Lord Christ he must first be a man wearie of his own counsels and must loath himself When the Lord hath wearied a man of his own wayes he sayes What am I that the Lord should shew me any mercy And when the Lord calls him to any service Lord What am I that I should now pray to thee Blesse the Lord when the Lord doth keep thy heart in this frame but now when men will honour Christ and yet Saul-like have Christ honour them Many poor creatures they think it a credit to be in Church-fellowship and they will seek to know Christ that they may attaine Church-fellowship and have honour but know it till the Lord do pull down thy base ends and make thee loath thy self and so to submit to his blessed will truely till then the Kingdome of God is not come to thy soul Think of these things for if the Kingdome of God be in our hearts then look for good dayes Brethren let New-England be confident of it but if this be gone from the soules and hearts of men and women in their severall families and places though they may have the outward Kingdome of Christ yet the inward Kingdome being not set up I say no more but what he said Go to Palestina and Bohemia Certainly if they had not cast off the Lords government they had nevever seen those lamentable dayes they had outward Ordinances Oh but here was the thing the inward Kingdome of the Lord Jesus Christ and subjection to the will of the Lord Jesus and to be for the Lord Jesus this the Lord saw was not in them therefore the Lord hath left them to be lamentable spectacles Therefore dear brethren I do beseech you pray and beg for this Kingdome Thou sayest I fall short of this Know this Kingdome of God is at first like a grain of Mustard-seed some little lying under the will of Christ if it be in truth blessed be God for it The Kingdome of God is come and the soul doth weep and mourne after the Lord that the Lord would bring every thought into subjection Know it the Kingdome of
God is come to thy soul and know it thou hast Jesus Christ at the right hand of God the Father interceding for thee therefore go home and blesse the Lord and wonder at his grace that hath translated thee from the Kingdome of darknesse to the Kingdome of his dear Son If the Lord hath let thee finde the beginning of these things in truth go home and blesse the Lord for it 2. Try when the external Kingdome of Christ in his Church is cast off for we told you this was Christs Kingdome 'T is called the Kingdome of Heaven Matth. 25.1 And 't is it which the Lord gives up at the last day to God the Father and hence Mat. 8.12 the members thereof are The children of the Kingdome and hence we read of the rulers and governours of it and the keys not only of doctrine but of power and jurisdiction committed by Christ Jesus to it punctually exprest in Scripture Now we know in the Church there is a three-fold power of Christ in Government 1. The supreme Monarchical absolute power of Christ in and by his Ordinances 2. There is some derivative power of the Church from Christ joyntly together 3. There is a Ministeriall power of the officers of the Church it self Hence the Kingdome of Christ is overthrown when these three are when this three-fold cord is broen by the sons of men and if whole America cast off these or any of these then they fall to bondage and if particular persons in Churches do the Lord will do the like to them much more 1 Kings 9.4 5. When Solomon had been praying much the Lord tells him If he would walk before him as David his father had done to keep his statutes and obey his commandments then he would be a God making good his promise but if not then the Lord would cast off him and that place So Zach. 14.17 And it shall be that whoso will not come up of all the families of the Earth to worship the King the Lord of Hosts even upon them shall be no raine The Lord is quick in his judgements and will spare none 1. There is a supreme power of Jesus Christ in his Church and Ordinances thereof Isa 9.6 The Government is on his shoulders it is true this power is on others also but he is the maine Heb. 3. Moses was only a servant in his House Christ as a Sonne The guidance of all things in the Church doth lye chiefly on him or else it would never be carried along Christ is a Son and that in his own House into whose hands the supreme power of guiding and ordering all things in the Church of God is put the experience of Gods Saints and People doth finde another power which shewes that the Lord Jesus hath and doth exercise a mighty power in the ordinances of his Worship the supreme and kingly power which he exerciseth in the hearts of his people Now cast off this kingly power the Lord himself is cast off I speak not immediately as in the internal Kingdome but mediately And for this the Lord will bring into bondage Luk 19.17 Those mine enemies saith Christ which would not that I should reigne over them bring them hither that I may slay them which is meant of the Lords external administration by his servants Quest Quest When is this done Answ 1. When men impenitently break Covenant made with the Lord. Answ 1 Especially in his Ordinances of cleaving and submitting to him therein and remain so with impenitency This is the maine and first Original of all the rest Now it is manifest the power of Christ Jesus the supreme power of Christ is cast off for a man do's professe by this that not the will of Christ but his own will shall rule him Christ shall not be Lord but as they said Jer. 2.31 We are Lords we will come no more at thee When the League and Covenant between Prince and People is broke then he is cast off from being King this is certain the Lord never did receive any people to himself from the beginning of the world to this day but he hath done it by some Covenant Nor never any people took the Lord to be their God but by some Covenant they bound themselves to the Lord. Whereby they were either made his people or continued to be his people and he their God but I cannot now stand to clear this Now look as when the Lord breaks his Covenant he casts them off from being his people though this he never doth to the Elect So when people break Covenant with him they cast him off as much as in them lyes from being their God they do as much as in them lyes make the Lord to be no God You shall see therefore Hosea 10.3 They say we have no King because we feared not the Lord. It is the speech of Conscience and that at a sad time wherein they did not fear the Lord They have spoken words swearing falsly and breaking the Covenant In their time of Covenanting with the Lord there seemed to be much sorrow and humiliation yet in these very Covenants Hemlock did spring up and hence captivity came Many times the Covenants that are made there is such outward seeming reality that not only men but the Lord speaking after the manner of men He thinks certainly these Promises these Covenants will never be broke yet they are broken Isa 65.8 9 10. I said surely saith the Lord This is a people that will not lie Such profession and such acknowledgements c. so it is said In all their afflictions he was afflicted and the Angel of his presence did redeem them But afterward they rebelled and vexed his holy Spirit They cast off the Government of the Lord they would not be under the bonds of the Lord and so he was turned to be their enemie this is that which brings captivity and bondage Jerm 2.14 15 c. Is Israel a servant saith the Lord ye shall see the reason why he was so I have broken their iron yoke saith the Lord and I have burst thy bonds and I have planted thee a noble Vine yet hast thou degenerated and this is that which doth make them vassals or slaves And in truth you never see Churches laid desolate but when that time comes men shall see and shall professe it When other Nations shall aske Why hath the Lord dealt thus with his people The answer shall be clear They have broken the Covenant of the Lord. When many miseries come upon particular persons what is the cause of it then remember the Covenant thou hast broken with the Lord. Isa 24.5 6. They have transgressed the Law speaking of the whole earth And they have changed their Ordinances and broken the everlasting Covenant A people that might have had everlasting mercy they would not submit to the Lord they have broken this everlasting Covenant of the Lord Now what followes The earth is defiled under the inhabitants thereof
