if you find your own spirit dead in you and Christs spirit quick and lively in you And this you shall know also by your affections That is if you have other affections both to God and Christ to holiness and to the Saints then you had before it is certain you have the spirit for this is that which followes the spirit for when the sanctifying spirit comes into the heart of a Christian it works another kinde of love in a man then a man naturally hath and again it makes a man live another kind of life then he did before Thus it was with Paul in 2 Gal. 20. I live but not I but Christ in me That is there is a proportion and likeness between the life of a Christian and Christ. That is when the spirit enters into the heart Then it will begin to put off the old man and to put on the new man it will put off their own power and strength to good and put on Christ onely Yet mistake me not I say not the substance of the soul is changed for the soul in substance is the same as it was before But here is the difference when the spirit comes it puts new qualities and habits unto it it alters and changes the disposition of it it gives it that sense which before it felt not and the sight which before it saw not hence it is throughly changed in regard of the qualitie and disposition of what it was and yet in substance remains the same as for example put iron into the fire the iron is the same it was in substance before it came into the fire but now it hath another qualitie it was cold and stiffe and hard and unpliable but now it is hot soft and plyable and this change is throughout in every part of it and yet it is iron still So it is with the spirit when it comes into the heart of a Christian he mingleth and infuseth spiritual life into all the parts of the soul and therefore it is said if the Spirit of Christ be in you the body is dead as touching sin but the Spirit is alive That is he is like a tree that wants both sap and root or as a man that is dead that wants a soul he is now dead whatsoever he was before Therefore examine if this thorow and great change be you see then what death there is in you to sin and what life unto holiness I call it a thorow and great change because a little one will never bring you into such a frame as to be fit for Heaven And again the Apostle cals it a great change in Rom. 12. 2. Be you met amorphosed That is throughly changed new moulded again In the 1 Cor. 3. You are saith the Apostle changed from glory to glory and therefore consider that every change will not serve the turn but it must be a great change the changing of Christs spirit for your own spirit which if you have then shall you come out of every affliction every difficulty like gold out of the furnace like cloth out of the die of Lions you shall be made Lambes of Serpents Doves Therefore see if this change be in you or no. If this change be in you Then when your old guest that is your old lusts shall come and find that their old companions be cast out of doors and that the soul is swept and changed they will not stay but seek abiding elsewhere And on the contrary if your opinions of sin be the same if you have the same lusts reigning in you if you use the same evil company and have the same haunts that ever you had you have not the spirit And so long as you remain thus do you think that Christ will come and sup and dine with you And yet you will not erect a building for him in your hearts Therefore if you would have Christ and the spirit labour to get holiness The fourth sign whereby you may know whether you have the spirit is this If it be but a common spirit you shall find that it will do by you as the Angels do by assumed bodies They take them up for a time and do many things with them to serve their own turns but they do not put life into them So in like manner examine whether the spirit makes you loving men or no. That is when the sanctifying spirit shall joyn with the soul of a man it will make him do sutable things and brings forth sutable actions The body is dead without the soul so the soul hath of it self no spiritual life to good without the spirit Therefore that which Paul speaks of unchaste widowes that they are dead while they live so I may say of every man that hath not the Spirit they are dead men dead to good to grace to holiness I say there is no life without the Spirit Men are not living men because they walk and talk and the like but they are living men that live in the Spirit and by the Spirit And on the contrary there is no true life neither are men to be esteemed living men that want the spirit Now the difference between the assumed bodies and the bodies which have the souls joyned with them are these By the examinnation of which it will appear that the most men which think they have the spirit are deceived with the common spirit That is beause they do the actions of assumed bodies The first property of an assumed body is this we have but an assumed body of grace and holiness when in the practise of life we take unto our selves the things that are evil and leave the things that are truely holy and good I do not say when I hate good but when I prefer evil before good setting it at the higher end of the Table and serving it first and attending on it most That is when holy duties become troublesome and wearisom unto you when it goes against the hair as we say that they crosse our nature and yet you will not crosse it for the love of Christ when it is thus with you whatsoever you think of your selves you have not the sanctifying spirit but a common spirit without life The second propertie of an assumed body of grace is if you have it not in a feeling manner The sanctifying spirit works a spiritual sence and taste in the soul. That is if you have the sanctifying spirit then holy things will have a good taste it will be sweet unto you it will purge out that which is contrary to the growth of the inward man On the contrary the common spirit will never make you to taste grace as it is grace or because it is grace That is grace will not be a daintie thing and it will be without a good savour therefore examine what taste of good you have whether you can relish grace or no if not you have not the sanctifying Spirit but an
the budding and putting forth of the spirit therefore all such blossomes are precious and they should be nourished in you you should not let them wither for want of sap and that you may have from Christ for it is he that quickeneth every man by his Spirit That look as the old Adam maketh sin active in every one that is born of him so the second Adam communicateth grace and life to those that are ingrafted into him by faith Therefore he is called a quickening spirit even as a man liveth when the soul is conjoyned to the body so the soul liveth when Christ is conjoyned to it Look upon all the living Saints the reason why they live among such a multitude of dead men is because Christ is in them if you see one more holy then another more active more nimble in the wayes of Gods commandments then another it is because Christ dwelleth more in him then in another if you find your selves more ready and more strong to perform any duty it is because Christ helpeth and quickeneth you for he is your life In a word all the life you have is derived from his inhabitation and dwelling in you And this is the fourth Benefit that we receive from Christ he makes us living men The fifth benefit we have and receive from Christ his dwelling in us is that he consecrateth us and maketh us holy Know ye not saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 3. 17. That ye are the Temple of God and that the spirit dwelleth in you That is Christs act no man is holy but he whom Christ consecrateth and he consecrateth the soul That is he sanctifieth it sets it apart maketh a temple peculiar to himself for holiness is nothing but an appropriating something to Gods use and sequestring it from common uses Now when Christ works such a work in the spirit of a man he is said to consecrate a man to sanctifie him And that he doth when he revealeth to us the vanitie of earthly things on one side And the excellencie of heavenly things on the other side By this means the heart is weaned from those and is knit and married to these in a conjugal love so that it loveth him and nothing besides and this I say Christ doth by revealing the truth making earthly things to appear vain as they are and God to appear beautiful and excellent as he is For when he appeareth as he is we cannot but love him and that is the reason it is said Sanctifie them with thy truth that is when any man hath the truth revealed unto him he seeth things as they are then his spirit cleaveth unto God loveth God marrieth it self unto God keepeth it self proper unto him weaneth itself and estrangeth it self from all other things That which is called sanctifying in that place you shall find in two places of Scripture exprest in such tearms as express this double act of Christ which I named unto you as in the 2 Tit. verse penult He hath purified to himself a peculiar people that is he hath emptied them of whatsoever may draw them from God and hath sanctified them by his spirit And so again in the 30. Deut. 6. And the Lord God will circumcise the heart that thou mayest love the Lord thy God with all thy heart c. That is I will draw you to me your hearts shall cleave to me Now then when these two acts are done the heart circumcised and love put into it that it cleaveth to God without separation This is the sanctifying of the heart this Christ works wheresoever he cometh And my Brethren this is not an easie thing to do and indeed no man can do it but Christ for this holiness of spirit is not onely an abstaining from the things common and unclean from pollution of flesh and spirit it is not an abstaining from them out of judgement onely but then a mans spirit it is holy when he hath an inward propence inclination to that which is good and an aversness to that which is evil When the spirit hath a new quality put into it Abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good this is holiness not to abstain from the evil onely but to abhor it not onely to do the good but his spirit cleaveth to the good loveth the good So it is said Lot had his righteous soul vexed with the unclean conversation of the Sodomites that is he had a holy soul and in this his holiness was seen that he vexed c. So Moses his holiness appeared when he wept when he saw the people commit idolatry so Paul his spirit was stirred within him when he saw the idolatry of the people of Athens So when a mans spirit stiâ—reth it self after this manner when from that new quality that is put into it it works out the uncleanness that is in it this is the holiness of the spirit and no man hath it but from Christ. As the needle unless it have it from the Loadstone could not have that property of looking to the North so it is with the spirit of a man before Christ dwelleth in him before he hath put a new quality of holiness he never looks towards God but when it is done once it cannot do otherwise therefore those in whom Christ dwelleth cannot sin that is cannot delight in sin this is a great benefit therefore and this holiness of spirit they have in whom Christ dwelleth To be holy in all manner of conversation to be holy at all times in all places in all that he doth to have a holiness of spirit acting and appearing therein It is a hard thing and therefore the benefit is the greater so now how much unholiness we may find in the spirits of men when the spirit of a man steppeth out and doth what it doth to its own ends and looks not to Christ but to other ends this is unholiness and adultery of the spirit therefore those the trade of whose life is not to look at God in their actions but to themselves to pass from pleasure to pleasure and from sport to sport and all for themselves those also that are so much occupied in worldly businesses that God is forgotten this is exactly contrary to holiness for here the spirit turneth it self from God whereas we should be holy in all manner of conversation holy in every thing holy in eating holy in drinking holy in recreation holy in all our business holy in mirth c. But you will ask how shall that be When you do all these as to God as fitâ—ing you for his service when you put God as the end unto all that you do then is your spirit holy you know that place Whether you eat or drink or whatsoever you do do all to the glory of God That is respect God in it make not your selves the utmost end of it for then your heart is unholy for holiness is to keep the
