no Sacrifice without it Not that he tasted of their Meat-offerings or did eat the Fat or Flesh of Bulls and Goats and drink their Blood and so would have it seasoned for his Pallate and Appetite it is not so to be understood but in Types as well as in Similitudes there is a condescension to our sense and apprehension of things That that is salted is savoury therefore God would note his acceptation of our persons and services this way By nature we are all odious unsavoury and distasteful to God by reason of Sin Psal. 14. 3. They are all become filthy there is none that doth good no not one in the Hebrew it is putrified stinking like corrupt and rotten Flesh. We must be salted and seasoned by the Grace of Christ and so we become amiable and acceptable in the sight of God The more upright we are the more he delighteth in us 2. To Men the more we are thus salted and mortified the more shall we do good to others Our Lord tells his Disciples Mat. 5. 13. Ye are the Salt of the Earth but if the Salt lose its savour wherewith shall it be salted it is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under foot of Men. This is spoken to the Disciples as Disciples not as Apostles and publick Persons It is a mistake to think that only Ministers are the Light of the World and the Salt of the World No all Christians must shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse Generation all Christians must be as the Salt of the Earth Christ's whole Sermon contains general Duties and the Disciples were not yet sent abroad as Apostles nor ever heard of such a Commission or that their Master would send them abroad for the proselyting the World to the Kingdome of God that was done afterwards Chap. 10. and therefore here he speaks to Christians as Christians Now they are said to be Salt even as they season all those among whom they live A Christian is never savoury in his Conversation with others till he hath Salt in himself then all his actions are seasoned with Grace and beget a remembrance of God then his words are seasoned with Grace and do good to others The Apostle saith Eph. 4. 29. Let no corrupt Communication come out of your Mouths that rotten and corrupt Communication which vents it self in slandering rayling ribaldry foolish jesting at holy things lyes cursing and the like all these come from a corrupt Heart as a stinking Breath argues rotten Lungs These want the Grace of Mortification so are all sapless Spirits that cannot speak any thing of God seriously but in their most serious discourse are as fresh as Water But go among the mortified and you receive the savour of good things from them you have not only savoury Prayers and savoury Sermons but savoury Conferences and Discourses Col. 4. 6. Let your speech be alway poudered with Salt that is do not speak idely much less profanely but in an edifying manner Now Christians ought to take heed they do not lose their savouriness for then they do not please God nor profit Man and are fit for nothing but the Dunghil Thus I have proved the second thing that the Grace of Mortification is the true Salt that seasons Christians III. There is a Necessity of this Salt in all those that have entered into Covenant with God and have dedicated and devoted themselves to him 1. By our Covenant Vow we are bound to the strictest Duties and that upon the highest Penalties The Duty to which we are bound is very strict We have answered God in all the demands of his Covenant 1 Pet. 3. 21. For Baptism saveth as the answer of a good Conscience towards God The Lord demands and puts in effect this Question Will you die unto Sin and live unto Righteousness this is the tenour of the Baptismal Covenant that is so often so solemnly renewed at the Lord's Supper and you are to reckon your selves Rom. 6. 11. to be dead unto Sin and alive unto Righteousness through Christ Iesus our Lord reckon your selves that is in Vow and Obligation And the Penalty is very high Heb. 10. 26. that we sin wilfully so that our admission into Christ's Family will be in vain yea to our further ruine If you do not stand to the Covenant if you keep Sin still alive and add Fuel to the Flames 2. The Abundance of Sin that yet remains in us and the marvellous activity of it in our Souls we cannot get rid of this cursed Inmate till our Tabernacle be dissolved and this House of Clay tumbled into the Dust. Paul groaned sorely under it Oh wretched Man that I am who shall deliver me from the Body of this Death Rom. 7. 24. And it is called Sin that doth easily beset us Heb. 12. 10. Well then since Sin is not nullified it must be mortified It works it wars there is a marvellovs activity in it it is very active and restless Rom. 7. 8. Sin wrought in me all manner of concupiscence he means sinful nature And the Apostle Iames tells us Iam. 4. 5. The Spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy there is not a sleepy but a stirring Principle always inclining us to evil and hindring that which is good Sin doth not only make us a little flexible and yeelding to Temptations but doth hurry us and impel us thereunto It is a Law warring in our Members that brings us into Captivity to Sin Rom. 7. 23. Corrupt Nature is not a tame thing that works not till it be irritated by the suggestions of Satan or temptations of the World but is like a living Spring that pours out Water of its own accord it will not let us alone the Heart of Man is evil continually and so it always hinders us from that that is good Rom. 7. 21. When I would do good evil is present with me it blunts the edge of our Affections it seeks to weaken our purposes by unbelieving thoughts or drawing us away from God by the lure of some sensitive delight in stealing our Hearts from him in the very duties and solemn addresses we make to him distracting our minds with thoughts of the World and the Pomp and Glory thereof and so turns our very Duties into Sin and makes us lose the comfort and sweetness of them it blasts and perverts our most sincere endeavours Well then without this Salt of the Covenant if this be so what shall we do have we not need to keep humble and watchful if Sin be stirring we must be stirring against it and improve the grace of the Holy Spirit upon the account of Christ's Death and use all good means that it may be subdued in us 3. Consider the sad consequences of letting Sin alone both either as to further Sin or Punishment 1. As to further Sin For Christ speaks here of Scandals If Lust be not mortified it grows outragious it has foil'd us before God
without Holiness Heb. 12. 14. And an holy Creature can never be utterly and finally miserable He may sometimes give Holiness without Happiness as when for a while he leaveth the Sanctified whom he will try and exercise under the Cross or in a state of Sorrow and Affliction therefore Holiness is the more necessary In his internal Government God doth all by his Spirit now the Spirit is more necessarily a Sanctifier than a Comforter It was by the Spirit that Christ was with God and God with Christ therefore his Desertion of Christ or any Creature must be mainly understood with respect to the Spirit working in any either as to Holiness or Comfort When God withdraweth either Holiness or Happiness one of them or both or any degree of them from any Creature he is said to desert them Now apply this to Christ. It is Blasphemy to say that Christ lost any degree of his Holiness for he was always pure and holy and that most exactly and perfectly Therefore he was deserted only as to his Felicity and that but for a short time 2. The Felicity of Christ may be considered either as to his outward and bodily Estate or else to his inward Man or the Estate of his Soul 1. Some say his Desertion was nothing else but his being left to the Will and Power of his Enemies to crucify him and that he was then deserted when his Divine Nature suspended the exercise of its Omnipotency so far as to deliver up his Body to a reproachful Death so to make way for this Oblation and Sacrifice for the Redemption of Mankind God could many ways have protected Christ and hinder'd his Passion Mat. 26. 52 53. Thinkest thou that I cannot pray to my Father and he shall give me more than twelve Legions of Angels But how then could the Scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be If the Lord had seen it fit to glorify Himself by the Deliverance rather than the Sufferings of Christ he could have found ways and means enough to save him but how then could our Redemption be accomplished Christ himself by his Divine Power could have protected his bodily Life for he telleth us Ioh. 10. 18. No Man taketh my Life from me but I lay it down of my self I have Power to lay it down and I have Power to take it up again But it pleased God to appoint and Christ to submit to another Course and therefore was he so far deserted and left in the hand of his Enemies He telleth them Luk. 22. 53. This is your Hour and the Power of Darkness This some say was all Christ's Desertion and that he cried out with a loud voice in the hearing of all My God my God why hast thou forsaken me to give notice of the Price that was to be paid for our Ransom He complained not of the Iews that had accused him nor of Pilate that condemned him nor of Iudas that betrayed him but of God that had forsaken him and left him in the hands of his Enemies as if this were the most grievous thing to the Son of God But certainly this was not all the Desertion was not only in his outward Estate and with respect to bodily Death for these Reasons 1. Why should Christ complain of that so bitterly which he did so readily and willingly undergo and might so easily have prevented and which was most obvious and so clearly foreseen in his Sufferings He foretold it again and again to his Disciples and spake it to his Enemies and should he now represent it as a strange thing Surely these strong Cries were not extorted from him by the meer Fear and Horror of bodily Death I confess he died not insensibly but shewed the reality of all human Passions yet there was no reason why he should so bitterly and lamentably complain if nothing else but bodily Death had been in the Case and that brought upon him by his Enemies 2. If we look meerly to bodily Pains and Sufferings certainly others have endured as much if not more as the Thieves that were crucified with him lived longer in their Torments and the good Thief did not complain that he was forsaken of God Peter was crucified and that with his Head downwards as Ecclesiastical History tells us which as it was greater Cruelty in the Adversaries so also greater Pain to him and yet he trusted that God would sustain him and support him under it Therefore certainly there was something greater and more grievous to the Soul of Christ than these bodily Pains which drew this lamentable and loud Cry from him 3. It would follow that every holy Man that is persecuted and left to the will of his Enemies might be said to be forsaken of God which is contrary to Paul's holy Boasting 2 Cor. 4. 9. Persecuted but not forsaken Therefore there was something more than to be left to the will of his Enemies 4. This Desertion was a Punishment one part or degree of the Abasement of the Son of God and so belongeth to the whole Nature that was to be abased not only to his Body but his Soul We read often of his Soul-sufferings Isa. 53. 10. He was to make his Soul an Offering for Sin And to see the Travail of his Soul v. 11. His Soul was deprived of Consolation and some Effects of the Spirit as to Joy and Comfort 2. As to the Felicity of his inward Estate the State of his Soul Christ carried about his Heaven with him and never wanted sensible Consolation spiritual Suavity the comfortable Effects of the Divine Presence till now they were withdrawn that he might be capable of suffering the whole Punishment of Sins and fell not only Pains and Torments of Body but Troubles of Soul such as we have when God hideth his Face from us but without Sin The Divinity kept back those Irradiations of heavenly Light and Comfort or for a while suspended that Joy and Comfort which otherwise he felt in himself though it gave out that Virtue and Strength which was necessary to support and sustain him under so great Sufferings As when the Sun is eclipsed the Light of it ceaseth not but is only hidden from the Earth by the Interposition of a dark Body So here Christ had not the participation of that heavenly Joy which before his Soul felt by dwelling with God in a personal Union though there were no Separation of the Human Nature from the Divine the Ground of it was not taken away but only the Sense suspended no dissolution of the Union but a ceasing of the Comfort of it In short I will shew how this Sort of Desertion is 1. Possible 2. Grievous 1. Possible the Union between the two Natures remaining For as the Divine Nature gave up the Body to Death so the Soul to Desertion Christ as God is the Fountain of Life Psal. 36. 9. And yet Christ could die So the God-head is the Fountain of all Joy and Comfort for he is called
excelling in Holiness himself loveth the Vertue and Holiness of his Creature Prov. 11. 20. For how can he be imagined but to love his own Image And as Goodness and Holiness are loved by him so he hateth the Workers of Iniquity Psal. 5. 5. and abhorreth those that despise that which is most glorious in Himself his Holiness And then if God loveth the Good and hateth the Evil he will express this in answerable Effects Good with Life and Evil with Death In short The Difference between Good and Evil is not more naturally known than it is naturally known that the one is to be punished the other rewarded Whether we consider the Wisdom of God which sorteth and joyns all things according to their natural Order and therefore Sin which is a Moral Evil is joyned with Sufferings a Natural Evil that is a feeling of something painful to Nature and afflictive to it Or the Justice of God which dealeth differently with Men that differ in themselves Or the Holiness of God who therefore will express his Love to the Good in making them happy and his Detestation of the Wicked in the Misery of their Punishment 2. The Greatness of both these Life and Death they are both Eternal Punishment in one Scale holdeth Conformity with the Reward in the other The full Reward is an Eternal and far more exceeding Weight of Glory called everlasting Life so is the full Punishment the Eternal Abode of Body and Soul under Torments expressed by everlasting Fire If we did only deal with you upon slight and cheap Motives you might refuse to hearken but when we tell you of Life and Death Eternal you ought most seriously to consider Whatever can be hoped or feared from Man is comparatively of little moment because his Power of doing Good or Evil is limited But on the one side it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God Heb. 10. 31. On the other side Rom. 5. 2. We rejoyce in the Hope of the Glory of God God will act like himself infinitely gloriously especially when he is All in All when he doth not act by the mediation of the Creatures but immediately punishing the Wicked and rewarding the Good The Vessel can convey no more than it receiveth When the Creature is an Instrument of Vengeance God acteth according to the proportion and rate of that Creature as if a Giant should strike one with a Straw If God doth us good by an Ordinance the Water runneth but as the Pipe will contain he cannot manifest himself in that Latitude but then God is All himself immediatly Consider 1. The Greatness of the Death that accompanieth Evil. The Afflictions and Sorrows of this Life are a part of this Death When Moses here had insisted on many temporal Plagues which should befall his People he saith I have set Life and Death before you There are many Miseries in this Life which are the Fruit of Sin which would make your Hearts ake and your Ears tingle to hear of And then Death which consists in the separation of the Soul from the Body is the King of Terrors But we speak of the second Death which is far more terrible which consists in an Eternal Separation from the blessed and glorious Presence of the Lord no Death like this In all Creatures that have Sense Death is accompanied with Pain but this is a perpetual living to deadly Pain and Torment from whence there can be no Release In the first Death the Pain may lie in one place but in the second it extends all over The first Death the more it prevaileth the more we are past feeling but in this Death the Sufferer has a greater vivacity than ever the Capacity of every Sense is enlarged and made more receptive of Pain While we are in the Body Vehemens sensibile corrumpit Sensum the more vehemently and violently any thing strikes upon the Senses the more doth it dead the Sense as the Inhabitants about the Fall of Nilus are deaf with the continual noise Too much Light puts out the Eyes Taste is dulled by Custom But here the Capacity is improved by feeling The Power of God sustains the Sinner whilst his Wrath torments him As the Saints are prepared for the Blessedness of Heaven we cannot bear the least Glimpse of that Happiness which they enjoy above so the wicked are fitted to endure those inconceivable Pains When the first Death approaches there is strugling for Life Men would not dy but in the second Death they desire a final Destruction they would not live 2 The Greatness and Excellency of that Life that ensueth Good All manner of Blessings in this Life is the lowest step of it At Death when the Spirit returneth to God that gave it then it beginneth to be discovered but it is consummated when Body and Soul shall be translated to Heaven This is Life indeed Nescio an ista Vita mortalis Vita an vitalis Mors dicenda sit the present Life is a kind of Death always in fluxu like a Stream it runneth from us as fast as it cometh to us Iob 14. 1. He fleeth away as a Shadow and continueth not We die as fast as we live like the Shadow of a Star in a flowing Stream This Life is annoyed with a thousand Sorrows and Calamities but there is a freedom from all Sin and Misery and a full fruition of Pleasures for evermore Psal. 16. 11. And our Capacities are strong to bear them This Life is patched up with Supplies from the Creatures there is a full Fruition of God himself 1 Cor. 13. 12. And in this Life such Days may come wherein we have no pleasure Eccl. 12. 1. Life it self becomes a Burthen but that Life as it lasteth for ever so we are never weary of it The Enjoyment of God is new and fresh to us every moment As the Angels for thousands of years are beholding the Face of God but never weary of so doing so shall we always delight our selves in seeing God as he is 3. The Certainty of both these Life and Death Hell and Heaven as the Fruits of Good and Evil. 1. Reason sheweth it certainly that there is Eternal Life and Death or a State of Torment and Bliss after this Life All Men are perswaded that there is a God and very few have doubted but that he is a Rewarder of Vertue and and a Punisher of Vice Now neither the one nor the other is fully accomplished in this World even in the Judgment of those that have no great knowledg of the Nature of Sin nor what Punishment is competent thereto Therefore there must be after the sojourning in the Body a time in which retributive Justice shall be executed and Punishments and Rewards that here are dispensed so disproportionably even to what natural Reason would expect from the Hand of God shall most equally be dispens'd to Persons If any say Vertue is a Reward to it self as in some sence