and hence heavy things that are there written shall befall the whole world It is a sin that defiles the earth men tread on and the houses men inhabite in for it is a sinne against most light They which make Covenants have a great deal of light and also most will And that do's aggravate a sinne when the whole heart as it were do's give up it self to a lust and breaks hereby all bonds And it is a sin that men might avoid if they would be watchful against For it is a sinful thing to make a Covenant of impossible things therefore it lyes heavie on the conscience of men afterwards I might have been better and might have walked better Nay it is a sin that do's destroy the Law of the Lord this sin it do's destroy the very will of Christ Had'st thou never been bound in Covenant had'st thou laid by this Covenant the will of God had been kept whole As cords not used are kept whole but when broke are utterly spoiled When a man do's bind himself by a Covenant to the Lord and then break it he do's as much as in him lys to destroy the Lord from being King 'T is true the Saints and people of God may be said in some case to break Covenant but yet they never impenitently break Covenant with the Lord they may break Covenant with the Lord very often but yet it is with them as those in Judges 2.1 4. When the Angel of the Lord came to them and they were under grievous sad bondage faith he to them from the Lord I have brought you up out of the land of Egypt and I have broke your bonds and I have said I would never break Covenant with you and I said you should make no League with the Canaanites but ye have not obeyed my voice why have ye done this And all the people heard this and it is said All the people wept Doubtlesse some were sincere though happily many were full of hypocrisie and so the sincere heart laments it and renewes his Covenant The poor soul hath nothing to say many times though the Lord should bring never so much misery on it yet the soul stands weeping before the Lord that it hath broke the Covenant of the Lord and made void the Covenant of the Lord yet the Saints they never break it wholly they never depart wholly from the Lord. Now when a people shall impenitently break Covenant as hath been said that men can study arguments how to nullifie Church-covenant nay worse when in Covenant then ever before and the businesse is they are loath to be in bonds when men shall grudge the truth of the Lord others if their judgements be not set against it yet notwithstanding in deed and practice they live as if they had never been in Covenant Once they were a pleasant plant but now they are degenerated as the Lord doth there complaine Beloved when it is thus the League between the Prince of peace and the Church is broke they do as much as in them lyes seek to cast off the Lord from ruling over them 2. When there be additions made to the Ordinances of Christ by humane ordinances and inventions of men let any set up new ordinances new inventions of men they set up new gods and they do as Subjects set up new Kings which is indeed to pull down him that was and so they do to Jesus Christ they do deny the supreme headship of Christ and his authority over them though it may seem a small thing yet thus it is And hence ye shall observe Jeroboams calves though they worshipped the same God which was at Jerusalem varying only in circumstance yet the Lord professeth that they had set up new Gods and so indeed did pull down the true God and his government from over them and this brought bondage And hence Col. 2.18 19. Let no man beguile you of your reward with a voluntary humility saith the Apostle and worshipping of Angels intruding into those things which he hath not seen c. Whatsoever pretence be upon the inventions of men take heed of that if it be the inventions of men in vers 19. and not holding the head the very headship of Christ is denied and the ground is this To say that Christ is not a sufficient means of salvation of saving his people and ruling his people it is to deny the headship of Christ and likewise to say that Christ hath not appointed for his people sufficient means for that end is to say that Christ is not a sufficient means to rule his people and he that shall say Jesus Christ is not a sufficient means he do's deny the headship of Christ Now to set up any inventions of men in the worship of God to be a means to carry the heart to God is to say that Jesus Christ hath not appointed sufficient means for that end and therefore he is not a sufficient means of guiding and saving and ruling his people Nay this I will adde let there be any invention added to the worship of God that 's meerly the will of man nothing else but only this I would have ye do it they are such things as do neither make a man better nor worse but only use them and ye are commanded to use them and nothing but the will of man This is to set up a new Christ and to pull down the power of Christ Jesus to submit herein to the authority of man meerly because of the will of man that there is nothing seen but his will There is it may be neither good nor hurt in it It is to make that man a God and Christ it is peculiar to Christ to do it and this do's pull down the Lord Jesus Christ from his throne when there is adding to the worship of the Lord. I need not I suppose speak any thing this way Only remember to be watchful against this when the Lord doth send tentations this way into Churches or into any place be watchful against new inventions of men to be added or made they are very sinful and if ye ask me when we shall look for such times I need not go farre from my Text. It is said that Rehoboam and all the people walked in the worship of the Lord three years but in one year Rehoboam and all the people fell off from the worship of the Lord. O therefore take heâ—d of this when the tentation comes 1. When the Lord bows the hearts of those in authority men of eminency to fall this way then multitudes follow as vers 1. Rehoboam sinned and Israel with him 2. When persecution ariseth for the truth Gal. 5.12 They must be circumcised to avoid persecution 3. When mens hearts are surfetted with the Ordinances of God and wearie of them when the Ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ men finde no benefit by them the heart of man will then be making out after some thing of its own then we must look
for Apostles Prophets and Evangelists and this curiosity and the other nicity then a conceit and imaginary picture of a mans own is more beautiful then all Gods Ordinances besides and all Religion is placed there it may be in extending too far any Ordinance it self though it may seem little at first yet when it is thus then look for evil times 3. When as a people seek to abolish and destroy any Ordinance of Christ but especially if on this ground either because of some outward evil they bring with them in the fruition of them or hope of some outward good they shall receive by casting them off or because of no good they reap by the enjoyment of them Whensoever ye see this that they are cast off on this ground then look for bondage for it will come on whole countreys in general and on particular persons For Jesus Christ is in his Ordinances and his Throne is not only in Heaven among the Angels but Isa 9.7 8 9. He sits on the throne of David among his Church and People and pull these down you pull down Christs throne the Prince of peace when ye pull down his Ordinances 1 John 2.19 there were many that did seem to be for Christ and yet against Christ this is one signe by which he notes them They went out from us for they were not of us that it might be made manifest they were not of us Now I say when men shall pull down the Ordinances of Christ and withdraw themselves from the communion of Saints and when it is for one of these ends in regard of some outward evil that the Ordinances do bring with them or some outward good they shall get by casting them