some a shorter time if thy soul have drooped been afraid to be utterly cast away if thou hast found thy self in a lost estate then is thy case good for this goes alwayes before that insulting faith that triumphs against all condemnation If thou hast not found this but hast gotten faith without it then dost thou speak peace to thy self before God speakes it and it is all one as if the Israelites should have looked up to the brazen serpent before they had been bitten with the fiery serpent in the wilderness who had been never the better not finding indeed the need thereof as those that are stung and troubled with fin do Many are driven to believe because they are convinced thereof in their judgement and the example of others they think would shame them else But that is not enough thou must find thy self throughly awakened for thy sins and feel thy self lying under the wrath of God and lost as it were in thy self before thou canst truly see the need of a Saviour and look up to him effectually Secondly If thou hast obtained this absolving quitting and triumphing Faith then after this spirit of bondage thou hast found the spirit of Adoption spoken of in the same place Rom. 8. 15. for before thou hast been bitten with thy sins the Devil and thine own conscience thou canst not receive any true comfort But when thou once findest in thee nothing but matter of condemnation art driven quite out of thy self then the spirit with the Gospel opens thy heart and inlargeth it to rejoyce and draw stronger consolation from the Gospel then the law could bring condemnation So that if thou hast found the spirit of grace and comfort calming thy minde and purging thy conscience and so sealing thy heart and giving thee som assurance that thy sins are forgiven thee then is thy estate good assure thy self nothing in the world could do this but the spirit of God Ask therefore thine own soul if thou hast in any small measure in truth found thus then hath God begun this triumphing Faith and set it up in thee Thirdly If thou hast this Faith then art thou united unto Christ and hast fellowship with him thou art then knit to Christ as a man to his wife in a mariage bond for thou must know that Christ is the believer in a spiritual and mystical manner Rom. 8. 1. We first are in Christ that is when we once come to believe and then Christ is in us as it is vers 10. when his death kills the body of sin in us and Iohn 17 21 23. I in them saith Christ and they in me which shew as in divers other places in like manner that there is then an union which is an inâ—allible note that floweth imediately from the grace of faith once begotten wrought in any poor soul 1 Ioh. 1. 3. They have fellowship with Christ and with the father through Christ if thou hast this faith then is there a bond that knits thee to God above all other in the world and without this thou canst challenge no Salvation from Christ. let every one therefore examine if he have such a Faith in him by which he may know whether he finde Christ in him or himself in Christ and so a blessed fellowship between them and this thou mayest know if thou findest not the world and sin working and reigning in thee but the spirit of Christ having the rule and dominion in thee Christ he is the ruler and governour of his Church and children O blessed man that hast this O blessed habitation to dwell in Christ to be ingrasted and have an happy being and fellowship with Christ. This discovers abundance of false faith in most men in the world that dream and think to be saved by Christs death on the Crosse now ascended and being in heaven c. But if this be all the wickedest heart in the world that knows of this may say as much but here is the disfence that cuts the thread the sound believer hath further the spirit of Christ to kill sin in him he hath also Christs blood in him that is the worth and merit thereof taking away the guilt of sin and purifying his conscience which he findes by the peace of it He hath also the virtue of Christs Resurrection in him to raise up his dead heart Paul desired to know nothing but Christ crucified by an inward experimental knowledge and feeling of the power thereof Also as Christ is now in heaven making intercession for him so he hath his spirit in him to teach and assist him to pray for pardon of sin and strength against the world and the Devil and that remnant thereof inbred corruption that still remains in him Try thy self for this and if thou find it in thee go on thy mariage bond here shall be broken and soul and body separated by death yet shall thy blessed union with Christ never be broken but though thy body happen to lie in the dust for a time yet shall it one day be raised up again and united to thy soul and both conjoyned to God to live with him in glory forever Fourthly If thou hast this insulting and triumphing faith then thou art a devoted and consecrated man to God and Christ to serve God in righteousness and true holiness all thy dayes hence all believers are said to be Saints that is sanctified and set apart to God dealing with worldly things not with hearts set upon them but using them as if they used them not even with holy affections and hearts consecrated to God and Christ hence also is it that they are called temples to God set apart to their Redeemer by Baptism and Profession But do those that think they have this faith thus carry themselves this belongs to every man and woman we must not be devoted to the pleasures of this world but keep our hearts as men devoted to God and Christ even in our recreations We must have a special care we destroy not this Temple by prostrating our selves to base lusts try thy self for this and though none can do this as they should yet are all to labour and endeavour it He that hath this assurance to be able to challenge and triumph over his enemies in Christ must be the most fearful man in the world not as doubting of Gods favour but in being afraid to sin against God and to offend any of his Brethren which if thou dost thou shalt be the stronger in this triumphing faith Examples hereof we have throughout the whole Scriptures in all Gods children when they were once effectually called whose carriage I pray mark what it was Luke 19. 8. Zacheus made restitution abundantly when his faith had embraced Jesus Christ again Act. 17. Those that had used unlawful A â—s when faith once entered they burnt their books lest they should draw away their hearts and infect and hurt others they so hated their sin and
I say there is a necessity lies upon thee Christ saith plainly to thee he saith to every man if thou wilt be mine I will tell thee before what thou shalt do thou must deny thy self and take up thy cross and follow me Choose whether thou wilt enter into my service and make the match or no but if thou wilt be my disciple this thou must do so when thou art once his disciple thou art bound to it thou art not now left to thy Liberty And besides if there were not this necessity put upon thee yet secondly it is best for thee and indeed that is that which moves every one of us It is best for thâ—… not to seek thine own The reason why men seek their own is because they think it best I say it is best for thee not to seek thine own For you know there are two wayes for a man to provide for himself one is by looking immediately to himself and seeking the things that belong to his profit and credit and pleasure The other is by neglecting himself and by serving the Lord and committing it to him Now consider which is the most compendious way to a mans happiness I say it is the next way the best policie for a man to provide for himself even out of self-love it is for him not to seek his own things but the things that are Christs For there are but two wayes for a man to do good to himself The one is direct when his end is to do good to himself that is his object he goes about without any more ado The other is when he doth it by way of reflexion that is when he serves God and men faithfully and leaves it to him to serve him This is the best way for a man to look to himself to serve God not to seek his own things but the things that are Christs why because he cannot do as much for himself as Christ can Think in all the needs thou hast how little thou canst do for thy self When thou art sick thou canst not heal thy self when thou art at the point of death thou canst not deliver thy self When thou hast businesse to do thou canst not bring thine enterprizes to passe When thou art in a doubtful case thou knowest not how to advise thy self God is onely wise Go through all the business thou hast need of God onely is able to do it Besides if thou go to seek happiness in thy self if thou seek thy own things know that thou seekest that which is not to be had there that is the way to undo thy self because it is not in the nature of the creature the happiness of the creature stands not in its own compass but in another without it self therefore if thou seek happiness in thy self thou art undone by it As if a glass be left to it self and be not held up it falls and breaks in pieces That is the nature of every creature if it go about to stand on its own bottom it is the way to break it assunder to undo it Besides consider what an unreasonable thing it is thou mayest not seek thy self It is true God may seek himself and his own end he is the utmost cause there is none before him there is no end beyond him he may therefore do all for his own end for his own glory he may seek his own things But thou art a creature and every creature stands in subordination to somewhat above it therefore thy happiness is in seeking anothers end if thou seek thy own end thou turnest the course of nature therefore thou art bound to do it Again when thou seekest thy self and thine own things what dost thou please Thy flesh thy disease thou givest it that it calls for that will destroy thee He that hearkeneth to and gratifies his disease strengthens his disease and kills himself So when a man hearkens to himself to his own lusts and desires that the flesh requires of him for whatsoever is contrary to this grace here is but the flesh that the more thou hearkenest to thou strengthenest that wihch will be thy destruction because thou dost not withdraw from it that fuel that it desires Therefore it is best for thee in all respects not to seek thy own things but the things of Christ. But besides this necessity that lies upon thee if thou be his and that it is best for thee Then consider if he do nâ—â— deserve it at thy hands if it were not best for thee is not he worthy Consider that in 1 Cor. 1. The Apostle tells them of divisions among them some were of Paul and some of Apollo c. saith the Apostle Was Paul crucified for you As if he had said you must consider that Christ is he that hath deserved all at your hands and will you tie your selves to Paul or Apollo and not consider what the Lord hath done hath not he been crucified for you And what is it to be crucified for you Is it a small thing to suffer death to have his body broken I but that was the least thing in it to have his soul poured out for your transgressions that is with grief and anguish of heart as he expresseth it himself My soul is heavie to the death And he made it good it fell cut so it was effected in the cold night when Peter crept to the fire he sweat water and blood I say consider that Christ was crucified and what it is to be crucified But this was but little to that conflict on the Crosse that brought forth those words My God My God why hast thou forsaken me I say consider that expression Was Paul crucified for you Consider what it was to be crucified and if it were not best for thee yet Christ deserves it Consider besides hath not he done as much for thee he requires that thou shouldst not seek thy own things but the things that are Christs he hath not sought his own things but denyed himself for thee He might have enjoyed happiness and glory with his father for ever but he denyed himself and was willing to part with his glory and riches 2 Cor. 8. He that was rich became poor for our sakes that we through him might be made rich He was willing to part with every thing to part with his glory and endure shame to part with his life and subject himself to the cursed death of the Cross. He requires no more of thee then he hath done for thee and is not he worthy and deserves at thy hands that thou shouldest serve him upon all occasions and stir up thy grace that thou shouldest not let it lie sleeping sometimes out of negligence sometimes of purpose to serve thy self Besides consider what he hath done for thee and see if he have not deservedit When thou wert subject to death he hath taken thee out of the jawes of death and hath given thee life when thou wert loathsom he washed
such a sickness 〈◊〉 sickness which is but like it he is very curious 〈◊〉 the disease is common If any of us have a disease liâ—e the plague we will be exceeding careful to be 〈◊〉 whether it be the plague or no especially at those times when it is a common disease This therefore should make us more careful to examine and search our hearts whether we have this disease or no this form of godliness without the power For it is a very dangerous disease though many of the other diseases named in this Chapter seem to be more hainous that men should be traiterous heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God c. yet I say there is no disease so dangerous as this because it breeds in a man a false opinion of peace A man thinks he is in a good estate when he is not he thinks all is well with him when it is not so therefore it is a more dangerous disease then any of the other here mentioned As we say of a Consumption in the first beginning of it there is nothing that is more hardly discerned nor nothing more difficulty cureable and dangerous then it is afterward So we may say of a form of godliness without the power there is nothing more hardly discerned and nothing more dangerous nothing more killing And I wish that we were as careful to find out the Symptoms of the diseases of our souls as we are of the diseases of our bodies But the truth is we make it the least of our care and the least of our study and enquiry to acquaint our selves with those spiritual distempers the issues whereof must needs be death And the worse the soul is the less it feels The more sick any man is of this disease of having a form of godliness without the power the less ready and the more backward he is to examine whether he be sick of it or no. That is the general fault of men they will not try and examine themselves There are two things that keep men off from discerning aright whether this disease be in them or no. The one is unwillingness to search and examine wherein men do like to a man that hath a broken Estate he is alway unwilling to search and to dive into the bottom he is loath to be discouraged loath to be disquieted And another is disability to judge One of these two keep us off either our unwillingness to search or our inability to judge But now this I say to you though I should say no more me thinks this should be enough It is a disease of the soul and it is a dangerous disease it concerns your lives But for the other our disability to judge we may say something more of that Children and fools weak men they are deceived with counterfeit things that have but a shew and appearance so are the great part of the world deceived with this they would try but are not able Therefore that you may know what this power of godliness is we will in brief shew you what is meant by it that you may learn to get it and how it differs from the shew and form of godliness And this we will do exceeding briefly And we will declare it to you what this power of godliness is and how it differeth from the form by these five expressions which will be as so many differences arising from the very Word As first of all when it is godliness indeed it differeth from the form even as true things differ from that which is counterfeit That is it is true godliness and the other is but counterfeit Now a thing is said to be counterfeit when it hath many properties of the true and many qualities of the true but yet it wants that same property that we say is inseperable to the true The form of godliness hath many things in it like godliness but that which indeed distinguisheth it that wherein the truth of godliness consisteth that it wanteth But you will say how shall we know this You shall know it partly by the wearing and by the use A counterfeit thing is discovered by the use as counterfeit colours they wear out they last not long a counterfeit drug is known by the working of it a bow that is not sound but rotten you shall know it when it is used When a friend is put to it and comes to the tryal you shall know whether he be counterfeit by that So put this godliness to the act see what it is when you come to performances when you come to bring things into execution you shall find if there be nothing but a form it will fail you in those cases It will not do the thing it carries a shew indeed but when you come to real and spiritual performances of the duties of godliness when it comes to the wearing when it comes to the use there it fails and holds not out And again as it is discerned by this so likewise there are some certain properties of it which the form of godliness always wants For as all graces have some peculiar properties as effectual faith diligent love and patient hope so hath godliness Now it is too large a point to run through the properties of godliness but a wise man that hath his senses rightly exercised he needs not to stand to examine the truth of his godliness by the use and wearing of it but he may examine it by that he hath learned by that which he knoweth to be the true properties of it As a skilful man needs not to try the drug he hath by the operation and working of it because he is skilful Take a man that is accustomed to taste wine a small taste serves his turn by that he can presently discern of the quality and properties of that wine whether it be strong or small although he drink not much of it You should learn to have this skill and that is the thing we teach you to be accustomed to know the true from the false It concerns you much it concerns you above all other things If you buy cloth that you take to be well wadded or dyed in grain if afterward you find it to be but a washy colour it is but the loss of that cloth And so if counterfeit gold be put upon you it is but the loss of that gold But if it come to this what do you lose by it you lose the salvation of your souls What if a man have a counterfeit deed of his Lands he loseth but his Estate but if a man have a counterfeit pardon it costs him his life he loseth that by it Such is this godliness your life and salvation depends upon it Therefore try it not onely by the use of it but by those rules and properties that have been given you This is one way to know it It is true Godliness and not counterfeit Secondly the second way taken from the word here
