cal such a Soul to come to him that it may have Rest and peace that indeed it might have that Righteousness that may make it stand with comfort before the great God and come to have eternal life at last but for our comming to Christ and our Rest in him that belongs to the other Point Thus much for the opening of the burden of Legal performances CHAP. XI Of the Burden of Corruption And that there is Corruption in the Saints Being a Burden 1. Of Grief 2. Of Shame 3. Of Fear 4. Of Care 5. Of Labor and Toyl THe next Burden is the Burden of the remaining part of Corruption in the Saints those that are godly and have their part in Christ and have come to Christ already but yet they must come again and again that is though they be beleevers and have exercised Faith to unite them to Christ they have stil remaining in them much Corruption much Sin they must come to Christ again to be eased of their Corruption and still all the daies of their Lives to be exercising of Faith in Christ to be eased of the Burden of remaining Corruption that is in them That the Corruption that yet remaines in the Hearts of the Saints is a Burden I suppose every one of you can witness that are godly there is no godly man or woman in the world but knows what the meaning of this Point is perhaps the other Point of Legal performances was such a Point that many of you scarce understood what it was but because I knew it was of exceeding use to others though it might not be understood of many they must not loose their portion but there is none that hath any spark of godlyness but do and wil understand what I mean and what I shal say in this Point of the burden of Corruption that doth stil remain in the godly in the best that live upon the Earth and that every one acknowledgeth it is in every mans mouth almost we are al sinners but now here is the Difference between the wicked and the godly the wicked have sin enough in them but it is no burden to them but the godly have their sins to be their burden the remainder of sin though it be never so litle it is a most grievous Burden unto them and to these I am to speak out of this text yea Christ himself speaks to them Come unto me ye that are Laden with the Burden of Corruption the burden of sin that stil remaines in you Come to me and I wil give you Rest in regard of that Burden Now to prove that there is a remainder of corruption in the godly that is a burden to them I wil give you but one scripture that shal serve instead of the rest and that is in Rom. 7.24 O! wretched man that I am saith Paul who shal deliver me from this body of death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord here we have indeed a coÌ„mentary upon this text who shal deliver me saith Paul O! Wretched man that I am who shal deliver me from this body of death there 's the first part the burden of corruption then he runnes to Christ I thank God through Jesus Christ So then I my self with my mind serve the law of God but with my flesh the Law of sin I have got ease and rest by Christ by running to him but marke the scripture O wretched man that I am Paul though a godly man and one eminent in grace yet had remaining in him a body of death his sin that was in him he calls a body of death it was as a deadly thing unto his heart and it was as a body because it was made up of many members as a body is there were many sins remaining in him and al the faculties of his soul and members of his body were defiled with sin and therefore he cals it a body of death Now the Apostle is so sensible of this that he gives a grievous shreek as it were O! wretched man that I am he counts it his misery in that it appeares to be a burden and then he shreikes out under his burden O! wretched man that I am As a man or woman that hath a burden laid upon their shoulders and being not able to beare it they give a greivous shreik at the burden falling upon them so doth the Apostle here And observe further that the Apostle Paul had as much of the burden of affliction upon him as ever any one had no man had more of the burden of affliction then he had as you may read in the Cor. 1.4 and Cor. 2.4 the afflictions of Paul were exceeding greivous there was never any more abused then he was he tels you of being stoned suffering of shipwrake and abused of his owne countri-men that he suffered nakedness and hunger and was whipt as if he had been the most notorious rogue in al the country he had the burden of disgrace upon him accounted the off-scowring of the world and the burden of poverty wanted cloâ— and bread and was fain to go up and down from place to place yet notwithstanding these burdens upon him you never read that Paul did account himself a wretched man in regard of these burdens you never read that Paul cryed out O! wretched man that I am that I want â—read 〈◊〉 I want cloaths O wretched man that I am whipt and abused he doth not cry out O! wretched man that I am who shal deliver me from affliction who shal deliver me from persecution no we find in scripture that he rejoyced in affliction when he was cast into dungeons he could sing psalmes and when he had the whip he could sing psalms and rejoyce but when he comes to his sin then he falles under that burden who shal deliver me from that as if he should say O! Lord let me be never so much afflicted heere in this world yet if I cold have my soul delivered from this burden of my sin I should account my self a happy man and yet he was delivered from the guilt of sin for he knew he should never go to hel for his sin and he was delivered from the dominion of his sin to and yet he cries out under this burden of his sin who shal deliver me I appeale unto many of you what closet or secret chamber of yours can ever witness that you were thus crying out in respect of your sin O wretched man or woman that I am who shal deliver me from this body of sin from this wretched heart that I have many of you we heare cry out of poverty disgrace and trouble in your families and the like but who of you cries out who shal deliver me from this body of death from this sin of my nature many of you perhaps do not know whether you are delivered from the guilt of your sin you do not know whether any of your sins are pardoned you are not delivered at
out of Christ from Prov. 23.34 II. Five Reasons thereof 1. They are under the curse of God 2. All creatures are their enemies 3. All the waies of Gods providence are against them 4. All their best services are rejected 5. They have no refuge for comfort III. Two conclusions from the premises 1 Most men live and perish in blindness 2 There is an insufficiency in al things out of Christ to give rest with the Reasons thereof Page 205 Chap. 27 The insufficiency of every thing besides Christ to give rest to the Soul is further enlarged with several choice Considerations Page 210 Chap. 28. Of the Rest that a Beleever hath by Christ from the guilt of sin laid out in ten Particulars 1 Christ takes upon himself al the sin of them that come to him stands charged with them before his father 2 He satisfieth for sin 3 The wrath of God is appeased 4 He is continually at the right hand of his Father to intercede for Sinners that come to him 5 Their Souls are sprinkled with the blood of Christ 6 The Soul at the first coming to Christ is made perfectly righteous before God 7 Christ not only undertakes for al the sins past but for al the sins to come 8 Guilt shal never return when it is once taken off 9 The soul at its first coming to Christ is cloathed with the righteousness of Christ 10 Such are sure that the day of judgment shal be the Solemnity of their absolution· Page 218 Chap. 39 The deliverance from the Law by Christ set out 1 Privatively in five Particulars 2 Positively in five Points more Page 228 Chap. 30 The Rest that beleevers have from the burden of the Law by coming to Christ laid out in ten Particulars 1 They do not stand or fal for life by the Law 2 The Law-giver is the Redeemer 3 The least spark of Grace is accepted 4 Their wil shal be accepted as the deed 5 Obedience is required in a sweet and gentle way 6 The grace of God in Christ doth melt the heart 7 Their sins make them an object of Gods pitty 8 They have Christ to undertake for them as a surety 9 They are delivered and yet satisfaction is made to the Law 10 They have assurance that they shal never forfeit the covenant of grace they are under by Christ Page 234 Chap. 31 Containeth divers Consequences from the rest Beleevers have from the burden of the Law And Lessons they are taught from thence Page 249 Chap. 33 Of the rest from Legal performances and the several waies how this rest comes from Christ viz. duties are delightfull to the soul because Christ renders God unto the soul in a gracious way 2. They are not performed as satisfactory but as testimonies of love and thankfulness 3 Christ himself offers up the duties to God 4 They are performed from the Law in the heart 5 They have the Promises joyned with them Page 262 Chap. 35. Two other waies whereby the former point is cleered with some consequences from the same and the use of the whol The First way is that whilst the soul is performing duty the strength of it is continually renewed Secondly The soul hath the love of God shed abroad into the heart The first Consequence is happiness of a Christian here Secondly Hence cometh the perseverance of beleevers The use of all is to exercise much faith in Christ Page 285 Chap. 36 Sheweth the Rest from the remainder of Corruption to be Sanctification and that to be a great Rest Laid open in six particulars 1 It is the right temper of the heart 2 In it the soul doth in great part attain its end 3 In it the soul lives the life of God 4 It raiseth the soul above the region of al troubles 5 It turnes every thing to good 6 It is the beginning of Glory Page 291 Chap. 37. Sheweth that Sanctification is only IN Christ Page 297 Chap. 38. Sheweth how our sanctification cometh from Christ in six particulars 1 It was the end of his coming to destroy the works of the Devil 2 He is the great Ordinance appointed by God to sanctifie his people 3 His death is appointed to mortifie sin 4 By him the curse upon the heart is taken away 5 By his union with Beleevers being the head of the second Covenant 6 In Christ are the strongest arguments for holiness that can be Page 300 Chap. 39 Containing two strong Arguments in Christ for holiness First In him the soul sees the greatest breach between it and God by reason of Sin Secondly In him it sees the greatest Hatred of Sin in God Page 313 Chap. 40 Shewing how Sanctification comes from Christ in six Particulars more 1. It is he that reveals the Father to the Soul 2. Through Christ the Love of God is shed abroad into the heart 3. All the Promises are made to us through him 4. In him all the Ordinances are effectual 5. He sends the Spirit into the heart 6. Christ Rules in the heart Page 317 Chap. 41. Six Consequences from the former Doctrine I. The difference between beleevers and the state in Adam II. We see the difference between Civility and true holiness III. We see the reason why so many Vowes and Covenants to live holily come to nothing IIII. It is impossible for any to be a member of Christ and not be holy V. Be not hindred from comming to Christ albeit you have not so much holiness as you desire VI. Hence we learne how to Vnderstand Christ aright Page 327 Chap. 42. Containeth an exhortation to come to Christ wherein Three hindrances are removed And six encouragements laid down First The Union between Christ and a beleever Secondly From the great Love of Christ Thirdly corruption is the burden of Christ as wel as of a sinner Fourthly He healed the bodies of many he will much more the soul Fifthly he knows what it is to be Tempted Sixtly It is for the Honor of the Death Resurrection and life of Christ to give Holiness Page 337 Chap. 43. Containes the conclusion of the former doctrine of Sanctification with divers directions how to come to Christ for holiness I. Be sensible of the want of it II. Be not satisfied with the ordinances further then you meet with Christ III. Come not so much for comfort and peace as for holiness IV. Be sensible of new supplies V. Converse with Christ in the Gospel Page 341 Chap. 44 Sheweth that a beleever hath Rest in Christ in al troubles he can meet with in the world which is laid out in four Particulars 1 All afflictions are at his disposal 2 In him the curse is taken away 3 They stand with Gods love 4 They are measured by God Page 348 Chap. 45. The Rest beleevers have from Christ in outward afflictions discovered in four Particulars more 1. They shall be to good ends 2 They shall be sanctified to the good of beleevers 3. God is present with his people
ever God and man to be an ordinance to heal the souls of his people surely then those that look up to him by the eye of faith wil receive healing of their souls as they did receive by looking upon the brazen serpent The very beholding of Christ hath a power to sanctify the heart And therefore if you would have holyness you must often look upon Christ set Christ in your eye be not only poring upon your Corruptions and looking downward into the blackness that there is in your spirits Many Christians are laboring under the burden of their corruptions a long time why because they spend their time and strength meerly in poring upon their corruptions and looking down to their corruptions But Oh Christian thou must look up set thy eye upon Christ the great ordinance and behold him as the great ordinance set up by God the Father for the conveyance of grace to the souls of beleevers and for the healing of al their souls and wounds and then there wil come healing virtue from him We read of the poor woman that had the bloody issue that spent al upon the Physitian shee did but come to Christ and touch the hem of his garment and then she was healed Surely Christ hath a great deal of virtue in him that the very touch did heal her and therefore he saith who hath touched me virtue went from him at the very touch of the hem of his garment Christ is the great ordinance and he is ful of virtue and excellency the looking upon him and touching of him brings virtue to the soul to heal the soul of its corruption Thirdly more particularly Christ brings sanctification unto the heart because the death of Christ is appointed by God to have an efficacy to mortify sin and corruption it is from application of the death of Christ filled with virtue and appointed by God for that end that it should have efficacy upon the heart to mortify corruption in the heart A man may resolve against his corruption he may vow and covenant against a sin he may strive and struggle against a sin he may pray against a sin he may fast to overcome his sin he may use all meanes that he thinks he can possibly use to overcome his sin and yet stil his sin not dead in him perhaps the meanes that he may use to restrain sin may keep down his sin but it wil never mortify his sin The application of the death of Christ that is appointed by God for Christ is appointed himself as the great ordinance But now more particularly I say that the way that is appointed by God for the mortifying of corruption it is the application of the death of Christ to the soul the virtue that comes from Christ as a dying Christ from Christ as a crucified Christ from Christ as a dead Christ to mortify corruption in the heart That is cleer from that place in Rom. 6. the begining What shal we say then shal we continue in sin that grace may abound God forbid how shal we that are dead to sin live any longer therein dead a part of his coming know you not that so many of us as were baptized into Christ were baptized into his death therefore we are buried into Baptism by his death And in vers 5. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death Again in vers 6. Knowing this that our old man is crucified with him that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin The old man is crucified with him in his being crucified there is a virtue in Christs death for the crucifying of corruption that the body of sin might be destroyed that henceforth we should not serve sin He doth not say that we might have some power against sin that sin might be restrained or that such a particular sin may be kept down but that the body of sin might be destroyed So that in the application of the death of Christ there is not only the overcoming of this particular sin but the Body of sin comes to be destroyed all those principles of sin in the soul with the connexion of them and joyning one to another as the Members are joyned in the Body they come to be destroyed that is though not wholly cast out and radicated yet the ruling power of them is taken away as soon as ever the soul is come to Christ the Body of sin hath a deadly stroke given to it There are many of you striving against this particular corruption somtimes one and somtimes another for those that are Gods Children their hearts are more inclined unto some sins than others and at somtime to some particular sin more than other It may be one labors under the burden of passion and another of unbelief and another of Pride and another of wantonness and divers particular corruptions they are laboring under It may be at some times you find one corruption stir and you strive against that and another time another corruption stirs and you spend your strength against that but now here 's the way to strike at the whol Body of Corruption at once If one shal go to cut down a Tree and stand chopping at one sprig and one branch and another branch the Tree may stand long enough for al that But now if he would get the Tree down he goes to the root and a few blows gets down all there So this is the wisdom of a Christian That when he comes to labor against any corruption he doth not spend his time so much against this or that particular corruption but strikes at the body of corruption and how gets he strength against that By applying the blood of Christ the death of Christ by faith against that and by this means the body of death comes to be destroyed And here is the reason that Christians in a little time grow so much and get so much power against their corruptions whereas others are a long time before they get any power at all Those that are not acquainted with the way of Christ you shall have one that hath been a notorious wretch a wicked person a swearer a Sabbath-breaker if it please God to bring him to the Word and reveal Christ to the soul you shall have a mighty change in this man in a week a great change that he doth not only leave off now drunkenness and then lying and then swearing and then Sabbath-breaking but all goes down together Why Because at one application of the death of Christ al the body of sin comes to be destroyed though not quite dead and withered As a Tree though it may be dead yet the Leaves may be green still So though there be not at first the withering of them yet there is the deadly stroke given and therefore the way to kill them is to renew the application of the death of Christ And indeed this should be the care of a Christian not to