upon the string and how soon God may let it fly we cannot tell Therefore we are never safe till we turn to God and enter into his Peace Where-ever there is Sin there is Guilt and where-ever there is Guilt there will be Punishment If we dance about the brink of Hell and go merrily to Execution it argues not our Sin but Stupidity and Folly 2. On our part our sensless Forgetfulness will do us no good Carnal Men mind not the Happiness of an immortal Soul and they are not troubled because they consider not their condition But they are not happy that feel least trouble but those that have least cause A benummed Conscience cannot challenge this Blessedness they only put off that which they cannot put away which God hath neither forgiven nor covered They do but skin the Wound till it fester and rankle into a dangerous Sore God is the wronged Party and Supreme Judge to whose Sentence we must stand or fall If he justifies then who will condemn We may lay our selves asleep and sing peace to our selves but it is not what we say but what God saith There is no Peace saith my God to the Wicked 3. A Pardon is surely a great Blessing if we consider first the Evils we are freed from and secondly the Good depending upon it 1. The Evils we are freed from Guilt is the Obligation to Punishment and Pardon is the dissolving or loosing that Obligation Now the Punishment is exceeding great no less than Hell and Damnation and Hell is no vain Scare-crow nor is Heaven a May-game Eternity makes every thing truly great Look the Loss An Eternal Separation from the comfortable Presence of God Mat. 25. 41. Go ye Cursed c. And Luk. 13. 27. Depart ye Workers of Iniquity When God turned Adam out of Paradise his Case was very sad but God took care of him made him Coats of Skins to cloath him gave him a day of Patience afterwards promised the Seed of the Woman who should recover the lapsed State of Mankind and so intimated Hopes of a better Paradise That Exile therefore is nothing comparable to this for now Man is stript of all his Comfort sent into an endless State of Misery where there shall be no Hope of ever changing his Condition Now to be delivered from this that is so great an Evil what a Blessedness is it For the Paena Sensus the Pain as well as the Loss our Lord sets it forth by two Notions Mark 9. 44. The Worm that never dies and the Fire that shall never be quenched The Scripture speaks of the Soul with allusion to the state of the Body after Death In the Body Worms breed usually and many times they were burnt with Fire Accordingly our State in the World to come is set forth by a Worm and a Fire The Worm implies the Worm of Conscience a Reflection upon our past Folly and Disobedience to God and the Remembrance of all the Affronts we have put upon Christ. Here Men may run from the Rebukes of Conscience by many Shifts Sports distracting their Minds with a Clatter of Business but then there is not a thought free but the damned are always thinking of slighted Means abused Comforts wasted Time the Offences done to a merciful God and the Curse wherein they have involved themselves by their own Folly The Fire that shall never be quenched notes the Wrath of God or those unknown Pains that shall be inflicted upon the Body and Soul which must needs be great because God himself will take the sinful Creature into his own hands to punish him and will shew forth the Glory of his Wrath and Power upon him When God punisheth us by a Creature the Creature is not a Vessel capacious enough to convey the Power of his Wrath as when a Giant strikes with a Straw that cannot convey his Strength But when God falls upon us himself It is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the living God how dreadful is that Is it not a Blessedness to be freed from so great an Evil then a little Mitigation a Drop to cool your Tongue would be accounted a great Mercy 2. If we consider the Good depending on it You are not capable of enjoying God and being happy for evermore till his Wrath be appeased and your Sins forgiven but when that is once done then you may have sure Hope of being admitted into his Presence Rom. 5. 10. If when we were Enemies we were reconciled by his Death much more being now reconciled shall we be saved by his Life That is to say It is far more credible that a reconciled Man should be glorified than that a Sinner and Rebel should be reconciled If you can pass over this Difficulty and once get into God's Peace then what may you not expect from God The first Favour to such as have been Rebels against him facilitates the belief of all Acts of Grace Now what must we do that we may be capable of this blessed Priviledg that our Sins may be pardoned and our Filth covered and our Debt may be forgiven I shall give my Answer in three Branches I. I will shew you what is to be done as to your first Entrance into the Evangelick State II. What is to be done as to your Continuance therein and that you may still enjoy this Priviledge And III. What is to be done as to your Recovery out of grievous Lapses and Falls and Wounds as are more troublesom to the Conscience for which a particular and express Repentance is required I. As to our first Entrance into the Evangelick State that is by Faith and Repentance Both are necessary to Pardon Acts 10. 43. To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive Remission of Sins There Remission of Sins is granted to a Believer Now Repentance is full out as necessary Acts 2. 38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Iesus Christ for the Remission of Sins Luk. 24. 47. And that Repentance and Remission of Sins should be preached in his Name among all Nations beginning at Ierusalem What is in another Evangelist to preach the Gospel to every Creature in this is that Repentance and Remission of Sins should be preached in his Name And this is preaching the Gospel for the Gospel is nothing else but a Doctrine of Repentance and Remission of Sins So if we will not hearken to the vain Fancies of Men who have perverted the Scripture but stand to the plain Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ these two Duties are necessary to pardon Christ's Satisfaction is not imputed to us but upon Terms agreed on in the Covenant of Redemption As to the Impetration there is required the intervention of Christ's Merit so to the Application Faith and Repentance without which we are not pardoned These two Graces have a distinct Reference and it is intimated by that Passage of Paul for he gives this
Men and Angels and exposed us to an open Shame or hardens us in a dead careless Course Lusts let alone end in gross Sins and gross Sins in final Apostacy Love of Pleasure will end in Drunkenness or Adultery or the rage of unclean Desires or else in such a vain light frothy Spirit which is no way fit for Religion Envy will end in Mischief and Violence if not in Murder Iudas by his Covetousness was brought to betray his Master Gehazi was first surpriz'd with Covetousness then blasted with Leprosy and then became a Shame and Burthen to himself The Devil trieth by Lust to bring us to Sin and by Sin to Shame and by Shame to Horror and Despair But do the Children of God run into such notable Excesses and Disorders Yes when they let Sin alone discontinue the exercise of Mortification when they do not remember the Sacrifice must be salted with Salt Witness David who ran into Lust and Blood Witness Peter who ran into denying Christ with Oaths and Execrations Witness Solomon who ran into Sensuality and Idolatry And in all of us old Sins long since laid asleep may awake again and hurry us into spiritual Mischiefs and Inconveniencies if we make not use of this holy Salt 2. As to Punishment Sins prove mortal if they be not mortified Either Sin must dye or the Sinner There is an Evil in Sin and there is an Evil after Sin The Evil in Sin is the Violation of God's righteous Law the Evil after Sin is the just Punishment of it Eternal Death and Damnation Now those that are not sensible or will not be sensible of the Evil that is in Sin they shall be made sensible of the Evil that comes after Sin The unmortified Person spares the Sin and destroys his own Soul the Sin lives but he dies In the Prophets Parable to the King of Israel when he had let go the Syrian saith he Thy Life shall go for his Life So our Lives shall go for the Life of our Sins The End of these things is Death Rom. 6. 21. And The Wages of Sin is Death v. 23. But you will say What is this to a justified Person There is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ. I answer You must take in all Those who are in Christ that walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit they have the Salt of the Covenant But if you can suppose a justified Person to live after the Flesh you may suppose also a justified Person shall be condemned Eternal Death may be considered two ways either as to the Merit or as to the Event As to the Merit as an Evil which God hath appointed to be the Fruit of Sin or as to the Event an Evil that will certainly befall us A justified Person one that is really so may must fear it in the first Sence There is such a Connection between living in Sin and Eternal Punishment that he ought to represent the Danger to his Soul of living willingly and allowedly in his Sins that he may eschew it For this is nothing but a holy making use of the Threatnings or considering the Merit of Sin But as to the actual Event and perplexing Trouble that ariseth from the apprehension of it if his Sincerity be clear and unquestionable he must not fear it Now to make Application I. For the Reproof of those that cannot abide to hear of Mortification The Unwillingness and Impatience of this Doctrine may arise from several Causes 1. From sottish Atheism and Unbelief They despise all sober spiritual Counsel they make no Conscience of yeilding obedience to God Solomon tells us Prov. 19. 16 He that keepeth the Commandments keepeth his own Soul but he that despiseth his Way shall dye There are the different Issues of a strict Obedience and a slight vain Conversation And mark the Opposition of the two Tempers he that keeps the Commandments and he that despiseth his own Ways that is takes no heed to his Life and Actions to order them according to the Will of God He cares not whether he please or displease whether he honour or dishonour God but leaves the Boat to the Stream lives as his brutish Lusts incline him come of it what will come He despiseth his own Ways and so runs into Vanity Luxury Riot Fraud Injustice and all manner of Licentiousness Now no Man thus despiseth his own Ways but he despiseth other things which should be very sacred and of great regard and esteem with him He despiseth God and the Word of God and his own Soul Prov. 14. 2. He that walketh in his Uprightness fears God but he that is perverse in his Ways despiseth him He that makes Conscience of his Duty hath a high esteem of God he looks on his Authority as supreme his Power as infinite his Knowledge of all things exact his Truth in Promises and Threatnings as unquestionable his Holiness as immaculate his Justice as impartial and his Goodness exercised to us in sundry Benefits as rich and every way glorious Therefore he dare not but please God he hath such a deep reverence for him that he is always saying within himself What will the Holy and All-seeing God have done Or How can I do this Wickedness and Sin against God But now the careless and slight Person that takes no care to govern his Actions according to the Will of God hath contemptuous and slight thoughts of God as if he were a senslels Idol that took no notice of humane Affairs that sees not or would not punish the breaches of his Laws They also despise the Word of God Prov. 13. 13. He that despiseth the Word shall be destroyed but he that fears the Commandment shall be rewarded There are some gracious Hearts that stand in awe of the Word and though their Minds be never so much set upon a thing yet if a Commandment stand in the way it is more than if an Angel with a drawn Sword stood in the way to keep them back they dare not break through God's Hedge But now a carnal careless and unbelieving Wretch sets at nought all the Precepts Promises and Threatnings of God and can break with him for a trifle for a little vain delight and profit Nay further he despiseth his own Soul Prov. 15. 32. He that refuseth Instruction despiseth his own Soul He only cares for the Body but neglects his Soul scarce ever considers whether he has a Soul to save or a Soul to lose as if he counted all fabulous which is spoken of God and Immortality of the Day of Judgment or of Heaven and Hell Now it is in vain to speak to these to renounce and mortify their pleasing Lusts till their Atheism and Carelessness be cured And their Case is the more desperate because the Disease doth not lye in their Minds but in their Hearts and comes not so much from Opinion as Inclination A setled Opinion must be vanquish'd by Reason but a brutish Inclination must be
the God of all Comfort 2 Cor. 1. 3. And yet Christ's Soul was troubled and heavy unto Death The Godhead suspending its Virtue and Operation both might well consist for though the Presence of the Divinity be necessary with the Humanity of Christ yet the Effects are voluntary God worketh not out of necessity no not in the Human Nature of Christ all kind of Communications are given out according to his own pleasure The Divinity remained united to the Flesh and yet the Flesh might die so it remained united to the Soul and yet the Soul might want Comfort The Bond by which the two Natures were united in one Person remained firm and indissoluble but the Influx of Sweetness and Comfort was suspended Some Effect there is of the Union but not that which affords Comfort and Felicity and this was suspended but for a time There is a Desertion indeed which agreeth not with the dignity of Christ. There is a total and Eternal Desertion by which God so deserteth a Man both as to Grace and Glory that he is wholly cast out of God's Presence and adjudged to Eternal Torments which is the Case of the Reprobate in the last Judgment this is not compatible to Christ nor agreeing with the dignity of his Person There is a partial temporal Desertion when God for a moment hideth his Face from his People Isa. 54. 7. This is so far from being contrary to the dignity of Christ's Nature that it is necessary to his Office for many Reasons 2. That it is very grievous This was an incomparable Loss to Christ. 1. Partly because it was more natural to him to enjoy that Comfort and Solace than it can be to any Creature To put out a Candle is no great matter but to have the Sun eclipsed which is the Fountain of Light that sets the World a wondering For poor Creatures to lose their Comforts is no great wonder who though they live in God are so many degrees distant from him but for Christ who was God-Man in one Person that is a difficulty to our Thoughts and a wonder indeed for by this means he was so far deprived of some part of Himself 2. Partly because he had more to lose than we have The greater the Enjoyment the greater is the Loss or Want It was more for David to be driven from his Palace than a poor Israelite to be driven from his Cottage We lose Drops he an Ocean A poor Christian that hath some Heaven upon Earth in the fore-enjoyment of God and the first-fruits and earnest of the Spirit hath more to lose than another that hath had only some vanishing Tast in the Offer of Eternal Life and receiving the Word with Ioy. Proportionably judge of Christ who was Comprehensor while he was Viator had the beatifical Vision whiles on Earth 3. Partly because he knew how to value the Comfort of the Union having a pure Understanding and heavenly Affections God's Children count one Day in his Presence better than a thousand Psal. 84. 10. One Glimpse of his Love more than all the World Psal. 4. 7. If they have any thing of the Love of God shed abroad in their Hearts they would not part with it for all the sensual Enjoyments which others prize and value so much and if they lose it they are touched to the quick they lose that which is the Life of their Lives which they account their chief Happiness Now Christ was best able to apprehend the Worth and Value of Communion with God having such a clear Understanding and tender Affections and therefore it must needs be grievous to him to have his wonted Conversations suspended 4. Partly because he had so near an Interest and Relation to God Prov. 8. 30. One bred up with him and daily his Delight Col. 1. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Look among the Children of God if they have any Interest in him how mournfully do they brook his Absence Mary Magdalen Woman why weepest thou They have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him Luk. 24. 14. She sought a Christ and found a Grave Christ's words my God do not only express his Confidence but Affection when his God and Father hideth his Face from him 5. Partly from the Nature of Christ's Desertion It was Penal All Desertions may be reduced to these three Sorts for Trial for Correction or Punishment For Trial so God left Hezekiah to prove what was in his Heart 2 Chron. 32. 31. For fatherly Correction so God leaveth his People for a while to teach them Repentance Humility Hatred of Sin more entire Dependance on Himself Isa. 54. 7. I have left thee for a small moment but with everlasting Mercies will I love thee For Punishment so he left Saul 1 Sam. 28. 6. When he answered him neither by Dreams nor by Urim nor by Prophets So he leaveth the wicked to a reprobate Mind Now Christ's Desertion was not for a Trial. Fallible Creatures may be put upon Trial but the Son of God needs it not It would not agree with the Goodness and Wisdom of God to put his beloved Son on such a Trial. He was neither unknown to his Father nor did he vainly presume of his own Strength as to need to be confuted by Trial. Nor can it properly be called Fatherly Correction for there was no Sin in Christ that needed to be corrected Indeed the Chastisement of our Peace was upon his Shoulders Isa. 53. 5. Therefore it remains that this Desertion was penal and satisfactory such as came from the vindictive and revenging hand of God Our Sins met in him and he was forsaken in our stead There was no Cause in Christ himself wherefore he deserved to be forsaken of God but we had done the wrong and he maketh the amends There was nothing in Christ's Person to occasion a Desertion but much in his Office so he was to give Body for Body and Soul for Soul And this was a part of the Satisfaction He was beloved as a Son forsaken as our Mediator and Surety II. Why was Christ forsaken Answ. With respect to the Office which he had taken upon him to expiate our Sins and to recover us from the deserved Wrath and Punishment into the Love and Favour of God This Desertion of Christ carrieth a suitableness and respect to our Sin our Punishment and our Blessedness 1. Our Sin Christ is forsaken to satisfy and make amends for our wilful desertion of God When Adam sinned we all turned the back upon God who made us Yea all actual Sins are nothing but a forsaking of God for very trifles an Aversion from God and a Conversion to the Creature Ier. 2. 13. They have forsaken me the Fountain of living Waters and have hewen out unto themselves broken Cisterns that will hold no Water Now we that forsook God deserved to be forsaken by God therefore what we had merited by our Sin Christ endured as our Mediator He himself