IOHANNIS PRESTONI VIRI CLARISSIMI S. S. THEOLOGIAE DOCTORIS EFFIGIES RICHES OF MERCY TO MEN IN MISERY OR Certain Excellent Treatises concerning the Dignity and Duty of Gods Children By the late Reverend and Faithfull Minister of IESUS CHRIST IOHN PRESTON Doctor of Divinity and Chaplin in Ordinary to his Majesty Master of Emanuel Colledge in Cambridge and sometime Preacher of Lincolns Inne Psal. 34. 8. Taste and see how good the Lord is blessed is the man that trusteth in him LONDON Printed by I. T. and are to be sold by Iohn Alen at the Rising Sun in Pauls Church Yard 1658. THE PREFACE KNow Christian Reader that this Remainder of Doctor Prestons works was never heretofore extant being the last of His that are likely to see the light taken by the same pen that his other works were and no way inferior to those already published Dr. Sibbs of eminent memory contemporary with Dr. Preston and one of those to whom he committed the publishing of what should be thought fit for publick view did in his life time own these Treatises by affixing his approbation to them And the Attestation of such Reverend authority forbids any doubt concerning the Author or worth of the work though this Treatise may inherit Orphans usage being not so exactly polished as it would have been had the Author lived But the filings of Gold and the dust of Diamonds must not be made waste of such advantages have accrucd to the souls of men by his other labors that we could not think it any lesse then a wrong to the Church of Christ to conceal any thing that might make for it 's spiritual benefit Perhaps thou wilt ask why this Piece was so long suppressed To which I answer the age hath doted so much about new lights that we perceived Old Truths to be neglected and laid aside but after men had filld themselves with their own devices and found their souls thriven no more then if they had fed upon ashes the vicious humor came to be abated and their appetite was reduced to a better state by the great Physician who testified his dearest respect to mens souls by the price he paid for restoring of them The intent of these Sermons is to promote the work of grace in the heart and life of a true Believer Not onely to enlarge the knowing faculty but chiefly to improve the practical part and distribute god liness through the whole man The Rickets are not so epidemical in the bodies of Children as in the soules of men and women whose heads are swollen with notions while their feet are feeble in heavenly motion The benefit of this work will better appear by thy serious perusal thereof from which I shall no longer detain thee Farewel Doctor Sibbs his testimony of this Treatise This Treatise hath nothing offensive in it but contains arguments tending to edification and may be of singular use and comfort to all true Believers R. Sibbs THE CONTENTS Of the Sermons in this Book Ephes. 3. 16. Doct. 1. That God is exceeding merciful p. 1. 1. To move men to come unto him 2. 2. It affords a ground of confidence to all distressed sinners ibid. 3. All men are exhorted to look after a portion in his abundant mercy ibid. Quest. What to take his mercies in vain answered 4. Means to partake of Gods mercy 6. Two sorts of mercies to be hungred after 7. Gods mercy a motive to duty 8. Motives to this from the severall properties in a good Master which are all found in God 20. Comfort to the Church from the consideration of Gods mercy 24. Why God afflicts his children 26. Doct. 2. Gods mercy is his Glory or God accounts it his glory to be merciful 28. USE 1. Doubt not but your petitions shall be heard for it is his glory to shew mercy 30. 2. Glorifie God in his mercy which is his glory ibid. Sermon 2. D. 1. Inward strengthning should be the earnest desire of a Christian. 38. Wherein this spiritual strength is seen 40. USE 1. Blaming them that seek not after this strength 44. Advantages of this spiritual strength 49. 2. Exhorting all men to labour after spiritual strength 60. Several motives to labour after it 61 62. 3. Directions for the attainment of spiritual strength 67. Several means 69. Rules propounded 72 c. Hinderances 77. c. D. 2. Sanctifying grace proceeds from the sanctifying spirit 82. How the spirit strengthens grace in the soul. 83. USE 1. Without the holy Ghost wee are without strengthening and sanctifying grace 85. Signs of having the spirit 88. 2. Above all things to labor for the spirit 106. Benefits of having the spirit 107. D. 3. The spirit is freely given 113. USE Terrour to them which have not the spirit 114. Means to obtain the holy spirit 115. Ephes. 3. 17. D. A great prerogative the saints have that Christ dwells in their hearts 121. What it is to have Christ dwell in our hearts 122. The benefits of Christs dwelling in our hearts 125. USE 1. To judge aright of Gods working in your hearts 135. 2. To saints that they would rejoyce in this priviledge that Christ dwells in them 139. Rom. 8. 34. D. Nothing can hinder the salvation of a believer 145. Reasons if it 147. USE 1. To see a necessity of all those blessed means whereby Christ is pleased to communicate himself 150. 2. Confutation of the Church of Rome as to their doctrine of doubting 152. Objections answered 153. 3 Of examination about the certainty of our spiritual state 160. 2 Tim. 2. 1. D. 1. Grace hath a strengthening property 183. Reasons 186 187. USE 1 To examine whether we have grace 189. Strength of grace in three things 192. Grace enables to actions of new obedience 200. And to constancy in it 201. D. 2. All Grace received from Christ. 207. Christs willingnesse to match with us 208. D. 3. Wee must not onely get strength but use it 212. USE To quicken us to our duties in the putting forth of our strength 217. Helps to exercise spiritual strength 219. Necessity of it 223. 2 Tim. 3. 5. D. 1. Godlinesse onely accepted and required of God 233. Godlinesse what 235. To exalt God 237. Reasons of the point 238. USE 1. Not to content our selves with any thing that nature hath wrought in us 242. Application to the Sacrament 246. Godlinesse how wrought 251. 2. Exalt God in your hearts 253. 3 Labour to excell in Godlinesse 256. D. 2. Most men have but a form of godlinesse 257 Reasons of it ibid. USE To examine whether we have onely a form 261. Five differences between the power and form of godlinesse 263. 2 Tim. 1. 13. Doct. The words of a Minister must bee wholesome 271. Reasons of it 273. USE 1. Two sorts of words are reproved 276. 2. The people must receive nothing but what is wholesome 283. 3 We ought to esteem wholesome words as our food 288. 4. What the behaviour of Ministers ought
Now consider what is the reason that every man for the most part serves other things and not the Lord it is because they think they give better wages then God doth you think you shall fare the better if you serve such a man you think your riches will do you a better turn then if you should fix your eyes onely upon God you think your credit will do you more good then if you served the Lord you think your lusts will give you more content then if you applied your self wholly to Gods service Therefore if you would amend this fault draw your hearts from the creature to the creator and consider that he is exceeding merciful that he is rich in mercy you shall not lose your labour for he is a good master he hath a good eye that is he considereth what his servants are and looks upon them with a pittiful eye and is ready to help them at every need and therefore as it is said of the kings service no service to his so it may be said of the Lords no service to his all his servants have found it so otherwise as it is said of the believers in Heb. 11. they had opportunity to return again but they found the Lords service to be the best the present wages he giveth are better then the wages that the world giveth or that our lust giveth u besides what is laid up for us for eternity In a word if we could perswade you to this that God is rich in mercy to his servants you would do all you did with respect to him To the end therefore that we might perswade you we will draw you to particulars you shall see that there are in God all the properties of a good master which may perswade you to give up your selves to his service First He is ready to take any thing at a servants hand that he can do he looks not altogether for exactness if they do but little so long as it proceeds from a pure heart he accepteth of it and therefore as it was said of Daniel though he was sick yet he was about the kings business even so the saints and servants of God have sick souls oftentimes yet notwithstanding if they go about the Lords business if they put their hands but to the work and do but shew their desire to it the Lord considereth it and takes it in good part for God is a loving and a wise master one that is loving he seeth what his servants can perform as it is in Psalm 103. he knoweth wherefore we are made and therefore will exact no more at our hands then we are able to do Again he is a wise master he knoweth with whom he hath to deal and therefore though we are not so exact in holiness yet if we serve him in sincerity though with much weakness he accepteth it see how he did in this case with Iob Iob you know in his afflictions mingled with his patience much impatience as the cursing the day of his birth and wishing for death c. yet notwithstanding see how God maketh mentioÌ„ of him in the Epistle of St. Iames Iames. 5. 11 Have you not heard of the patience of Iob So David a man subject to many and great failings yet God passeth by all and accepts of him and giveth him this report that he was a man after his own heart and did fulfill his pleasure This is one property that is in God Secondly he is a kinde master ready to grant what his servants shall ask at his hands he hath made them such a promise Ask what you will and it shall be given to you Thirdly If they do offend in any thing as what servants are there properly but they do offend if they be lesser and ordinary infirmities he passeth them by as if he saw them not if they be greater sins that they commit he is ready to pardon them if they confesse and forsake them Fourthly if they fall into any misery if into sickness of body he tendreth them in their sickness he makes their bed soft in their sickness that is he sweeteneth their afflictions if they fall into any trouble of any kinde he knoweth their soul in adversity Men are ready to forget us in adversity but the Lord knoweth us so in poverty I know thy poverty saith God to the angel of the church of Smyrna In a word in all outward afflictions he looks upon them tendereth them and regardeth them many others masters care not for their servants much when they are weak and sick but God tendereth his servants in all their afflictions Fifthly He casteth not off an old servant though he do ran into divers transgressions and often provoke him to anger with men one fault or infirmity in a servant causeth a breach yea ten years service is often lost with one failing with one contrary action but God doth not so he casteth not off an old servant but makes a sure covenant with him even the sure mercies of David that is even as he shewed mercy to David though he was unconstant and failed grievously yet he had sure mercies the like hath every one of his servants Sixthly he observeth all that they do there is not an action or worke that they do in which they lose their labour I know thy work saith God to the angel of the Church in Thyatira and thy charitie and thy faith and thy patience c. not any thing that we do for God but he observeth and rewardeth it not the least thing we suffer for him but he considereth it and giveth an hundred fold even in this life not a good action that we perform but shall do us good one time or other not a prayer we make or any thing we do in sinceritie of heart but the Lord remembreth it though we forget it and that is a great comfort to a servant all that ever he hath done evill in shall be forgotten but not a good action but shall be remembred and recompensed â—nd not onely to him shall be a recompense but to is pâ—steritiâ— also many a servant is well rewarded by his master or his time but it may be his children are never the better for it but I have been young and now am old saiâ—h David yet never saw I the righteous for saken or their seed begging bread Seventhly if he do châ—stise his servants it is with much gentleness and lenity he lays no more on then needs must no more then is for their profit no more then they can well â—ear You shall finde this excellently exprest in Psalm 78. Many a time turned he his anger away and did noâ—â—â—ir up all his wrath for he remembred that they were but flesh c. They offended many times and provâ—ked him to wrath even so that he was ready to strike yet he turned a way his anger many a time that is often-times they deserved