that have true holiness and Sanctification Your civil man and moral man he hath restraining Grace that keeps in his Corruption and what he doth it is through strength of Reason he sees in Reason that to live in such a wicked course as others do to Lie Swear Drink be unclean Cheat and Cozen the light of Nature teacheth that this is a sin And so the Heathen the moral Philosophers that is those that by the light of Nature saw the evil of such notorious vices and saw what the Rules of Nature were for the guiding of their manners So I say your civil men they have improved somwhat of the light of Nature they see by the light of Nature that they must not live in such and such sins as others do and it is better to live justly yea and to be bountiful to the poor many reach so far I but all this goes no further then the common light of Nature then the prudence and Reason of a man as a rational creature may carry him to Quest You will say what is more Answ This is more there must be Sanctification of the Heart through the Mediation of Jesus Christ there must be a principle of Grace that must come into the Heart as a fruite of the Second Covenant that God hath made with sinners in Jesus Christ through the mistical union that the Soul hath with Jesus Christ this is higher Now when a Soul comes beyond civillity it is wrought upon by God after this manner I come now to see the breach that there is between God and my Soul what my estate is by Nature that I am a Child of wrath I am dead in sins and trespasses though I have not lived so wickedly as such and such have done yet I see my self a Child of wrath and an heir of Hell and death notwithstanding all that I have done And I see that only through the blessed Mediation of Jesus Christ this breach is made up and I can only have union with God through him and his Spirit of Sanctification that must come to my Soul through the Covenant of the Gospel I must have my Heart raised up to God in an other manner not only to live civilly but holily to have the Image of God renewed in me through the Spirit of Christ and so to live the life of Christ and feel continual supply to come to my Heart through Christ to feed upon the promises through the Covenant of Grace and thereby to have my Heart Quickned more and more and to perfect my holiness in the fear of God through the promises of the Gospel This is more then the civil and meer morral man can come unto Your civil man is known First In this that what he doth is meerly according to common prudence and light of Nature Secondly The cheif of his Religion it is in Negatives that he is not so bad as other men And Thirdly If he have any thing positive it is but in outward actions serving of God but as for being acquainted with the mystery of Godliness and power of holyness of the necessity of a Mediator of the need of continual supply of Grace from Jesus Christ this he seeth not And further This civil man he is not burdened with Corruption with the remainer of corruption but thinkes himself in a very good condition Indeed he saith he must be saved by Jesus Christ but I put this to any civil man in the world what need doest thou Find of Jesus Christ for thy sanctification art thou so burdened with those inward corruptions in thy spirit that the world can take no notice of And dost thou goe groaning under thy Corruption so as to see the need of the mediation of Jesus Christ a supply of the spirit of Jesus Christ to help thee against thy Corruption and sanctify thy heart this thou art not acquainted withal this is a point above thee and therefore in this point we come to see the difference between civility and true holiness We come to see by this that Godliness and holiness it is a mystery The scripture speakes of a mystery of Godliness and of the power of Godliness and Godliness is therefore powerful because it is a mystery If we must have our holiness from Christ as a mediator that Christ is first filled wsth holiness and our soules by faith must draw our holiness from him then certainly Godliness is a mistery the Godliness that must save soules is a mystery beyond that which ordinary men of the world understand Few understand what is the way of God in conveyance of grace unto the soules of those that he intends eternal life unto The way of God in conveyance of grace unto the soul is not this in giving you reason to understand that such and such things are naught and therefore for your own ease and quiet in the world you must live civilly but the way of God is to reveal his son to you and reveale a necessity of union with Christ to be made a member of him and to draw virtue from him as from a head and to see a fountain of life from him flowing into thy heart continually so as to repaire to Jesus Christ the second person in trinity made man for thy soul I say to repair to him as the fountain of al grace to be conveied from him unto the soul here is the mistery of holiness that is beyond al the civility and morality in the world Oh that you did but by this point understand somewhat of the mistery of Godliness and that it might cause but some suspicious thoughts in the hearts of those that have lived but civilly and morally that for many years together it may be have bin good neighbors pay every one their own and no body can accuse them for wrong but Oh that they would bethink themselves wel I have lived thus and thus long but hath my soul bin acquainted with the mystery of the Gospel to fetch virtue from Christ as a mediator And have I a stock of grace from him to trade by that what I trade by I have from him Have I found the burden of my inward corruption And have I got ease and rest by virtue of the promises of the Gospel And have I searched into the Covenant of Grace and found there promises to convey comfort unto my soul Hath my heart been exercised after this manner Certainly if thou hast not thou knowest not what the way of the Gospel is what an evangelical life is what is a true evangelical life When the soul is inabled to live upon Christ that thou feelest thy heart live upon Christ sucking and drawing virtue from Christ for the mortifying of thy corruptions and quickning thy heart in the way of holiness this is a true evangelical life and that is another consequence drawn from this That Godliness is a mystery and beyond civility and morality III. Another Consequence that may be drawn is this Hence then we may
see the reason that many people their vowes and Covenants to live better then they have done doth so often come to nothing our Sanctification is in Christ our overcoming of corruption it is by virtue of Christ then from hence I say we see plainly the reason why the vowes and covenants of so many people that do promise in the time of their sickness or when they are in any danger at sea to live better Oh say they if ever God restore us they wil never live as they have done they wil live better then heretofore they have done and though they do not speake thus for the present to deceive people but speake what they do intend their hearts are fully resolved to leave their sins and to live better yet when they are restored they live as before when they come to land whatever promise they made at sea yet they live as before What is the reason of this Because they are not acquainted with the mistery of Godliness they know not how to fetch strength from Christ to inable them to keep their resolutions they do not know where the stock of grace lies They depend upon their owne resolutions and promises they do not see the strength that should come from Christ and hence it is that al their vowes and covenants come to nothing As we reade of Sampson he said after his strength was gone from him that he would go forth as before but the Lord was departed from him So you think if God restore you you wil live better and overcome your corruptions you wil not live as before I but the strength of Christ is not with you you do not know that the strength of Christ is departed from you Adam had grace from God as the creator it is not for us to pray to God for grace as creator of al things but we must seeke God in Christ and see how the fulness of al the Godhead dwels bodily in him and so we come to have strength against our corruptions I remember a German Divine writing to his friend professeth that before he understood the way of the Gospel he had vowed and covenanted a thousand times against some sins and could never overcome them but after the Lord revealed to him the way of the Gospel that al strength comes in by exercising faith in Christ and seeing the father giving his son to supply al grace and exercising faith in the Covenant of grace he found strength against his corruptions so that he was able very comfortably to walk with God in the wayes of holiness So Christians that understand the way the Gospel wil find abundance of power against their corruptions more then they did with al their striving and paines taking before though we should strive and take al paines we can yet we must know that this wil not do it without the exercise of faith in Christ for the helping of us against our corruptions IIII. From hence followes also that it is impossible any should be a member of Christ but he must needs be holy because Christ is our sanctification Christ is Filled ful of holiness that holiness might be conveyed to his members therefore those that have yet their lusts in the strength of them that have not the rest of sanctification in some measure surely the spirit of Christ is not in them these cannot stand together to be a member of Christ and yet to walk in Filthiness these cannot stand together For Christ is the great prophet that teacheth and the great King of his Church to governe and certainly whatsoever is brought to him must be taught of him and governed by him it is impossible to have communion with the fountain of al holyness and yet for al that to live under the power of sin this cannot be V. From hence followes likewise That for any to be hindred in their comming to Christ because they have not that measure of holiness that they desire this is a great temptation for any soul that sees the want of grace the want of sanctification and labors under the burden of corruption for any such soule to be hindered in the coming of it unto Christ because it hath not what grace it doth desire this is a very strong and a dangerous temptation of the devil which we are to take heed of It is a most irrational temptation and yet this is that that many poor souls are troubled withal they think thus when we exhort them to come to Christ alas what should I do poor creature I am so vild I have such a wicked and sinful heart how should I come to him were I thus and thus had I power over my corruptions as others have then I could be bold to come to Christ Now what a temptation is this Christ saith come and I wil give you rest you say if I had rest I would come Christ is the fountain of al holiness therefore to be kept off from Christ because I want holiness is a very great temptation it is the work of the Divel should I be kept off from Christ for want of holiness when Christ is appointed by God the father to convey holiness unto the heart to renew the image of God in mee and to draw it more beautifully then ever it was before Remember the point you have heard that Christ is our sanctification and al holiness comes from him therefore surely my want of holiness shal not drive him from me but draw me to him Let me not say as Peter Master depart from me for I am a sinful man the truth is he should rather have said Master come to me for I am a sinful man So many poor soules wil say Lord I cannot come to Christ because I am so sinful thou shouldest come to him the rather because thou art so sinful VI. From hence we learne how to understand Christ aright and how to beleeve in Christ aright some people they understand Christ only as a savior that they must be pardoned by Christ and saved by him and delivered from hel by him but you must understand him to be sanctification to you also you must trust in Christ to sanctifie you as wel as save you if you understand Christ aright you must understand him to be a sanctifyer as wel as a savior if thou beleevest in Christ aright thou beleevest in Christ as a sanctifier as wel as a savior thus much of the conseqences that follow from the Rest of sanctification in Christ CHAP. XLII Containeth an exhortation to come to Christ wherein Three hindrances are removed And six encouragments laid down First The Vnion between Christ and a beleever Secondly From the great Love of Christ Thirdly Corruption is the burden of Christ as wel as of a sinner Fourthly He Healed the bodies of many he wil much more the soul Fifthly he knowes what it is to be Tempted Sixtly It is for the Honor of the Death Resuâ—rection and Life of Christ to give
Impressions with and without Word 4. Light and Law within 5. Divine Providence 6. Christian Experience 7. Humane Reason 8. Judicial Astrology Delivered in Sermons on 2. Pet. 1.19 2 Christ in Travel Wherein 1. The Travel of his soul 2. The first and after effects of his Death 3 His Assurance of Issue 4. And his satisfaction therein Are opened and cleered in Sermons on Isa 53.11 3 A Lifting up for the Cast-down in case of 1. Great sin 2. Weakness of Grace 3. Miscarriage of Duties 4. Want of Assurance 5. Affliction 6 Temptation 7. Desertion 8. Unserviceableness 9 Discouragements from the Condition it self Delivered in thirteen Sermons on Psalm 42.11 His Four Sermons concerning 4 Sin against the Holy Ghost 5 Sins of Infirmitie 6 The false Apostle tried and discovered 7 The good and means of Establishment 8 The great things Faith can do 9 The great things Faith can suffer 10 The Great Gospel Mystery of the Saints Comfort and Holiness opened and applied from Christs Priestly Office 11 Satans power to Tempt and Christs Love to and Care of his People under Temptation 12 Thankfulness required in every Condition 13 Grace for Grace 14 The Spiritual Actings of Faith through Natural Impossibilities 15 Evangelical Repentance 16 The Spiritual Life c. 17 The Woman of Canaan 18 The Saints Hiding-place c. 19 Christs Coming c. 20 A Vindication of Gospel Ordinances 22 Grace and Love beyond Gifts Mr. Brightman on the Revelation Clows Chyrurgery Marks of Salvation Christians Engagement for the Gospel by John Goodwin Great Church Ordinance of Baptism Mr. Loves Case containing his Petitions Narrative and Speech Twelve Books of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs lately published also the Texts of Scripture upon which they are grounded 1 Gospel Reconciliation Or Christs Trumpet of Peace to the World Wherein is Opened Gods exceeding willingness to be Reconciled to Man And Gods sending his Embassadors to that End From 2 Cor. 5.19 20 21. 2 The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment on Phil. 4.11 Wherein is shewed 1 What Contentment is 2 It is an Holy art and Mystery 3 The Excellencies of it 4 The Evil of the contrary sin of Murmuring and the Aggravations of it 3 Gospel-Worship on Levit. 10.3 Wherein is shewed 1 The right manner of the Worship of God in General And particularly In hearing the Word Receiving the Lords supper prayer 4 Gospel-Conversation on Phil. 1 17 Wherein is shewed 1 That the Conversations of Beleevers must be above what could be by the Light of Nature 2 Beyond those that lived under the Law 3 And sutable to what Truths the Gospel holds forth To which is added The Misery of those Men that have their Portion in this Life only on Psal 17.14 5 A Treatise of Earthly-mindedness Wherein is shewed 1 What Earthly-mindedness is 2. The great Evil thereof on Phil. 3. part of he 19. vers Also to the same Book is joyned A Treatise of Heavenly-mindedness and walking with God on Gen. 5.24 and on Phil. 3 20. 6 An Exposition on the fourth fifth sixth and seventh Chapters of the Prophesie of Hosea 7 An Exposition on the eighth ninth and tenth Chapters of Hosea 8 An Exposition on the eleventh twelfth and thirteenth Chapters of Hosea being now compleat 9 The Evil of Evils or the exceeding sinfulness of sin on Job 16.21 10 Precious Faith on 2 Pet. 1.1 11 Of Hope on 1 John 3.3 12 Of Walking by Faith on 2 Cor. 5.7 Mr. Burroughs his fifty nine Sermons on Matth. 11.28 29 30. Are Printed A Godly aâ—d Fruitful Exposition on the first Epistle of Peter By Mr. John Rogers Minister of the word of God at Dedham in Essex Mr Rogers on Naaman the Syrian his Disease and Ouâ—e Discovering the Leprosie of Sin and Self-love with the Cure viz. Self-denial and Faith Mr. Rogers his Treatise of Marriage The Wonders of the Loadstone By Samuel Ward of Ipswich An Exposition on the Gospel of the Evangelist St. Matthew By Mr. Ward The Discipline of the Church in New-England By the Churches and Synod there The Wise Virgins Lamp Burning Or Gods sweet incomes of Love to a gracious Soul waiting for him Published by Mr. Thomas Weld late of New-England Twelve new Books in one Volum of Nich. Culpeper All called the Idea of Practical Physick 1 The art to preserve Health 2 The preternatural disorder of mans body and their Signs 3 Of Medicaments 4 Of the art of Healing 5 Of the general Cure of Diseases 6 Of External Diseases 7 Of Feavers 8 Of Head Diseases 9 Of middle Belly Diseases 10 Of Lower belly Diseases 11 Of Venemous Diseases 12 Of Childrens Diseases Thirty four Books of Nich. Culpeper Gent. Student in Physick and Astrologie formerly published The first Twenty four Books Are all called the Practice of Physick Wherein is plainly set forth The Nature Cause Differences and several sorts of Signs Together with the Cure of al Diseases in the Body of Man Being a Translation of the Works of that Learned and Renowned Doctor Lazarus Riverius now living Councellor and Physitian to the present King of France Above fifteen thousand of the said Books in Latin have been sold in a very few Years having been eight times printed though al the former Impressions wanted the Nature Causes Signs and Differences of the Diseases and had only the Medicines for the cure for them as plainly appears by the Authors Epistle 25. A Sure Guide to Physick and Chyrurgery That is to say The Arts of Healing by Medicine and Manual Operation Being an Anatomical Description of the whol body of Man and its parts with their Respective diseases demonstrated from the Fabrick and use of the said Parts In Six Books of Riolanus translated and adorned with an hundred eighty four Figures cut in Brass 26 Vesâ—ingus Anatomy of the Body of Man Wherein is exactly described the several Parts of the Body of Man illustrated with very many larger Brass Plates than ever was in English before 27 A Translation of the New dispensatory made by the Colledg of Physitians of London Whereunto is added The Key to Galens Method of Physick 28 The English Physitian enlarged being an Astrologo-Physical Discourse of the vulgar Herbs of this Nation wherein is shewed how to cure a mans self of most Diseases incident to Mans Body with such things as grow in England and for three pence charge Also in the same Book is shewed 1 The time of gathering al Herbs both Vulgarly and Astrologically 2 The way of drying and keeping them and their Juyces 3 The way of making and keeping al manner of useful Compounds made of those Herbs The way of mixing the Medicines according to the Cause and Mixture of the Disease and the part of the Body afflicted 29 A Directory for Midwives or a Guide for Women Newly enlarged by the Author in every sheet and illustrated with divers new Plates 30 Galens Art of Physick with a large Comment 31 New Method both of studying and practising Physick 32 A