SERMONS PREACHED BY The Late Reverend and Learned Divine THOMAS MANTON D. D. LONDON Printed for Brabazon Aylmer at the Sign of the three Pigeons over-against the Royal Exchange in Cornhil 1678. The PREFACE IT may seem a just discouragement from publishing more Sermons at this time when there are such numbers abroad in the hands of all for the abundance of things useful is fatal to their value and the rareness exceedingly inhances their price If Men were truly wise Spiritual Treasures should be excepted from this Common Law yet plenty even of them causeth satiety But the following Sermons have that peculiar Excellence that will make them very valuable to all that have discerning Minds and such a tincture of Religion as makes them capable of tasting the goodness of Divine things I shall say nothing particularly here of the intellectual Endowments of the Author in which he appeared Eminent among the first nor of his Graces to adorn his Memory for a Saint that is ascended into Heaven and crown'd with Eternal Glory by the righteous Iudge needs not the weak fading testimony of Praise from Men. Besides that universal esteem he had from those who knew his Ability Diligence and Fidelity in the Work of God makes it unnecessary for them who were his Admirers and Friends And for those who are unacquainted with his Worth if they take a view of his Works formerly printed or the present Sermons that deserve equal approbation they will have the same opinion with others I will give some account of the Sermons themselves The main design of them is to represent the inseparable connexion between Christian Duties and Priviledges wherein the Essence of our Religion consists The Gospel is not a naked unconditionate offer of Pardon and Eternal Life in favour of Sinners but upon most convenient terms for the Glory of God and the good of Men and enforc'd by the strongest obligations upon them to receive humbly and thankfully those Benefits The Promises are attended with Commands to Repent Believe and persevere in the uniform practice of Obedience The Son of God came into the World not to make God less holy but to make us holy that we might please and enjoy him not to vacate our Duty and free us from the Law as the Rule of Obedience for that is both impossible and would be most infamous and reproachful to our Saviour To challenge such an exemption in point of right is to make our selves Gods to usurp it in point of fact is to make our selves Devils But his end was to enable and induce us to return to God as our rightful Lord and proper Felicity from whom we rebelliously and miserably fell by our disobedience in seeking for Happiness out of him Accordingly the Gospel is called the Law of Faith as it commands those Duties upon the Motives of eternal Hopes and Fears and as it will justifie or condemn Men with respect to their Obedience or Disobedience which is the proper Character of a Law These things are managed in the following Sermons in that convincing perswasive manner as makes them very necessary for these times when some that aspired to an extraordinary height in Religion and esteemed themselves the Favourites of Heaven yet wofully neglected the duties of the lower Hemisphere as Righteousness Truth and Honesty and when carnal Christians are so numerous that despise serious Godliness as solemn Hypocrisy and live in an open violation of Christ's Precepts yet presume to be saved by him Though no Age has been more enlightned with the knowledge of holy Truths yet none was ever more averse from obeying them I shall only add further that they commend to our ardent Affections and Endeavours true Holiness as distinguish'd from the most refin'd unregenerate Morality The Doctor saw the absolute necessity of this and speaks with great jealousy of those who seem in their discourses to make it their highest aim to improve and cultivate some moral Vertues as Iustice Temperance Benignity c. by Philosophick helps representing them as becomming the dignity of the Humane Nature as agreeable to Reason as beneficial to Societies and but transiently speak of the Supernatural Operation of the Holy Spirit that is as requisite to free the Soul from the Chains of Sin as to release the Body at the last Day from the Bands of Death that seldom preach of Evangelical Graces Faith in the Redeemer Love to God for his admirable Mercy in our Salvation Zeal for his Glory Humility in ascribing all that we can return in grateful Obedience to the most free and powerful Grace of God in Christ which are the vital principles of good Works and derive the noblest forms to all Vertues Indeed Men may be compos'd and considerate in their Words and Actions may abstain from gross Enormities and do many praise-worthy Actions by the rules of moral Prudence yet without the infusion of divine Grace to cleanse their stained Natures to renew them according to the Image of God shining in the Gospel to act them from Motives superiour to all that Moral Wisdom propounds all their Vertues of what elevation soever though in an heroick degree cannot make them real Saints As the Plant Animal has a faint resemblance of the sensitive Life but remains in the lower rank of Vegitables so these have a shadow an appearance of the Life of God but continue in the corrupt state of Nature And the difference is greater between sanctifying saving Graces wrought by the special Power of the Spirit with the holy Operations flowing from them and the vertuous Habits and Actions that are the effects of Moral Counsel and Constancy then between true Pearls produced by the Celestial Beams of the Sun and counterfeit ones formed by the smoaky heat of the Fire In short the Lord Iesus our Saviour and Iudge who purchas'd the Heavenly Glory and has sole power to give the actual possession of it assures us that unless a Man be born of the Spirit he can never enter into the kingdom of God The Supernatural Birth entitles to the Supernatural Inheritance Without this how fair and specious soever the Conversation of Men appears they must expect no other priviledge at last but a cooler place in Hell and the coolest there is intolerable W. BATES The Contents Sermon 1 and 2d Pag. 1. ON Psal. 32. 1 2. Blessed is he whose Transgression is forgiven whose Sin is covered Blessed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity and in whose Spirit there is no Guile Sermon 3. Pag. 44. On Acts 3. 26. Unto you first God having raised up his Son Iesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his Iniquities Serm. 4th Pag. 66. On 2 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these you might be Partakers of the Divine Nature having escaped the Corruption that is in the World through Lust. Serm. 5. pag. 81. On Mark 9. 49. For every one shall
broken Heart cannot make light of Sin What kind of Hearts are those that sin securely and without Remorse and are never troubled Go to wounded Consciences and ask of them what Sin is Gen. 4. 13. Mine Iniquity is greater than I can bear Prov. 18. 14. A wounded Spirit who can bear As long as the Evil lies without us it is tolerable the natural Courage of a Man may bear up under it but when the Spirit it self is wounded with the sense of Sin who can bear it If a Spark of God's Wrath light upon the Conscience how soon do Men become a Burden to themselves and some have chosen Strangling rather than Life Ask Cain ask Iudas what it is to feel the burden of Sin Sinners are all their life time subject to this Bondage it is not always felt but soon awakened it may be done by a pressing Exhortation at a Sermon it may be done by some notable Misery that befalls us in the World it may be done by a scandalous Sin it may be done by a grievous Sickness or worldly Disappointment All these things and many more may easily revive it in us There needs not much ado to put a Sinner in the Stocks of Conscience Therefore do but consider to be eased of this Burden O the Blessedness of it 2. It is Filth to be covered which renders us odious in the sight of God It is said Prov. 13. 5. That a Sinner is loathsom To whom to God certainly he is of purer Eyes than to behold Iniquity To good Men the wicked is an Abomination to the Righteous the new Nature hath an aversation to it Lot's righteous Soul was vexed from day to day with the Conversation of the Wicked A wicked Man hates a godly Man with an hatred of Enmity and Abomination but a godly Man doth not hate a wicked Man with a Hatred of Enmity that is opposite to good Will but with that of Abomination which is opposite to Complacence It is loathsom to an indifferent Man for Holiness darts an Awe and Reverence into the Conscience The Righteous is more excellent than his Neighbour and a wicked Person is a vile Person in the common esteem of the World horrible Profaneness will not easily down nay it is loathsom to other wicked Men. I do not know whether I expound that Scripture rightly but it looks somewhat so hateful and hating one another We hate Sin in another though we will not take notice of it in our selves The Sensuality and Pride and Vanity of one wicked Man is hated by another Nay he is loathsom to himself why because he cannot endure to look into himself We cannot endure our selves when we are serious They will not come to the Light lest their Deeds should be reproved And we are shy of God's Presence we are sensible we have something makes us offensive to him and we hang off from him when we have sinned against him As it was David's experience Psal. 32. 3. That was the Cause of his Silence he kept off from God having sinned against him and had not a Heart to go home and sue out his Pardon O what a Mercy is it then to have this Filth covered that we may be freed from this bashful Inconfidence and not be ashamed to look God in the Face and may come with a holy Boldness into the Presence of the blessed God O the Blessedness of the Man whose Sin is covered 3. It is a Debt that binds the Soul to everlasting Punishment and if it be not pardoned the Judge will give us over to the Jaylor and the Jaylor cast us into Prison till we have paid the uttermost farthing Luk. 12. 59. To have so vast a Debt lying upon us what a Misery is that Augustus bought that Mans Bed who could sleep soundly when he was in debt so many hundred of Sesterties Certainly it is a strange Security that possesseth the Hearts of Men when we are obliged to suffer the Vengeance of the Wrath of the Eternal God by our many Sins and yet can sleep quietly Body and Soul will be taken away in Execution the Day of Payment is set and may come much sooner than you think for you must get a Discharge or else you are undone for ever Our Debt comes to Millions of Millions Well if the Lord will forgive so great a Debt O the Blessedness of that Man c. Put altogether now certainly if you have ever been in Bondage if you have felt the Sting of Death and Curse of the Law or been scorched by the Wrath of God or knew the horrour of those upon whom God hath exacted this Debt in Hell certainly you would be more and more affected with this wonderful Grace O the Blessedness of the Man to whom the Lord imputeth not his Transgressions 3dly The Consequent Benefits I will name three 1. It restores the Creature to God and puts us in Joint again in a capacity to serve and please and glorify God Psal. 130. 4. There is Forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feaared Forgiveness invites us to return to God obliges us to return to God and take it as God dispenseth it it inclines us to return to God and encourages us to live in a state of Amity and holy Friendship with God pleasing and serving him in Righteousness and Holiness all our days Certainly it invites us to return to God Man stands aloof from a condemning God but may be induced to submit to a pardoning God And it obligeth us to return to God to serve and love and please him who will forgive so great a Debt and discharge us from all our Sins for she loved much to whom much was forgiven It inclines us to serve and please God for where God pardons he renews he puts a new Life into us that inclines us to God Col. 2. 13. He hath quickned you together with Christ having forgiven all your Trespasses And it encourages us to serve and please God Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the Blood of Christ cleanse your Consciences from dead Works that ye may serve the Living God and that in a sutable manner that you may serve God in a lively chearful manner A poor Creature bound to his Law and conscious of his own Disobedience and obnoxious to Wrath and Punishment is mightily clogg'd and drives on heavily but when the Conscience is purged from dead Works we serve the living God in a lively manner and this begets a holy Chearfulness in the Soul and we are freed from that Bondage that otherwise would clogg us in our Duty to God 2. It lays the Foundation for solid Comfort and Peace in our own Souls For till Sin be pardoned you have no true Comfort because the Justice of the Supreme Governour of the World will still be dreadful to us whose Laws we have broken whose Wrath we have justly deserved and whom we still apprehend as offended with us and provoked by us We may lull the Soul asleep
the Propitiation for Sin and the Obedience of the Sacrificer as devoted to God Now the first Signification took place and had its effect upon them if they neglected the other two Meanings of the Sacrifices and therefore they were to be looked on as salted with Fire whereas the other who were accepted were salted with Salt The 3d Observation for the opening of this is the two References of these Saltings or the distinct and proper Application of them 1. To the wicked For every one shall be salted with Fire that is every one of them spoken of before who indulged their corrupt Affections who did not entirely and heartily keep the Covenant of God and renounce their beloved Lusts. 2. Here is the Application to the Godly Every Sacrifice shall be salted with Salt that is Every one that is not a Sacrifice by constraint but voluntarily surrenders and gives up himself to God to be ordered and disposed of according to his Will he is salted not with Fire but with Salt which every one that is devoted to God is bound to have within himself So while some are destinated to the Wrath of God and salted with Fire to be consumed and destroyed others are salted with Salt preserved and kept savoury in the Profession and Practice of Godliness The Doctrine is this Doct. The Grace of Mortification is very necessary for all those who are devoted to God I shall prove three things I. That the true Notion of a Christian is that he is a Sacrifice or a Thank-offering to God II. That the Grace of Mortification is the true Salt whereby this Offering and Sacrifice should be seasoned III. I shall shew you the Necessity of this Salt that we may keep right with God in the Duties of the Covenant I. The true Notion of a Christian is that he is a Sacrifice to God This is evident by Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you Brethren by the Mercies of God that you present your Bodies a living Sacrifice acceptable unto God which is your reasonable Service that is the reasonable part which was figured by the Sacrifices and Oblations of the Law And so Isa. 66. 20. They shall bring your Brethren for an offering unto the Lord. Under the Law Beasts were offered to God but in the Gospel Men are offered to him not as Beasts were to be destroyed slain and burnt in the Fire but to be preserved for God's use and service In offering any thing to God two things were of consideration there was a Separation from a common and a Dedication to an holy use and they both take place in the present matter 1. There is a separation of our selves from a common use The Beast was separated from the Flock or Herd for this special purpose to be given to God Thus we are separated and set apart from the rest of the World that we may be a People to God We are no more our own 1 Cor. 6. 19. And we are no more to live to our selves but to him that dyed for us 2 Cor. 5. 15. We are not to live to the World to the Flesh or to such things as the natural Heart craves we have no right in our selves to dispose of our selves of our time of our interest of our strength but must wholly give up our selves to God to be disposed ordered governed by him at his own will and pleasure 2. There is a dedication of our selves to God to serve please honour and glorify him 1. The manner of dedicating our selves to God is to be considered 'T is usually done with grief shame and indignation at our selves that God hath been so long kept out of his right with a full purpose to restore it to him with advantage 1 Pet. 4. 3. The time past may suffice to have wrought the will of the flesh and of Man it is high time to give up our selves to the Will of God we have been long enough too long dishonouring God destroying our Souls pleasing the Flesh living according to the Flesh and the course of the World therefore they desire to make restitution Rom. 6. 19. For as ye have yeelded your Members Servants to Uncleanness and to Iniquity unto iniquity even so now yeeld your Members Servants to Righteousness unto Holiness Their forepast neglects of God and duty to him fill their Hearts with shame therefore they resolve to double their diligence and to be as eminent in Holiness as before they were in Vanity and Sin 2. It is with a deep sence of the Lord's love in Christ for we give up our selves to God not as a Sin-offering but as a Thank-offering Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you by the mercies of the Lord. And 2 Cor. 5. 14. For the love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him that died for them and rose again they are ravished with an admiration of God's goodness in Christ and so give up themselves to him 3. They do intirely give up themselves to God not to be his in a few things but in all to serve him with all their faculties You are not your own but are bought with a price 1 Cor. 6. 20. Therefore glorify God both with your Bodies and Souls which are Gods And to serve him in all conditions Rom. 14. 8. Whether we live we live unto God or whether we die we die unto God for living or dying we are the Lord 's They are willing to be used for his Glory not only as active Instruments but as passive Objects they give up themselves to obey his governing will and to submit to his disposing will to be what he would have them to be as well as to do what he would have them to do Phil. 1. 20. According to my earnest expectation and my hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed but that with all boldness as always so now also Christ shall be magnified in my Body whether it be by Life or by Death Thus with all their faculties in every condition of Life are they to be devoted to God in all actions It is said Zach. 14. 20 21. That Holiness to the Lord shall be written not only upon the Bowls of the Altar and the Pots of the Lord's House butalso upon all the Pots of Jerusalem not only upon the Vessels of the Temple but upon common utensils that is translate it into a Gospel Phrase that not only in our sacred but even in our common and civil actions c. we should live as a people that are offered up to God 4. The end why we give up our selves to God is to serve please and glorify him Act. 27. 23. His I am and him I serve to please him by the obedience of his will Rom. 12. 1 2. Ye present your Bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable Service And