off then certainly look for bondage As a Prince that hath one near him he may attempt change of things in State but when he is set a work by a forreigne State and is a pensioner to the Pope or Spaniard Now he is reall to root out the Prince and this provokes So here many times a Christian he may in conscience speak against some of the ways of the Lord and this may be the condition of the Saints and people of God and they may speak it in conscience and this may be tolerated when it is for want of light nay they may through stubbornnesse of spirit cast off Ordinances but when now it is for this reason though he hath indeed his colours for it you shall saith Satan have this gain and this ease and these conveniences and what do you do with Ordinances and now a man begins to finde out arguments and saith Satan If ye attend to the enjoyment of Ordinances here be these miseries therefore away with some of Gods Ordinances at least Oh brethren when it is thus that there is this secret pension from the world that now had the Lord Jesus the honours of the world attending on them then they could make much of them but because they come with poverty therefore they can plot and speak against them and in time come to cast off the Ordinances of the Lord Jesus It is certain the Lord bath bondage for such soules and you will certainly finde this true one day Mal. 3.14 15. The people they say What profit is it that we have served the Lord and that we have walked mournfully before him and hence they forsook the Lord Hence Chap. 4.1 the Lord threatens that He will burn them up both root and branch The Lord hath consuming fire for such one day The Ordinances of the Lord were too costly for you Mark 12.7 8. The Lord hath his Vine-yard he lets it out to husband-men and he sends for the fruit and at last the son himself comes to call for fruit Now say they Here is the son let us kill him Why what is the matter out of gaine that is the businesse That the inheritance may be ours Here is this gaine to be without them and therefore to cast off Christ What will the Lord do to these husband-men he will take away his Vine-yard from them c. It is the speech of Luther Venter in omni religione potentissimum Idolum When the Belly is served Christ must be destroyed Men may have this quiet life without these Ordinances and hence men bear a privy grudge against the Ordinances of the Lord because the belly is not served Look as it was with the Jews they looked for a glorious King to come to them and Christ came and though they were told of it before when he came he had nothing but his Crosse and he tells them If they will be his Disciples they must take his Crosse But now because he came not with pomp but only with his crosse this is the great reason why to this day the Jews do set themselves against the Lord Jesus Christ the Crosse came with Christ that 's the cause of it So when men shall look for great things from the Ordinances of Christ and when they come to enjoy them they meet with nothing else but Christ and his Crosse and disappointments and desertions when they meet with this then Christ is cast off and they professe he is no King and Cesar is our King and if we take this man to be our King the Romanes will ruine us I know it is a hard trial for a man to be put to such a strait for the Lord to advance the price of his Ordinances at that high rate that all must be parted with for the enjoyment of them But yet notwithstanding he is for ever unworthy to have the Lord Jesus to rule him that shall therefore make him a King as they did John 6. He was their Cooke therefore they made him King Therefore this I say take heed of disputing against or denying or nullifying not only outwardly but in thy very heart secretly any of Gods Ordinances for that the Lord complains of his people that their hearts went after their wickednesse Oh take heed of doing thus against any one of Gods Ordinances because straits do attend on them It was the speech of David Ps 119. Thy law is pure therfore thy servant loveth it Suppose thou shouldest never get any good by any of Gods Ordinances yet thy law is pure the fault is in thy own heart and certainly the Lord he will remēber as there he speaketh Jerem. 2.2 I remember the love of thine espousals when thou didst follow me in a land of barrennesse in a land where there was no water Thy life shall be precious to the Lord that shalt follow the Lord in all afflictions yet thy heart doth cleave to the Lord and follow the Lord in all his Ordinances therefore this is that I would say there are many wants now in the countrey But yet notwithstanding let the people of God get neer to Christ speak often one to another and finde out wayes and meanes to pay your debts and ly down at the feet of the Lord Jesus and be content if
the Lord will have it so to be nothing be content thus and though thou dost not finde any benefit from the Ordinance of the Lord as yet yet notwithstanding loath thy own heart but love them yet seek after the Lord and look to the Lord in them And this is certain the Lord hath blessings for his people not only in this life but as he there speaketh to his Disciples when they say to him Lord what shall we have saith the Lord to them You that have followed me you shall sit on thrones But take heed of this if once ye come to slight Ordinances and cast off Ordinances because of these straits and wants and so forth And what are your Ordinances c and a generation of men risen up I think Christians should send forth their gronings to the Lord that the terrour of the Lord may fall upon them they deny all the Ordinances of the Lord and the Spirit must teach us only 'T is true the Spirit must do it but will ye therefore take away the means and hence the very Scripture is made an Alphabet for children and so they do destroy the Ordinances of the Lord. Beloved if it be from this principle take heed of it for if it be ye will certainly finde bondage 4. When men do not thus pull down the Ordinances the throne of Christ but drive the Lord Jesus away out of his Ordinances though they have his Ordinances with them by their secret defilings pollutions spiritual pollutions of the glorious Ordinances of Christ this the Lord frequently complaineth of in Jerem. and Ezek. The very great reason why the Lord did leave his Temple where their fathers did praise the Lord they had polluted and defiled it that was the reason of it They had driven the Lord away from his throne and this doth pull down the princely power of the Lord in his Churches I know there be many sins and defilements and the sons of men have hidden wayes of polluting the Ordinances of the Lord that a man shall sit under all the Ordinances of the Lord and as it is said of Mount Gilboah not any dew fall upon him never see good when good comes the Lord is not dear that is the reason of it Oh thy secret defilements of the Ordinances of the Lord have driven the Lord farre from you There are many I shall only name three principally that there may be a little heed taken of them First When there is a secret contempt grown upon a mans spirit of the Ordinances of Christ attended with a secret wearinesse of them this doth now pollute the Ordinances of the Lord and this doth drive the Lord from his Ordinances Mal. 1.7 Ye have offered polluted bread wherein have we done it say they this was the cause of it Ye say that the Table of the Lord is contemptible the meaning is you do despise my Table and Ordinances and so now do despise me too and so ye do vilifie and contemne the Ordinances of the Lord Therefore saith the Lord in the conclusion of that Chapter vers 11. From the rising of the Sun my name it shall be known As if he should say I am not bound to you I can have a people among whom my name shall be great For saith the Lord I am a great King If one should have asked men in those dayes what good is in your sacrifices what great glory can ye see in them the Saints can see a great deal of glory in mean outsides Now when this is wanting the name of the Lord is polluted and so the Lord driven from his Ordinances Heb. 12.15 Take heed lest there be in any of you an evil root of bitternesse