in darkness they can have God the Father made known to them by no means but by me there is no way for them to know what is in the Heart of God the Father towards them but by me and therefore Oh! Sinners come to me Here is the dependance of the words upon the former Likewise consider what followâ— If the poor should say Oh! blessed Saviour we are vild unworthy creatures we lie under the weight and burden of the guilt of our Sins and shal such as we come to thee Yea saith Christ notwithstanding that yet come to me The word in the Greek here hath an emphasis beyond that which you have in your Books it is not Venice that is usually translated come but adeste it is a word exhortation not a meer word commanding but a word of Exhortation as one friend calls to another in a familiar sweet way and saies come hither I come to thee Oh! blessed Saviour saith the poor Sinner thou art the Holy one of the Father thou art God blessed for ever and how should I be able to come to thee now saith Christ I am meek and I am lowly come to me and I wil lay no further burden upon you no other yoke upon you I am meek and lowly and I wil shew my self to be meek and gentle and loving to you I wil not upbraid you if you come I wil not say to you as Jeptha said to the Elders of Gilead you did hate me and cast me out and why are you come to me in your distress but if you come to me you shal find rest to your Soules and be sure that whatsoever yoke shal be layed upon you it shal be but an easie yoke and whatsoever burden shal be layed upon you it shal be but a light burden And thus you have the dependance of the words and the scope of them Now further for the meaning of them come to me ye that Labor The word translated here Labor is I think in some of your books Weary al ye that are weary And it signifies a cutting Labor it comes from a word that signifies to cut any kind of trouble or vexation that is upon ones spirit that is cutting a cutting trouble somtimes it is used for any kind of trouble in the world as in Revel 14.13 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord for they rest from their Labors from al their trouble and affliction Al you that Labor and are heavy Laden the word comes from a word that signifies the Lading of a Ship such a loade that would load a Ship heavy laden this is the meaning of the words You that are under such afflictions of spirit as you are even cut again you that Labor under the trouble anguish and sorrow of your hearts And then you that are under such a burden that even would lade a Ship that is ready to sink your souls down into the bottom of dispaire you that are in such a condition come to me you that can find no rest any where else come to me and I wil give you rest So that here in vers 28. You have these three things for the division of it 1. The discription of those whom Christ would invite to himself what kind of people they are or the condition of such as are invited and required to come to Christ the subject Such as Labor and are heavy Laden 2. The sweet and gracious invitation of Christ to such Come to me come to me you that do thus Labor and are thus heavy Laden And 3. A Gracious promise unto such as come unto Christ that Christ wil give rest unto their Souls These are the three things in vers 20. For the first I shall only speak of that at this time though the other two are the Chief that I do intend And I speake of the first only as making way unto the other two that follow For the reason why I chose this scripture was to draw the Soul unto Christ and to open the riches of this promise of rest to shew what rest the Soul shal have in Christ that doth come unto him CHAP. II. Containing a Description of them whom Christ invites to come unto him which is laid down in this doctrine That they whom Christ cals to come unto him are such as Labor and are heavy Laden Whether 1. Vnder the burden of the righteousness of the Law Or 2. Vnder the weight of their sins Or 3. Vnder the power of any corruption Or 4. Vnder any outward trouble or Affliction YOu that Labor and are Heavy Laden So that then the point is DOCT. That those that Labor and are Heavy Laden are called to Christ Such as Christ calls are Such as Labor and are Heavy Laden 1. Such as Labor and are Heavy Laden under the burden of the righteousness of the Law So Chrisostom carries the text Those that heretofore have sought righteousness by the Law and find it very burdensom to them they that are toyling and laboring to get peace and rest unto their souls by the works of the Law but find themselves tyred find that peace and rest doth not come that way are even toyled and tyred and do as it were stick in the mire but yet find no peace nor rest that way Now saith Christ unto them come unto me as if he should say This is not the right way to get true peace and rest to your souls to think to bring it about by the works of the Law you may toyl labor performe duties and not dare to do any thing against your consciences be very strict in your lives be striving to do more and more And yet this wil not bring true rest and peace unto your souls you wil never have peace and rest through the righteousness of the Law you must have it by me There are many whose consciences God hath begun to enlighten to see that there is an evil in Sin that sin wil bring death that it doth endanger their souls of damnation eternally they are convinced of this and that they might have peace with God is the thing their souls doth much desire O! that they might have the pardon of sin and peace with God O! that they might have their consciences quieted God doth awaken the consciences of many men and women who yet have no saving grace and they spend a great deal of time in laboring and taking much pains to get their Consciences quiet there is many that have been divers years laboring and taking paines to get their consciences to be quiet and cannot but their consciences ever and anon wil be flying in their faces troubling of them and yet they are such people as dare not commit any known sin dare not neglect any known duty are constant in prayer in secret attend upon the word And whensoever they heare of a duty that they should perform they labor to set upon it withal their might but alas they feel little sweetness and comfort in
Soul comes to be acquainted with the mistery of the Gospel that it hears the voice behind him as it were saying come to me And the Soul being inabled to answer to the cal and to come to Christ it doth now perform duties as much as it did before and makes conscience of them as much as it did before but now they come to do them in another manner than they did before and they come to be easie to them over that they were before and they come to have rest to their Souls notwithstanding their imperfections in duties When you went to prayer indeed somtimes when your Hearts were much inlarged in Prayer and your thoughts were taken up wholly with the duties that you were performing then you thought you had some comfort but when you had any wandring thoughts and distractions in Prayer then you rose up with a mighty troubled Spirit and could have no rest al the day long Now when you come to be acquainted with the mistery of God in Christ though there be many imperfections in your duties yet then you shal find rest unto your Souls notwithstanding all your imperfections But that wil come to be more clearly opened when we come to that and I wil give you rest Those that have labored under the righteousness of the Law and find it toylsome and exceeding burdensom to them Christ calls them to come to him that they may have rest The Burden under Sin Secondly Those that labor and are heavy laden under the weight and burden of their Sins The trouble of Conscience that is upon them for their Sins this is another thing besides the righteousness of the Law The other labor was from under duties but this labor is from the sense of the weight and burden of Sin and we are to know that this is a great labor and burden Oh! when the Soul comes to be under the burden of sin it works to purpose it labors then indeed The thoughts they gather together and conscience being awakened makes a great disturbance and causeth fears and tremblings in the Soul the heart of a man or woman that was before slugish dull heavy and dead when God comes to make it to be sensible of the evil of Sin then it is quickned enlivened and working You that Labor and are heavy laden you that feel the weight of Sin upon your Souls and know not what in the world to do Come you to me saith Christ and I will give you Rest The Burden of Corruption Thirdly You that labor under the power of any Corruption Not only under the Guilt of your Sins but under the power of Corruption that feel your Sins strong in you and you would fain get the mastery of them You that carry about with you such a weight as makes you to cry out with St. Paul Oh! Wretched man or Woman that I am who shal deliver me from this Body of Death You that would fain overcome those strong Corruptions that are in you and it is the great burden of your Souls that you cannot overcome them Come to me saith Christ and I wil give you rest from them also First you that labor under the burden of duties and find them toylesome Secondly you that labor under the guilt of Sin and find your Souls perplexed by it Thirdly You that labor under the power of any corruption and cannot overcome it Come to me and I wil give you Rest And then The Burden of Affliction Fourthly You that labor under any outward trouble or Affliction in this world All you that are in any sad condition that have any burdens upon you outwardly if you come to Christ he wil ease you of them though perhaps he will not take them from you though you may be under the affliction as before yet you shal have rest and ease in them Have you any burden of poverty Have you any Burden in your Children Have you any burden in your Yoke fellows Or burden by reason of weakness in Body if you will have rest you must go for it to Chirst Many when they are under any outward affliction they go no futher then the creature for rest Oh! if I had but good friends I should be happy or if I had but an Estate I should be wel But if thy poverty did work upon thy heart kindly it would drive thee to Chist and make thee to say true I am poor in this world but there is enough in Christ to make me Rich there is mercy enough in Christ to make my life comfortable to make me who am for the present in a miserable Condition happy for ever Those that are poor outwardly they should go to Christ if their poverty did drive them to Christ it were a good signe that the Lord did Sanctifie their poverty unto them Now because al these Burdens if they were handled distinctly The Burden of the righteousness of the Law The burden of the sense of the guilt of sin the burden of the power of sin And the Burden of outward afflictions in this world To open these fully and to shew how Christ cals those that are under these to himself would take up much time therefore I wil pitch upon the Second at present and handle that more throughly and that is the laboring under the burden of the guilt of Sin You that Labor under the burden of the Guilt of Sin Come to me and I wil give you Rest I wil not here stand to open unto you what the burden of the Guilt of Sin is then I should soon slip into an argument that I have at large heretofore opened to you out of the Evil of sin only thus much let us know that of al burdens in the world the burden of Sin it is the greatest it is that that is a burden to the very spirit of God God complaines that he is pressed under it as a Cart is pressed that is ful of sheaves it was that which pressed down the Angels to Hel to be reserved in Chains of darkness it was that which pressed down Christ and made him sweat drops of Blood And it is that that hath been a great weight and burden upon many thousands of Gods Saints it is that that the damned in Hel lies under now and must do so eternally Cursing Blaspheming of God It is that that makes the whole creation to groan and travel in pain However many people think â—lightly and meanly of it yet when the Lord doth lay it upon any Soul such a Soul doth find it to be a burden indeed CHAP. III. The Burden under Sin laid open in nine Particulars 1. When the Soul not only apprehendeth but is sensible of the Evil of Sin in the reality of it 2. Finds all the comfort that did attend Sin before to vanish and come to nothing 3. Looks upon it self as loathsome and is in Some measure bowed to God 4. Trembles at the least thoughts and Temptations to Sin 5. Feel Sin heaviest
the world sin is very light Well know That as Christ himself felt sin to be a heavy burden so one way or other they must feel it either here or hereafter but blessed is that man or woman that feels the weight of sin while he may be delivered from it that he be not hereafter prest under the weight of it We read of Pharoah when the people of Israel came for ease he bids them go to their burdens that that he did unjustly Christ might do to many righteously hereafter when you upon your sick beds or death beds hereafter shal cry for mercy Christ may say to you go to your burdens when any thing of the Word came to press sin upon your souls you cast it off O! 