and drawing to get a serious Christian into his Snare Therefore we are bidden to be sober and watchful for your Adversary the Devil like a roaring Lion goes about seeking whom he may devour Sobriety is a sparing Use of worldly Delights and Vigilance is a serious Diligence in the use of all those holy Means whereby Temptations may be vanquished And as the Devil so the Flesh Iam. 1. 14. A Man is tempted when he is drawn away by his Lusts being enticed that is by seeking to please his fleshly Mind and Appetite And then the World would pervert us and offers many Baits to that End and Purpose 1 Joh. 2. 15 16. Love not the World nor the things of the World for if any Man love the World the Love of the Father is not in him For whatsoever is in the World is either the Lust of the Eyes the Lust of the Flesh or the Pride of Life that is Pleasures Riches and Honours These seem sweet Baits but there is a dangerous Hook in them and your Love to God may soon be lessened Well then this Directing is opposed to Wavering by reason of any of these Temptations on the one or the other side that the Holiest may keep in us that ardent Love of God which of duty we owe to him 4. Directing notes the Orderliness of the new Creature There is not a more beautiful thing in the World when the Motions thereof are directed by the Spirit for then we are in a due posture both to God our Neighbour and our selves To God for then the Creature is kept in a due subjection to Him and all our Motions and Actions are subordinated to his Glory When we sin we are in rebellion against God and set up the Creature against Him as if it were more amiable and fitter to content and delight the Soul than God and so disturb the Order and Harmony of the World abusing both our selves and all things within our grasp to a wrong End Look as in the Motions of a Watch there is such a Proportion in every part that if one Wheel be wrong the whole is put out of Frame So the World that was made for us and we for God is all disordered when we use the World for our selves and not for God So as to our Neighbour Self-lovers and Self-pleasers will never heartily do good to others The most sincere Commerce in the World is among those that love God So for our selves Till the Love of God rule in our Hearts all is out of order Look as in the Body if the Feet were there where the Head should be the Disorder and Deformity would be great so it is in the Soul when the Beast rides the Man and Conscience and Reason are made Slaves to Lust and Appetite But when once a Man is gained to love God every thing is in frame again Self-government is restored due Obedience to God is well provided for 3. To give you some Reasons to shew you the Necessity of this both as to Persons Regenerate and Unregenerate 1. The Necessity of God's Direction to Persons unregenerate They cannot love God till the Lord direct and set their Hearts streight It is a hard thing to say but we must not mince the matter that in the carnal State we were all Haters of God Rom. 1. 13. And it were well if this Enmity and Hatred were throughly got out of our Hearts How can this be Nature tells us that he from whom we have received Being and Life and all Things deserves our Love I answer Though Men may see some Reason of Love to God as he is our Creator and Preserver but as he is a Law-giver and a Judge so we all hate him Three Reasons there are of that natural Enmity that is in the Hearts of Men against God I would have you consider them seriously that we may feelingly bewail our own Aversion from God 1. Our Inclination to carnal things which prepossesseth our Hearts and then there is no Room for any Inclination to God Naturally Men are addicted to vain and sensual Delights for that which is born of the Flesh is Flesh 2 Joh. 16. Having no Principle to incline them to God they wholly seek to please the Flesh. When Men once lost Original Righteousness they took up with what came next to hand and so became Lovers of Pleasures more than Lovers of God 2 Tim. 3. 4. And this Inclination we cannot devest our selves of till it be cured by Grace Therefore the Lord promiseth this Cure Deut. 30. 6. The Lord thy God will circumcise thine Heart and the Heart of thy Seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine Heart and with all thy Soul The Heart must be circumcised before it can love God Till God pare away the Foreskin and till this carnal Love be mortified there is no place for Divine Love to be raised and quickned in our Hearts We are intangled in the Love of worldly things and shall so remain till God bend the crooked Stick the other way and God set our Hearts right to himself 2. The second Reason is Carnal Liberty and so we hate God as a Law-giver who would bridle our Lusts. There is in the Law the Precept and the Sanction The Precept is to our purpose the Sanction will come to be considered in the next Because of God's Restraint we cannot enjoy our Lusts with that freedom and security we desire his Law is in the way therefore the Heart riseth up against God because he hath made a Law to forbid those things that we affect Rom. 8. 7. The natural Mind is Enmity to God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither can be Col. 1. 21. Enemies in your Mind by evil Works We love Sin therefore we hate God who forbids it and makes it so penal and damnable to us 3. Slavish Fear is the Cause of this Enmity This relates to the Sanction and Penalty of the Law Thus we hate God because we fear he will call us to account for our Sins and punish us For a condemning God barely apprehended under that Notion can never be loved by a guilty Creature Thus Adam when he had sinned ran away from God and hid himself in the Bushes Now it is in vain to come and tell them of the Goodness of God and his Perfections till he change their Hearts As you do in vain induce a guilty Prisoner to love his Judge to tell him he is a discreet Person a Man of solid Judgment one well skill'd and verst in the Law this sticks he is one that will condemn him Therefore the Gospel as a Means to induce us to love God sets him forth as a Sin-pardoning God There is Forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared 2. Come we to the Regenerate The Thessalonians did excell in all Graces and yet the Apostle prays that the Lord would direct their Hearts to the Love of God Why 1. Because there are many
like him that is like him in Holiness and like him in Happiness Our Vision will make a Transformation The desire of Union which is so intrinsick to Love is never satisfied till then Here we have a little of God in the midst of Sin and Misery Sin straitens our capacity from receiving more and God sees fit to exercise us with Misery only affording us an intermixture of heavenly Comfort But our full Joy is reserved to the Day of Christ's appearing 2. They that love God desire also that God may be glorified that his Truth may be vindicated his Love and Justice demonstrated His Truth is vindicated because his Threatnings and Promises are all accomplished Sin will no more be had in Honour nor Pride and Sensuality bear sway Love to the Saints will be seen in their full reward and his Justice demonstrated on the wicked in their full Punishment All matters of Faith shall then become matters of Sence and what is now propounded to be believed shall be felt and God shall be glorified in all 2. The Saints love Christ as Mediator we love him now though we see him not 1 Pet. 1. 8. Whom having not seen we love and believing in him rejoyce with Ioy unspeakable and full of Glory But desire to see him as our surest and best Friend We have heard much of him felt much of him and tasted much of him but we desire to see him especially when he shall appear in all his Glory Mat. 25. 31. The Son of Man shall come in his Glory and all his Angels with him All Clouds about his Person shall vanish he shall appear to be what he is the Saviour and Judg of the World 3. They have a love for the Church for the Church in general shall at that day be adorned as a Bride for her Husband and fully freed from all Sin and trouble 'T is no more eclipsed by its lamentable Imperfections corruption of Worship division of Sects or the persecutions of the World nor polluted by the Distempers of its diseased Members all is then Holy and Glorious Christ will present it as a Glorious Church without spot or wrinkle Eph. 2. 7. 4. They love themselves in God and their own Happiness is then fully to be perfected All the desires and hopes of Believers are then satisfied They that are now scorned and persecuted shall have the reward of their love to God be perfectly loved by him A gladsom day it will be with God's people 2 Thess. 1. 10. It is said Christ shall be admired in the Saints and glorified in all them that believe Glorified not actively but objectively Poor Creatures that are newly crept out of the Dust and Rottenness shall have so much Glory put upon them that the Angels themselves shall stand wondring what Christ means to do for them And then for all their labour they shall have rest they shall rest from their labours that is all their troublesom work shall be over for their pain and sorrow they shall have delight 1 Pet. 4. 12. For their shame they shall have Glory put upon them both in Body and Soul Our Lord Christ despised the Shame for the Glory set before him Heb. 12. 2. III. It hath a great Influence upon the Spiritual Life and keeps Religion alive in our Souls That will appear if you take either word in the Text Waiting or Patience 1. If you take the first Notion Waiting or Looking as it draws off the Mind from things present to things to come 1. Looking to the end of things giveth Wisdom Deut. 32. 29. Oh that they were wise that they would consider their latter end It is not so much to be stood upon who is happy now but who shall be happy at last If Men would frequently consider this it would much rectify all the mistakes in the World If we would inure our Minds not to look to things as they seem at present or relish to the Flesh or appear now to such short-sighted Creatures as we are but as they will be judged of at the last day at Christ's appearing How soon would this vain shew be over and the Face of things changed and what is Rich and Pleasant and Honourable now appear base and contemptible at the latter end Then shall we see that there is an excellency in oppressed Godliness that exalted Wickedness and Folly is but shame and ruine Do but translate the Scene from the World's Judgment to Christ's Tribunal and you will soon alter your opinions concerning Wisdom and Folly Misery and Happiness Liberty and Bondage Shame and Glory the mistaking of which Notions pervert all mankind and there is no rectifying the mistake but by carrying of our Mind seriously to the last review of all things For then we shall judge things not by what they seem now but by what they will be hereafter Solomon tells us Prov. 19. 20. Hear Counsel and receive Instruction that thou mayst be wise in thy latter end That is true Wisdom to be found wise at last Time will come when we shall wish and say in vain Oh that we had laid up treasure in Heaven that we had laboured for the Meat that perisheth not that we had esteemed despised Holiness that we had set less by all the vanities of the World that we had imitated the strictest and most mortified Believer for those are only esteemed and have honour in that Day More particularly 1. It would much quicken us to Repentance Acts 3. 19. Repent and be converted that your Sins may be blotted out when the day of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. All things shall be reviewed at Christ's coming and some Mens Sins remain and others are blotted out None but those that are converted and turned to God can expect that Benefit Unless we be recovered from the Devil the World and the Flesh and brought back again in Heart and Life to God there will be no escape Now those that wait for this day should prepare for it that they may stand in the Judgment with comfort The wicked shall have Judgment without Mercy but the Believer shall be accepted upon terms of Grace Days of torment shall come to the one from the presence of the Lord and days of refreshing shall come to the other The state in the World of believing Penitents is a time of Conflict Labour and Sorrow but this trouble and toil is then over and they shall enjoy their rest Consider these things Where would you have your refreshment and in what Many seek their refreshing now either in brutish pleasures and sit down under the shadow of some earthly Gourd which soon withers but those that seek their refreshment in the enjoyment of God shall then be satisfied Nothing certainly makes us so sollicitous about a serious Reconciliation with God as the Consideration of this Day 2. It engageth us to Holiness and puts Life into our Obedience We that look for such things what manner of Persons ought
God 1. The consciousness of God's displeasure and the fear of his Wrath should make offers of Pardon acceptable to us When Sin entred into the World Fear entred with Sin The grand scruple which haunteth the guilty Creature is how God shall be appeased and the Controversy taken up between us and his Justice Micah 6. 6 7. Wherewith shall he be appeased and what shall I give for the Sin of my Soul We fear Death and Punishment from a Holy and Just God and this is the bottom cause of all our Troubles Therefore till the forgiveness of Sin be procured for us and represented to us upon commodious Terms we know not how to get rid of this Bondage the Justice of the Supream Governour of the World will be ever dreadful to us These fears may be for a while stifled in Men but they will ever and anon return upon us Now let us admire the Wisdom of God who hath provided such a suitable remedy to our Disease as reconciliation and remission of Sins by Jesus Christ. And that God shewed himself so ready to pardon us who are so obnoxious to his Wrath and vindictive Justice 2. The other great Priviledg offered in the Covenant is Eternal Life which suiteth with those desires of Happiness which are so natural to us Corrupt Nature is not against the offers of Felicity We would have Immunity Peace Comfort Glory none would be against his own Benefit but every one would be willing to be freed from the curse of the Law and the Flames of Hell and enjoy Happiness for evermore Though we be unwilling to deny the Flesh and renounce the Credit Pleasure and Profit of Sin and grow dead to the World and worldly things yet never was there a Creature heard of that would not be happy for there was never a Creature but loved himself Now the Lord in his Covenant hath brought Life and Immortality to light setled our Happiness and the way to it he promises that which we desire to induce us to that which we are against As we sweeten Pills to Children that they may swallow them down the better they love the Sugar though they loath the Aloes God would invite us to our duty by our Interest He hath told us of an Happiness full sure and near that he may draw us off from the false Happiness wherewith we are inchanted and bring us into the way of Holiness that we may look after this blessed Hope 2dly The Terms he hath required of us The Terms are either for Entrance or making Covenant with God or Continuance or keeping Covenant with God For Entrance Faith and Repentance are required 1. Faith in Christ. The World thinks Faith quits Reason and introduceth fond Credulity No there is much of the Wisdom of God to be seen in it For Faith hath a special aptitude and fitness for this Work 1. Partly in respect of God For He having design'd to glorify his Mercy and free Grace and to make our Salvation from first to last a meer Gift and the Fruit of his Love to us hath appointed Faith for the acceptance of this Gift Rom. 4. 16. It is of Faith that it might be by Grace Faith and Grace go always together and it is put in opposition to the Merit of Works or the Strictness of the old Covenant 2. As it is fittest to own Christ the Redeemer the Fountain of Life and Happiness and our Head and Husband whom we receive and to whom we are united and married by Faith 3. With respect to the Promises of the Gospel which offer to us an Happiness and Blessedness spiritual and for the most part future Unseen things are properly Objects of Faith Heb. 11. 1. Faith is the Substance of things hoped for the Evidence of things not seen 4. It is fittest as to our future Obedience that it may be comfortable and willing Now we owning Christ in a way of Subjection and Dependance and consenting to become his Disciples and Subjects other Duties come on the more easily 2 Cor. 8. 5. 2. For Repentance This is the most lively and powerful Means of bringing Men to new Life and Blessedness 1. It is most for the Honour of God that we should not be pardoned without submission without confession of past Sin and Resolution of future Obedience Common Reason will tell us that our Case is not compassionable while we are impenitent and hold it out against God Who will pity those in Misery who are unwilling to come out of it Besides it would infringe the Honour of God's Law and Government that one continuing in his Sins and despising both the Curse of the Law and the Grace of the Gospel should be pardoned and saved Repentance is often called a giving Glory to God Mal. 2. 2. Ye will not lay it to Heart and give Glory to my Name Josh. 7. 19. My Son give Glory to God and make Confession to him Rev. 16. 9. They repented not to give Glory to God Repentance restoreth God's Honour to Him as it acknowledges the Justice of his Laws The self-condemning Sinner acknowledges that God may destroy him and if he save him it is meer Mercy 2. The Duty of the Creature is best secured and the penitent Person more bound to future Obedience partly by the Vow it self or the Bond of the holy Oath into which he is entred and the Circumstances accompanying it which surely induce a Hatred of Sin and a Love of Holiness There will be a hearty Consent to live in the Love Obedience and Service of our Creator with a detestation of our former Ways When we feel the smart of Sin such a Sense of it will ever stick by us and when we are in the deepest and freshest Sense of his pardoning Mercy when we see at how dear rates he is pleased to have us and upon what free terms to pardon all our Wrongs we shall love much Luk. 7. 47. Surely they that are brought back from the Gibbet and the very Gates of Hell by such an Act of pardoning Mercy are most likely to remember the Vows of their Distress and are more ingaged to love God and please Him than others are 3. It is most for the Comfort of the Creature that a stated Course of recovering our selves into the Peace and Hope of the Gospel should be appointed to us which may leave the greatest Sense upon our Consciences Now what is likely to do so much as this apparent Change whereby we renounce and utterly bewail our former Folly and solemnly devote and give up our selves to God by Christ. Those things that are serious and advised leave a Notice and Impression upon the Soul This is the most important Action of our Lives the Setling of our Pardon and Eternal Interest The Heart is hardly brought to this to renounce what we dearly love therefore it is usually rewarded with some notable Tasts of God's Love Isa. 57. 15. God delights to revive the Hearts of his contrite Ones 2.