springing up and many thereby be defiled When men do live in secret lusts or open profanenesse a man that hath a profane heart such a heart as doth contemne the portion of mercy the Lord doth offer to him who like Esau did sell his birth-right for a messe of pottage Secondly Unbrokennesse of heart in the enjoyment of Ordinances when men live not in a daily sense of the extreme need they stand in of mercy Isa 66.1 2. Heaven is my throne and the Earth is my footstool Now observe what the Lord doth there speak To him will I look that is poor in spirit and contrite such a poor soul saith the Lord will I look to and to these are opposed such as have not such hearts but do look only to the Ordinances of the Lord Now saith the Lord to such He that offereth a lamb is as if he cut off a dogs neck and he that offereth incense as he that blesseth an Idol These were a people that did plead for the Temple of the Lord and had the Ordinances of the Lord according to his command but here was their wound they were not broken under the Ordinances of the Lord This you shall finde the Saints have many sins and wants under the Ordinances of the Lord but little does the world know their gronings before the Lord and the Lord hath mercy for such soules as are sensible of their need they stand in of the Ordinances of the Lord. But now when men have found the Lord in an Ordinance subduing some particular sin there are other sins remaining in their hearts and they stand unremoveable in their hearts and hence are the strongest and dearest of all the rest Now I say when men having these sins and knowing these sins in their hearts and spirits when as because I cannot subdue these sins and they have attended on the Lord in the use of means and the Lord helps them not and because they hope to be saved at last for all these Hence they come to a truce with their sin and never go mourning to the Lord nor say the Lord hath begun to subdue some of these lusts Now Lord go on but the soul is at truce with his sinnes Beloved if there be any pollution of the Ordinances of the Lord here it is that men come with unbroken hearts to the Ordinances of the Lord that never feel your need of them and wounds and sores that are in your hearts that men do stand with those very sins that they think they cannot subdue and because they cannot ease themselves of them therefore they give way to them When men keep these sins with unsensible hearts of them ye do resist the holy Ghost ye feel not your need of the Lord therefore ye keep your sins and your woes you shall have for them Thirdly Where there is a spirit of unbelief that there is not a seeking to Christ Jesus to wash away the pollutions of his heart and life in his attending upon the Lord in his Ordinances Tit. 1. 15. To the unbelieving nothing is pure but even their minde and conscience is defiled Exod. 30.29 It is said Every thing that touched the Altar was clean and hence without this all is unclean When a poor soul shall come to
shall lose that life and strength which it had not but that a Christian do's lose to his feeling but it will returne again When he is a hearing some affection but he goes away dead as he came no but when the Lord comes by his everlasting power and mercy and life in any Ordinance now Christ comes in his power and now ye receive the King in his power and Christ attaines his end in the Ordinance This is all that I would say I do beseech you brethren in the Lord Jesus Christ Oh seek for this blessed life everlasting life Lord everlasting power Lord beg for that and seek for that and pray for that and weep for that do not content thy self with sippings and tastings look for everlasting life and power to come with the Ordinance though means be weak in themselves do not therefore vilifie them Look upon the brazen serpent what a poor thing was that to heal the people that were stung yet the institution of Christ did put vertue into it So do thou attend on the Ordinances and never be content till thou dost finde the Lord and feel the Lord and say as some have said though I feel not the Lord now as I have done yet I think I shall for ever blesse the Lord. Never be content till ye finde the Lord bringing your heart to this passe and then the King of glory the Prince of peace is come though ye finde not the fame power at all times yet if ye finde that power which do's inure your heart for ever to blesse the Lord here is everlasting power Jesus is now come to thy soul Ay but when ye content your selves with some movings and beginnings and sin and Satan as strong again as ever and ye finde not your sin wasting and consuming in truth the Lord Jesus is cast off and ye have not the end for which ye come to the Ordinances of the Lord. But then ye are blessed for ever when ye finde this 2. There is a derivative power of Christ to the Church joyntly considered together Matth. 18.17 Go and tell the Church is the highest tribunal Christ hath on earth in the Kingdome of Saints 'T is Christs high Court of Parliament beyond which there is no appeal to any higher power then the Church and it cannot be meant of the Officers of the Church which is the fairest interpretation For the case may be that there is but one Officer and is he the Church as also that he may sin and not hear of his sin and must they leave him to himself at least to judge of his sin The power of Keys was given to Peter quà fidelis and the power to binde and loose to two or three gathered together in Christs name Mat. 18. but these things are known For the clearing up of this know that there is a threefold derivative power which the Lord bath given to the Church joyntly and not to Elders only Which may be miserably abused and so provoke the Lord to take it away from their hands till they know better how to use it yet when 't is used according to Christ now not to be under the power of it which is Christs power delegated to it is to cast off Christs Government And I am confident the bondage of all the Churches in Christendome if ye examine the Churches is continued because the Lord sees hearts unwilling to submit to him in the government of Churches and will continue it till Churches know how to use it and men lye down to the power of it 1. They have a power given them from Christ of opening and shutting the doores of the Church the Kingdome of God on earth i. e. of letting in and keeping out any according to Christ into or out of their communion and this I conceive to be one part of the power of the Keys committed to the Church The chief office of which is to open and shut to receive in and keep out according to Christ and hence the three thousand were added to the Church though the Apostles were guides therein and Acts 9.26 Paul would have joyned himself but they would not accept of him because they were afraid of him No body natural or politick but they have power to receive to them the usefull and keep from them the hurtfull so much more Christs spirituall body And hence the Church of Ephesus is commended Revel 2.2 together with their Angel for trying those that seemed good and were not Now 't is true this power may be miserably abused in opening doores too wide or locking them up too long or too fast and in many sad disorders this way yet there is this power Now when men shall refuse Church-tryal and so communion with the Church and that not from sense of their unfitnesse and unworthinesse or some other reason which is in the sight of God of great weight but from a carelesse contempt of Gods Ordinances or Gods people a man sayes What care I for the one and what are the other and from a resolution never to grow better they know they are not like to be accepted of them and they are resolved they will grow no better they think themselves as good as they and from a secret unwillingnesse to come to the light they know things are amisse and will not be known of it they appear better then they are and hence they are loath to be seen and judged as they are Certainly this is to cast off Christs power and if continued in the salvation of your soules is also cast off Acts 2. ult The Lord added to the Church daily such at should be saved To the