't is a dangerous Condition when men and women cannot only sin enough but now when any truth of God should lay sin upon their hearts they cast it out and they think hardly of those Truths of God that would come and â—ind their sins to their Consciences and so burden them with their sins but it should be otherwise with us If those that be thus laden with their sins be those that Christ doth call to him we should not think so hardly of those Truths of God that doth reveal the evil of sin unto us but rather let us joyn with those Truths of God and labor to burden our own hearts for you see that those that are burdened Christ cals them to him that they might have rest there is no other burdens that we are to bring upon our selves but rather seek to avoid them but as for the burden of sin we are to burden our hearts with that and to labor to lay our sins to our hearts and to press them there and to charge them upon our own Spirits with all the aggravations we can and to joyn with the work of Gods Spirit when the Spirit of God comes to lay sin upon the soul to joyn with it and to say Lord I begin to be more sensible of my sins than I was before Lord humble me through it let me be under thy hand as long as thou pleasest only work thy good work upon me Object But you wil say We may sink under the burden of Sin Answ O no those that cast off the burden of sin they are most like to sink under it now can you think that the Lord wil Suffer such a soul to sink under the burden that doth burden it self that God might have glory But those that are unwilling and are forced to be burdened that never are sensible of the burden of sin til al the props and Comforts of the creature are taken away Upon their sick beds and death beds then men are burdened with Sin and why because the props are taken away before they had comforts and estates and such things which are as so many props but now God comes and takes the props and down they fâ—l upon us That is the reason that many upon their death beds lie Roâ—ring and Crying out so bitterly for their sins and why because the Lord hath cut asunder the props and now it lies heavy upon their hearts Now Christ cals come to me you that are weary and heavy laden come to me saith Christ Know that you are in a faâ— better condition than you were when you went on with delight in sin you are now in the way that God doth use to bring them in that he hath a purpose to do good unto I remember in the Gospel where the poor blind man cryed to Christ O Son of David have mercy upon me and stil cryed at length Christ heard the cry of the blind man and asked what it was Now those that were by him they go to the poor blind man and say to him be of good comfort he calls he might say I but my eyes be not opened I but be of good comfort he calls So I say to al burdened Sinners be of good comfort troubled soul Christ calls thee he saith come to me al ye that are weary and heavy laden he doth not say thou that art so much laden Christ cals thee to him Object I but thou wilt say I have no ease if I were sure that my sins were pardoned I should be saved then I should have ease and comfort Answ I but poor soul be of good comfort thou art called he doth not say thou art a wretched wicked creature and depart from me thou cursed as he wil say to sinners hereafter that might have been thy condition but thou didst not heare the voice from Christ this day depart from me but thou doest heare this voice this day from Christ Come to me al you that are weary and heavy laden Christ is neer to you the Lord is neer to the broken heart he is neere to the contrite spirit And know this the longer thou art under the burden of thy sin there wil come the more comfort hereafter Now there is a burden of sin upon thee and there wil be a weight of glory hereafter So the Scripture speakes of a weight of glory as wel as of a weight of Sin be willing to beare the weight of sin quietly say with the Prophet I wil be willing to beare the indignation of the lord because I have sinned against him So say thou 't is fit my soul should beare a burden be content to wait now do you the same thing that Christ did when he was under his burden mark what he did in Heb. 5.7 See how the heart of Christ was affected when he felt the weight of our sins upon him In the dayes of his flesh he offered up prayers and supplications with strong Cryes and teares unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he Feared Goe thy way O Soul and get into the presence of God and tel God of thy burdens that thou feelest make thy moan unto him and let it be with praiers and supplications and strong Cryes and tel him Lord I fear least my soul should be prest down to eternal death under this burden tel him of thy feares this way and it is very probable that thy soul shal be heard and according to this invitation here surely there is rest for thee as wel as for any while thou art crying out under thy burden for ought thou knowest or any Angel in heaven the pardon of thy sins may be sealling in heaven and therefore do not make any desperate Conclusion against thy own Soul for thy pardon may be a sealing and then the Lord wil send a messenger to tel thee of this Nay do I tel thee that theâ—e wil a messenger come Behold here in this text the Lord Jesus Christ comes the Angel of the Covenant cryes to thee Come O Come come freely though thou hast no good at al in thee there is enough in me to give rest unto that soul that doth most labor under the greatest burden of sin that ever
Christ for ease and Rest Fourthly the burden of the law is exceeding great in this respect That upon any one breach of the law the soul comes to be broken so as to lose ability to be able to keep any part of the Law for ever I said there is this in the Law more then in the Gospel that upon any one breach of the Law in the Covenant of works the soul comes to be so broken as to loose all the abilities of ever keeping any part of the Law again as thus I shewed you in Adam Adam was the Head of the first Covenant of works of the Law now Adam he breaks it in one particular failed in one Particular of what God required of him and in breaking of it in that one thing he and al his posterity was so broken that they lost all their abilities of keeping of the Law for ever except God come and create any ability they have lost what ability was given at first in their Creation so then this is a very great mistery that one by doing a thing that is evil should weaken the contrary habit that by doing a thing that is evil we should quite loose the Habit that is quite loose the habit by one act and not only loose the habit that is contrary to the particular evil that we do but loose al habits of al good whatsoever and that by one act now this is a thing above Nature this is only by vertue of the covenant of works God makes such a covenant it runs upon such tearms as if Adam did but sin in one thing he must die that is his Soul as wel as his body must die a spiritual death and so loose al habits of al Grace And this is the Reason why we are by Nature dead in sin Further such is the condition of the Law that suppose God should restore us al to be as perfect as ever Adam was in the state of innocency void of al sin and having the Image of God perfect and then God should come and put us upon the covenant of works again I say if we then should but fail in any one thing it would break us so as we should loose al our abilities to perform any duty ever after this is the condition of the law But it is not so with the Gospel though we sin against the Gospel we do not presently loose al our habits of Grace But the Reason of the difference That though Adam when he sinned against the Law he lost al his habits to do any good after and that though we sin against the Gospel yet we do not loose those habits That I shal shew afterwards when I shal come to shew that the yoke of the Gospel is easier then that of the Law And that is the fourth thing in the burden of the Law Fiftly The first thing is this That the Law upon every breach it doth take advantage against the soul presently I say takes advantage against the soul presently and binds it over to death to eternal death presently binds it over Yea and doth actually put it under a curse upon every breach instantly it doth it its true the law it may be is not presently executed as soon as a sinner hath broken it but this is certain that though God doth not come upon you as soon as you have broken the Law yet know that there are these three things come upon every one that is out of Chirst as soon as any one sin is committed there are these three things come upon him presently First He is bound over by Gods Justice by such abond as hath more strength in it then al the power of Heaven and Earth is able to break as a man that hath done that that is evil it may be the Law hath not present execution upon him I but he is bound over presently And not only so but in the Second place the Law passeth sentence the binding over that is the guilt but the Law passes sentence upon the sinner and condemns it the Soul is presently under the sentence of condemnation Thirdly The Law puts the sinner under a curse for so it is in the latter end of the 27. of Deu. Cursed is every one that abides not in every thing that is written in the Book of the Law to do it Mark every one that abides not in every thing he is pronounced accursed and that is a fift perticular Sixtly And in the Sixt place This Law requires constant Obedience also and such is the rigour of it that if you should obey it never so much for a great part of your lives If you should conceive you could obey it perfectly for a great while yet if at last you should offend in any one particular you are cast for al and al that you have done before is utterly rejected it wil take advantage against you for any one particular If it were possible that all your life time you should keep it and at the last houre of your life break it in any one particular certainly you would be condemned by it this is the condition of the Law for so it is in those words that are named though you do it if you do not abide to do every thing If there be but any one thing whereby it can take advantage it will certainly condemn you for it This is the condition of al that are under the covenant of works and is not this a load Would not this burden the Soul If so be the soul comes to understand it and whether it understands it or not yet certainly it is the truth of God Seventhly A seventh Burden of the Law is this that when once the sinner hath broke it the Law cannot be satisfied with any obedience which may make amends afterwards by any thing that the sinner can do suppose a man should be never so angry and offended he that hath offended him may make amends again a Servant thinks though I have offended my Master and done so many faults Yet I wil make amends for al. So many people think though we have broken the Law of God and lived a great while in sin and done that which is evil yet we wil make amends again and we wil give almes and come to Church and the like These are the Reasonings of many poor Ignorant hearts that do not understand upon what tearms they stand with God al the Children of men stand before God either under a Covenant of works or under the Covenant of Grace one of the two now those kind of men that Reason after this manner surely they are not acquainted with the Covenant of Grace they are under the Covenant of Works and now let them know that the covenant of Works admits of no such amends as they speak of but when once you have broken the Law all that ever you can do If you could live a thousand years never so strictly or be willing to suffer never so much for God
yet all this will not satisfie for what is past many when they have sinned and their Consciences are a little awakned for it then they think to live better and to do otherwise afterwards as if they would make amends for what is done before but you must know that this is a meer deceit and wil not satisfie you must come to me saith Christ you must come to Christ and beleeve in him or otherwise all that you can do wil never make amends you wil say If we cannot make amends what shal become of us it is true if there were not a Savior a Christ our condition were sad Certainly amends must be made but it is impossible that ever you can make amends and this you must think of you must not only think of what you are bound to do for the time that is to come but how the breach of the law shal be made up for that which is past when the sinner comes to think of these two together I have thus sinned Lord what shal I do for time to come I what shal I do to make up the breach of the law for that which is past this wil burden the soul and the soul wil feel upon this such a burden that nothing in the world can give it rest tel it come to Christ If we did apprehend this we would see that our Condition out of Christ were a restless condition and this invitation of Christ would be very acceptable Now because I was loth to tel you of rest before I had opened a little this burden for otherwise you might say as those Jewes did to Christ in an other case when Christ told them If the Son made them free they should be free indeed why Say they are we bound to any man it is in John 8.32 why do you talk of freedom to us If I should have gone on in the invitation Come to me and I wil give you rest come to Christ Why what restless Condition are we in you might have said But now when you see your restless condition then I suppose you wil be willing to harken to the invitation Come to me and I wil give you rest those things wil make you to know what it is to beleeve and to come to Christ when you come to understand what you are in being out of Christ 8. An eighth particular is this That the Law accepts of no repentance as it wil not be made amends for so it wil not accept of repentance Let the Sinner be never so sorrowful for what he hath done and lament his sin never so much if he could bewail his sin with teares of blood the Law would not accept of this You wil say this is a strange doctrine that our repentance should not be accepted of I do not say absolutely that God wil accept of no Repentance but I say that the Law wil accept of no Repentance Repentance is the doctrine of the Gospel the Law preacheth no such doctrine as the doctrin of Repentance it is an evangelical doctrine but now repentance that is merely trouble of Conscience that I see my self in such danger of the Law this may be a natural repentance and not evangelical that is I see I have undone my self by reason of my sin and now am troubled and so go no further I say this is a natural repentance and not evangelical When you do think of repenting of your sins this is a saving meditation for you to think of your Repentance thus I am now sorry and Repent and am humbled for my sin I but this is through a second Covenant through a covenant of grace that this can be accepted it is infinit mercy in God and that in Christ it is purchased by the blood of Christ that any Sorrow for any sin shal ever be accepted of God you must thank Christ for that and therefore when you come to the work of mourning for sin you should come to it as a work of the Gospel as an evangelical work and so come freely to it for that which is a work of the Gospel is a fruit of the blood of Christ and it is a great mercy of God unto you that you may be admitted to come before him to sorrow for your sins in such a way as you may be saved al your tears and trouble for sin except it be through the grace of the gospel it is not accepted and yet how many thousands of poor souls never think of this in the work of their repentance perhaps when they lie upon their sick or death beds their consciences tels them that there is a hel and misery for sinners and there they lie roaring and Crying out but the truth is they never understand the way of God in the Covenant of grace and how the Lord hath looked upon the Children of men under the Covenant of works and now hath entred into a second Covenant through his Son and there hath provided a way for their salvation which could not be in the other covenant we are to know that the law doth accept of no repentance now O! what a bondage is this that when I am sorrowful for my sins and think that God wil pardon me then I am curst by such a Law that wil accept of no repentance but when we come to Christ there Godly sorrow is accepted of and it is said to be Sorrow unto life but that is the priviledg of those that are under the covenant of grace in Christ therefore consider seriously of this point that you may make a difference between a covenant of works and a covenant of grace I know nothing in al divinity that is greater for you to understand then these two things and those people that are not acquainted with these two covenants they understand but little in those misteries of religion that may bring Salvation I say little or nothing of true divinity is understood by people that do not understand the difference between the first and the second covenant between the covenant of works and the covenant of grace and the right understanding of the difference between these two would let in abundance of knowledg I dare undertake that after people come to have the understanding of these two and to know the difference of them in one quarter of a year they wil come to have let into their hearts more knowledg in the main principles of religion then they had in many years before and for want of knowing this one thing people do most grosly mistake in abundance of points of Religion and never come to understand and to know christ at al in that way that is propounded in the Gospel And that is the eighth thing Ninthly In the Ninth place the burden of the Law appears in this that it only opens to man his misery and there leaves him as if a Chyrurgeon should open a wound and there leave it as it were in the open aire The Law tels not
first opening of the text is the interpretation of Chrisostom upon this text You that are weary and heavy Laden that is you that are laden with the burden of seeking righteousness under the Law Come unto me and I wil give you Rest First I wil shew unto you what I mean by the burden of Legal Performances Secondly What a great burden this is and how much evil there is in it and so apply my self to those that are under this burden to shew to them how Christ cals them here in this text to come to him that they might have Rest First that which I mean by the burden of Legal Performances is this the performing of duties that are required by the Law meerly out of conscience because conscience puts men and Women upon those duties and doing them in the strength that they have of their own and looking upon what they do as the Righteousness which they must tender up to God as Righteousness for life now this is a Legal performance to perform duties in a Legal way is this to do what the Law requires meerly out of conscience because conscience tels me I must do it and to work in mine own strength though it be that that God gives yet but a natural strength and to make account of this to be as my Righteousness and to tender it up unto God for Righteousness unto life here is a Legal performance and this is to performe duties in a meer Legal way and those that do thus wil find that this will be a very great burden to their spirits it is a burden unto the Spirits of those that do thus unto the spirits of such as are conscientious indeed for we look not now upon men and Women as performing Duties out of Hypocrisie to be seen of men to make a show of what they have not in their Hearts we do not speak of such but we speak of those that have got into a higher form beyond such kind of Hypocrites such as perform duties out of conscience and yet rise no higher then looking at the Law that binds them to those duties and so tender them up to God as their Righteousness and do them for life making account that this is the thing that must bring them to life such as do this and are not acquainted any further with the mystery of the Gospel they do go under a most grievous burden all the daies of their lives I do not say that it is a burden to perform Duties that conscience requires when we do them to the Honor of God in the strength of Christ as a work of the sanctification of this spirit and as a fruit of our thankfulness for the Grace and mercy of God in Christ to us that is not a burden that is no burden at al but to do them meerly as being forced to them by conscience and as our Righteousness for life this is the burden and though there be no other principles that men and Women have but this yet they may be very