necessary Business for their welfare Sion said the Lord hath forsaken me my God hath forgotten me Isa. 49. 14 15. In the misgivings of our Hearts God seems to have cast off all Care and Thoughts of us God's affectionate Answer sheweth that all this was but a fond Surmise Can a Woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have Compassion on the Son of her Womb Yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee So we think that we are cut off when God is about to help and deliver us Psal. 31. 22. Many times we think he has quite cast us off when we are never more in his Heart Surely when our Affections towards God are seen by mourning for his Absence he is not wholly gone his Room is kept warm for him till he come again We mistake God's Dispensations when we judge that a forsaking which is but an emptying us of all carnal Dependance Psal. 49. 18 19. When I said my Foot slipped thy Mercy O Lord held me up In the multitude of my Thoughts within me thy Comforts delight my Soul He is near many times when we think him afar off as Christ was to his Disciples when their Eyes were with-held that they knew him not but thought him yet lying in the Grave Luk. 24. 16. But this cannot be imagined of Christ who could not be mistaken If he complained of a Desertion surely he felt it It was a real Desertion he could not mis-interpret the Dispensation of God he was now under for such Misapprehensions are below the Perfection of his Nature 2. Though it were real the Desertion must be understood so as may stand with the dignity of his Person and Offices Therefore 1. There was no Separation of the Father from the Son this would make a Change in the Unity of the Divine Essence Ioh. 10. 30. I and my Father are one Joh. 12. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Eternal Union of the Person of the Father with the Person of the Son always remained for the Divine Nature though it may be distinguished into Father Son and Holy-Ghost yet it cannot be divided 2. There was no Dissolution of the Union of the two Natures in the Person of Christ for the Humane Nature which was once assumed was never after dismissed or laid aside 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christ ever remained Immanuel God with us or God in our Nature He was the Lord of Glory even then when he was crucified 1 Cor. 2. 8. It was the Son of God that was delivered up for us all Not a meer Man suffered for our Redemption but Acts 20. 28. God purchased the Church with his Blood Death that dissolved the Bond and Tie between Soul and Body did not dissolve the Union of the two Natures They resemble it by a Man drawing a Sword and holding the Sword in one Hand and the Scabbard in another the same Person holds both though separated the one from the other 3. The Love of God to him ceased not We read The Father loved the Son and put all things into his hand Joh. 3. 35. Now he was his dear Son or the Son of his Love Col. 1. 13. In whom his Soul delighted Isa. 42. 1. Eph. 1. 6. He hath made us accepted in the Beloved Primum amabile He was the Brightness of his Glory and the express Image of his Person Heb. 1. 3. Therefore he could not but love him in every State Yea he never more loved him as Mediator than when on the Cross that being the most eminent Act of his Self-denial and Obedience Phil. 2. 7. and so a new Ground of Love Ioh. 10. 17. Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my Life to take it up again The Father was well pleased with the Reconciliation of lost Sinners he loveth Christ for undertaking and performing it therefore it is unreasonable to imagine that now he was about the highest Act of Obedience there was any Decrease of his Love to him No his Dispensation might be changed but not his Love As the Sun shining through a clear Glass or through a red Glass casts a different Reflection a bloody or a bright but the Light is the same 4. His personal Holiness was not abated or lessened The Lord Jesus was full of Grace and Truth Joh. 1. 14. He had the Spirit not by measure Joh. 3. 34. He had in perfection all Divine Gifts and Graces to accomplish him for this Office Col. 1. 19. Ioh. 1. 16. He was anointed by the Holy-Ghost and the Oil that was poured on him never failed Therefore he was always most holy and pure one that never knew nor did Sin Neither his Nature nor his Office could permit an Abatement of Holiness Heb. 7. 26. Such an High-Priest became us as was holy harmless undefiled separate from Sinners The Son of God might fall into Misery which is a natural Evil and so become the Object of Pity not of Blame but not into Sin which is a moral Evil a Blot and a Blemish When he died He died the Iust for the Unjust 1 Pet. 3. 18. The Death of Christ had profited us nothing if he had been a Sinner for a moment Therefore this Desertion was not a Diminishing of his Holiness but a Suspension of his Comfort 5. God's Assistance and sustaining Grace was not wholly withdrawn for the Lord saith of him Isa. 42. 1. This is my elect Servant whom I uphold And every where the Lord is said to be with him in this work Psal. 101. 5. The Lord is at thy right hand And Psal. 16. 8. I have set the Lord always before me he is at my right hand I shall not be moved Which Passage is by Peter applied to Christ Acts 2. 25. For David speaketh concerning him I foresaw the Lord always before my Face for he is on my right hand that I should not be moved The Power Presence and Providence of God was ever with him to sustain him in his difficult Enterprize When his Agonies began he told his Disciples Ioh 18. 32. Ye shall leave me alone yet I am not alone but the Father is with me The Father was with him when his Disciples forsook him and fled every one to his own to carry him through and that his Arm might work Salvation for him and that he might not sink under the Burden Secondly Positively 1. God's desertion of us or any Creature may be understood with a respect to his communicating Himself to us We have a twofold Apprehension of God as an Holy and Happy Being And when he doth communicate Himself to any reasonable Creature it is either in a way of Holiness or in a way of Happiness He doth now in the Kingdom of Grace communicate Himself more in a way of Holiness but in the Kingdom of Glory fully in a way of Happiness both as to the Body and the Soul These two have such a respect to one another that he never gives Felicity and Glory
nor from the failings of a single Person conclude the whole Party 3. By imposing false Crimes Prov. 10. 18. He that uttereth a Slander is a Fool that is a wicked Person As Mephibosheth saith of Ziba 2 Sam. 19. 27. He hath slandered thy Servant unto my Lord the King The most godly and innocent Persons cannot escape the Scourge of the Tongue and unjust Calumnies II. The Hainousness of the Sin 1. In General that is evident from what is said already I shall urge two Arguments more 1. That Men shall be called to an account for these Sins as well as others they are not passed by in the Judgment Jud. 15. God will execute Iudgment upon all ungodly Sinners not only for their ungodly Deeds but for all their hard Speeches Now if injurious and contumelious Language come into the Judgment how should all beware of the least accession to this Guilt So 1 Pet. 4. 4 5. They speak evil of you who shall give an account to him that is ready to judg the Quick and the Dead The Mockers as well as Persecutors were to give a strict and sad Account It is no slight and light Sin to divulge and spread false Calumnies to hurt the Credit of our Brethren God takes notice of a Thought in our Heart against them a Word in our Mouths and will exact a strict Account thereof 2. It is the Property of a Citizen of Zion one that shall be not only accepted with God now but dwell with God for ever not to be given to Backbiting Psal. 15. 3. He that backbiteth not with his Tongue nor doth evil to his Neighbour That is that makes strict Conscience of Backbiting or Calumniating and abstaineth from doing any kind of Wrong or Reproach to his Neighbour 2. More particularly It is the more hainous 1. Partly from the Person against whom it is committed As suppose the Godly and Irreprovable for the main who by their Life and Conversation have the best right to Honour and Esteem to do it against them is most unjust Psal. 64. 3. They whet their Tongues as a Sword they shoot their Arrows even bitter Words that they may shoot in secret at the perfect suddenly do they shoot at him and fear not That is their Slanders and Calumnies are shot like poysoned Darts and Arrows secretly or clancularly without any desert or notice of the Party against whom they are intended Or else against Persons publickly employed and in the special Service of God as Magistrates Numb 12. 8. Were ye not afraid to speak against my Servant against Moses So in the Ministry 1 Tim. 3. 1. He must have a good Report from them without lest he fall into Reproach and the Snare of the Devil Against these it is not only unjust but noxious and hurtful to God's Service 2. From the Persons before whom the Slander is brought as suppose Kings and Princes so that they are deprived not only of private Friendships but the Favour and Countenance of these under whose Protection they have their Life and Service Thus Haman whispered against the Iews Esth. 3. 8. It is not for the King's profit to suffer them to live Doeg against the Priests Psal. 52. 1. Why boastest thou in Mischief O mighty Man The Goodness of God continueth for ever It is a strange matter of Pleasure and Joy to some Persons in Power to be able to mischief those that deserve it least God is eminently great and good This Sort of Pride is diametrically opposite to his Nature Alas To trouble a few Persons how irrational is it But such are our depraved Natures Some are never pleased with those things that alone veeld durable Pleasure but to be able with their Counsel as with one poysonous Vapour to blast a Multitude of innocent Persons 3. From the End of it If it be done with a direct Intention of hurting anothers Fame it is worse than if out of a rash Levity and Loquacity Some Men have no direct Intention of Mischief but are given to Tatling It is a great Sin in them and an unprofitable Mispence of Time but it is a greater in those that make it their Business to disgrace others or sow Discord These are the Bane of Human Society 4. From the Effect or great Hurt that followeth be it it Loss of Estate as in the Case of Mephibosheth or a general Trouble and Persecution on the People of God When their good Names are buried their Persons cannot long subsist afterward with any degree of Service And all this may be the Fruit of a deceitful Tongue The Use is To shew how good-natured Christianity is and befriendeth human Societies it condemneth not only Sins against God but Sins against our Neighbour It bindeth its Professors to the Practice of the Apostle Acts 24. 16. Herein do I exercise my self to have always a Conscience void of Offence towards God and towards Men. Phil. 4. 8. Whatsoever things are honest just good and true if there be any Vertue or any Praise think of these things The World hath taken up this Prejudice that Religion makes us ill-natur'd Of it self there is nothing more benign it only condemneth those that are good-natur'd to others but not to God Use 2d Let us not speak Evil of others behind their Backs but tell them their Faults plainly in Love and Wisdom nor encourage others in this Sin Prov. 25. 23. As the North Wind drives away the Rain so doth an angry Countenance a backbiting Tongue They that receive Tales and delight to hear other Mens faults encourage others in their Sin and are accessary to or Partakers of the Guilt It brings an evil Habit and Custom in our own Souls In short Let us keep up an humble Sense of our own Faults and looking at home it will not only divert us from slandering of others but make us compassionate towards them and breed Comfort in our own Souls SERMON XI GAL. 5. 16. This I say then Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the Lust of the Flesh. IN these Words Observe 1. A Duty enforced 2. The Consequent and Fruit of it 1. The Duty is to walk in the Spirit which is the sum of all Christian Piety 2. The Motive is taken from the consequent and fruit of it and ye shall not fulfil the Lust of the Flesh. Let us fix the Sense 1. For the Duty to walk in the Spirit Walking implyeth the tenour and course of our Actions in all which we should follow the direction and inclination of the Spirit But what is meant by the Spirit That it may be known both the contrary Principles must be explained together 1. Flesh is sometimes taken for the Body as Eph. 4. 29. For no Man yet ever hated his own Flesh it is brought as a reason why Husbands ought to love their Wives as their own Bodies ver 28. and Spirit is taken for the Soul Eccl. 12. 7. But this is not the Sense here for every Man hath Soul
and Body not the regenerate only and a Man is not only to look after the welfare of the Soul But his Body also it being the Instrument which it useth in its operations 2. The Spirit is sometimes put for Reason and the Flesh for sensual Appetite as Eph. 4. 23. And be renewed in the Spirit of your Mind And 1 Joh. 2. 16. The Lusts of the Flesh But this will not take in the whole Sense of this place for other faculties are corrupted besides the sensual Appetite and other Faculties must be renewed as well as the Understanding 3. There is another acceptation of Flesh and Spirit that is that Spirit signifieth the uncreated Spirit who is the Author of Grace As Joh. 3. 5. Except a Man be born again of Water and the Spirit Where Spirit is put for the Holy Ghost who immediately worketh Grace in us called therefore the Spirit of Sanctification as that Saving Grace which is the effect of his work is called the Sanctification of the Spirit And the opposite Principle Flesh signifieth the corrupt Nature of Man as Joh. 3. 6. That which is born of the Flesh is Flesh Corrupt Sinful inclined to earthly things Now though this would bear a good sense to interpret Flesh and Spirit of the Holy Ghost and Concupisence or natural Corruption for no question he concurreth to the mortifying of the old Man till Sin be wholly expelled Rom. 8. 23. and still doth quicken and excite the new Man to Action Gal. 4. 25. yet here the Apostle speaks of two inherent Principles 4. Therefore by Flesh and Spirit is meant the old Man and the new and so by Spirit is meant the renewed part or the new Man of Grace in the Heart Joh. 3. 6. That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit That is there is a work of Saving Grace wrought in our Hearts by the Spirit of God which new Nature hath its Motions and Inclinations which must be obeyed and followed by us And by Flesh is meant inbred Corruption or the old Man which is corrupt with his deceivable Lusts Eph. 4. 22. Now then you see what it is to walk after the Spirit to direct and order our Actions according to the Inclinations of the new Nature 2. For the consequent and fruit of it and ye shall not fulfil the Lust of the Flesh. Here two things must be explained 1. The Lust of the Flesh. 2. Fulfil 1. For the Lust of the Flesh. By it is meant the inordinate Motions of corrupt Nature The Flesh doth not consider what is right and good but what is pleasing to the Senses and craveth their satisfaction with much importunity and earnestness to the wrong of God and our own Souls especially in Youth when the Senses are in Vigour and Lust and Appetite in their Strength and Fury And generally all carnal Men are govern'd by the Lusts of the Flesh called by the Apostle The Wills of the Flesh and the Mind Eph. 2. 3. By which the Heart is drawn from God to things Earthly and Carnal Well then by the Lusts of the Flesh are meant the Motions of inbred Corruptions 2. Ye shall not fulfil that is accomplish and bring into compleat act especially with deliberation and consent Mark he doth not say that the lusting of corrupt Nature shall be totally suppressed but it shall not be fulfilled The best of God's Children feel the Motions of the Flesh but they do not cherish and obey them The Lusts of the Flesh may be said to be fulfilled two ways 1. When the outward act is accomplished or when Lust hath conceiued and brought forth actual Sin Iam. 1. 15. Which may sometimes come to pass in the Children of God when they walk not in the Spirit or obey not the Motions and Directions of the renewed part This again may be done two ways either upon Surprize or Deliberation By way of Surprize Gal. 6. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon deliberation when Men plot and make provision to fulfil their Lusts contrary to the Apostles advice Rom. 13. 14. Make not provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof Thus it was with David in his great Sin and this doth mightily aggravate the offence and provoke the Lord against us 2. When for a continuance we obey the Flesh usually accomplish its Motions without Let and Restraint and with Love Pleasure and full consent of Will this is proper to the Unregenerate The Flesh doth reign over them as its Slaves this is spoken of Rom. 6. 12. Let not Sin reign in your mortal Body that ye should obey it in the Lusts thereof Let is not have a Power over you as Slaves Well then the meaning is you will not abuse your Christian Liberty as an occasion to the Flesh or give up your selves to do that or seek that which the Flesh lusteth after Doct. The more Christians set themselves to obey the new Nature the more is the power of inbred Corruption mortified and kept under To understand this Point let me lay down these Propositions I. That there is a diversity of Principles in a Christian Flesh and Spirit 1. There is a good Principle called Spirit because the Spirit is the Author of it Ezek. 36. 26. A new Heart and a new Spirit will I put into you It is called also the Divine Nature 2. Pet. 1. 4. because it is made up of those gracious Qualities wherein we resemble God The Seed remaining 1 Joh. 3. 9. because it is not a transient operation but a permanent habit disposing and inclining the Soul to God and Heaven The new Man Eph. 4. 24. because we have it not by Nature but by Grace we are new formed to the Image of God Now the use of this Principle may be known partly by the manner how it is wrought in us and partly by the uses and ends for which it serveth 1. For the manner how it is wrought in us by the Spirit that is set forth Heb. 8. 10. I will put my Laws in their Mind and write them in their Hearts The directive and imperial Power of the Soul is sanctified and seasoned by Grace the Mind enlightned the Heart inclined The Mind is enlightned by the Knowledg of God's Will and the Heart inclined that we may delight to do his Will it is suited thereunto Therefore the New Creature doth both serve to direct us and so performeth the Office of a Guide and Leader to the Godly in all their Actions so far in Religion as God's Glory is concerned and also to move and excite us to that which is Good For the Spirit is willing though the Flesh is Weak Mat. 26. 41. 2. By its Uses and Ends. None of God's Gifts are given in vain The new Nature is the choicest Talent that the Sons of Men are intrusted withal Therefore it hath its Use and End which is to fit us for God and Heaven 1. It disposeth the Soul to a sincere Obedience to God as an inherent