affliction â—ut he would not afflict them Again when he did afflict them yâ—t he layd it not on heavy he stirred not up all his wrath for he remembred they were but flesh Lastly his servants are defended by him he avengeth their quarrel he Keepeth them in safety Luk 18. Will he not avenge his elect that pray day and night unto him I tell you saith Christ that he will avenge them quickely he reproveth kings for their sakes as it is in the Psalm Touch not mine annointed c. It may be said of the Saints that they are all annointed he hedgeth them about he keepeth them as the apple of his own eye A man you know will not suffer the apple of his eye to be touched in any wise such a master is God and such a master shall you finde him to be If then he be a master thus rich in mercy then serve no other master serve not your lâ—sts and those by-respects that you doe in your actions but give up your selves unto God Consecrate your bodies and souls unto him remember what wages he giveth and make that use of it to serve him with a Chearful heart Last of all to conclude this point If God be so rich in mercy then this will follow from it certainly he will deal well with his church he will deale well with every particular Saint in his a fflictions for he is rich in mercy that is he is of a mercifull nature and can do nothing contrarie to his nature but all his wayes are mercy and truth we had need to draw this use from this doctrine because the wayes of God seem somewhat strange to flesh and blood he seemeth to deal hardly with his church and children But my brethren it is not so for he is of a merciful nature therefore all his wayes not a way he goeth not an action he doth about his own but it is full of mercy and truth First for the Church because hee seemeth to deal hardly with the church yet let us learn to be assured that he is still of a merciful nature though he may afflict them for a time yet he will in the end deal well with them he cannot otherwise chuse that is the church in the end shall rise again though it seem for the present to be fallen Excellent is that place to this purpose in Zach. 12. 3 4 5 6. verses where the Lord putteth together three similitudes to shew the success of the churches affliction The Church saith he seemeth to be swallowed up for a time as if the enemies had devoured it as if there were an end of it but it is compared to the devouring of a cup of poison now you know a cup of poison though it do not as soon as it is received bring the body to dissolâ—tion yet notwithstanding in the end when it hath had its full time of working it destroyeth the whole body Even so will the church be to those that devour it though for a time it seemeth not to work yet in the end it shall bring destruction to all the people Again men seem to overthrow the church as one that setteth his shoulder against a great stone to overthrow it but in the end the stone falleth back again and crusheth him to pieces So doth God deal with the church men seem sometimes almost to overthrow it it seemeth sometime to be at the point of utter undoing but yet neverthelesse it falleth back again upon them like a mighty stone too heavy and weighty for them that meddle with it Even so shall the enemies of the church be ruinated and crushed with it Last of all the church seemeth to be covered with the enemies and to be prest down with them as a few coals are pressed down with an heap of wood such a pressure seemes the Church to be under sometimes yet you know though the coals be few yet a little fire will devour all that wood this you shal find to be the issue of the church in thus it was with Ierusalem and thus you shall find it to be with the Churches that seem now to be overprest and overthrown and swallowed up with the enemies it shal be as a cup of poison to destroy the enemy as a mighty stone to crush them in pieces as a fire in the midst of a bundle of wood to devour them This you may the rather take notice of because our adversaries use it as an argument And Bellarmine amongst the rest useth it as a special argument against our churches and a confirmation of the truth of theirs viz. the many victories they have had against us but this is but a weak argument The people of the Iews were more afflicted then all their Neighbors and there is good reason for Gods dealings so with his own Church Men you know plow the field that belongeth to themselves let others alone men take their own Children and correct them oftentimes the children of strangers they meddle not with and if this be true of particular Christians that if they be sons they must be chastned must it not be true also of the whole Church which is nothing but a company of those that are his children let not this therefore trouble you God will be merciful to them in the end for he is of a merciful nature he cannot as we said before otherwayes chuse This a man in particular may apply to himself men when they are in trouble or under some affliction are apt presently to say O I shall be alwayes thus I shal never see better dayes my brethren this is a great fault in us But to keep to the matter in hand the way to comfort-you is to remember that God is of a merciful nature he will not take his children at advantage but he considereth what they are able to bear and so dealeth tenderly with them for he knoweth what they are that they are but flesh therefore will deal with them according to their strength for he is a merciful God So likewise for things you want and complain of still remember this that God is merciful But it will be objected we see God is not so rich in mercy to all the saints as you speak of many of his own children are poor they are beneath and not above mean in gifts and mean every way where is then the riches of his mercie Again many of his children are sorely afflicted who have worse entertainment in the world then they upon whom are afflictions more heaped then upon those that serve God with an upright heart We will answer this briefly to begin with the first you must know that though God be exceeding rich in mercy yet there is a difference amongst his children that is he hath made divers degrees amongst men men are put into different degrees of mercy notwithstanding all do taste of the riches of his mercy you know in the body there is the foot
mà n the more health in the soul for as it is in the body so it is in the soul the more Natural strength the more health So it is in the soul the more strength in the Inward man the more healthfull in grace Thirdly because it brings sufficient and plenty of all good unto the soul and we say that if a man have a good outward estate he is like to hold out if a famine or other calamities should come so it is with a christian if he be strong in the Inward man though a spiritual famine should come he is likely to hold out and to keep that which he hath on the contrary when a man is poor in the Inward man as it is with a body that is weak every thing that it hath is ready to be taken away as a bowl that hath a bias the strength of the arm takes away the force of the bias so strength in the Inward man makes us to bear afflictions strongly and joyfully that is it takes away the bias of shame and reproach which otherwise would draw us to be offended at the cross 4. Because it strengthneth a man against temptations and therefore the Apostle saith be stedfast and unmoveable that is it makes us to stand fast in Christ that nothing will break us off neither temptation affliction reproach shame or disgrace because God and Christ are united together in us and on the contrary what is the cause that temptations press men so far as they doe but because they are not careful to grow strong in the Inward man This shewes how they are to blame that seek this strength least or not at all for let us look upon men and we shall see how busy they are to get riches and honour or pleasure but few or none regard strength in the inward man which is the health beauty strength and dignitie of the soul but for the health beauty and strength and wellfare of the outward man they take great care and spend much time about them and much labour to adde any thing unto that but for the beauty of the inward man they care not they respect it not all their care is for their backs and bellies still regarding the things that may advance their outward estates but never mind the strengthning of the Inward man If you ask them why they do not pray oftener or hear or receive the Sacraments oftner all which have strengthening vertue in them to this they can answer they cannot for business they have great imployments in the world which they cannot neglect as if the Inward man were neither worth the looking after nor the cherishing and yet these men will be accounted as good men as the best As for example This day is appointed for the strengthening oâ— the inward man but how do you neglect it how often were you in prayer and holy meditation before or how often since have you seriously considered on the things that you have heard or how have you caâ—t aside your occasions of businesses in your callings or are they not now fresh in your memories nay do not your hearts run after them even now when I am perswading you to the contrary If they be whatsoever you say of your selves you have no care to grow strong in the inward man your outward man carries away what should be laid out upon the inner And that you may see you have good reason to strengthen the inward man 1. consider you that are old men and think with your selves how soon the inward man may be thrown out of doors and how soon this earthly house may be unpin'd and dissolved Therefore you have great cause to strengthen that and to grow strong in the inward man as your outward man decayes day by day Secondly you young men you have need to strengthen the inward man for as there is a time of springing and growing strong for you in the inward man so there is a time of not springing that is when you will have much to do to keep that which you have without increasing of it therefore while the opportunity is take heed of neglecting the time that is no rule to be relied upon that God calls at all times thou knowest not whether he will call thee hereafter and therefore do you labour to grow strong in the inward man and to perswade you the more Consider these particulars First Consider the excellency of the inward man that it will fit you for great imployments as for example it will make you see God in his holiness and to converse with God and to have such a holy familiarity and communion with him as will joy the soul this will bring you so acquainted with God as that you will be esteemed of him as one of his familiars therefore this should perswade you to strengthen the Inward man Secondly Consider that you are to be made like unto the Image of God and you are predestinated to be conformed unto Christ but this cannot be except the Inward man be strengthened to actions of holiness and therefore the Apostle 1 Pet 1. as he that hath called you is holy so be you holy in all manner of conversation that is seeing you are called unto such a high place as to be the sons of God by grace what an unworthy thing is it to stoop unto base things As for example what a base thing were it that an eagle should stoop at flies although it be unseemely in this creature yet men do the like and are not ashamed when men stoop to the world and will be vassals to their lusts and be any thing they would have him to be if it may enlarge his outward estate beloved there is a great losse and baseness in that for what is gold or honour or pleasure to Christ grace and holiness and inward worth and excellency In every thing that there is loss it grievs and pains us as for example we grieve when we see wheat given to swine which would be mans meat Again we grieve when we have set up a fair building on which we have bestowed much cost and labour and now to have Zim and Ohim to dwell there and not our selves and if these things return upon us with vexation then how much more have we cause to grieve when we see men give themselves unto their lusts that is they give their souls to be a harbor for their noisom corruptions which ought to be Temples for the holy Ghost Thirdly Consider that it is the Inward man that inables a man to do those things that are honourable to God and profitable to men No man can truly honour God that doth it not by the strength of the Inward man neither can any man be truly said to profit another except it be the Profit that flows from the Inward man therefore the Apostle saith in the Col. 3. 2. Set your affections on things above and not on things below but