conscientious so as not to dare to commit any known sin in secret they may make conscience of secret duties yea they may be aboundant in duties that is do perform many duties In the 6. of Micah and the 7. what shal we do say they Shal we give Rivers of Oyl and thousands of Rams and the fruit of our bodies for the sin of our souls there you have the expressions of those that are Legal they would know what they should do professing that they would be willing to do any thing for to save their souls offer thousands of rams and Rivers of Oyl for a sacrifice so one that is meerly Legal may perform many Duties yea he may be conscientious of every Duty that he knoweth there may be a kind of universal obedience in him to obey in al so far as he knows for the outward action he may make conscience of every thing that he knows to be the mind of God and yet do al this in a legal way and his performance may be rather a burden then that which shal do him good in the conclusion and bring him to life and except he doth come to know furher then yet he doth to know the evangelical performance of duties he cannot have true rest in his soul Now this as the other is a poynt of great consequence to many it may be divers that read this book may not so cleerely understand what this is they may not feel any such thing in their one experience but I suppose I shal speake to some even to their hearts and open their conditions to them whereby they shal say that they have not taken a right course to procure rest to their souls and to this end I speake that they may hearken to the blessed invitation of the gospel to come unto Christ that they might have rest as thus you perceive a little what I meane by legal performances now then we are to come to shew the burden of legal performances that they are very burdensome to those that are acquainted with nothing but to performe duties meerly from the law The first Burden of Legal Performances 1. Because now they are put upon duties that they have no principle to do to be put upon a work where there is no inward principle to do the work that must needs be burdensome conscience puts me upon the duty and that is right but I have no principle to do it yet I must do it conscience saith so whether I have a principle or no and though it is true I have no principle to do it so as the Law requires yet I may doe some outward performances now for me to goe about such a work to endeavour and strive to do al the work that the Law requires not onely the outward part but the wole worke and to be put upon to strugle and strive to do that which I have no inward principle to do that must needs be burdensome Al motions of nature that are from an external principle are violent and so tedious heavy and troublesome so this motion to duty that comes not from an inward principle of heart but is meerly legal conscience stands to put the soul upon duty but doth not put any principle into the soul to do it this is a violent motion and those that have the experience of this find it tedious heavy and troublesome Now here lieth the burden for it is not according to those vain conceits of men that the duty ought not to be done because they have no inward principle to do it but here is the burden that conscience binds you to do it you must do it though you have no principle in you to do it The second burden of Legal performances 2. Legal performances have a great burden in them because there is in al men that are but under the law before they come to be true beleevers sanctified by the spirit of Christ a contrary principle a principle
al and yet you do not cry out but Paul he was delivered from the guilt of his sin yet the very remainder of sin in his heart was a burden to him there is much sin in many of your hearts and you cry not out of it Paul he was delivered and yet he cryeâ— out of it who shal deliver me from this body of death But now to open this I shal shew First how manâ— waies the remaining part of corruption is a burden to the Saints Secondly What kind of burden it is Thirdly Open the particulars shewing that sinful nature is a burden and the stirring of corruption a burden and the prevailing of corruption a burden Fourthly Why it is that God doth so in his providence order things that his owne saints shal be under the burden of corruption and so make some application of it First Then in what respect the remaining part of sin and corruption in the heart of the saints is a burden The First burden of Corruption First It is a burden of greife unto them you know grief causeth heaviness and sadness now the remainder of corruption that they find in them it is as lead and lies heavy upon their spirits in regard of greif it is the cause of their grief and trouble some wil say perhaps sometimes to others such and such that are professours of religion they go very sadly and heavily and when once you come to be so strict in your way you wil loose al your comfort for such and such are alwaies sad and pensive but do you know what is the reason of their sadness you have as much cause to be sad as they the burden is not because they are religious but because they are no more religious not because now they do more duties then they did before but because they cannot find their hearts come up to their duties as they would do not atribute their greif to their godlyness but rather say to thy self thus if they that do so much for God are yet so much troubled and greived because they do no more for God how much cause of trouble and greife have I then that do nothing at al for God The Second burden of Corruption Secondly The remaining part of corruption in the hearts of the saints it is a burden of shame greif is a burden and shame is a burden many that can beare great burdens that can beare the burden of poverty yet are not able to beare the burden of disgrace especially to those that are most ingenious it is one of the greatest burdens in the world now the saints they are ashamed of the corruption that remains in them they account it a shame before the Lord and before his blessed Angels and in regard of themselves what they know of themselves that the world knowes not of they look upon it as ashame that they do even loath and abhor themselves as the scripture speakes it may be their lives are such as others do honor and have high thoughts of them but they being acquainted with their own hearts and looking into the secret working of their own spirits they see so much evil there as they see much cause to abhor and loath themselves and to lie down in their shame before the Lord whom they know doth see into their hearts a great deale more then they can see themselves I wil appeal to any one that knows his owne heart if God should open your heart and make it known to your friends and acquaintance so much evil as is in your heart in the performing of one duty if al men should know so much evil as is in your heart at one time in praier or hearing a sermon would you not be ashamed now God knowes and sees al the baseness and vildness of your spirits and the godly knowing this they cannot but be ashamed and go under this burden of shame with heavy hearts The Third burden of Corruption Thirdly The remaining part of Corruption in the hearts of the godly it carries with it a burden of feare fear you know is a great burden as wel as greif and shame though the evil be not so great upon them yet if their be an evil apprehended to come upon them it is a great burden to them as those that dare not go out of dores in the night because of feare or dare not be in the dark because of fear when they are delivered from their feares do they not account that it was a great burden now the godly they have a great deal of fear upon their hearts and the truth is those that are godly they fear more what their owne evil hearts should bring upon them then what al the divels in hel and al the creatures in the world can bring upon them and that is a good fear but yet it makes them walk heavily others feare sometimes they fear men fear those that wil come and take away their estates and undo them feare their enemies or feare the divel but one that is godly he feares more his own heart the evil that may come to his soul by that then al the hurt that al the divels in hel can do to him for they cannot afflict more then the body I but this brings an evil upon the soul it breakes their communion between them and God and therefore they are afraid of sin before it comes they have experience of their hearts what evil it hath done to them and so are afraid of miscarrying and afraid of the evil consequences of their sin they do not know what mischief their sin might possibly bring upon them and so they goe under this burden of fear along time together even those that are truly godly The Fourth burden of Corruption Fourthly The remaining part of corruption in the hearts of the saints is a burden of care for men and women to be alwaies careful to be ful of care you know that is a great burden that many of you are acquainted with that when you have a great deal of business upon you and much lies upon you when your thoughts are ful of care is it not a great burden to you many men that have been ful of business and afterwards have got over their business what a freedome do they account it the saints they have a burden of care upon them because they find so much to do with their own hearts that they had need be watchful night and day over them they have had experience what their hearts have done when there hath not been a strict watch over â—hem and therefore there is no Child of God but if he be in a right temper he is a careful man so long as we live in this flesh our condition is ful of feares and so we must neds be ful of care in this world though there be a great deale of difference between the distracting care that wicked men have about their outward estate and the care of the godly about keeping their
a kind of Burden the people of God feel under their Corruptions CHAP. XIII In what respects Corruption is a Burden 1. In that our Nature is opposite unto the very Nature of God 2. It presseth down every holy Duty 3. It affords matter for any Temptation 4. It hath a Root from whence al kind of sin may spring 5. It dampeth all the activity of our Graces THe third thing is to shew that Corruption is a Burden to them I. First For the corrupt Nature that is in them besides the act of sin this must needs be a burden to the godly to think I have a Nature contrary to God to think now and then that they sin against God this is not the burden but here 's the burden Oh! Wretched man and Woman that I am I have a Nature in me that is opposite to the very Nature of God to the infinite holiness of God himself though God hath made me partaker of the divine Nature yet stil I continue to be opposit to the Nature of God it self II. Secondly This is that which is as a heavy weight that presseth them down in every holy Duty so in that 12. of the Hebrews Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the Race that is set before us He speaks here of original sin the sin of our Nature especially it is a weight that lies upon our hearts in the performance of holy Duties when we are striving to get our hearts up to God This corruption of Nature keeps them down I remember the story of that good man that going abroad saw a Bird fluttering up and when it had got up it fel down again and then it would flutter up and then come down again and he looking wishtly upon it saw a stone tied to the Birds Leg and upon that the good man begins to weep just so saith he it is with me I would fain get up to God fain would have communion with God and somtimes I am getting up to God but straightway there is a weight that puls me down Do not you find it thus You that are conversant with God you that get somtimes alone in Duty to God and you would fain have your hearts raised to God but how are your Hearts brought down again and not only in these private Duties but after publick Duties a day of fasting and Humiliation somtimes Oh at night your Hearts are up and now you resolve you wil Live above the World And above al these things here below and you wil live more to Gods Glory but how are your Hearts brought down again by this corrupt Nature that is in you III. Thirdly Corrupt Nature is a burden because it affords matter for any temptation in the World there is no temptation to any kind of sin but our Nature affords matter for al kind of temptation what a burden is this if a ship be on fire in the midst of other ships and we know that there is a great deal of Gun-pouder in the ship that is on fire in the midst of the Rest would not he that oweth the ship be afraid and wil he not toyle and use al means he can that the fire may not take hold of the Gun-pouder I compare all the temptations to sin about us unto the fire now we are compassed about with the fire and what are our Hearts in them there is matter for the temptation to take upon as the Gun-pouder is matter for the fire to take hold of so our sinful Hearts are as ready to take upon every temptation as that is now is not this a great Burden That I should carry about me in my Heart matter enough to entertain al sin any sin in the World yea the sin of Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost if I had not the mighty power of God to restrain me thus it is with the sinful Nature of man IV. Fourthly The sinfulness of our Nature is a burden in this respect to have not only matter to entertain temptation but it hath in it a Root from whence if God doth not come in with his Grace all kind of sin may spring up from it though there should be no kind of temptation many of us do cry out of the Devil and temptation when we are overcome by sin but consider what I say there is not only that evil in your hearts that you are ready to entertain all temptations but there is that evil in your hearts that would breed al kind of evils whatsoever though there should be no temptation though there were no Devil in Hel as thus now you know there are the seeds of weeds in the ground though it is true they do not come up to flowrish til the rain and the Sun draws them forth yet stil there are the seeds of those weeds so as they would come up in time though not so soon that except they be rooted up they wil come up in time so it is here there is not only injections of the Devil in us but our corrupt heart riseth to it it is one thing to have some filthy thing cast upon us and another thing to have the Body so rotten that a stinking steam should come from the Body it self one may have some unsavory thing cast upon him and so be unsavory but when the Body is rotten and that cast upon one that would be more unsavory so it is here may be the Devil may bring some temptation upon us and make some disturbance in our heart I but there is that in our Hearts that wil make as great a disturbance in our souls as the Devil can V. Lastly The sinfulness of our Nature is a Burden in this respect that it wil damp all the activity of our Graces the livelyness of our Graces now the Saints of God make it to be the joy of their Souls to be active and stirring for God but now this Corruption that we carry about with us damps al as now a candle if it were in a Coal-pit a Mine there would come a damp that would make the Candle burn dim so the Graces of Gods Spirit in the best of us all are but as a Candle in a Coal-pit thy heart is like a Coal-pit and God hath set up a Candle some Grace in thy heart that shines there but now though Christ takes care that all the damps of thy Corruption shal not put out thy Candle yet God somtimes dimmes this Candle that it doth not shine somtimes takes away the beauty liveliness and activity of thy Graces that though thou hast some life and burnings yet thou burnest but dimly before others with whom thou dost converse I do not now speak of the stirring of sin the working of sin that is the next thing that I shal open how that is a Burden to the Hearts of the Saints as for