Principle Eph. 4. 24. It is created after God in Righteousness and true Holiness as suiting us to these things So the Spirit is promised to enable us to walk in God's ways Ezek. 36. 27. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Iudgments and do them It helps us to avoid Sin 1 Joh. 3. 9. Whosoever is born of God doth not commit Sin for his Seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God They that give back cannot yeild to those Sins with which others are surprized and captivated 2. It prepares us for Heaven Thither is the tendency of the new Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. 1 Joh. 5. 4. Whatsoever is born of God overcometh the World it moveth us to mind love and seek after Heavenly things This Grace came from Heaven and there it is perfected 2. There is an other Principle of corrupted Nature remaining in us which is sometimes called Flesh as before sometimes the old Man Eph. 4. 22. Sin that dwelleth in us Rom. 8. 17. The Body of Sin Rom. 6. 6. The Law of the Members warring against the Law of the Mind Rom. 7. 23. By this Principle they are inclined to that which is evil This Principle also may be known 1. By the manner how it was derived to us 2. By its Tendency and Operations 1. The manner how it was derived to us from Adam in his Apostacy and as faln from his chief Good and last End Ioh. 3. 6. When Man fell from God he fell to himself The Temptation was Ye shall be as Gods Gen. 3. 5. He would set up Self as a God And what was that Self which Man sought to idolize but himself rather considered as a Body than as a Soul And therefore when God sought to reduce Man where lay the difficulty that Text will inform you Gen. 6. 3. My Spirit shall not always strive with Man for that he is also Flesh that is sunk or lost in Flesh altogether wedded to the Interests of the bodily Life 2. By its Tendency and Influence it prompts us to do those things which are most acceptable to Sense or agreeable to our worldly and carnal Ends. The Flesh operateth several ways according to Mens callings occasions or constitutions Isa. 53. 6. 1 Ioh. 2. 16. As every Soil beareth such Weeds as are most suitable to the Nature and Quality of the Ground so some are enslaved by this some by that particular Sin yet all of them alike opposite to God Differences there are as to the choice of their way wherein they please the Flesh some in a more gross some in a more cleanly manner yet they all walk in the Lust of the Flesh following inbred Corruption as their Guide or obey it either in a way of Worldliness Ambition or Sensuality Some ways are more blameless before the World because they less deserve a Worldly Interest some are so prodigiously wicked that they cause a Horror even in Mankind though degenerated Now after Conversion some of our former Sins cripple us and we halt of the old Maim still and it is not enough to stop one gap while corruption runneth out at many more but we must make Conscience of not fulfilling the Lusts of the Flesh in any kind Well now I have shewed you the two Principles which are in a Christian That we may have a Sence of our imbecillity and that we are but regenerated in part II. I will prove to you that there is a Liberty in a Christian of walking according to each Principle either the Spirit or Flesh. 1. That the Christian hath Liberty of walking according to the Spirit is out of question for where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. Surely the Spirit of Christ can free us and doth free us from the bondage of Corruption Rom. 8. 2. The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ hath freed me from the Law of Sin and Death otherwise there would be no distinction between Nature and Grace If we should be still shackled and manacled by our Lusts and be as unable to pursue our last End as we were before if there were no inclination to God and Heavenly things what have they gotten by Grace and therefore though we are still weak yet we have the gift of the Spirit to free us from Sin The Force and Efficacy of the new Nature appeareth in three things Scire Velle Posse in knowing our Duty and willing and purposing and doing our Duty suitable to the three Faculties of Man his Understanding Will and vital Power So the Spirit received from Christ 2 Tim. 1. 7. is a Spirit of Power Love and a sound Mind 1. For Scire The new Nature partly consists in the internal Light of the Mind by which we understand the things of God revealed in the Scriptures concerning our Duties and Priviledges and so the Unction is said to teach us all things 1 Joh. 2. 20. That is all things which belong to our necessary Duty and Happiness God's Children in necessary things have a good Understanding or as it is said Isa. 11. 3. They are quick of Understanding in the fear of the Lord. By this it doth warn us of our danger mind us of ourduty upon all occasions 2. For Velle To be willing The force of the new Creature lieth in the love of God for we are never converted to God till he hath our Hearts till we love him with all our Soul with all our Might and Strength and hate what is contrary to him Psal. 17. 10. Ye that love the Lord hate evil Now surely they that love God and hate evil are at liberty more than others to serve and please God and avoid Sin Hate Sin once and it hath little Power over you 3. For Posse or the active Power The wonder is rather how he can sin deliberately voluntarily than how he cannot sin 1 Ioh. 3. 9. and for doing good 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phil. 2. 13. I can do all things Eph. 2. 10. A Spiritual Man is prepared for every good work 2. The Assistant Power which accompanieth the new Creature in all his Actions doth certainly give him a great advantage of Liberty to know will and do things pleasing unto God As he doth first convert us unto God and quicken us when we are dead in Trespasses and Sins so after Conversion when the Principles of a new Life are put into us he still helpeth us and as all Creatures depend upon God in esse conservari operari Acts 17. 28. So doth the new Creature depend on the Spirit he leadeth and guideth all the Children of God to their Everlasting Estate Rom. 8. 14. He assists the Will and the vital Power Phil. 2. 13. Otherwise we may complain with Paul Rom. 7. 18. For to Will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not There may be a Will or an
and what was received by both Senses Sight and Hearing might make a deeper Impression upon their Souls Therefore he hath instituted Sacraments As Kings delight to have their Royal deeds not only recorded in Chronicles but to have some Monuments set up as a sign which may be perpetuated in future Ages so the Lord Jesus having vanquished Death Hell the Grave the Devil and Sin not only has it recorded in his Word but would give us Signs and Monuments that we might continually remember both the Victory and the Comfort we have by Christ. But what needs Paul so often to be warned of his Bonds He had been told before Acts 20 22 23. I go bound in the Spirit to Ierusalem not knowing the things that shall befal me there save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every City saying that Bonds and Afflictions abide me And then again in this Chapter Acts 21. 4. There were some Disciples which said to Paul through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem How shall we reconcile these Expressions They said through the Spirit that Paul should not go up to Jerusalem and yet Paul was bound in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem In this latter place we must distinguish between the Prediction of Troubles and the Counsel of Safety The Prediction of Troubles so they said through the Spirit that it would be dangerous for Paul to go to Ierusalem but they disswaded him from going to Ierusalem out of their own private Love and Affection to him so that Paul was warned again and again Quest. But why was he warned so often Answ. That he might be throughly prepared God doth not love to take his Children unprovided Paul was not surprized but had warning upon warning of his present danger If a sudden and unexpected Flood of Miseries break in upon us it is not because we want warning but because we will not take warning When we are well at ease we will not think of Death and the Cross and therefore if we be unprovided we may thank our own Security II. The carriage of the Saints upon this occasion And there we may take notice of four things 1. The intire Affection of the Disciples to Paul who had done them good They besought him c. 2. Paul's intire Affection to God Yet he would not be perswaded 3. Their Discretion when he would not be perswaded they ceased 4. The Ground of their Discretion their Piety They said The Will of the Lord be done 1. Their entire Affection to Paul Both we and they of that Place besought him that he would not go up to Ierusalem v. 12. This Intreaty did not proceed from Self-love for they were resolved to go with him vers 15. but Zeal for God's Glory The Lives and Liberties of those that are eminent Instruments of God's Glory are very dear and precious to God's faithful People Paul declares of Aquila and Priscilla Rom. 16. 4. For my Life laid they down their own Necks And Acts 19. 31. His Friends desired him that he would not adventure into the Theatre They have them in singular Love for their Worth's sake and therefore when they are in danger they weep sore Act. 20. 37. And when they are dead they make great Lamentation Devout Men carried Stephen to his Burial and made great Lamentation over him Acts 8. 2. As the Israelites said to David 2 Sam. 21. 17. Thou shalt go no more out with us to Battel that thou quench not the Light of Israel that is lest the Glory and Splendor of the Nation perish with thee The Loss of a good Magistrate is a great Loss and such Instruments are not easily had again when once lost But was this well done to perswade him Yes for though the Prophet had foretold what Paul should suffer yet we know of no Command they had to the contrary All Desires against God's secret Will are not unlawful when we afterwards submit to his revealed Will. 1 Kin. 8. 18. And the Lord said to David my Father Whereas it was in thine Heart to build an House unto my Name thou didst well that it was in thy Heart And yet that was against God's secret Will it was in his Heart to build God's House and it was no Sin for there was no Command to the contrary So here they were to desire the Preservation of so precious an Instrument as Paul was yet Satan might have a hand in it from their Perswasion to weaken his Resolution Satan often laboureth to take us off from our Duty by the perswasion of our loving Friends who mean us well in what they say to us Mat. 16. 22 23. When Christ had told of his Sufferings at Ierusalem Peter said Be it far from thee Lord this shall not be unto thee Our Saviour replied Get thee behind me Satan Who would have thought that Christ's Disciple should have been Satan's Instrument and then when speaking in Love to his Master Therefore we must not measure their Counsel by their good Meaning but by God's Word and be deaf to all Relations that we may discharge our Duty to God See Deut. 13. 6 7. In our Affections to eminent Instruments to God's Glory there may be much of carnal Infirmity 2. Here was Paul's firm Resolution He would not be perswaded Did Paul do well in this How doth this agree with that Character of Heavenly Wisdom that is easy to be entreated Jam. 3. 17. I answer In our Duty it is praise-worthy to be easy to be intreated but not from our Duty Paul went bound in the Spirit to Ierusalem ke knew the Will of God and therefore though they did even break his Heart they could not break his Purpose No Perswasions of Friends no Apprehensions of Danger should turn us out of the Way wherein God commands us to walk No Perswasion So Christ when desired to avoid Suffering which was the End of his coming into the World rejected the Motion It is notable the Lord Jesus with the same Indignation rebuketh Peter disswading him from suffering as he did the Devil tempting him to Idolatry See Mat. 16. 23. compared with Mat. 4. 10. No Dangers Here were Dangers threatned Agabus foretold Bonds the Spirit foretold Bonds others told him of Bonds yet Paul was not perswaded So when the King of Babylon threatned the three Children they resolutely answered Dan. 3. 18. Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us but if not be it known unto thee O King that we will not serve thy Gods nor worship thy Golden Image And therefore Paul rebukes them for they were weeping when they saw his Resolution What mean you to break my Heart For I am not only ready to be bound but to die at Jerusalem for the Name of Christ. A little to clear the Expression by the way Is it not a good thing to have a broken Heart And are not they that further it to be commended rather than reproved I answer There is a twofold Heart a Heart
Death as a curse not to eat of the one as he enjoyned him to eat of the other as a Pledg of Life and Blessing This same course did Christ take in his Sermons by telling them of the wide Gate and the strait Gate the broad and narrow Way much Company and little the one tending to Destruction the other to Life Mat. 7. 13 14. So Wisdom speaks by Solomon Prov. 8. 35 36. Whose findeth me findeth Life and shall obtain Favour of the Lord but he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own Soul all they that hate me love Death So that you see this is an excellent way to gain Men to the Holy Life I. Let us consider our Work II. The Reasons why we must do so I. Our Work the Matter of it and the Manner in which we are to propound it to you 1. The Matter We must set before the People 1. Life and Good 2. Death and Evil. This I shall open in these Propositions First That there is a distinction between Good and Evil Vice and Vertue He that doth not acknowledg it is unworthy the name not only of a Christian but of a Man Certainly he is unworthy the name of a Christian for the whole Word of God doth mete out the Bounds between both these and shew what is forbidden and what is commanded and therefore it is a defiance of Christianity to doubt of it But he is also unworthy the name of a Man Nature apprehendeth that somethings are worthy of Praise and others worthy of Blame and Reproof else why should wicked Men be offended to be taken for such as they are and desire as much as possibly they can to seem better and to cover their dishonest Actions with a plausible Appearance Secondly The matching these two Death and Evil Life and Good And here I shall speak 1. Of the Suitableness of the Connection between them 2. The greatness of both Thirdly The certainty of both these Life and Death as the Fruit of Good and Evil. 1. The Suitableness or Correspondency there is between Holiness and Beatitude Sin and Misery It must needs be so if we consider the Wisdom Justice Holiness of God 1. The Wisdom of God which doth all things according to Weight Measure and Number cannot permit the Disjunction of these two things so closely united together as Sin and Punishment Grace and Happiness but there will be an appearance of Deformity and Irregularity For if there be such a thing as Good and Evil as Bonum and Malum morale as Reason will tell us there is And again if there be such a thing as Pleasure and Pain as Joy and Sorrow or that which we call Bonum and Malum naturale as Sense will tell us there is then it is very agreeable to the Wisdom of God that these things should be rightly placed and sorted that moral Evil which is Sin should be punished with natural Evil which is Pain and Misery that the inordinate Love of Pleasure which is the Root of Sin should be checked by a fore-thought of Pain And that Moral Good which is Vertue and Grace should end in Joy and Pleasure For God is naturally inclined as the Creator of Mankind to make his Creatures good and happy if nothing hinder him from it Well then we see how incongruous it is to the Wisdom of God who permits no dissonancy or disproportion in any of his Administrations to admit a Separation of these natural Relatives If there were no other Testimony of this yet the Dispositions of our own Hearts would know it for they are some obscure Shadows of the Properties which are in God We have Compassion on a miserable Man whom we esteem not deserving his Misery we are also moved with indignation and displeasure against one that is fortunate and successful but unworthy the Happiness that he enjoys Which is an apparent Testimony and Proof that we are sensible of an excellent Harmony and natural Order between these two things Vertue and Felicity Sin and Misery and to see them so suited doth exceedingly please us 2. The Justice of God as he is Judge of the World and so must and will do right doth require Ut 〈…〉 malis malè That it should be well with them that do well and ill with them that do evil God is naturally inclined to provide for the Happiness of Man as he is his Creator and if there were no Sin to stop the Course of God's Bounty there would be nothing but Happiness in the World But since the Entrance of Sin into the World Men are of different sorts some recover out of their estate of Sin and live holily others wallow in their filthiness still Now it is agreeable to God's general Justice as he is the Judge of the World to execute Vengeance on the one and reward the other that Happiness should accompany Vertue by a natural and inseparable Dependance and Misery incessantly attend Vice Rom. 2. 