Satan comes and robs us of all the good that otherwise we might do first he robs us of our selves by stealing from us the strength of our affections And secondly he robs our parents of us making us the object of their grief And thirdly he robs the Church and Common-wealth of us by making us unprofitable Instruments And beloved if you look into the world you shall find it true as for example look unto young men they are busied in eating and drinking and rising up to play but never regard the strengthening of the Inward man and so having poured out their souls to vanity become unprofitable to others and dishonourable in their generations And beloved the soul is unto some as the salt is unto meat onely to keep it from putrifaction for the body is advanced into the souls place but what is the reason that we put it thus doth not this prove that true which Solomon saith I have seen servants ride and masters go on foot that is when you imploy your selves and spend your time and pains in getting of outward dignitie and decking the outward man and little regarding the beautifying of the Inward man You prefer dross before gold copper before silver you set the body in the souls place you set the servant on horseback but the master must go on foot in a word you do not things like or beseeming Christians and on the contrary you doe things like your selves when you prefer the Inward man first Fourthly Consider that it is an immortal soul thy Inward man is of a different original from thy outward why do you eat meat that perisheth in the use of it that is why do you dote upon the outward man that perisheth in the using that will stand you in no stead if you keep it and why do you not rather labor for the meat which perisheth not that is why do you not labour to get this strength of the Inward man which is of an immortal substance that will never faile nor perish in the use as for example you have built a temple here which is in it self a good work but I say except you build also in your selves the Temple of the Inward man all your labour all you pains all your cost is but lost labour that is will perish and stand you in no stead when you should need it and the whole scope of the scripture is to this end to shew you the vanity of earthly things that you should not set your affections upon them because they perish in the use And again wherefore doe you lay out mony for that which profiteth not consider therefore that it is a spirit and again it is infused into the body to bear rule and the body to be but a servant to the inward man But that you bee not deceived there is a Natural strength whereby some men will go very farre and there is a moral strength take heed you rest not in that I speak not against Natural and moral strength because it comes from God and is good for I say we do not take away those but we exalt the other above them therefore I beseech you look that you do not content your selves therewith but labour to strengthen the Inward man And here a question ariseth seeing there is a Natural and a spiritual strength how shall a man come to know whether that the strength he hath be a moral or a spiritual strength yet as I say we do not destroy Natural strength but we use it as men do wilde horses and beasts they tame them to make them sit for service so we should use these as means to carry us to their right end we will then come to shew the difference between Natural and spiritual strength The First difference is this the spiritual strength goes further then the natural strength that is look what the natural man can do with the natural strength the spiritural man can do more he can go further both in degree and measure and the reason is because grace elevates nature that is it brings it unto a higher pitch grace is unto the soul as a prospective glass unto the eye it brings things a far off nigh hand Again it causes a man to see things in a more excellent manner or as matter that is elevated by fire so is he that hath this strength that is he is able to do more then a natural strength can do This was that which made a difference between Sampson and other men he had a natural strength and he had a strength to do more then other men could do and that this strength doth go further then natural strength we will prove by these particulars First the spiritual strength enables you to see more and to prize grace more the natural strength shewes you something in your journey but it shewes you not the end of your journey whereas the sight that the inward man brings unto the soul adds unto it as in 1 Iere. 31. 1. Then shall ye know me that is they knew me before but now they know me in another manner then before grace presents things unto the soul in another hue then nature doth Secondly In performances all natural strength leades a man unto a form of godliness but this strength gives a man power and ability to do good labour therefore for this strength that your heart may be in such a frame in holiness that you may do Gods will on earth as the angels do in heaven which the carnal man cannot do that is he that hath not this strength he will never labour to please God after that manner because he cares no further for grace but that he may escape hell but the spiritual man will not be contented to have the pardon of sin except he may have Grace and Holiness too Thirdly It enables him to go further in judgement of things that is the natural man cares not if he can get but just so much holiness as will bring him to Heaven but the spiritual man will not be content with any measure but it is with a spiritual man as it is with the sun the clearest sun shine shewes the most moates the clearest glass the least spots and the best water is next the Fountain even so when the spiritual man is strong in the Inward man it sees the more moates and bracks in the spiritual strength and labours for more strength against weakness which a natural man cannot conceive of as in the 1 Pet. 4. 4. They think it strange that you run not with them into the same excesse of Ryot that is they know not the reason or they cannot conceive what should keep men from loving such and such vices which they love like blind men they hear the Pipe but see not the persons that dance so they hear the word but they see not the rule by which the spiritual man goes As a Country man that comes and sees a
man draw a Geometrical line he marvels what he means to spend his time about such an idle thing when that he which drawes it knowes it is of great use Fourthly in degree that is in the generalitie of the growth when you grow in every part proportionable A natural man may grow in some parts but not in all parts As for example he may have a large capacitie of knowledge in Divine truth yet he hath but weak affections to God or it may be his affections are strong but his judgement is weak or it may be he is strong in both that is he knowes the good and after his manner of loving he loves the good but yet there is weakness in the will he will not yield any true unreserved obedience to God but it is not thus in the spiritual strength that is in the growth of the inward man for that leads him unto an universal growth in all parts Now in the natural growth we say it is not proper Augmentation except there be a growth in all parts as if a man should grow in one member and not in another as in the arm or legg we would not say that were a growth but a disease and that many humours in the body were met together that it were rather a sign it should be cut off from the body then a help unto the rest of the body even so the growth in the natural strength in any one part of the soul rather hurts then helpes that is it rather shewes the disease of the soul then the health of the soul but the spiritual strength growes in all parts so much for the first difference The second difference is in the beginning and ending of that strength that is it hath another Alpha and Omega for the strength of the spiritual man is wrought by the spirit and word of God as thus the principles of Religion being taught him out of Gods word hence there is spiritual strength secretly conveyed into the soul for I say no man can receive the spirit or this spiritual strength but by the Gospel therefore consider what the goodness is that you have and how you came by it whether it came by the Gospel or no if it did you shall know it by these particulars First Examine whether ever thou wert humbled that is examine whether by the Preaching of the Law you have had such a fight of sin that hath broken your hearts If thus in the first place you came by it it is a sign that it is the true growth for this is the first work of the spirit when it comes to change the heart of a Christian and to make him a new creature it deeply humbleth him Secondly Examine whether there hath followed a comfortable conviction and manifestation of Gods love in Christ which hath not onely wrought joy and comfort against the former fear but also a burning and affectionate desire after Christ and Holiness Therefore if the Holiness that is in you be thus wrought it doth proceed from the spirit for this orderly proceeding of the spirit doth make it manifest But as for the natural strength it hath no such beginning it is not wholly wrought by the word it may be he hath been a little humbled and comforted by the word but it is not throughly and soundly but it is a overly habitual strength of nature picked out of observations and example Again as the spiritual strength hath a different beginning so it hath a different end that is the ends of them are as far if not further different then the beginning for as the spiritual strength hath a different beginning so it hath a different end that is the end of them are so far if not further different then the beginning for as the Holiness that is in a gracious man ariseth from a higher well head so it leads a man to a more noble and excellent end then the natural strength for the end of a spiritual mans strength is Gods glory that he may yield better obedience unto God that he may keep touch with him and keep in with him that he may have more familiarity with him and more confidence boldness with him in prayer In a word that he may be fit for every good work But the end of the natural mans strength is his himself his own profit and pleasure his own good for as the rise of any thing is higher so the end is higher As for example water is lifted upon the top of some Mountain or high place because it may go further then if it were upon even ground so when a man is strong in the Inward man he is set up higher he hath another end that is to please God and not himself and thus much for the second difference The third difference is this he that is spiritually strong is strong in faith that is the strength of the Inward man is Faith but the strength of the outward man is but moral strength gained by the diligent improvements of nature Now it is faith that gives strength a man is not a strong man in Christ or in the Inward man that hath not a strong faith for faith it the only thing that makes a man strong that is which makes a difference between a spiritual man and a natural man for as Reason makes a difference betwixt men and beasts so faith make a difference between a holy man and a wicked man As for example take a Philosopher that doth excel in other things as in humane knowledge he goes before other men yet in matters of faith and believing he is as blind as a beetle and the Reason is this A Christian sees and doth all things by faith but the other onely but by the light of nature and this is the same that the Apostle speaks of Heb. 11 Of weak they became strong that is because they had faith and were strong in the faith and trusted and believed and hoped in God therefore they became strong that is they did that which other men could not do that wanted faith Sisera might do as great things as Gideon but here is the difference Gideon doth them all out of Faith the other doth them but from Nature and so Socrates may in worldly things be as wise as Paul that is as wise in understanding and in policie by reason of excellent natural parts but here is the difference Paul doth all things out of faith and Socrates doth not therefore the Apostle saith in the 1 Tim. 4. 10. We are strong because we trust in the living God that is we have a strong faith in God and that makes us stand out all the assaults of men and Divels I say this is that which make a difference betwixt us and the men of this world Diogenes may trample under his feet the things of this world as well as Moses but Moses by faith chose rather the things of another life then these
is They would not put off the motions of the spirit but they would strike while the Iron is hot and grinde while the winde blowes But men will not believe and therefore it is that they go on in sin as they do It is not so for earthly things men are easily to be brought to believe any promise of them As for example If a man shall come and tell a man of a commoditie which if he would buy and lay by him it would in a short time yield an hundred for one oh how ready would men be to buy such a commoditie with the wise Merchant Matth. 8. 44. they would sell all that ever they had to buy this oh that men would be thus wise for their souls Beloved I tell you this day of a commoditie the best the richest the profitablest commoditie that ever was bought even Christ grace and salvation for which if you will but lay out your stock to buy them you shall have them that is if you have but a desire to rest your wearied souls on Christ to lay him up in your hearts I tell you it will yield you an hundred for one Christ who is the commoditie himself saith Mark 10. He that for saketh Father and Mother wife and children and life for my sake shall receive an hundred fold in this life and everlasting life in the world to come but men will not believe that but time will come when you shall see it to be true and befool your selves that you lost so precious a bargain as Christ and salvation is for the disbursing of a little profit and pleasure but as I said before the difference lies here men want faith and hence it is that they neglect the strengthening of the inward man And are so over-burthened with losses and crosses because they want faith And so much for the third difference The fourth difference is this natural strength leads a man unto a form of godliness but the spiritual strength leads a man unto the power of godliness I call that the form of godliness when a man doth perform or do any thing with carnal affections not to a right end and it is known by this when men fall away from that stedfastness or form or shew of holiness which they seemed to have this form of godliness is the same with that Heb 6. which have tasted of the word of life and yet notwithstanding fall away that is they seemed to have tasted of saving grace and to have the power with the form but it was not so because they continued not that is they lost the form which made them seem to be that which now it appeares they were not Again I call that the power of godliness which is performed by the Divine power force and efficacie of the spirit in the Rom. 2. it is said that The Gentiles that were not under the Law did by nature the things contained in the Law That is they did not by the power and efficacie of the spirit but by Nature This Paul speakes of in the 2 Tim 2. 3. In the later time men shall come in form of godliness that is with a form or shew without substance or power of the spirit But the inward strength which is in the Inward man doth not onely teach you to do but also it teacheth you how to do them from an inward principle of sanctiing grace But know also men that have but a common strength have some bubbles and motions to good and they seem to have this strength because they have the law of nature written in their hearts and they may promise much and yet not be spiritually strong having onely a form because he cannot do spiritual actions in a spiritual manner for he goes about them with a natural strength which should be performed with a spiritual strength in 1 Pet. 1. 3. Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation That is when aman is truly regenerated when he hath not power of his own to do the will of God then he hath the spirit to help him that is they are not only kept by his power but also they are inabled to all the acts of grace betwixt this and salvation The fift difference between the natural and the spiritual strength is this That which proceeds from the spirit is alwayes joyned with Reluctancy of the will but in the natural strength there is no Reluctancy because there is no contraries but in the spiritual man there are two contraries the flesh and the spirit in every new man there are two men and you know these can never agree but are still opposing one another As for example a man that is going up a hill he is in labour and pain but he that is going down a hill goes with much ease so there is much labour and pains which a spiritual man takes to subdue the flesh but the natural man hath no reluctancy at all that is he hath no fighting and strugling with corruption but he goes without pain because he is but one he is one man and one cannot be divided against it self but in every spiritual man there are two men the old man and the new man the flesh the spirit And hence growes that spiritual combate Gal. 5. 13. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh that they cannot do the things that they would These two men in a regenerate man strive for masteries And you must know also That in a natural man there may be a kind of reluctancy in the will against some particular sin as covetousness strives against pride and pride against niggardness yet not fighting against it as it is a sin but as it crosseth and twarteth his covetousness and pride Again know that a natural man may have reluctancy in some part of the soul as in the conscience the conscience being sensible of sin hence it may convince the man and yet the rest of the faculties be at peace but where this spiritual strength is it is in all parts not one facultie against another but all are fighting against sin in the whole man Now the reason that there is not this reluctancy in every facultie in a natural man is because he wants saving grace to oppose the workings of sin That is grace is not in the facultie opposite unto the corruption that is in it but in the holy man there is And therefore he is like Rebekah there are twins in him Iacob and Esau the flesh and the spirit hence it is that Paul complaineth so in Rom. 7. I finde another Law in my members rebelling against the Law of my mind A Law That is I find something in me that is contrary unto me and in my members That is in my body and soul notwithstanding I see the evil of sin as most contrary to grace yet I cannot avoid it I cannot do the things that I would But