outward afflictions men are so sensible of that there needs not much for the opening of them but only to tel all that feel these burdens that they may come unto this promise Yea and they are under this invitation Christ invites them to come to him for Rest for these Burdens First Outward afflictions are burdens because they are in themselves part of the curse of the Law and if they be sanctified to any it is by virtue of this promise in the Text if any affliction upon you be Sanctified it is thence Before you come to Christ al outward afflictions poverty sickness or any disturbance you have in your estate it is in it self the fruit of the curse and is so to you til you come to Christ now to bear that that is in it self a fruit of the curse must needs be a burden because it is so contrary to Nature most afflictive to Nature therefore burdensome Secondly Outward afflictions are burdensom because they do hinder us much in doing Service that Service that we were born for that we were born to do in this world they do hinder us of many opportunities of doing Service for God outward Afflictions do As now sickness of body what a Burden is it Because it doth hinder those that are continually sickly from doing the Service that God requires of them to do and indeed that makes it to be most burdensom to one that is gracious it is not such a Burden to one that hath a sickly body because of the pain that he feels but because by this means my Soul is hindred in those operations that I would be glad to be exercised in for God and doing good in the place I am set in And so poverty is therefore a burden not because I cannot live so bravely as others do and have as fine Houses Clothes and Diet as others have No but because I must spend all my time meerly in getting provision for my family that I have little time for Gods Service others can spend time in Gods Service hear pray and meditate but the chief time that I have to spend is spent to get bread now this is a burden And besides because of poverty I have little opportunity to do Service for God those that have Large estates they have opportunity to do God Service they are called forth to publick Services but I am not so as others are now this is that that to one that hath any beginnings of Grace in his Heart is a great Burden And by the way it were a good argument of true Grace if you that are under the Burden of affliction if you felt the burden where it lies I appeal to you that complain of the Burden of affliction poverty and the like that you feel I put this Question to you in the name of God what is it that makes your affliction most burdensom It is true it is painful to Nature Oh! But the Lord knows this is that that makes it grievous and burdensom to me that by means of this affliction I am fain to spend so much time about mean works that I have little time to do good in my generation others that have greater estates I count them happier in this that the Lord hath given unto them Larger opportunities to do him Service then I have I do not count them happy because of their wealth but because they have larger opportunities to do God Service but it is God that orders things thus and I must be content to bear this Burden I say if thou hast a heart thus complaining of thy Burden it is a good sign and know that in Christ there is abundance of Grace to Sanctifie these burdens to thee divers other things might be spoken about the Burden of Affliction I will add but one more Thirdly Outward afflictions is a great burden in this respect because it many times occasions and helps forward many strong temptations outward afflictions do strengthen and do occasion strong temptations which are very grievous to the Soul As thus when one is under affliction more then others then comes this temptation surely God loves me not because of this Affliction then comes temptation to envy others because I am afflicted more then others then comes temptation of distrust I shall perish one day or other then comes temptation of murmuring under the hand of God temptation to take shifting Courses to shift for ones self by unlawful means Oh! what temptations have many that are under strong afflictions in poverty imprisonment disgrace dishonor in the world what strong temptations have they to stretch their Consciences And this makes outward afflictions a grievous burden because they occasion great temptations to poor Souls to stretch out their hands to folly to unlawful courses many times to help themselves Yea The apprehension many times before it comes is so grievous as it occasions temptation to much Evil to prevent those burdens and yet for all that the Lord is so pleased to order and dispose of things in this world that even such as he intends everlasting good to in Christ go under such burdens as these most part of their Lives they go under the burdens of Poverty Sickness and outward troubles here in this world Many Reasons might be given why the Lord so orders things in this world that his â—ear Servants for whom Christ hath shed his precious blood shall go under these burdens though others that are wicked and ungodly shal scarse know what they are 1. The Lord doth hereby shew that he wil have his Servants to serve and honor him meerly out of Love and not in a mercenary way to get outward things in this world he will have us serve him out of Love and out of Faith if we should prosper in outward things alwaies our Service would be more Carnal but now though his Servants meet with never such Afflictions in this world yet they love the Lord and love his waies and love his service and go on in faithful obedience to him this shews the excellency of Grace more then if they prospered in this world 2. And the Lord sees this the best means to mortifie our Corruptions many times thou complainest of thy afflictions but who knows if thou had'st not such afflictions what sins thou would'st have 3. And God doth this to be a Stumbling block to the wicked that they should stumble at the afflictions of the Saints and so perish that way Divers other Reasons might be given but all is to make way to that which is to come after that the Lord cals all these not only those that Labor under the Burden of sin under the burden of the Law c. But poor Creatures that Labor under the burden of affliction poverty and the like to come to him for ease and Rest CHAP. XVIII Christs Invitation of Sinners laid down in these words Come unto me Opened in five Particulars 1 It is to look to Christ as an All-sufficient Savior 2
to him Do but stay a quarter of an hour or may be an hour or two then you wil find him in his scalding burning fit then he burnes ten times more than he did before and it is like to cost him his life but he finds trouble and disquiet and that gives him ease and therefore he drinks it down and this indangers his Life afterwards So it is with men that seek after ease and Rest unto their Souls in any way of sin thy pleasure in thy sinful waies take all the pleasure of thy Life from thy youth to the day of thy death and put it altogether yet in respect of eternity it is but just like the ease that a poor man in a Feaver hath while the water is going down his Throat all thy pleasure is no more and thou art like to be scalding and burning in Gods wrath to al eternity for that one draught of thine for the ease and Rest that thou hadst in the way of sin I am sure when Christ had the burden of our sins upon him he found it no Rest and therefore it cannot be ease to thy Spirit Secondly There are others though not so vile yet they Rest not in the act of sin but in the creature if they can have good trading quick voyages and have as their neighbors have then they are ready as the rich man in the Gospel to say Soul take thine ease eat and drink for thou hast goods laid up for many yeares and this is the rest that most people in the world do seek after they think that if they might have as such and such have then they had rest enough but be it knowne unto you that this is an argument that thou doest not understand nor savor the things of God if thou thinkest that al the creatures in the world yea if God should give thee the possession of al the creatures in heaven and earth if thou shouldest think that they would give thee rest I say thou dost not savour at al the things of God but those that understand what God is yea those that have but one sparke of true saving grace this spark of grace doth so inlarge the soul that al the creatures in heaven and earth cannot give rest cannot give quiet but stil it hath a higher good to seek after than al the creatures in al the world There is a notable text of Scripture which we have in the book of Job in the 26. of Job and 7. verse He Stretcheth forth the north over the empty place and hangeth the earth upon nothing Wilt thou seek thy rest in that which hangs upon nothing the whole earth hath nothing to rest upon and therefore nothing in the earth can be rest unto thy soul In Micah 2.10 as it is said there in that place so I may say of creatures Arise ye and depart for here is not your rest The whole world is as a wheel in a continual motion and therefore in James 3.6 Where the text speakes of the course of nature or the wheel of nature the whole world is as a wheel running up and down and therefore there can be no rest in the enjoyment of the creature Wel but there are some yet would fain have rest there having got good estates some of you have got good voyages and God hath prospered you in your young dayes and having got great estates now you would have rest that is to live idlely and to live uselesly and to keep at home and let al things go which way they wil it is good to be quiet in ones old dayes when God hath delivered you from many dangers at sea now you think the only way is to live quietly at home and to meddle with nothing and this is the rest of your souls this is the rest that many men have after their yonger time is past and how then to live and do nothing this is their rest now Oh! that God would but speak to the hearts of these men 1. Do but consider this That by living thus idlely and unusefully thou comest to have al thy parts and thy spirits to corrupt just as a standing water as waters in a pond do corrupt and putrifie by their standing so men that live uselesly and are not active for God and for the publique good according to the opportunities that God puts into their hands their hearts do putrifie and grow corrupt there is a corruption that comes upon al their parts the beauty the excellency the quickness the liveliness of their parts are taken away and they begin to putrifie more and more because they are not imployed for God what ever we have that we imploy not for God and are not active in for God it putrifies and however many men think it a great happiness because they have estates and they may live and do nothing there is not a greater misery to a gracious heart than to be useless for God and for God to lay them aside as such as are useless not to use them in his service it is the greatest affliction to a Godly heart in the world if God should take away their estates it would not be such a great affliction as to lay them aside and do nothing for God and therefore let no man think because he hath got a great estate that therefore he may ly stil do nothing Oh! what wil this man do when he shal be called to account for al his time for al his opportunity for al his estate certainly this wil not be sufficient that he can say he did no hurt no but thou shouldest have been active for God God is active for thee in saving thy soul al the Atributes of God is working for thee and al the passages of his providence is working for thee if thou be saved and therefore this is a wretched condition for men to think no higher rest but meerly freedome from outward trouble and if there be any whose conscience tels them this is the truth this is my condition and God speakes to my heart this day this is the rest that I have sought after know that thou art not acquainted with the wayes of God for certainly the rest of an immortal soul is a high thing Jesus Christ came into the world from the bosom of his father and laid down his life to purchase rest for the soul and dost thou think that Christ did this only to purchase this that thou mayest be freed from some outward trouble in this world and that we might sit in the â—himny corner and do nothing Oh! there is another rest for the Children of God than this Object I but some go further some wil say We trust in the mercy of God for rest for our soules Answ Now for that though this be better than al the other yet a man and woman may mistake in this thou trustest in Gods mercy for rest to thy soul what hath God revealed to thy soul concerning the mediator
eternal life it self and therefore there is rest in it it is so far from getting eternal life by it as it is rather eternal life it self then so much as any way to eternal life for this may be said though I performe duty it is true God hath taught me so much that now under the Gospel we must not think to get eternal life by our duty by our works this is popery yet it is the way to eternal life the way that tends to it it is via ad Regnum the way to the kingdom though not the cause of Raigning Nay I wil shew you a further thing then so the wayes of obedience and holiness in a Christians course they are rather eternal life it self then the way to it they have more excellency in them then being the way to life It is true it were a great deal of ease and rest to ones spirit to consider of holy duties but as the way to heaven if a man were going a journy and knew the ende of his journy should be very glorious to him if it were to receive a crown a kingdom though it were a boysterous day and stormy weather and the way were very foul he would not be troubled at it but he would account it very comfortable to know that he is in the right way for he thinks this wil lead me to my journeys end and when I come there that wil make amends for al. And the truth is there were ease and rest enough in the waies of God if God did reveale no more unto a soul then this these are the wayes that lead thee to life and salvation that lead thee to a kingdom to glory especially considering that before we were out of the way we were wandering in the wayes of death and destruction and God by his Almighty hand hath brought us into the right way When a man is going a Journy of great consequence and he is gone out of the way and God by his providence hath brought him into his right way O! what ease is in his spirit Before when he was out of the way what distraction and disquietness of heart but now when he comes into the way Oh! what ease and quiet is in his spirit so I say this were ease and rest enough of spirit to know that whereas before the soul was wandering in the path of death now it is in the path of life But I tel you further then so that when thou art performing of holy duties and exercising of the grace of God in the performance of those duties thou art not only in the way of eternal life but thou art in eternal life it self not only in the way to the kingdom but in the kingdom not only in the way to heaven but in heaven it is eternal life This is eternal life to know thee the true God and thy son whom thou hast sent into the world And that place in the Epistle of St. John he speakes of a murderer one that did hate his brother in the first of John 3.15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him Then it appeares that one that loves his brother and is Godly and gracious hath eternal life abiding in him for that must needs follow if this be the evil condition of a wicked man that hates his brother that he hath not eternal life abiding in him then by the rule of contraries it must needs be a truth that he that hath holiness and loves his brother he hath eternal life abiding in him and therefore such a one he hath eternal life already to come downe to him he is in heaven already So the scripture makes grace but the beginning of glory it is no other but the very beginning of heaven in the soul And therefore in that golden chain in Rom. 8.30 Whom God hath predestinated them he also hath called whom he hath called them he hath justified whom he hath justified them he hath also glorified Marke but where is the link of sanctification It is not whom he hath predestinated he hath called and whom he hath called he hath sanctified and whom he hath sanctified he hath glorified One would have thought the chain should have gon along in that linke but there is no mention of sanctification Why because sanctification is nothing else but glorification begun and glorification is nothing else but the perfecting of sanctification Now I beseech you observe this as a most special thing that belongs to a Christian the best duties that we performe are nothing else but the life of heaven to us nay the truth is it is the life of God And therefore it is said of ungodly men before they come to Christ they are strangers to the life of God therefore when thou art come to Christ thou hast the life of God in thee and the life of heaven in thee and the beginning of Glory Glory and eternal life thou doest live whilst thou art in performance of holy duties What is the happiness of heaven but for the Saints and Angels to be exercised in magnifying the riches of God and of Christ now thou beginnest it here and therefore if thou knowest what this is thou art not I say to look upon any duty that thou performest meerly as a duty but thou art to look upon it as a priviledg yea as part of thy wages That is a certain truth that Gods work it is wages and the improving of that principle would help us very much in our Christian course if thou didst live and account every duty that thou performest to God to be wages Oh! with what sweetness wouldest thou go on in the performance of those duties that God requires of thee thou art receiving thy wages when thou art performing of duties In Rom. 6. and the last The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ At the 22. verse it is thus But now being freed from sin and become servants unto God you have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. You have your fruit unto holiness it is the fruite unto holiness which is the gift of God and holiness it is nothing else but the gift of God and the beginning of eternal life the fulness of eternal life that indeed is the end of it but the fruit that you have for the present it is holiness and that holyness that is the gift of God it is the beginning of eternal life here in this world Then indeed is a christian wel improved in Evangelical obedience when he doth account duties to be mercies and when mercies are turned into duties as when we turne Gods mercies into duties that is an argument we receive Gods mercies from a Covenant of grace and there wil be linkes of Gods mercies towards