6 7 8. It is true the Bond which joyneth Happiness and Vertue together is not so strong and so every way naturally evident as that which joyneth Vice and Punishment If a Person in Sovereignty and Honour does not will that Moral Evils be punish'd 't is in some sort to consent to them but the Condition of the Creature is such that he ought to be holy and vertuous though God had not positively commanded him and God having so commanded we are bound to obey his Command though he had not proposed the Hope of a Reward in as much as we owe all to God both because of the infinite Eminence of his Majesty as because we hold our Beings and all from him And therefore there is a Distinction Rom. 6. 23. The Wages of Sin is Death but the Gift of God is Eternal Life through Iesus Christ our Lord. The one is Wages the other a Gift The Promise which God maketh of Remuneration and the actual Retribution which he performeth of the same ought to be imputed only to his Goodness and gratuitous Liberality Men cannot pretend any other Right before him from whom we hold all things yea our very Being Now that which proceedeth of Goodness seemeth not to be of so strait an Obligation but that he is at liberty to do or not to do especially when the transaction is between two Persons the Dignity and Authority of one of which is infinitely above the Condition of the other as the Majesty of God is above his Creature Therefore as to such a Reward God is free and therefore might have enjoyn'd Holiness without the Promise of such a Recompence But the general Relation that is between Punishment and Sin Holiness and Happiness as to the consequence of one upon another is agreable to the general Justice of God which is a Perfection necessary to him as he is the Supreme Governor and Ruler of the World 3. The Holiness and Purity of God which inclineth him to hate Evil and love that which is good God
Life Evil and Death Secondly The Manner how this is to be done it must be set forth with all Evidence and Conviction as to the Reason of Men with all Earnestness and Affectionate Importunity to awaken their Affections In short 1. So as will become the belief of these things We must not speak of them as a thing spoken in jest and by rote but as firmly perswaded of the truth of things as if Heaven and Hell were before our Eyes and as evident to Sense Heb. 11. 1. We look upon these things naturally as at a distance and so have but a cold apprehension of them but we should by Faith see them as near at hand As you would pull a Man out of the Fire Iude 23. or as falling into a deep Pit or bottomless Gulph as one in the greatest earnest Belief puts a Life into Truths which otherwise are but dead and weak in their Operation I believed and therefore did I speak as if we had a deep sense of these things upon our own Hearts 2. As will become Experience 2 Cor. 5. 10. Knowing the Terrors of the Lord we perswade Men. A Man that knoweth the Terrors of the Lord that hath been scorched himself will set them before Men as if they were at hand ready to surprize them Others that talk of these things but as cold Opinions they will not be so careful to rouse up Men to mind the case of their Souls If one went unto them from the Dead then will they repent Luk. 16. 30. 3. So as will become Zeal for the Glory of God which is much promoted by the Subjection and Obedience of his Creatures and his Interest in them therefore we should be diligent and industrious in drawing Souls to Christ. Col. 1. 27 28. Christ in you the hope of Glory whom we preach warning every Man and teaching every Man in all Wisdom that we may present every Man perfect in Christ Iesus 2 Cor. 11. 13. They have blind unbelieving Hearts therefore need to be taught cold careless Affections and need to be warned and this with the greatest Wisdom that can be used that all may be presented to Christ at the last day This is that which sets all a going When we are wooing for Christ we should not do it coldly and triflingly but as those that would prevail for their Master that he may be glorified in their being gained to him 4. So as will become compassioners of precious and immortal Souls for whom Christ died Souls that must live for ever in Heaven or Hell Oh mind them of their Duty warn them of their Danger they are ready to tumble into the Flames of Hell every moment therefore with all earnestness set Life and Death before them We should use the more compassion to Souls because God himself who hath employed us hath expressed so much of his Compassion he doth not only tell them they will die but expostulateth with them Why will you die O House of Israel Ezek. 33. 11. And Ezek. 28. 25. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die and not return from his ways and live The greatest quarrel Christ hath with Sinners is because they will not come to him for Life John 5. 40. Ye will not come to me that ye might have Life Two Reasons make this more evident 1. This is God's Will 2. This is of great Profit to the Souls of Men. First This is God's Will that his Law should be propounded with the Sanction of it that is with Penalties and Rewards God might rule us with a Rod of Iron require Duty out of meer Sovereignty but he will draw us with the Cords of a Man Hos. 11. 4. with such Arguments as are fitted to Mans Temper as he is a reasonable Creature that is by Promises and Threatnings We are best moved and induced to any thing by those two Affections of Fear and Hope the one Affection serveth for Aversation and Flight the other for Choice and Pursuit Therefore he that knoweth the Wards of the Lock accordingly suiteth the Keys and doth not only require an exact Duty but also promiseth Good and threatneth Evil. Sovereigns in their publick Edicts do not argue with their Subjects but only interpose their Authority but God condescendeth to reason with his Creatures He doth not say as sometimes Thus shall ye do I am the Lord but if you do thus this will be your ruine and obey these Statutes for your Good Deut. 6. 24. and so doth perswade as well as command Secondly It is of great Profit to the Souls of Men. 1. It is of Profit that they should often be minded of the Issues of things Israel's want of Wisdom cometh from this Deut. 32. 29. O that they were Wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end that is how Obedience and Disobedience will succeed with them Lam. 1. 9. David's trouble at the prosperity of the Wicked arose from want of this Psal. 73. 17. Then I understood their End Rom. 6. 21. The end of these things is Death Fugientes respice what will they leave in their farewel and departure Jer. 17. 11. At his latter end he shall be a Fool. The first addresses of Sin smile upon us but the Sting is in the Tail So the beginning of Godliness is Bitter but afterward it yieldeth everlasting Peace and Comfort 2. That they may reflect on both combined either of them single is of great force but both joyned together comes in upon the Heart with greater Power We need a Bridle and a Spur a Bridle because of our proneness to Evil and a Spur because of our Backwardness to Good We have both we are compassed and hedged in with our Duty on every side If we look back there is Death to affright us if forward Heaven to allure us there is Eternal Life to draw us there is Eternal Death to drive us If God had only terrified us from Sin by unexpressible Pains and Horrors and made no promise of unspeakable Joys this were enough to engage us to live without Blame and Blemish that we might not be cast into the Prison of Hell or if only to quicken our Diligence he had propounded Hopes and Happiness as the Priviledg of those that live Vertuously and Holily and evil Men did utterly perish when they die this were enough to draw us If God had only promised Heaven and no Hell there would not be so strong a Motive but can we be cold and dead when both Life and Death are laid before us and both for ever this is very unreasonable Solomon telleth us Prov. 15. 24. That the way of Life is above to the Wise to avoid Hell beneath Every step they tread is a going from Eternal Death and an approach to Eternal Life Therefore as we would escape the Torments of Hell and possess the Joys of Heaven we should be serious We are undone for ever if we be not blessed for ever and the
think it will bring a dâ—mp on your Hearts But if you cannot endure to think of Hell how much less will you endure one day to suffer it Is it such a trouble to consider it what is it to feel it Timely Consideration is the way to prevent and escape these Torments it will help to preserve you from comming thither and cause it to work upon you Oh then Deut. 32. 46. Set your Hearts unto all these Words which I testify among you this day Consideration will awaken the Soul that was formerly laid asleep Will Heaven or Hell intice or deter the Man that thinketh not of it Shall we not therefore have a little Patience while we deeply ponder and weigh these things in our Minds See Life and Death is set before you and will you not allow a few serious Thoughts about them nor ask your Souls what shall become of you to all Eternity God's great complaint of Israel is Isa. 1. 3. My People will not consider and the same complaint may be made of us Things are evident and clear to Faith Reason and Conscience but we will not consider and so wander out of the way 3. The next thing we exhort you to do is to make choice for your own Souls That is the use Moses makes of it ver 19. Therefore choose Life that both thou and thy Seed may live Hearing Believing Considering are all in order to choice and without choice and a determined fixed bent of Heart you will never walk evenly in Heavens ways Determine not only that you must but you will walk in the way which God hath set forth for you God's Ways must be chosen Psal. 119. 30. I have chosen the way of Truth And ver 173. I have chosen thy Precepts Jos. 15. 22. If it seem evil to you to serve the Lord choose you this day whom you will serve Not as if it were indifferent but to set an edg upon their Appetite There is much strength in the Bond when a Man bindeth himself freely and makes him the more inexcusible if he doth not observe it All will choose Life before Death but they are out in the Means they do not choose Good before Evil the Good of Holiness before the Evil of Sin Every Man desireth some Good it is as natural for the reasonable Creature to desire to be happy as it is for the Fire to burn but we do not make a right choice of the Means that may bring us to that Happiness that we desire They would be happy but they choose Means quite contrary to Happiness Oh then choose the Ways of God let Life be your Motive and Holiness your Choice this is the way to live for ever to avoid Hell beneath As soon as we come to years of Discretion we should make our choice to go on in the ways of Life To this we are obliged by the most weighty Reasons urged by the enforcements of the Word and by the sad and numerous examples of young People who make an ill choice in the beginning and go on and are hardned therein and perish for ever SERMON XVIII MAT. 7. 12. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that Men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets IT is a general Complaint of the World that Christians are defective in the Duties of the second Table Some Hypocrites may be so to mask over a dishonest Life with a pretence of Worship and Godliness But we are not to judge of the rest of the People of God by these no more than we would judge of the Glory of a Street by the filthiness of the Sink or Canal or of the sound Grapes in the Cluster by the rotten ones For certainly all that have truly submitted to Christianity do find that Religion doth influence their Relations and run out and issue it self in all the Duties which they owe to Man as well as unto God And it was not a Boast which Austin said to the Heathens Let all the Religions of the World produce such Princes such Subjects such Husbands Wives Parents Children as the Christian Religion produceth This was the Glory of Religion then and it should not fall in our hands Or possibly this may be the Cause of it Unrenewed Men which allow one another in their Excesses and glory in some kind of mutual Civilities may equal or over-pass the Godly therein Look as Dogs excell Men in the acuteness of Smell and the Eagle in sharpness of Sight and many other Beasts in other Senses because it is their Excellency so there are certain lower Respects which the Men of the World mutually pay one towards another and they may excell in these as their peculiar Worth But however be that Complaint true or false it concerns us to take notice of it and to prevent all Suspicion of this kind And therefore we need to press Moralities upon Christians and that from the true Root the Love of God for that is the great Mistake of this Age to set up a sort of false Morality and forget the true one that is built on Faith in Christ and Love to God Now to set down each particular Duty would be tedious The Life of Man is short and the Law in all its necessary Explications long and voluminous and therefore to have a sure Rule and a short one would be a very great Advantage to us in this Matter And this one Direction which I have read to you out of the Word of God will serve instead of all It is a sure Rule for Christ gives it us who is Truth it self and though it be short it is full enough for our purpose for here is the Substance and Quintessence of the Law and Prophets all drawn into one compendious Rule and Abridgment of our Duty the best Epitome that ever was A Sentence this is of such weight that the Emperor Severus as Lactantius reporteth out of Lampridius was so taken with it that having heard it from some Iew or Christian he wrote it in his Palace and caused it to be engraven in Golden Letters in the Courts of Justice and to be proclaimed at the punishment of Offenders And therefore I shall briefly discourse of this Rule and present it to your serious Consideration In the Words there is I. A Rule of Life Whatsoever ye would that Men should do to you do ye even so to them II. The Commendation of it For this is the Law and the Prophets III. The Illative Particle Therefore My Business shall be to open these Circumstances I. Here is the Rule of Life This general Precept may be considered in the Affirmative or in the Negative for Negatives are included in their Affirmatives The Affirmative is in the Text. All those things that you would Men should do unto you the Negative is in that noted Saying Quod tibi fieri non vis alteri ne feceris that which you would not have done to you