knowledge the more strength for the spirit of Divine truth is the strength of the soul for as the soul is unto the body so is the word unto the Inward man the body is dead without the soul not able to do any thing so the Inward man without the spiritual strength which is wrought in the soul by the saving knowledge of the word is nothing but weakness Therefore the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 2. 2. As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow by it That is knowledge in the word will make you grow strong in Christ The contrary to this we see the Apostle upbraids the Corinthians with 1 Cor. 3. 1. And in the Heb. 5. 13. because they were weak in knowledge he calls them babes for saith he He that is not expert in the Word of Righteousness he is a Babe Therefore labour to abound in spiritual knowledge that you may be strong in the Inward man I presse this the more because I fear many of you are weak because you are ignorant That is you want this spiritual knowledge you know in our ordinary talk we count ignorance folly That is when a man doth any thing that he should not do or would not do if he did but understand himself we say that man is weak in judgement or it is folly surely this weakness in the Inward man is folly indeed and a man cannot shew his weakness more then to be weak in spiritual knowledge And yet you must know that a man may have much knowledge that is worldly knowledge and the notional or speculative knowledge of Divine truthes and yet be but weak in the inward man for there is an artificial knowledge which fills the brain but the spirit goes no further and descends no lower That is it doth not sanctifie that knowledge in the heart and the inward man Again there is a knowledge of the spirit or experimental which is an operative knowledge and goes along with this other knowledge and bends it to Sanctification and is practical but yet you must know I say before you can be strong there must be some proportion between the spiritual knowledge and the spiritual strength as for example one man eates and is fat and lusty another man eates and is still lean so some have as much as others have and yet are not so strong as others And yet we say not but as the lean man is strengthened by the meat he eates so he that hath weaker knowledge is strengthened by it but where the Lord works by his spirit the greatest knowledge accordingly strength is increased Therefore I beseech you labour for a full measure of saving knowledge that is for a working purging operative and powerful knowledge And this I do not onely speak unto you that are weak but also unto you that are strong that you be careful to adde unto your knowledge for what is the reason that you do not grow in grace but because you are not careful to adde more knowledge unto that which you have It may be you pick some good thing from some Sermons or from some good book but presently you forget them you do not make it your own by Meditation it slips out of your memory again and so doth you no good but if you would be careful to adde unto it you would grow stronger in the inward man then you do And here is the misery of us that are spiritual Builders other Builders when they have built a house the owner lookes to it himself and keepes it in reparations but when we have done what we can to build up in the inward man and think that you will put to your hands your selves when we are to further the work of grace you begin to pull down your buildings again your selves by your ignorant and loose lives That is by following your pleasure your sporting and gaming and prophaning the Lords day Therefore you must labour to grow in knowledge if you will grow strong in the inward man The second means to be used if you would grow strong in the inward man is this you must be diligent in the use of all means as the wise man saith The hand of the diligent maketh rich so where there is much diligence in the use of the means of grace there is much strength in the inward man no men get spiritual strength but they that are diligent And therefore this is the reason that men are not strong in the spiritual strength because like the sluggard you are not diligent in the use of the means That is you take no pains for grace and therefore it is that you get no increase for according to the proportion of your pains so is the inward man strengthened And as you use them more diligently so you find the strength of them more operative and powerful for it is in the soul as it is with the body If you be not diligent and careful to feed the body it will wither and consume away and grow weak so if you feed not the soul diligently and use the means constantly you will breed weakness in the soul and the more remisse and secure you are in the performance of holy duties the weaker you are It may be you think it will not weaken you to omit private prayer but omit it once and it will make you careless and the more you neglect it the more unfit and undisposed will you find your selves when you would and your strength will abate Or you think you may prophane one Sabbath or you may take your pleasure immoderatly sometimes but beloved it will make you secure That is the more a man doth in this kinde the more he may do For this is true in every act every act inclines a habit and a habit brings custom so it is as true in good things the beginning of good things brings many particular good things And therefore if you can but get your hearts in a frame of grace you shall find a supply of grace because Christ saith unto whom soever hath unto him shall be given That is he that hath grace is careful in the use of the means by Gods appointment he shall thrive in holiness for if you once get but the beginnings of saving grace and be industrious and careful to imploy them then you will in time grow strong you know what Christ said unto the servant that had used his Talent well he had more given him So if you be diligent in the use of the means the inward man will grow strong but for the using of the means observe these Rules The first Rule that I would have you observe if you would have the means effectual is this you must use all the means If you use but part of the means you will not grow strong for as it is with the body so it is with the inward man for the health and growth of the body a man will use all
the strengthning of the inward man and say with your selves we had a prize in our hands that is we had much time whereby we might have strengthned the inward man but we had no heart that is we were befooled because we did not know the excellency of the inward man But we will do so no more The time now that we have shall be how we may be strengthned in the inward man and grow in favour with God The second hinderance which must be removed that is contrary to the growth of the inward man is strong lusts that is unmortified affections There are inward hinderances which must be removed before the soul can grow strong in grace these venome the soul and keep off the stroak of the sword That is It keepes the plaster from the sore As for example if a man be wounded with an arrow so long as the arrowes head is in the wound no plaster will heal it Now as it is thus in the outward man so it is with the inward man if you retain any lust that is any beloved sin and so come unto the ordinances of God you will come without profit because the arrow head is yet in the wound that is your lusts are unmortified and so long you cannot be healed this keepes the plaster off the sore You know what pains the humors of the body will breed in a man when they gather into any part of the body and how they will hinder the augmentation in other parts so when these evil humours of the soul gather together and begin to râ—iâ—n and bear rule in the soul it is impossible that the soul should grow in holiness till they be purged away Therefore be earnest with God to purge out those humours whether they be profit or pleasure or honour or any thing and in this doing you strengthen the inward man and the stronger the inward man is the healthfuller the soul is I say it is impossible you should thrive in the inward man so long as you retain any sin and therefore our Saviour saith how can you believe seeing you seek honour one of another That is if you prefer the love of profit and reputation and credit in the world before grace how can you believe that is how can you be strong in the inward man The fift means to strengthen the inward man is this you must get spiritual courage and joy That is you must get joy in the new birth The contrary to this is Discouragement And again nothing so available to make a man strong as courage and joy This was the means that Nehemiah used in the 8 of Nehe. when he would build up the walls of Jerusalem he saith Be not discouraged nor sorrowful for the joy of the Lord is your strength Nehemiah had a great work to do and what argument useth he to make them to hold out but this to be full of comfort and joy That is if you hold your courage you will hold your strength and then the work will be easie unto you And this we see by experience That great courage where there is but little strength will do more then great means with little courage Ioshua can do more with a small army full of courage then with a great army with little courage Again I say to those that are travelling towards Heaven take heed of giving discouragements unto any for this is the property of the Divel to discourage men And therefore this is one way whereby he makes men to doubt of their salvation by affrighting them making them to question Gods love towards them in Christ that he may perswade them the way to Heaven is narrow and hard and that God is pure and just withall And thou art full of strong lusts and shall never subdue them it will be in vain for thee to set upon them hereupon a man is so discouraged that he neglects the mortifying of sin But be not discouraged for know that strength to resist the least temptations is not of your selves That is it is not your own it comes not from any power of your own but it is by the strength of another Then for your comfort know that he that gave you power over a small temptation is also able and willing and will certainly help you against a raging lust And so likewise for the performance of Holy Duties though you find your selves indisposed to pray to hear or the like you know that it is God that â—…s the heart that is he can of unfit make it fit of unwilling make it willing and remember the promise in the Luke 11 14. He will give the holy ghost to them that ask him That is he will give such a supply of grace that he shall be enabled to withstand any temptation Therfore if you would grow strong take heed of discouragement and let one Christian take heed of discouraging another by any speech action or behaviour And let Ministers take heed of discouraging their flocks for it is the propertie of false prophets to discourage the people from God And this is the sin of this Land especially of prophane people that never think themselves well but when they are casting reproachfull speeches against those that labor to strengthen the inward man But this discovers a great deal of corruption in them and it is a means to pull down the judgements of God upon them But take heed of discouragements That is be not cast down when you meet with such as will revile you and speak evil by you this will weaken the Inward man The sixt meanes to strengthen the inward man is this you must get faith That is you must labour to be strong in the Lord you must go about all things with Gods strength and not your own and therefore the Apostle saith when I am weak then I am strong in the 2 Cor. 12. I rejoyce in my infirmities that the Power of God may be seen in my weakness That is I rejoyce in those infirmities that discover my own weakness to God that I may not put any confidence thereby in my self Again I rejoyce in my infirmities and weakness That is because hereby I feel my weakness that I may go out of my self and depend wholly upon God Therefore when you go about any business or perform any holy action unto God As you must do it in faith so you must renounce all strength in your selves and then God cannot but prosper your business or whatsoever good you go about when you go about it with Gods strength as Gideon did And on the contrary the Lord hath pronounced a curse against him that shal go about any thing with his own strength in Ier. 17. Cursed is that man that maketh flesh his arm That is that goeth about any thing in confidence of his own strength without faith in God Thus you see that if you would be strong in the inward man you must get saving faith in Christ.