Christ for this rest Sanctification the Rest from Corruption I. Sanctification is great rest unto the soul of a beleever the truth is there is nothing troubles the heart of a strong beleever but only the want of his Sanctification nothing in the world I say troubles the heart of a strong beleever but that It is time a weak beleever is troubled for want of the apprehension of the pardon of his sin a weak beleever hath trouble of spirit stil in the sense of the guilt of sin but a strong beleever gets over that A weak beleever hath trouble by the Law stil because through the weakness of his faith he is not able to make use of the Covenant of grace that God hath brought him into so as to deliver himself from trouble that way a strong beleever gets over that A weak beleever performes duties but there is a great deale of legality in his performance of them that many times they are troublesom to him but a strong beleever gets over that burden but now the remaining corruption that is in the heart none in this world gets over this Indeed in great part the strong beleever hath got power there also a great deale more then the weak one hath done but the cheife burden that lies upon a strong beleever in this world is the remainder of corruption that is yet in him And so for the next burden of affliction the strong beleever gets wel over that too but this is one cheife burden of the strongest beleevers that the world hath that yet there is much remaining corruption in them As it was in Paul though a strong beleever saith he Oh wretched man that I am who shal deliver me from this body of death as you heard it formerly opened to you so that sanctification is a special rest that beleevers have it is a rest 1 In this regard because it is the right temper of the heart As corruption was a burden because it was the distemper of the heart as sickness is a burden so sanctification it is the right frame and temper of the soul and so brings ease and rest unto the soul If your bodies be distempered with sickness you are a burden to your selves by it you know not what to do a sick body first lies down in one place and then in another and wil change roomes and change beds change postures because he is a burden to himself Let the distemper be gone let the body be put into a right temper and now he hath rest now he can sleep quietly now he hath ease in his body his pain is over Now sanctification is the health of the soul then the soul comes to be healthy when it comes to be holy holiness is the due temper of the heart and therefore it is rest 2. Sanctification is the rest of the heart because in that the soul doth in great part attain its end now what is it that the soul rests in so much as in its end every thing rests when it comes to its end the end is as the proper place in which every creature rests now by sanctification the soul doth attain its end in great part as First it attains the end that God intended in the making of it a man or woman now they attain in great part the end for which they are born thou art born to that end that thou mightest be holy that thou mightest live here in this world unto God which by sanctification thou dost that is the end God aymed at the end why thou art borne why thou camest into the world Secondly It is the end of al Gods wayes towards thee a special end of al the passages of Gods providence to thee of al the workings of God towards thee in this world of al the wayes of his providence to thee that thou mightest be godly that thou mightest live to him to his praise Thirdly It is the great end of Christs coming into the world Christ came into the world that he might purchase a peculiar people Zealous of good works and that he might sanctifie them unto himselfe Fourthly It is the end of al Gods ordinances towards thee why dost thou enjoy any ordinance but that they might sanctifie thy heart Fifthly It is the end if thou beest one that is in any measure Gods already it is the end of thy desires what are the desires of a gracious heart but that he might be holy to God and be freed from the body of death Sixthly It is the end of thy Labor what dost thou endeavor after what dost thou labor after if thou beest Godly but that thou mayest be more Godly that thou mayest be more sanctified surely that which is the end of our comming into the world that is the end of al Gods wayes towards thee that which is the end of al Gods ordinances which is the end of thy desires and the end of thy Labor that must needs be rest in attaining that thou must needs attain Rest 3. Sanctification is rest unto the soul in that the soul lives even the life of God the soul doth not only live to God but lives in God and therefore must needs live in Rest You have a notable expression for that in 1. John 2.24 Let that therefore abide in you which we heard from the beginning if that which ye heard from the beginning shal remain in you ye also shal continue in the son and in the father You shal continue in the son and in the father When the truths of the Gospel working on the heart unto holiness abides in the heart such a soul doth abide in the son and in the father lives in God and therefore must needs have rest must needs have rest there where it lives in God It s true the Saints they live in the world but as they live in the world so they live in God even in God here 4. Sanctification it must needs be rest unto the heart because that is a principle that raiseth the soul above the region of al kind of trouble and molestation As the Philosophers tel us that here in the inferior region there are stormes tempests changes and alterations but in the region on high the third region that is above stormes tempests winds and blusterings there is nothing but quiet nothing but peace there It is true while the heart of a man or woman is grovelling here below in the world as al are til God raiseth them by Grace their spirits are ful of trouble vexation and molestation There is no peace to the wicked saith my God but he is like the troubled sea which casts forth mire and dirt As you heard in the opening of that scripture But now when God gives grace and sanctifies the heart the Lord raiseth the heart above these regions of trouble raiseth it on high gets it up in the highest region there is nothing but quiet calme peace ease and rest unto the soul 5. Sanctification is rest
keep from the acting of sin so much as to find that the death of Christ is applied to him And hence you never read of any such thing as mortification in any Heathen Author in the World the mortification of corruption is a Riddle to all Heathen Writers in the World The mortifying of corruption and the mortifying of their own hearts this is a peculiar expression of the Gospel and indeed it is peculiar to Beleevers Many men through good Education are so restrained that they are very fair in their course others as they come to more understanding the vanity of their youth being overcome there is not that prophaneness committed by them as heretofore I but what is this to mortification of the body of death that is in their hearts this is only peculiar to a Christian and it is from the application of the death of Christ the application of a Christ dying of a Christ crucifying of a Christ shedding his blood for sin this hath a virtue to mortifie sin There is a great deal of difference between a mortified lust and a restrained lust a mortified sin and a restrained sin The difference lies in this one thing for I must not go out to handle the Point but only this one thing take it by the way When a lust is mortified there is not only a ceasing from the act of it but there is now an unsuitableness between the heart and the sin whereas there may be much restraint of sin and yet stil there may remain a suitableness between the disposition of the heart and the sin only they dare not commit it but when sin is mortified the heart is so changed that there is an unsuitableness wrought between the heart and corruption now and this mortification of the body of sin is by the death of Christ Fourthly Christ is our sanctification and he only because it is by him that the spiritual curse that is upon every mans heart naturally is taken away it is Christ only that doth deliver the soul from the spiritual curse that is upon every mans heart naturally You know this is the condition of man by nature he is under the curse of the Law Cursed is the man that abideth not in al things that is written in the Law to do it But now we apprehend ordinarily this curse to be either in outward misery or else in hel fire cursed eternally but we are to know that one branch of this curse is that that is upon the souls of men here There is a spiritual curse that is upon the souls of men by the fal of Adam and that is God giving them up unto themselves unto the lusts of their own heart unto their own counsel and wayes Now I confess as it is in the curse of outward afflictions in this world it is in some degree upon some and in a further degree upon others but al are under it naturally so this spiritual death is executed in some degrees upon some and in more degrees upon others but every soule is in some measure in some degree or other given up to the lust of its owne heart there is a final degree of giving the soul up to the lusts of its own heart somtime but there is in every one a measure a degree of this and the reason of the prevailing of the corruption of mens hearts may appear in some measure by this It is strange to see that notwithstanding al the convictions of conscience telling men of the dangerousness of their wayes that it wil never be peace in the end that they wil rue it at the last and their consciences give them many a secret nip yet they goe on stil notwithstanding the terror in the Law many times nay notwithstanding the hand of God hath bin strong upon them and they have cryed out against their sins and promised against them and notwithstanding that they find that their sins do destroy the very health of their bodies waste their Estates take away their good names and thereby loose al their friends yet they are not able to overcome it As the Scripture speakes of some that have eyes ful of adultery they cannot cease to sin Now sometimes they plead this as an excuse for their sin and say they would fain leave it but they cannot and they think this is a sufficient excuse for their sin an excuse no this their cannot may be from the spiritual curse that is upon their souls because the curse of God is in a high degre upon their hearts giving them up in just judgment unto the lusts of their own hearts And this I take in some part to be the meaning of that place in 1. Cor. 15.56 verse The strength of sin is the Law Now spiritually the meaning of it is this that al the strength that sin hath to condemn one to kil one to bring death it is by the Law that I take to be the special scope of those words But there is included likewise in that expression thus much that the law of God giues a strength to sin How you wil say doth the Law of God give a strength to sin Thus there is the justice of God in his Law by virtue of the Law of God and the justice of God in it man is given up unto his sin and so his sin comes to have a power and strength over him the strength of sin it is the Law the Law requires this the justice of God in the Law requires this That those that do forsake God should be forsaken of him that those that give their hearts up to satisfie themselves in any way of sin that they should be given up to that sin So the strength of sin is the Law the Law makes sin to be so much the stronger that way Now therefore how should the soul come to be deliuered from the strength of sin the Law must be satisfied the Law must be taken off the strength of the Law must be taken away and none can take that away but Christ Christ takes away the strength of the Law but the Law is not executed upon Christ so as he was to be given up but the text saith he was made sin he came to take our sin upon him it was as neere as might be though he was not capable of having the execution of the Law upon him but the scripture saith he was â—ade sin for us that indeed is a very great meaning of this place though acknowledging of sin and suffering for sin be the cheif meaning of the place yet it hath besides very much of this in it Fifthly Christ is our sanctification by being the head of the second Covenant and so through our mistical union with him there is a virtue of holiness conveyed from him by being the head of the second Covenant and we being members of him as the head we come to have the virtue of holiness to be drawn from him As it was in Adam how come we
Holiness NOW for the last thing that I propounded To exhort and draw beleevers to come to Christ and in this I shal endeavour to take away the many hinderances of the soul in comming to Christ for sanctification and also give some incouragements to the heart to come to Christ for sanctification You see here is the way to get power over corruption and to get grace namely to come to Christ Yea say you if I knew I were a member of Christ and had interest in Christ then I could come to Christ for power over my corruption and for grace but I am afraid I have no interest in him 1. For answer to that which is the main stop and hinderance of faith know that if thou hast but a heart to come to him for grace that is as good a signe of thy interest in Christ as any signe thou hast that is as good a signe of evidence of interest as any thou canst expect 2. You must come to him for grace and if thou hast not interest before yet thy very comming to him now for grace to help thee against corruption that very act of thine may give thee interest in Christ What is it that unites thee to Christ what is it that makes a member of Christ what is it that gives interest in Christ It is but the coming to him as you heard before in the point Quest Is you wil say If I had a right to him If thou comest now to Christ to get power over thy corruption and to get grace I say though thou hadst no interest before this very act may give thee interest in Christ and therefore be not discouraged but come to Christ 3. Wilt thou stay til thou dost find power against thy corruption before thou wilt come to him then thou wilt never have power against thy corruption for you have heard that it is Christ that is the foundation of thy sanctification And then for incouragements there are a great many excellent incouragements for poor sinners to come unto Christ First The consideration of the neere union that there is between Christ and us in regard of his very humane nature That place in Heb. 2.11 is a very notable scripture for our incouragement For both he that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are al one for which cause he is not ashamed to cal them brethren He that sanctifieth and those that are sanctified are al one what is that That is Christ is of the same nature that thou art Christ hath taken our nature upon him and the fulness of the Godhead doth dwel bodily in him so that thou mayest goe with the more boldness He that is thy brother is not ashamed to be called thy brother and therefore do not look upon him as at such an infinite distance as thy judge but looke upon him as thy brother as one with him He that sanctifieth and they that are sanctified are all one Thou and Christ together are one body Now what incouragement is here to expect Sanctification from Christ to overcome corruption because Christ and you are made one body of the same Nature and so neerly united and made one Secondly Consider that if Christ did love thee so dearly as to lay down his life for thee surely he wil never suffer thee to perish in thy corruptions shall Christ come down from Heaven and lay down his life for poor Souls and shall he suffer them to die under their corruptions Now if a many should be willing to lay down his life for a Child and he should come and see the Child lie in the dirt ready to be stifled in the dirt could he go by and not regard the Child This is our case Christ hath come and laid down his life for poor sinners but yet they see themselves ready to be stifled by their corruptions and they cry to him for help surely Christ wil not pass by and let thee lie in thy filthyness to be stifled in thy corruption when thou wast so dear to him as to lay down his life for thee Thirdly Another incouragement is this know that thy corruptions are the burdens of Christ as wel as thy burdens they are burdens to thy Soul and burdens to Jesus Christ and therefore he doth certainly pitty thee under them and wil help thee Fourthly If Christ had so much pitty as to heal the bodies of poor creatures here in this world so that there was no diseased body that ever come to him but he healed them surely then Christ wil heal Souls Christ hath more regard to immortal Souls then to bodies Fifthly Christ knows what it is to be tempted for Christ had no Corruption in him yet Christ knows what it is to be tempted and Christ knows by his own experience what a Burden it is to be tempted to sin and surely Christ cannot but know what a Burden it is to be overcome with sin Now Christ himself had the Burden of being tempted unto sin and Christ knows that thy Burden is greater then his burden was and that it is more to be overcome then to be tempted to sin and therefore he knows how to pitty thee Sixthly Know it is to the Honor of the Death of Christ the Resurrection of Christ and the life of Christ to help thee against thy Corruptions and quicken thee in Grace Christ accounts his resurrection and life to be honored when he sees the virtue and power of it to be in the Hearts of beleevers Wherefore then if it be to the Honor of the Death and resurrection and life of Christ it may be incouragement to thee to go to him for help against thy corruptions And this remember when thou art upon duty and begging for help against thy corruptions carry this Rule with thee I come to pray against my sins but together with my prayer let me act my Faith I come to hear the word I but together with my hearing let me act my Faith upon Christ as Mediator to help me against my corruptions I come to the Sacrament but I come to have communion with Christ to help me against my corruptions Oh! act thy Faith in the promises of the Gospel through the blessed Covenant and thou shalt find abundance of strength against thy corruption and Rest unto thy Soul CHAP. XLIII Containes the Conclusion of the former Doctrine of Sanctification with divers directions how to come to Christ for holiness I. Be sensible of the want of it II. Be not satisfied with the ordinances further then you meet with Christ III. Come not so much for comfort and peace as for holiness IV. Be sensible of new supplies V. Converse with Christ in the Gospel I Shal now only add a word or two for the concluding of this and so go on to the next rest that is here promised Come to Christ for the Rest of Sanctification for holiness for the truth is there is no true holiness but that which we have by our coming to Christ