Church i. e. not the universal Church but visible Church where it may be had such as should be saved Isa 60.14 15. For the Nation and Kingdome that will not serve thee shall perish yea those Nations shall utterly perish Lamentable is the condition of many not so much for not joyning themselves to the Church as not seeking of the Lord for that mercy that they may be first joyned to the Lord and so to his people for the Lords sake There are great heaps of people amongst the Churches here that do stand guilty of this the Lord humble us for it that content themselves to stand Aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel Eph. 2.12 Strangers from the Covenant of Promise having no hope and without God in the world The Lord is slow to wrath but there is a threefold bondage 1. Of sin and Satan Rev. 22.14 15. Let him that is filthy be filthy still Nay though there be some beginnings yet apt to fall back because not planted in the courts of the Lord And hence Col. 2.5 Joying and beholding your order and the stedfastnesse of your faith in Christ order and stedfastnesse are joyned together 2. Of misery Zach. 14.17 And it shall be that whosoever will not come up of all the families of the Earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King the
if they be the Lords he will in time humble them for it and make them better after it I know the answer to two questions would cleare up all the doubts about this matter 1. What prudence should be used in making lawes 2. How farre those humane lawes and Town-orders binde conscience But I cannot attend these only six things I would here say 1 The will and Law of God only hath Supreme absolute and sovereign power to binde conscience i.e. to urge it or constrain either to excuse for doing well or to accuse for sin for conscience is at liberty without this this is a truth urged by all orthodox Protestant divines against the Papists so that no law can immediately binde conscience but Gods 1. Because he only is Lord of conscience because he made it and governs it and only knows it and hence he only is fit to prescribe rules for it 2. Because he only can save or destroy the soule hath only power to make lawes for the soul to binde conscience James 4.12 There is one Law giver who is able to save or destroy Isa 33.22 for the law which so bindes conscience to a duty that the breach of it is a sinne and that against God we know that the least sin of it selfe destroyes the soul bindes it over to death but none have power to destroy it but the Lord himself 3. Because the Law is sufficient to guide the whole man in its whole course in all the actions or occasions it meddles with or takes in hand even in civil as well as in Religious matters Prov. 2.9 wisdome teacheth every good path Psal 119 11. I have hid thy word that I might not sin Whatever one doth without a rule from the word is not of faith Hence the word descends to the most petty occasions of our lives it teacheth men how to look Psal 131.1 how to speak Mat. 12.36 it descends to the plaiting of the haire 1 Pet 3.5 moving of the feet Isa 3.16 and what is of Christian liberty hath its freedome from the word a man must give an account at the last day of every stirring of heart thoughts motives and secret words and if so then it must be according to the rule of the word and hence the word only hath absolute power to binde Masters Servants and Princes how they governe and people how they subject and this the Lord hath done to make men take councel from him and walk in fear before him and approve themselves to him especially Townsmen in their places not to consult without God 2. All good laws and orders inacted in any place by men are either expresly mentioned in the word or are to be collected and deducted from the word as being able to give sufficient direction herein For all the authority of the highest power on earth in contriving of lawes is in this alone viz. to make prudent collection and speciall application of the general rules recorded in Scripture to such special and peculiar circumstances which may promote the publick weal and good of persons places proceedings Prov. 8.15 By me Princes decree justice Joshua 1.7 8. Do what Moses commanded turne not on either hand Object But I cannot see my way from hence alwayes Meditate therefore on it much and then thy way shall prosper c. Many things Joshua did not particularly set down by Moses but may be collected from it Deut. 1.17 18 19 20. The King is to have it that he may prolong hit dayes in the midst of Israel in his Kingdome What made Rehoboam to turne from these wayes he thought he could not stablish his Kingdome without it that was therefore the ruine of him and his Kingdome 1. This appeares because the word is sufficient to direct as hath been shewn and hence all directions and rules are to be taken from hence 2. Because either men have rules to walk by or their own wills and apprehensions are to be rules but not so because mens wills are not only corrupt but it 's a peculiar prerogative to God to be obeyed because of his will The reason or wisdome which makes a rule binds which if it be right is part of the law writ in the heart which is most plainly seen and fully opened in the word whence direction is to be had 3. Humane lawes or orders thus either see down in the word or deducted from the word and applied by those that be in place in Townes though they do not binde conscience firstly as humane or by humane power i. e. as published and imposed by man yet they do binde secondarily i. e. by vertue of the Law of God wherein they are contained or from whence they are derived and deducted and according to which they are opposed they are like subpoenas in the Kings name or writ of arrest which by vertue of higher power challenge obedience And thus to break these is to sin against God and makes the conscience liable to punishment from God And the reason is 1. Because men sin hereby against the Lord and his holy righteous law because Gods law is contained in these and what is deducted from the word is Gods word 1 Sam. 8.7 They have not rejected thee but me 2. Because they sin against the power of the Magistrate hereby and against men in place and so against more means Rom. 13.2 He that resisteth the power resisteth the Ordinance of God i.e. when they command thee according to God which the Lord takes very ill and the meaner the power is as in Townes the more terrible will the Lord be when he comes to visit for it hence they receive to themselves damnation both by God and men 'T is true if they be not thus according to the word but rather against the general rules of it though men in Townes and places are not to be obeyed yet subjection is their due even then i. e. not to refuse obedience with contempt of their persons places power or scandal to their proceedings or profession of the Gospel Revile not the Lords high Priest speak evil of no man but rather come in private and conferre with them and hear what may be said and be willing to give and take reason 4. Humane lawes and orders may be known to be according to the word when they command or forbid such things as really advance or tend to promote the publick good This I adde to answer that great question in many scrupulous mindes I cannot see so ignorant when an order is collected from the generall rules of the word now this conclusion answers that doubt For look as the maine work of men in place is to promote publick good and hence publick-spirited men are to be chosen for it so the principal rule is that which God and his Word gives them to walk by whatever really doth tend to the advancement of that Publish that record that and execute that Rom. 13.4 He is Gods Minister to thee for good i. e. for