Children cry for Bread and you have none to give them would you not complain of the hardness of their Hearts which have this Worlds Goods and shut up their Bowels against them and not dispense any thing to their Necessities Why if you know the Heart of an indigent Person it cannot but move you to observe this Rule And the rather because usually with what measure we meet to others it is recompensed into our Bosoms by God's Providence for what ever need others have of us we have infinitely more of God and there will a time come when we shall be as destitute before God as they are before you For Instance In a time of Sickness when all outward helps fail Psal. 41. 1. Blessed is he that considereth the Poor the Lord will consider him in time of Trouble Why he that is affected with an others Condition as his own when it is a time of trouble and distress with him and it may be his Brother cannot help him then the Lord will help him either in Sickness or Trouble of Conscience when all outward Comforts are as the white of an Egg when the poor perplexed Sinner cries Mercy Mercy the Lord will shew him Mercy as he did to others Mat. 5. 7. Blessed are the Merciful for they shall obtain Mercy Those that only seek to enrich themselves and solace themselves with Mirth and Pleasure in the good things they have must not expect the like Promises But those which have been Merciful Bountiful and ready to help others God delights to shew them Mercy and when they are most destitute they shall find that God takes notice of this that they were ready to relieve others Secondly In Forgiving the same Rule holds A necessary Duty For while we are here in the World there will be Weaknesses and Offences and we need mutually to forgive and to take Pardon It is said Col. 3. 13. Forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any Man have a quarrel against any Even as Christ forgave you so also do ye See the same Eph. 4. 32. Forgiving one another as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you Mark he proceeds upon this Principle that Christ layeth down Whatsoever ye would c. We are in the World and in the Flesh and therefore should not rigidly exact upon the failings of others lest they or others deal so with us when our turn comes We need Pardon in this kind for we give Offence Eccl. 7. 21 22. Take no heed unto all Words that are spoken lest thou hear thy Servant curse thee for oftentimes also thine Heart knoweth that thou thy self likewise hast cursed others The meaning is we should not be over-affected with others speaking ill of us because we know we have spoken ill of others and should pass it by with meekness and neglect therefore the consideration of our Passions and of our Infirmities should move us to Pardon We have been or may be as bad as they We have been once Tit. 3. 3. Foolish and Disobedient led by our unruly Appetites and Desires therefore we should shew Meekness to them I and we may be surprised again James 3. 1. My Brethren be not many Masters for in many things we offend all Be not many Masters that is severe masterly or supercilious if another be fallen and hath offended us for we shall receive the greater Condemnation The Apostle argueth from another Argument Col. 3. 13. And Eph. 4. 32. Forgive others as God hath for Christ's sake forgiven us There is no Man can wrong us as much as we trespass against God and though we are but as the Drop of the Bucket and the small Dust of the Ballance yet our great and many Sins are freely forgiven to us therefore it should prevail with us freely and easily to Pardon one another The Scripture urgeth this O when we consider Christ's Example how Christ hath forgiven us when we consider the greatness of the Wrongs which he pardons Sins that are of a Scarlet and Crimson die Isa. 1. 18. when we consider our own baseness in comparison of him Isa. 40. 22. Who sitteth upon the Circle of the Earth and the Inhabitants thereof are as Grass-hoppers and when we consider his Omnipotency to right himself of the wrongs done to him How he can cast Body and Soul into Hell Fire Surely this should move us to forgive others Yea and it is not only a Motive but a Rule Forgive others as God forgives us what 's that Sincerely not hypocritically freely not unwillingly fully not by halfs irrevocably not for a time only but as God forgives and casts all our Sins into the depth of the Sea so should we forgive and pass by the Sins of others Christians shall I urge another Argument in this Case what need there is of Forgiveness Hereby a Man overcometh himself hereby he shames the Party that did him wrong and hereby he takes God's course to get the Victory over the Person which hath done him the wrong Hereby he overcometh himself his own Nature which thirsteth after Revenge Prov. 16. 32. He that is slow to Anger is better than the Mighty and he that ruleth his Spirit than he that taketh a City He is able to rule himself so 't is his Glory he doth overcome that revengeful and froward Disposition which is in his own Nature And hereby he overcomes and shames the Party that did him wrong there is no such way to do this as by Forgiveness Thus David did overcome Saul 1 Sam. 24. 17. When David had him at an advantage and spared him Saul said to David Thou art more Righteous than I. O what a Victory was this to overcome that fierce Man's Heart and reconcile him And you keep God's way in overcoming him it is God's prescribed course that you should thus overcome him by Kindness and Meekness Rom. 12. 21. Be not overcome of Evil but overcome Evil with Good But wherein must we express this Forgiveness towards others as to the wrong to be forgiven we must consider it either as an offence against God or sometimes against publick Laws or as it is an offence against us So far as it is an offence against God or the publick Laws here we have not power to Forgive and Punishment is due to the common Good Poena debitur The Lord himself that forgives us and forgives for Christ's sake hath secured the Honour of his governing Justice by Satisfaction and if the Law requires it we cannot intermedle there only we must pray to God earnestly for them that 's our Duty Iam. 4. 15. and in some Cases we may interceed with the Magistrate to take off the Penalty and are so bound This Forgiveness implieth two things a removal of an inward Grudg and a readiness to do all Duties of Love and Kindness to them 1. A removal of an inward Grudg and endeavours after private Revenge Lev. 19. 17 18. Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine Heart thou shalt in any
Bodies must be changed before they can be brought to Heaven We shall not all die but we shall all be changed saith the Apostle If the Body must be changed how much more the Soul if that which is Frail much more that which is Filthy if Flesh and Blood cannot enter into Heaven till it be freed from its corruptible Qualities certainly a guilty corrupted Soul cannot enter into Heaven till it be freed from its sinful Qualities Application I. Use. Of Information 1. That there is such a thing as the new Nature Regeneration or the new Birth and the new Creature It is one thing to make us Men another to make us Saints or Christians We have Understanding and Will and Affections and Sense as Men but we have these sanctified as Christians The carnal World thinks Christianity puts strange names upon ordinary things but is it an ordinary thing to row against the Stream of Flesh and Blood and to raise Men above those Inclinations and Affections by which the generality of the World are mastered and captivated For a Man to be another kind of Creature than the rest of Men are surely proceeds from a new Nature put into him 1 Pet. 4. 4. The World wondereth at Believers in their contemning the pleasant powerful Attractives of sensible things 2. That by this new Nature a Man is distinguished from himself as Carnal he hath somewhat which he had not before something that may be called a new Life and Nature a new Heart that is created Psal. 51. 10. and may be increased 2 Pet. 3. 18. In the first Conversion we are meer Objects of Grace but afterwards Instruments of Grace First God worketh upon us then by us On the Unregenerate the Spirit worketh while they do nothing that is good sometimes the contrary The Regenerate he helpeth whiles they are working striving labouring he quickneth and exciteth their Inclination to God They have some Principles of Operation there is Life in them and where there is Life there is some power to act or else God's most precious Gifts would be in vain therefore it is their Duty to bestir themselves 2 Pet. 1. 3 4 5. We have Understanding and Memory sanctified and planted with a Stock of Divine Knowledg and can retain things on the Conscience which if we do not we are highly culpable before God Mat. 25. 25 26. Thou wicked and slothful Servant c. We have an inclination to God and Heavenly Things and we must blow it up Isa. 64. 7. There is none that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee 2 Tim. 1. 6. Stir up the gift of God that is in thee 3. How little they can make out their recovery to God and Interest in Christ who are not sensible of any change wrought in them They have their old Thoughts their old Discourses their old Passions and their old Affections and their old Conversations still the old darkness and blindness which was upon their Minds the old Stupidity Dulness Deadness Carelesness that was upon their Hearts knowing little or nothing or regarding nothing of God the old end and scope governeth them to which they formerly referred all things If there were a change there would be some hope the Redeemer had been at work in their Hearts You can remember how little savour you had once of the things of the Spirit how little mind to Christ or Holiness how wholly you were given up to the Pleasures of the Flesh or the profits of the World what a mastery your Lusts had then over you and an hard servitude you were in Is the case altered with you now is your taste of Fleshly Delights deadned your Souls taken up more with the Affairs of another World Is the drift aim and bent of your Lives now for God and your Salvation and the great business you attend upon the pleasing of God and the saving of your Souls Are ye not Servants to your Senses and fleshly Appetites and things here below but can ye govern your selves and master these Desires This is a change indeed But in many that profess Christ and pretend to an Interest in him there is no such change to be sensibly seen their old Sins and their old Lusts and the old things of Ungodliness are not yet cast off Surely so much old Rubbish and rotten Building should not be left standing with the New Old Leaves in Autumn fall off in the Spring if they continue so long so old things should pass away and all become new 4. It informeth us in what manner we should check Sin by remembring it is an old thing to be done away and ill becoming our new Estate by Christ. 2 Pet. 1. 9. But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see far off and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old Sins Former Sins ought to be esteemed as old Rags that are cast off and as Vomit never to be licked up again If we are and do esteem our selves to be pardoned we should never build again what we have destroyed nor tear open old Wounds So 1 Pet. 1. 14. Not fashioning your selves to the former Lusts of your Ignorance nor cast our selves into the old Mould and Shape and return to our old Bondage and Slavery So 1 Cor. 5. 7. Purge out the old Leaven that you may be wholly a new Lump So ver 8. Therefore keep the Feast not with old Leaven neither with the Leaven of Malice and Wickedness but with the unleavened Bread of Sincerity and Truth The unsuitableness of Sin to our present State should stir up our Indignation Hos. 14. 8. What have I to do any more with Idols Worldly things are pleasing to the old Man therefore we should not over-much esteem them They are not new Creatures that have not put off the Lusts of the old Man II. Use. To put us upon Self-Reflection Are we the Workmanship of God created in Christ Jesus that is are we made new Creatures It will be known by these things a new Mind a new Heart and a new Life 1. Have we a new Mind A new Creature hath a new sight of things looketh upon all things with a new Eye He seeth more odiousness in Sin more Excellency in Christ more Beauty in Holiness more Vanity in the World than ever he saw before Before they did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They knew aâ—l things after the Flesh. A new value and esteem of things doth much discover the temper of the Heart Heb. 11. 26. Moses esteemed the reproach of Christ greater Riches than the Treasures of Egypt They esteem the decay of the outward Man to be abundantly recompensed with the increase of the inward 2 Cor. 4. 16. A new Creature is not only changed himself but all things seem to be changed with him Heaven is another thing and Earth is another thing than it was before so is Sin and Righteousness yea he looketh on his Body and Soul with another Eye 2. As he hath a new
turn unto the Lord. Psal. 119. 59. I thought on my ways and turned my Feet unto thy Testimonies Man is very inconsiderate his Soul is asleep till consideration awaken it again We are to search and try our Estate whether it be good or bad Lam. 3. 40. Let us search and try our ways and turn unto the Lord. We are to observe God's Rebukes Prov. 1. 23. Turn ye at my Reproof To set our selves to seek after God in the best Fashion we can Hos. 5. 4. They will not frame their doings to turn unto their God that is think of recovering themselves and bending their course to him chiefly we are to take heed that we do not hinder God's work and obstruct our own Mercies Prov. 1. 25. They set at nought my Counsel and would none of my Reproof Sometimes Conscience is startled either as being excited by the Word Acts 24. 25. or some notable Affliction and Strait Gen. 42. 21. by one means or another the Waters are stirred great helps are vouchsafed to us observe these Seasons However check Despair He that did turn Water into Wine can turn Sinners into Saints Lions into Lambs he hath not excluded you from his Grace therefore do not exclude your selves When did he ever forsake the anxious and waiting Souls that would not give over seeking till they did obtain the sanctifying Spirit SERMON XX. EPH. 2. 10. For we are his Workmanship created in Christ Iesus unto good Works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them WE come now to the End why we are brought into this Estate created unto good Works c. the End is not to live idly or walk loosly but holily according to the Will of God In this latter Clause Created unto good Works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them Observe 1. The Object Good Works that is Works becoming the new Creature in short we should live Christianly 2. God's Act about it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which God hath before ordained The word signifies both prepared and ordained 1. God hath prepared these Works for us 2. God hath prepared us for them He hath prepared them for us either by his Decree or Precept if you understand it in the first sense God that hath ordained the End hath also appointed Means as Acts 27. 31. compared with 24. Or else appointed by his Precept and express Will. Micah 6. 8. And he hath prepared us for them by his Spirit making our Hearts fit for our Work Heb. 8. 20. enlightning the Mind inclining the Will The first sheweth the necessity of them the second the easiness of them God hath accomodated all things to that End enabling us to know our Duty and to do it 3. Our Duty that we should walk in them Walking noteth both a Way and an Action 1. It implieth a Way that good Works are the way to obtain Salvation purchased and granted to us by Jesus Christ. Unless we walk in the Path of good Works we cannot come to Eternal Life 2. An Action Walking notes 1. Spontaneity in the Principle not drawn or driven but walk set our selves a going 2. Progress in the Motion he that walketh sets himself forward and gets ground he doth not stand still or lie down but goeth on still Doct. That new Creatures are both obliged and fitted or prepared for good Works I. What is meant by good Works II. What Obligation lieth on the new Creature to make Conscience of them III. How they are fitted and prepared by that new Nature which is bestowed upon them by and through Christ 1. What is meant by good Works 1. The Kinds 2. The Requisits First The Kinds all acts of Obedience more particularly they are divided and distributed into five sorts or ranks 1. Opera Cultus Acts of God's immediate Worship both internal and external The Internal Acts are Faith and Love Trust Delight Reverence The Children of God are often described by these by believing in his Name Iohn 1. 12. Love to God and Delight in him Psal. 97. 10. Ye that love the Lord hate Evil. Psal. 37. 4. Delight thy self also in the Lord. Trust. Psal. 62. 8. Trust in him at all times ye People Fear or Reverence Psal. 130. 4. There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared External as to Pray Read Hear to be much in Communion with God in all the parts of his Worship Without Works of Piety we are practical Atheists Psal. 36. 1. and Psal. 14. 1 2 4. God's People do certainly make Conscience of these The Internal Acts are the Life of their Souls the External are their Solace Strength and Support their Songs in the House of their Pilgrimage their refreshing by the way Cornelius Acts 10. 2. feared and prayed to God alway Daniel would not omit Prayer one Day though in danger of Death Dan. 6. 10 11. There is little Zeal in them that are not frequent with God but forget him days without number Ier. 2. 32. 2. Opera Vocationis Every Man must labour in the Work to which he is called God is pleased to appoint and accept the Duties of our Callings as a good Work Are they never so mean yet Servants may Honour God by diligence in their Duties Tit. 2. 9 10. Exhort Servants to be obedient to their Masters c. That they may adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things To be profitable to Humane Society in your place is good the new Nature helpeth us so to be Phil. 11. Onesimus in time past was to thee unprofitable but now profitable to thee and me All have their work from the Mediator to the poorest Creature in the World John 17. 4. I have glorified thee on Earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do So Tit. 3. 14. Let ours also learn to maintain good Works for necessary uses that they be not unfruitful When Iohn's Hearers came to know what they should do he referreth every one to their Callings Luke 3. 10 11 12. Walk conscionably therein glorify God Souldiers Publicans c. Without these good Works we are Drones in the common Hives yea Burdens upon the Earth 3. Opera Iustitiae Works of Righteousness and Justice to hurt none to give every one his Due to use Fidelity in our Relations Acts 24. 16. The Credit of Religion is much concerned in the just dealing of them that profess it God will have the World to know that Religion is a good Friend to Human Society Neh. 5. 9. Ought ye not to walk in the Fear of our God because of the Reproach of the Heathen our Enemies This was the Primitive Glory of Christianity Dent Exercitum talem tales Exactores fisci c. Some carry it so that they deal with God's Commandments as Hanun with David's Messengers as if they had cut off the whole second Table and so prove a Stain and Blot to Religion In short they that do not make Conscience of paying their