much exercised withal and that was Heman that was the penman of the 88. Psalme you read it in the title it was a song or Psalme for the sons of Korah To the cheif musician upon Mahalath Leannoth Maschil of Heman the Ezrahite a Psalm of Heman Now this Heman was one of the greatest men exercised with desertions upon the face of the earth If you read this Psalm at your leisure you shal find that though he was a man very Godly yet exceedingly exercised with spiritual desertions and afflictions the Lord withdrew the comforts of his spirit from verse the first saith he Oh Lord God of my salvation I have cryed day and night before thee verse the 3. My soul is ful of troubles and my life draweth nigh unto the grave verse the 4. I am counted with them that go downe into the Pit I am as a man that hath no strength free among the dead c. verse the 7. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me and thou hast afflicted me with al thy waves What a strange expression is this of a godly man And then there is outward afflictions mingled with spirituall afflictions verse the 8. Thou hast put my acquaintance far from me thou hast made me an abomination unto them I am shut up and I cannot come forth verse the 9. My eye mourneth by reason of affliction verse the 13. But unto thee have I cryed Oh Lord and in the morning shal my prayer prevent thee Lord why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from mee God had hid his face from him verse the 15. I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted He was acquainted with these spiritual afflictions from his youth up verse the 16. Thy fierce wrath goeth over mee thy terrors have cut me off What expressions are here for a godly man and when we read this Psalme and know it is the Psalme of a Godly man speaking how greatly he was afflicted we may be put in mind of that scripture If the righteous scaresely be saved where shal the ungodly and the sinner appeare Where shal the sinner appeare if such a man that was wise that the spirit of God saith of him that he was one of the wisest men that lived upon the face of the earth and yet afflicted excercised with inward afflictions the Lord hiding his face from him In 1. Kings 4.31 There the Holy Ghost speakes of this Heman that was thus afflicted speaking of the wisdom of Solomon it is said He was wiser then al men then Ethan and Heman c. So that it appeares by that that Heman was one of the wisest for else it could not be an argument of Solomons wisdom that he was wiser then al men and that he excelled in wisdom above any other And yet this man had the terrors of God upon his spirit Therefore let none of you when God seemes to withdraw himself and afflict you say that your condition is worser then ever any ones was when any of you have such thoughts as these are remember the 88. Psalme and when you think of the great greif sorrow and trouble that is upon you and are ready to think that it is greater then others then go and read the 88. Psalme As Luther was wont to say when they were in any trouble go and sing the 46. Psalm So when you are in trouble and sorrow and greif then say come let us go and read the 88. Psalm and remember who was the penner of that Psalm Heman a godly man and what his condition was and then thou shalt see that thy condition is not so sad as his was CHAP. XLVIII Containeth Seven Directions how a beleever may get Rest from Christ in spiritual Desertions First Look upon Christ as once in the same condition Secondly Look to Christ as ful of Grace and Goodness Thirdly Look to Christ as an advocate at the right hand of God Fourthly Look to Christ for fulfilling the promise of sending the Comforter Fifthly Go to Christ as at first in thy Conversion Sixthly Keep good thoughts of God Seventhly Resolve never to take Rest in any thing else beside Christ WELL but now though thy condition be as bad as his yet there is Rest in Christ to be had for thee and Christ cals thee to come to him that he may give thee Rest I shal not need to spend time in opening what this rest is in Christ in this particular because it is contained in what was said before as in deliverance from the guilt of sin the burden of the Law and the remainer of corruption and the like those things if they were made good to the soul they might give rest But now al that I intend to shew shal be what course the laden sinner must take in this case to have rest in Christ for the soul it is delivered from the guilt of sin and the wrath of God though it cannot apprehend the love of God and the pardon of the guilt of sin yet it hath it already but now to help such a deserted soul in this case that it might begin to have the use of the good that there is to be had in Christ therefore by way of direction to have ease in that greivous condition First Labor to exercise thy faith upon Christ as one that was once in the same condition in some degree and some measure as thou thy self art in that is a good way for one that hath spiritual desertions I say to look upon Christ as one that for the present was in this affliction for Christ was deserted and this breeds a great deale of rest to the soul in outward afflictions If one that is in poverty exercise faith upon Christ who was poor as I told you before The Foxes have holes and the birds have nests but the son of man hath not where to lay his head To exercise faith upon Christ as poor doth help to give ease and rest unto the soul under the burden of the affliction of poverty so when a soul feels the burden and trouble of spiritual desertions the soul should look up to Christ as one that was under such desertion as when he was in the garden and professeth that his soul was heavy to the very death and that he began to be amazed with the apprehension of the wrath of God Now when thou art in a combate and strife in thy spirit with temptation know that Christ was in such a combate and strife he sweat drops of blood It may be the soul is in combate and in trouble and gets to prayer and the soul is in a sweat remember what a sweat Christ was in when God withdrew himself from him and especially when he was upon the cross there he tels you plainly that he was forsaken My God My God why hast thou forsaken mee Thou thinkest that God hath withdrawn himself from thee no he wil not withdraw himself from
offices between God and the soul and therefore let such as are in such a condition take heed of such temptations And these now are the helps to those that are under the burden of spiritual desertions there is enough in Christ to help them and these being observed they may come to have rest in Jesus Christ CHAP. XLIX Sheweth that beleevers have not only Rest in but Rest also from afflictions BUt now further besides all this Rest you have heard of there is a time when the Lord shal not only give the soul rest IN Afflictions but shal give the soul rest FROM Affliction yea it may be in this world He speaks as if there were a rest to the people of God to be delivered from affliction not only in Affliction but delivered from Affliction That place that we have in Isai 54.11 O thou afflicted tossed with Tempest and not comforted behold I will lay thy Stones with fair colors and lay thy Foundations with Saphires and I will make thy windows of Agates and thy gates of Carbuncles and all thy borders of pleasant Stones Thou art now afflicted Tossed Tempted and not comforted but it shal be otherwise with thee It is true indeed the Church ever since the beginning of the world hath been in an afflâ—cted condition tossed with tempest and not comforted not according to what is expressed but here is a promise of a glorious time when there shal be a sure Foundation laid and that Foundation of precious stones and rest there shal be And if you compare this scripture with that in Revel 21. You shall see it aims at a glorious time when Christ shal give Rest unto the Soul at vers 4. And God shal wipe away all tears from their Eyes and there shal be no more death neither sorrow nor crying neither shal there be any more pain for the former things are passed away And if you read after you shal find that he doth seem to allude unto this Isai 54. And there tels what those precious stones shal be that shal be the foundation of the happy estate of Gods Saints and that it is not to be in Heaven but here before the great and generall day of judgment It appeares plainly by this that the Text saith That the Kings of the Earth shal bring their glory and honor unto it at the 24. verse The Nations of them which are saved shal walk in the light of it and the Kings of the Earth do bring their Glory and Honor unto it It is such a time of the Church as the Kings of the Earth shal bring their glory and their Honor unto it Now after the day of judgment in Heaven the Kings of the Earth do not bring their glory and their Honor to the Saints in Heaven but they shal bring their glory and their Honor to the Saints here It is a prophesie of such a happy condition that the Saints shal be in that the Kings of the Earth shal bring their Glory and their honor to them and therefore here it is upon this Earth this promise is made of a glorious time that the Saints shall have that all tears shal be wiped away from their Eyes here in this world and it seems to be spoken of the same time that was spoken of in the Chapter before in the 20. Chapter of the first Resurrection Now after that time it appeares that the Devil shal be loosned and Gog and Magog shal gather themselves together against Gods people after that time But there is such a world here for the people of God a rest to be had from all affliction even here upon the Earth to be hoped for when the saints of God shal be honored before all the world and all wicked and ungodly men shal be subdued before them But further there is certainly a rest of Glory in the world to come and that is to be added to al the rest when the saints shal keep an eternal Sabboth before the Lord and shal there be alwaies exercised in praising Magnifying and blessing of the great God Quest You will say Shall that be such a Rest in performing of Holy Duties I that shall be a rest indeed for there shal be no weariness of the flesh but the Soul shal be in a spiritual condition and the flesh shal be subservient to the soul that there shal be no wearisomness to the flesh that it shal enjoy communion with God and be in blessed visions with God and be in his Fathers House above al enemies above sin they shal neither sin more nor sorrow more nor fear more nor doubt more nor be troubled more this is the rest that the soul shal have in Christ And I make no question but Christ means this among the rest when he saith come to me But to speak of this glorious rest is a large point elswhere I have opened it at large what the glory of the Saints shal be in Heaven and therefore I shal speak no more in this Now then put al together that I have said concerning the Rest that I have spoken of and may we not conclude of this rest and wel may it have that epithite which is spoken in Isay 11.10 In that day there shal be a root of Jesse which shal stand for an ensigne of the people to it shal the Gentiles seek and his Rest shal be glorious Here it is spoke of the Rest of Christ his Rest shal be glorious We may wel apply it to the Rest of the Saints the saints shal have a glorious rest and it hath been shewed unto you in many particulars wherein I have opened this rest unto you that you may see it is a glorious rest CHAP. L. Five markes of true rest in Christ I. It is not but upon discovery of glorious things the soul knew not before II. It comes upon the soul ceasing from its owne worke III. It makes the beleever active for God IIII. Rest in those things wherein Christ rested V. True Rest wil abide the trial of the word YOU Wil say Oh that we did but know that this was our rest that we did not presume but that we were sure that the rest that we have in Christ was a true rest Now I told you before that there was a faith of adherence that might bring rest though there were not a faith of evidence But now you wil say if we might have both a faith of evidence as wel as a faith of adherence it would ad much to our Rest Now I wil help you to some notes whereby you may come to examin whether the Rest you have is the glorious Rest here spoken of and two things I shal doe because notwithstanding al this glorious Rest many of Gods servants here in this world are under much trouble of spirit I shal give further rules how to make use of the rest that is to be had in Christ and some rules likewise how to keep the rest when the
in the 24. verse O wretched man that I am who shal deliver me from this body of death that is the remaining corruption that was in his heart Marke the very next words that follow I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. As if he should say the deliverance that I must have from this body of death it is from God but how through Jesus Christ our Lord The Apostle doth not only thank God for it and say al grace must come from God but he thanks God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thus we must understand how grace comes unto us indeed God is the fountain of al but it must come from God through Jesus Christ our Lord as al mercies that we have for the pardon of our sins Now it is not from God immediately as the first person or as Creator of heaven and earth but it is from God through Jesus Christ So al the holiness that we have now it is from God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And then take one scripture more and then we shal come to the third particular which is the cheif we aimed at and that is in the 26. of the Acts. the latter end of 18. verse That they may receive remission of Sins and inheritance amongst them which are Sanctified by faith that is in Christ It is a speech of Christ unto Paul when he sent him to preach and tels him to what end it should he To open their eyes and turne them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith in Christ Multitudes of scriptures there are for this purpose CHAP. XXXVIII Sheweth how our sanctification commeth from Christ in six particulars 1. It was the end of his coming to destroy the works of the Divel 2. He is the great Ordinance appointed by God to sanctifie his people 3. His death is appointed to mortifie sin 4. By him the curse upon the heart is taken away 5. By his union with beleevers being the head of the second Covenant 6. In Christ are the strongest arguments for holiness that can be THirdly And especially we are to enquire how Christ is the rest of sanctification come to me and I wil give you rest I will give you power against your corruptions and you shall have sanctification in and by me For that 1. We are to know That a special end why Jesus Christ came into the World it was to dissolve the works of the Devil that was a special End of Christs coming into the World In 1 John 3.8 He that committeth sin is of the Devil for the Devil sinneth from the begining for this purpose the son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil whosoever is borne of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin c. It is a strange scripture whosoever committeth sin is of the devil you say you defie the Devil but the holy Ghost saith if you commit sin that is walk in any way of sin For you wil say who is there that commits not sin Well but the words are thus He that committeth sin is of the Devil Therefore it is apparent there is a kind of commission of sin that is an argument they are of the Devil for they are the words of the Holy Ghost And for this purpose the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the Devil It was the end why he came into the World yea it is a special thing that Christ is anointed to by God the Father to deliver Souls from the bondage of their corruption and to work Holiness in them That you have in Isa 61. and the beginning that notable prophesie concerning Christ The Spirit of the Lord is upon me that is upon Christ for it is a prophesie of him because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives to Spiritual Captives that are under Spiritual bondage And then in verse 3. That they might be called Trees of Righteousness the planting of the Lord So that that is the first consideration of Christs giving the rest of sanctification that it is the end for which Christ was born and it is the end for which he was anointed by God the Father to Sanctifie the hearts of those that he shall redeem So that Christ is our Sanctification by attaining the end of his own coming into the World by fulfilling of that that God the Father hath anointed him for Secondly Christ is our Sanctification as the great ordinance that God hath set up for the Sanctifying of the hearts of his people I say Christ is set up as the great ordinance oppainted by God for this end the Lord hath set him up and filled him ful of holyness that holyness might be conveyed through him unto the souls that do belong unto him And therefore it is said in that known place As in John 1.16 Of his fullness we receive Grace for Grace Of his fulness Jesus Christ is filled ful of holiness as a cistern fild ful of precious liquor and grace must come through him unto the souls of all those that are Godly that are beleevers Faith draws grace from him grace for grace that is grace answerable to grace as print for print in a seal there is print for print in the wax look what print there is in the seal the same print is in the wax So look what grace is in Christ there is answerably in some measure the same grace in the Saints Of his fulness we receive and al the beleevers that ever were in the world have received al the grace that ever they have had from him out of his fulness and from him as the great ordinance that God hath set up for the dispensation of the graces of his spirit for the working of Sanctification in al those that shal be saved Yea Christ is such an ordinance appointed by God the father for holyness and sanctification as indeed there is so much virtue in him that the very looking upon Christ hath a power to sanctify the heart the very looking upon him As the brazen serpent in the wilderness you know was the great ordinance of God appointed for the healing of those that were stung with serpents and being the ordinance appointed for their healing those that did but look up to the brazen Serpent received virtue presently and were healed of their sting of the deadly disease that was upon them by the stinging of Serpents now this was by virtue of that ordinance Now then I reason thus if when God makes but a piece of brass an ordinance there shal be such a virtue in it that the very looking upon it shal have power to heal the body then if God shal make his own son Jesus Christ God blessed for