The 7. means If you would grow strong in the inward man is this you must get the spirit all other means will nothing avail you except you get this for this is that that makes them effectual and makes a difference betwixt men Sampson was strong and so were other men but Sampson was stronger then othermen because he had the spirit and it is said oâ— Iohn the Baptist that he came in the spirit of Eliah That is he had the same spirit that Eliah had and therefore he had the greater efficacie If Iohn had not had this spirit he had been but as other men therefore whatsoever you do labour above all things to get the spirit nothing will strengthen the inward man except you have the spirit It is the spirit that makes the inward man to grow strong And thus much for the means for the strengthening of the inward man And for this point Now we proceed The next thing to be considered is the means which the Apostle layes down whereby they may be strengthened in the inward man Is to have the spirit That he would grant you c. That you may be strengthened by the spirit in the inward man That is if you would knowwhat would strengthen you it is the spirit hence note this point That Whatsover saving or sanctifying grace or strength of grace any man hath It all proceedes from the sanctifying spirit I say all saving grace all strength of grace comes from the Spirit Yet do not mistake me as if I did exclude the Father and the Son for they work together in every act The Father works not without the Son The Son works not without the Father The Father the Son work not without the Spirit neither doth the Spirit work without the Father and the Son for what one doth all doe But I ascribe the work of sanctification unto the Spirit because it is the proper work of the spirit to sanctifie and he is the strengthener of all grace That is all grace comes from the Father as the first cause of all things And then through Christ by the Spirit Grace is wrought in the soul Therefore those 3. distinctions of the Trinitie are good The Father is of himself alone the Son is of the Father and the holy Ghost is of the Father and the Son That is the Holy Ghost proceeds from the Father and the Son and is sent into the hearts of his children to work grace and holiness in them and it must needs be so that the holy Ghost is the onely worker and strengthener of Grace because proceeding from such an holy Fountain as the Father and the Son are the fruit must needs be holy and the way to get sanctification and holiness is to get the holy Spirit Now in that that is sent to sanctifie Two things are to be required First he that is sent to sanctifie must proceed from a holy Fountain But the Spirit doth proceed from a most holy Fountain and pure which is God therefore it cannot chuse but be a holy work that he worketh The second thing that is required in him that is sent to sanctifie is this that he subsist in sanctification That is that he depend not upon another for sanctification but that he be able to sanctifie of himself Now this is the excellencie of the holy Ghost He is sanctification and holiness it self that is subsisting in sanctification and abounding in holiness And therefore able to strengthen the inward man But that you may more fully understand this point I will shew you how the Spirit strengtheneth the inward man working holines and sanctification And this will appear in four things especially The first way how the Spirit strengthneth grace in the the soul Is this By giving unto the soul an effectual operative and digestive facultie that is by rearing the inward man in the soul and setting up the building of grace And this he doth by shedding abroad in the heart the blessed effects of grace into every facultie even as the blood is in used into every vain or as the soul goes through every part of the body and so gives life unto it so doth the Spirit go through all the parts of the soul by infusing spiritual life and power into them therefore the Apostle cals it in the Ephes 4. his effectual power that is he hath such efficacie in working that he infuseth spiritual life into the soul. The second way how the spirit strengthens grace is this when he hath set up the building and swept every corner of the soul Then he enables the soul to do more then it could do by nature That is by putting new habits and qualities into the soul As first when a man can do no more then a natural man can do by nature then the spirit fortifies and enables the soul to act holily and spiritually As for example any hand can cut with a cheesil or the like instrument But if he can by it make a picture this is a work above nature No man can do it unless he have Art and Time about it so when the spirit comes into the heart then it makes a man to do more then he can naturally do Water you know of it self is cold but if you would have it of another qualitie then you must put a qualitie of fire in it so the soul is dead and cold by nature but if a qualitie of the fire of the spirit be added unto it then it will be able to do more then it naturally can do Therefore examine what new habits and qualities be in you that is whether you have new habits of patience love hope experience That is as patience begets experience and experience hope so where the spirit is it doth beget new habits and qualities in the soul by which it is able to do more then naturally it can do as I said it first builds the house and sweepes the rooms and then it fills and furnisheth the Roomes with new habits and qualities of grace The third way how the Spirit strengthens grace is this when it hath given us new habits then it enables and helpes us to use those habits to good when we have them for herein appears the power and the excellencie of the spirit not onely to give spiritual life and strength but also to enable us to the use of that strength for the strengthening of the inward man There may be qualities and habits in the soul and yet want of power to use them As for example a man that is asleep he hath habits and qualities but he wants power to use them so it is with those that are not strengthened in the inward man But he that hath the spirit hath power withal to use those habits to good therefore it is said that They spake as the spirit gave them utterance that is they had power from the spirit to speak to do and use those habits that were in them
planted them with such graces as flourish and grow up in them Thirdly as one delights in a Feast so God delights in them Cant. 5. 1. I have eaten my honey comb with my honey I have drunk my wine with my milk Revel 3. 20. I will come and sup with them I delight in them as in a Feast Fourthly where a man dwells there he is active one that doth nothing is not said to dwell in the place but rather to be imprisoned as one said of an idle man pointing to his body hic situs est his soul was buried in his body So Christ is said to dwell in us in regard of his activity and influence in regard of the works that he doth in us he works efficaciously in the soul making it fit for himself Christ hath an influence into the Saints he is still active in them furnisheth them with qualities that they had not and with actions that they did not before as one having an house makes his garden he dwells in us as the fire in the iron That is as the fire giveth to the iron all the qualities and properties of fire as hot burning and giving light it makes it like the fire so the spirit of a man when Christ dwelleth in him is made as the Spirit of Christ in all thinâ—s according to that degree of grace that he hath received We now come to the second thing we propounded and that is to shew you the benefits that we have by Christ his dwelling in our hearts and those are six First Where ever Christ dwelleth he maketh that person glorious he filleth his heart with glory This I take out of the Psal. 24. v. 7. Be ye lift up ye everlasting doors That the King of glory may come in The meaning is this when ever Christ cometh into any mans heart he comes as the King of glory That is not as one that is glorious in himself and keepeth his glory to himself but as one that communicateth his glory to that place where he cometh For there is that difference between Christ his coming in to an house and the coming of a Prince when a Prince cometh though he bring never so much glory with him yet he putteth it not upon the house the house remaineth the same But when Christ cometh into the heart he changeth he altereth the house he beautifieth and decks the soul with such excellencies as in themselves are glorious and appear glorious unto the view of others So Moses when he was with God his face did shine when he came down from the Mount because there God communicated his glory to him Indeed it is true that was an outward visible glory but yet the resemblance of that inward glory which God communicateth to the soul of him in whom he dwelleth That is he makes an impression of his own glory of his own Image upon that heart into which he cometh he stampeth it I say upon the heart and it is glorious in the Inward man it shineth forth also in the life and conversation even as the light shineth through the window so is it when Christ dwelleth in the heart he putteth a glory there which shineth forth makes him glorious in the eyes of others giveth a gracious and heavenly tincture to all his actions And the reason is because where he dwelleth he bringeth the spirit with him the Spirit of glory resteth upon them as you have it in 1 Pet 4. The Spirit of glory resteth upon you when you are railed upon for his names sake That is that spirit dwelleth in you covereth you and let them say what they can they shall not be able to hurt you for you are compast about with light even with the glorious Spirit of God As if one should cast dirt upon the Sun he cannot obscure the glory of it because light dwells in it so when men speak evil of the Saints disgrace and revile them they cannot hurt them for there is glory in them that shineth about them Now glory is nothing else but the manifestation of some excellencie to the view of others so we attribute still the word glory to such in whom we see some excellency to see a man in gorgeous apparel An Army under banners to see a ship under sail we say they are glorious So Michal said of David How glorious was the King of Israel to day because then he manifested himself Now when God sheddeth abroad his Spirit into the heartâ— of any whom he infuseth the graces of his Spirit into them he is said to put glory into them This Christ doth wheresover he cometh because he furnisheth them with grace and every grace is glorious As it is said of wisdom in the Proverbs He that is in estimation for wisdom and glory That is for wisdom which is glorious so when Christ cometh into the heart of any he makes them wise and therefore glorious The like may be said of anâ— other vâ—rtue therefore in the Epistle of Peter vertue and glory are joyned together In a word the Image of God is in them which is compounded of many graces Now that image is a glorious Image 2 Cor. 3. You are changed to the Image of God from glory to glory That is from one gloâ—i us degree of grace to another And this is the first bâ—n siâ— we have by Christ he makes them glorious in whom he dwelleth because he putteth his graces in them and stamps his similitudes upon them Secondly A second benefit that we have by Christs dwelling in us iâ— this where ever he dwelleth he ruleth and governeth he guideth the spirit wherein he dwelleth he keepeth the heart in order from mutinies and tumults he keepeth all the affections in obedience And this is a great benefit and this he doth where he dwelleth Therefore in Psal. 24. it is said Be you lift up ye everlasting doors speaking there of the soul which onely is everlasting and the King of glory shall come in That is he ruleth as a King dwelleth as a King that ruleth in the place where he cometh That as Satan ruleth in the hearts of the children of disobedience so Christ ruleth in the children of obedience he guideth them and governeth them he ordereth their steps the right way That is when there are in them lusts fighting in their mind a law in their members rebelling against the Law of the spirit he keepeth down these Rebels he mortifieth these lusts and therefore in Rom. 8. The affections are said to be servants to righteousness That is because righteousness ruleth in the hearts of those in whom Christ dwelleth But you will say what benefit is this what priviledge is it to have Christ rule us it seemeth rather to be contrary it seemeth rather that this is to be restrained and to be over-ruled is it not better to have our liberty I answer that it is not but it is a great priviledge to