into an Angel of light and speak and by their light will blinde them that the light in them shall be darknesse Rom. 1.22 When men with natural light began to be most wise then they became came the greatest fooles so 't is with other knowledge of Scripture and things they heare Happy were it for many a man if he had never heard nor seen Rev 12.9 Rom. 1.22 for that which he hath heard and seen keeps him from hearing Tyre and Sidon would hear sooner then Capernaum that heard most Reas 3. Reas 3 From the righteous judgement of God in leaving men to be blinded and made deaf from and by the means whereby they should hear and know that as it is with the Saints all evil things are for their good so all good things are for their hurt Isa 6.10 the meriting cause is unbelief and sin but the deep and hidden rise of all is Gods eternal dereliction of them God never intended love special love to them hence he never speaks one word to them 2 Cor. 4.3 John 6.65 Many were offended at his words and forsook him Now to take off this offence I said None can come to me except it be given him of the Father what is that see vers 45. and 37. Vse 1. Vse 1 Hence see the reason why the Word is so wonderfully ineffectual to the soules of many men that it never stirs them that it 's a strange thing to them it 's Heb. 12.19 like the law a voice of words a sound of words so they hear men spake but understand no more then if they speak in a strange language or if they do it concernes not them or if it stirs 't is but as the blowing of the winde upon a rock which blusters for a time but when the winde is down they are still Truly they hear the word spoken but they do not hear God speaking They heard Latimer speak but not God speaking they hear a sound which every one sayes and they think is the word but they hear not God speaking it One would wonder that those Jewes that heard John and his disciples Moses and the Prophets nay Gods voice from heaven saying This is my sonne that they should not hear this and receive him with all their hearts but they did not hear his voice One would wonder to see that such things which a gracious heart thinks this would draw every heart yet remaine not stir'd things which the devils tremble at and others which Angels wonder at yet they hear not Oh they hear not God speak they are dead in their graves farre from God and there they are kept by the mighty power of Satan like one in a deep dark cave kept by fiery dragons under the ground and the tombstone is laid upon them If Christ spake he would make the dead to heare and the blinde to see Vse 2. Vse 2 Hence see why the Saints finde such changes and alterations in themselves when they come to heare sometimes their hearts are quickned fed and cherished healed and comforted relieved and visited sometime again dead and senselesse heavy and hardned Mark 8.17 18 21. How is it ye do not under stand Nay which is more that the same truth which they hear at one time should affect them and at another time doth not the same thing which they have heard a hundred times and never stir'd them at last should The reason is they heard the Word of God spoken at one time but not God speaking and they heard the Lord speaking that same Word at another time the Lord is in his Word at one time the Word goes alone at another time as in Eliab the Lord was not in the whirlwinde but he spake in the still voice and hence there he was to Elijah Luke 24 25. with 32. not that you are to lay blame on the Lord for he blows where he listeth but to make us see 't is not in outward meanes nor 't is not in our own spirits to quicken our selves and to make us ashamed of our own darknesse that when he speaks yet we cannot hear there is so much power of spiritual death and Satan yet within us only out of his pity he speaks sometimes not that you should despise the outward word No no the Lord is there shining in Perfection of glory and that which doth thee no good the Lord makes powerful to some others But prize the Spirit of God in that Word which alone can speak to thee Vse 3. Vse 3 Of dread and terrour to all unregenerate men Hence see the heavy wrath of God against them they have indeed the Scriptures and the precious Word of God dispensed to them but the Lord never speaks one word unto them If any one from whom we expect and look for love passe by us and never speak What not speak a word and we call to him and he will not speak we conclude he is angry and displeased with us You look for love do you not you that heare every Sabbath and come to Lectures and you must out t is well yes you will say His love is better then life and frownes more bitter then death Love wo to me if the Lord do not love me better never been born I hope he loves me Happy I if the mountains might fall on me to crush me in pieces if he loves me not c. but consider if he loves he will then speak peace unspeakable to thy conscience when humbled life to thy heart joy in the Holy Ghost Isa 57.19 John 6.63 1 Thes 1.6 but look upon thy soul and see this day in the sight of God whether ever the Lord spake one word to thee outwardly indeed he hath but not inwardly inwardly also but not effectually to turn them from darknesse to light and the power of Satan to God c. The voice of God is full of Majesty it shakes the heart 't is full of life it quickens the dead and light and peace and gives wisdom to the simple Ps 119. Opening of thy word gives light to the eyes How many women ever learning and never knowing and many men learning and knowing what is said but never heare God speak Then know the wrath of the Lord see and go home mourning under it There is a fourefold wrath in this 1. 'T is the Lords sore wrath and displeasure Zach. 1.2 with ver 4. If one should expect love from another to do much for him and be did not it may be he would not take it as a signe of displeasure but if he will not do a small thing not speak a word to him oh this is bitter what will not the Lord speak a word not one word especially when thy life lies on it thy soule lies on it eternity lies on it especially the Lord that is so merciful and pitiful this is a signe of fore anger 2. 'T is a token of Gods old displeasure eternal displeasure I know you cannot heare hence though
gives but a little consolation consider'd in it self it shall give marvelous consolation One would wonder to see what one word will do when the Lods time of blessing it is come 2. After that a Christian hath had the feeling of the efficacy of the word he may lose the feeling of it again and yet the being of it may remain and the reason is this partly because there is not alwayes need of feeling the like efficacy in the word A man may have by the word a marvelous deal of assurance of Gods love and sense of mercy and joy in the holy Ghost he may have this in the feeling of it This word it did ly hid for a time afterward it springs up and gives him peace But he loses his peace again his Sun do's set and it is midnight with him within twenty four hours and he is as much in the dark as before Now the being of this peace is there but he hath no need of the feeling of it at all times the Lord he will reserve that till some time of tentation that he shall meet withall As Paul he had marvelous Revelations but Paul had more need of humiliation then exaltation and there was not that use of Pauls having those glorious manifestations to him I will glory in my infirmities There was need for Paul to know the evils of his heart that he might walk humbly and it did not make so much for the glory of the Lord as this that Paul should say I have this misery and darknesse and sins and yet Jesus Christ he will take away all There was not need for Paul to have those joyes at all times that he had at one time So the Lord he gives a Christian joy and peace now there is no need for a Christian to have it alwayes I will pour floods of water on dry ground Beloved if there should be nothing but raine raine every day and night the ground would be glutted with raine and so turned into a puddle but when the land is dry and thirsty now the ground hath need of raine Let the Earth make use of that raine it hath and when it is dry and thirsty I will give more saith the Lord. So the Lord he gives the soul joy and peace Now if it should continue the very peace and joy of God would not be pleasant to the soul or at least not so pleasant as it will be when the Lord takes it away and gives it the soul again A Christian comes to the meeting-house and the Lord fills the sailes of a poor soul that he wonders the Lord should meet him and speak so suitably to him But as soone as he is gone out again this is the complaint of the soul all is lost again now the soul it falls a mourning again It is not for the glory of God to give the soul such peace out of his Ordinances as he doth in them the soul it would not prize the Ordinances of the Lord so much yet there it is and when they come again the Lord he either gives them the same refreshings again or else there is a new spring 3. The eternall efficacy of the word and voice of God it may be preserved in an internall spirit of prayer for the continuance of it while a man hath it and for the return of it when it is lost Ps 119.4 5. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently David he knew his own weaknesse yet he intimates with what power it came on his heart Oh! that my soul were directed to keep thy statutes When the soul sees the beauty of a command and the good will of God how sweet it is and how amiable the way and work of God is Oh that my heart were directed to keep thy statutes And so when it is gone Psal 63.3 My soul thirsteth after thee Lord saith David that I may see thy glory and power as I have seen thee in thy sanctuary He doth not say that I may see thy glory and power in thy sanctuary though that might be too no but that I may see thy glory and power as I have seen thee in thy sanctuary David he did finde a want of seeing him as he had done yet the vertue of it did remaine in a spirit of thirsting and desire My soul thirsteth for thee as in a dry land where no water is that I may see thee A Christian may have at sometime such a glimpse in hearing the word of Gods grace of the exceeding riches of Gods grace and the love of God to him that he may be in a little heaven at that time ravished in the admiration of that mercy that ever God should look to him It is so and the word sayes so and the soul is ravished with wonderment at it yet God is gone again and the soul loses it Now the soul thinks I have lost the efficacy of Gods word but it is not so for thus it may be preserved Oh that I may see this God as I have done And all his life-time the soul may finde the want of this and yet it may be preserved in a spirit of prayer For whom the Lord hath given once a glimpse of his glory the soul it cannot be at rest but it breatheth for more of that mercy and presence a Christian may finde his spirit marvelously refreshed at the word he may taste how good the Lord is and he may lose it again but this may be preserved in a spirit of longing after this God and presence again And I will say this Brethren A Christian may finde no good by the word to his apprehension he sees the admirable blessed estate of the Saints and exceeding riches of God in Christ sees the swetnesse of the wayes of God goes home and thinks within himself Happy they that are in this condition Blessed are they that can walk thus with God But I cannot saith the soul I say it may finde it thus when he cannot finde the reall efficacy of the word as he would do he may receive the benefit of that word if the Lord do but only give him a heart to desire it Oh that the Lord would but thus manifest himself to me the soul may go away poor and hungry from the word and the Lord may yet reserve a spirit of thirsting after that good which a man desires to finde and there is the efficacy of the word there As now there are two golden vessels one a man fills and it is everyday dropping and he preserves it another vessel he do's not fil but with something that he hath he is every day widening of it So some Christians the Lord he 's a filling of them others the Lord he do's not fill them with such peace and joy ay but though the Lord is not filling of them he is a widening of them there is such a vertue that the lord do's enlarge the heart with secret desires and longings after more of Gods
he sets the soul at an everlasting distance with his sin never to be reconciled and looks to the Lord that by his Word and Spirit he would subdue them that so he may see the death of them and he sides with the Lord in the use of all means comes to the Word and comes to Prayer and sayes Speak against my sin Lord Lord waste these distempers and so the soul is thus at variance with his sin although his temptations do get winde and hill of him he goes again and to them again and though he perisheth and never have mercy from the Lord yet Lord that I may never sin against thee more help therefore Lord by this promise and mercy and meanes and here he keeps him and here he holds Truly brethren here is an eternal vertue and such a vertue as no hypocrites have that have some sting of conscience and after they have some peace they are at truce with their sins No there is an everlasting conflict and warfare and I do assure you there is an everlasting power gone forth Mat. 12 20. Christ will not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoaking flax till judgement come to victory Therefore there may be judgement but it may not come to victory there may be smoak and fire and it may almost go out and he Lord he blowes it up again and at the last though it be weak and little and he think with himself he shall never get strength again yet the Lord will give victory in his time Only becautious here I told you there is an incompleat victory the Lord never sets his people at variance with their sin but they have victory but it is an incompleat victory Saith the Lord I will drive out the Hittites and Canaanitess and Perizzites before you but I will do it by little and little There is many a Christian that findes within himself a Spirit of warfare against his sin and did he examine himself he should finde a Spirit of victory but he thinks he hath none because his victory is not compleat If he had a heart so to believe as never to doubt more and such quickning as never to be dead more never to depart from God more now I should think the Word comes with power but I finde that these evils prevaile against me There is many a one does scorn the kindnesse of Christ because he findes not compleat victory but darknesse remaines still and sinful lusts remaine still therefore the Word doth me no good at all saith he The Lord he hath given thee a Spirit of Conflict and hath set thee at an everlasting distance with thy sin and he doth give thee some victory Beloved a Christian may decay in the power of the grace of Christ which he hath received from the Word and voice of God in the Word and he may decay and grow to a very low estate yet be shall finde this the Word of the Lord hath come with power to him it will recover his soul again and so the efficacy of the Word is eternal Psal 72. it s said of Christ that his People shall feare him so long as Sun and Moon shall endure that is continually all their life-time It may be said there he many that finde decay of their service and obedience and they lose their feare of the Lord and their dread and their humble walking before him He shall come as the raine on the mowen grasse many times a Christian hath his flourishing time as the grasse but when the grasse is mowen it is as a dry chip so the soul it may grow dry as dry as a chip Now where is your sap and savour but I tell you if you belong to the Lord Jesus the raine it will fall again the Word of God set on by the Spirit of Christ it shall fall up on you as the raine on the mowen grasse and you know that it recovers little by little and puts on a green coat again Here is the eternal love of the Lord Jesus to his People and thus the eternal efficacy of the word does continue 3. Vse is of exhortation 3. Vse Oh Brethren and beloved in the Lord Jesus may a Christian heare the Word of God spoken and yet never hear God speak may he hear it externally and not internally then rest not in external hearing and with some little movings and affections and stirrings of the Word of Gods grace in hearing Let not the Word be to you as the sound of many waters and a noise no efficacy of the Word that do remaine on your soules Brethren and beloved in Christ I lay my finger on the sore in these times Oh the contempt of the Gospel of Christ though I believe it hath its efficacy in the heart of the Elect that is the thing that I presse never be content with external hearing though thou mayest have some affection and know new things unlesse thou finde the Lord speaking with an eternal efficacy to thy soul I conceive two things are to be done that the word may come with an everlasting efficacy although something is to be done by Ministers that is to preach truth and Gospel-truth fetch 't from heaven wich many prayers and soaked truth with many teares Ye shall know the truth and that truth shall make you free Convicting truth We preach saith the Apostle in the demonstration of the Spirit The Spirit of God when he cometh he convinceth the world of sin Let Ministers do so Preach convincing truth and Gospel-truth fetch'd from heaven and bathed in teares Oh brethren let the fire burn clear let there not be more smoake then fire it will never come with power then convincing Gospel-truth set on by the demonstration of the Spirit of the Lord and this will set a Christian at liberty there is never such a Sermon that the faithful ones of God preach to you if it come not with a power to loosen you and call you home it comes with a power to blinde you it is an axe at the root of the trees but I leave this What means ought the people to use that the Word of God may come with efficacy Them that are in their unregenerate estate the Lord only knowes how to work on their hearts they must come to the outward meanes I speak to the Saints of God I leave others to the infinite mercy of the Lord It is not in him that willeth or runneth but in the Lord that sheweth mercy In the use of meanes 1. Meanes Do not only see thy infirmities and weaknesse but pray to God to give thee a heart bleeding under the sense of thy many infirmities Many times men slight them and are not sensible of them I do not say wickednesses and wilfulnesses but thy infirmities and weaknesses get a heart mourning under them A Christian is made up of infirmities and weaknesses a man would not think there is that in another which he knowes by himself Oh brethren
labour for a broken heart in the sense of your many infirmities and weaknesses darknesse and enmity vanity and unsavourinesse the Lord will have his time to speak to such a soul Break up the fallow ground of your hearts lest my wrath break out with fire the Lord hath promised to dwell with the poor and contrite Look as it was with our Saviour Christ they brought the sick and the lame ones to him and vertue went but from Christ to heal them all Bring thy sick and blinde heart to Christ and vertue shall go forth from Christ to heal it 2. Draw near to God in the Word by looking on it as God speaking to thee We are far from God and therefore we cannot hear him draw near to him when you come to the external Word when you come to heare the Word heare it as the voice of God You heard the Word at the Word of God which you felt in you 1 Thes 2.3 I do not speak that the soule should take every thing that Ministers speak as the Word of God but that which is the Word of God take it as God speaking I am not able to expresse the infinite unknown sweetnesse and mercy and presence of God that you shall finde thus coming I know it is a common truth but I am not ashamed to tell you I have not for many a year understood this truth and I see but little of it yet ye have heard of it but ye do not understand what it is to hear God speaking When God hath an intent to harden a mans heart and to damn him either he shall have aprejudice against the man or else if he hath not a prejudice against the man there is a secret loathing of the truth in regard of the commands of it and that is all and the Lord he hardens and blindes and prepares for eternal ruine all the men in the world by this meanes that live under the meanes When the Lord spake to Samuel Samuel heard a voice but he heard it not as spoken by God but when he took Elies counsel and saw it was the Lord that spoke now he listens to the voice of the Lord and now the Lord opens all his minde to him 3. Do not trust to the external word It is a heaven on earth to hear the Word exalted a glorious thing to hear the Word of God as Gods Word but trust to the free grace of God in it and the Spirit of God in Christ to set on that Word When they brought the lame and blinde and halt to Christ they looked for the Word and the Power of it Speak the Word Lord and thy servants shall be whole so bring your blinde lame and halt soules to Christ and trust to the free grace of the Lord Iesus Christ The Work of the Lord it shall prosper in his hand so the Word of the Lord it shall prosper in his hand also Lastly so seek the Lord and so heare the Word so seek the truth and so hear the truth as that you lay up your happinesse in this world in closing with the truth and with the word Brethren what is a mans happinesse in heaven but to close with God and Christ I cannot come to God now the most that I can have of God now is in his word if it be happinesse in heaven to close with God in Christ truly then it is a mans happinesse to close with God in his word on earth and if it be your happinesse lay up your happinesse in it My son saith Solomon if thou wilt hear my word Prov. 3. let them not depart from thine eyes keep them in the middest of thy heart place thy happinesse in them So shall they be life to thy soul Vers 22. Neverthelesse Brethren let a mans soul be set upon any thing in the world when he comes to hear besides the word if he lay not up his happinesse in closing with the word truely the word it will be like a song to him The Prophet Ezekiel tells them Their hearts were gone after their covetousnesse When a man comes to hear a Sermon there is a Sermon and the Market there is a Sermon and a friend to speak withall and so many young people will go abroad to hear Sermons What is the end of it It is that ye may get wives and husbands many of you but it is not your blessednesse to close with the Lord in his word I have known some men that have had a distaste against the truth of the Lord and I have known them for many a day they have not been able to understand the truth of the Lord. When it shall be thus with a man that a mans heart is set on something else besides the word of the Lord that it is not my happinesse to close with the truth of the Lord such a man shall never understand the truth of the Lord. Though the word be sweet to you sometimes if your blessednesse do not lye in this to enjoy God Oh this Gospel of God and these Commands of God that your blessednesse do not lye in cleaving to the Lord in his word I say it is a certain truth you shall be blinded and hardned by the word For here is a Rule Whatsoever a mans heart is set on as his chiefest good the presence of that good it comes with power So here the precious Gospel of Christ when the presence of it commands the heart nothing is good enough for it and it closeth with it and with Christ in it I beseech you therefore Beloved in Christ set upon the use of these meanes think within your selves What if the Lord had left me without the word I will tell you what ye would have been Look upon these poor Indians herds of Beasts look upon others on their Ale-benches enemies to the Lord such a one thou hadst been This blessed word and woice of God every very tittle of it cost the blood of Christ written all the lines of it in the blood of Christ Oh make much of it and it will make much of you it will comfort you and strengthen you and revive you and if the word come not with power ye shall be under the power of something else if not under the power of the word then under the power of some lust What is the reason that these poor creatures that are come to the tryall for life and death that have fallen into such sins as were never heard of What is the reason that they are under the power of their lusts I will tell you what Solomon saith My son if wisdome enter into thy heart and discretion be pleasant to thy soul it shall keep thee from the strange woman sinful companion If it be pleasant here is the reason the word of Gods grace it never came with power or if it came with power powerless the word of Gods grace hath been to them and because it hath not come with