have Christ govern in us for he is not as those governours that govern for themselves but he hath the propertie of a good governour that spendeth his sweetness for the good of those over whom he is a governour And this you will see if you consider what a government it is For it freeth you from the government of other Lords from the goverment that your lusts have over you Again he governeth not as a Tyrant by force but as the soul governeth the members without difficultie Now as it is said of the Members that while they serve and obey the soul That very labour is a rest and that obedience is a liberty even so the soul when it obeyeth Christ that is indeed a libertie and that service is rest the reason is because Christ guideth them sweetly in whom he dwelleth all the members are guided by the soul with a willing resigation so that from an inward propensness not from constraint they do what they will it is therefore an easie government Again when any thing is made obedient to what is the proper rule of it it is the better for it for therein the perfection of every creature lieth when the Creature hath a Law given it according to which if it work it is in the best condition Now God himself the law is the rule to which every man should conform therefore the creature is best when it is in obedience to him even as is the body of man when it is best governed and kept closest to the rule it is best in health so it is in the soul of a man the better it is governed the more obedient it is to Christ the better it is in health for every rebellion is a sickness and disturbance to the foul Therefore you have a great benefit when Christ dwelleth in your hearts as a King If it were not for that my Brethren whether would your unruly affections carry you how would those rebels wound you how would they rob you of all that that is good those foolish and hurtfullusts that are in you how would they drown you in perdition Now when Christ dwelleth in the heart he keepeth down these lusts keepeth the soul in good temper guideth our feet into the way of peace our feet of themselves would be running into miseries and dangers his goverment keepeth us out of these This is his goverment and this is the second benefit that we have by Christ his dwelling in us The third benefit is this where Christ dwelleth there he comforteth and refresheth the heart This I take out of Esai 57. 15. Thus saith the Lord the high and loftic one that inhabiteth eternitie I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones In that place you have Two benefits exprest one is that Christ refresheth the heart of the humble in whom he dwelleth And secondly he giveth life to them we will speak of both and begin with the first which is the third in order When a man is drooping when his spirit is dejected in him when he meditateth of nothing but of fear and danger Now when Christ cometh into the heart he setteth all at rest he bringeth a tranquilitie to the soul. In a word he filleth the heart with joy wheresoever he cometh For as the Sun bringeth light into the world so Christ bringeth joy into the heart and you can no more have him in your heart without some joy then the Sun can be in the world without light And it must needes be so because where Christ cometh he bringeth matter of joy with him for where ever he cometh he bringeth salvation as he said to Zaccheus this day is salvation come unto thine house Now when Christ shall say unto a man That salvation is come unto him he bringeth matter of joy so he is said to come as a Bridegroom Now a Bridegroom is alwayes bringing of joy so it is compared to the joy in harvest and to the joy of those that divide the spoil Again Christ bringeth his spirit and his spirit is a spirit of joy therefore he is called the comforter this made God break forth into this speech seemeth the consolations of God a small thing to you Again he bringeth a Kindom and that Kingdom consisteth of joy in Rom. 14. 17. The Kingdom of God is not meat and drink but Righteousness and Peace and joy in the holy Ghost Again where Christ dwelleth you cannot have him but you must have much joy with him because joy followeth him naturally at his right hand are pleasures for evermore Therefore in whomsoever he dwelleth that partie must needs have joy Look through the world and what joy some ever a man hath it is accordding to the measure of his participation with God Therefore those that have him fully as in heaven they have a fulness of joy Those that have him not at all as in hell there is a fulness of grief Indeed in heaven it is mid-day and in hell it is midnight The one hath the sun alwayes with them the other darkness it self Now those that are in the way to both as the Saints which are in the spring of the day They have some measure of joy even as much as they participate of God and the reprobate that shall be damned and here dwell in the twi-light they have some flashes of joy according as God communicateth himself in common gifts and graces unto them But in a word so much of God so much of joy a man hath Now when God himself dwelleth in a mans heart and if joy thus naturally follow him it must needs refresh the hearts of those in whom he dwelleth so much for the third Benefit A Fourth Benefit is this That he giveth life to those in whom he dwelleth that is he maketh them living men he liveth in every man in whom he dwelleth as the vine in the branches That is all the actions and properties of life we draw from him all the sense we have is from him in him we live move and have our being and this is a great Benefit For the worst living thing is better then the best dead thing and amongst lifes the life of grace which Christ giveth is the best life because it cometh nearest to the life of God and Angels And they have onely this life in whom Christ dwellerh for the most living men are but ghosts whilest they are alive now when Christ cometh into their hearts he putteth life into them he makes them living men Again those that are in Christ though they have some root of life continually in them yet they are often dead and dull and indisposed to do any holy duty It is Christ now that quickneth them and maketh them ready to every good work All the motions all the fruites of life in your selves are but
once in the year and do some other outward performances they think they make God some amends But alas it is not so the Lord abhorreth all those sacrifices because they come not from his Temple They are not sacrifices offered upon that altar they should be they are not yet of that holy Priesthood spoken of before and yet there is that hypocrisie in the spirits of men that they are neither willing to omit holy duties altogether nor willing to perform them in that holy and zealous manner as they ought Labour therefore to have Chirst dwelling in your hearts otherwise nothing will be accepted I thought to have added something to have made known to you when Christ dwelleth in your hearts As one way to know it where Christ dwelleth there none dwelleth but him as the glory of God filled the Temple so Christ filleth the heart Again where he dwelleth he dwelleth powerfully he is strong able to make men go through with their good purposes and resolutions Again 3. He continueth and abideth there for over he makes them constant in performing holy duties And lastly He is active as the Sun when that dwelleth in the world we see how it enlightâ—eth the world so Christ enlightneth the soul where he dwâ—lleth makes us able to judge all things Again where the Sun cometh it thaweth the frozen earth and causeth a Spring it causeth every thing to flourish so Christ dwelleth in the heart as the Sun in the world or as the soul in the body see what a beauty the soul putteth upon the â—ody what motion what sence such an al eration there is when Christ commeth into a mans heart If you find therefore a power in you to do good duties not weak offers and breeding of good conceptions and yet have no strength to bring them forth Christ is not yet in you But if Christ be in you where he dwelleth he dwelleth powerfully shall the Devil think you powerfully rule those in whom he dwelleth And shall not Christ strengthen and enable those in whom he dwelleth Again if you finde your Religion to be but for a fit if upon sicknesse or upon the apprehension of death or upon the touch of some sermon or upon some fearful accident befalling others or your selves you can pray and hear and perform the outward parts of Gods Worship and yet fall off again afterwards Know for certain that you have not Christ in your hearts for if once he were there he would remove no more â—ut â—nâ—â—le you to constart course of holiness There may be some clâ—uding now and then but the Sun will nâ—ver set upon your hearts Lastly If you find not an alteration in your soul a spring in the inward man as when the Sun cometh into the world life and beauty as when the soul commeth into the body be assured that Christ is not yet come into your heart on the contrary if you do find all these then know that Christ dwelleth in your hearts And this you are to rejoyce in as the greatest priviledge vouch safed to you under the Covenant of Grace THE BUCKLER Of a BELIEVER ROM 8. Verse 34. Who shall Condemn It is Christ that is dead yea rather which is risen again who is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for us IN this most sweet and comfortable Scripture I mean the eighth Chapter our blessed Apostle Saint Paul shews at large the happy and safe estate of every true believer that hath his part in Christ where he proves at large that there is nothing can hinder and dis-anul that estate but that he must enjoy it according to his faith shewing withal that if any thing could hinder it it must come either from sinne or from the crosse the punishment of sinne Now he shews this and proves it strongly against all the enemies of Salvation that neither sinne nor the crosse can do it and therefore not any thing Sinne cannot do it verse 1. Because there is no condemnation that is for sinne to them The crosse cannot do it because as vers 28. All afflictions they shall work to good for them Therefore once in Christ nothing can hinder them from eternal Salvation And one would think this were sufficient proof yet as if all this were nothing Therefore that he may raise the true believer to the highest pitch of sound and lasting comfort he goes further and would have him to insult and victorio â—sly triumph verse 33 34. and rise to the highest pitch of holy confidence speaking here in a kind of defiance and saying If any man dare be so bold as to accuse one that believes yet where is he that can condemn him as if he had said There is none at all that can So that briefly in these words contained in the Text is laid down every holy believers challenge which he may take up against the face of all enemies whatsoever Wherein observe two parts First A true beleevers challenge in these words Who shall condemn Secondly the person in whose name the challenge is made which is Christs It is Christ that is dead c. For though the beleever is weak in himself yet in the rock Christ strong and invincible For the first viâ— The true beleevers challenge it is the more to be noted because it is laid down by way of interogation For that hath with it a strong confidence and a kind of victorious triumph as if he said there is none at all that can condemn though they may go about it It is not intorrogatio rogantis or dubitantis but instantis â—t triumphâ—…is It is not a question of one asking by way of doubt but of one earnest in affirming and Triumphing So that the point then is this There is not any one in heaven earth nor any where else that can bring in any thing to condemn a true believer in the sight of God Or There is not any thing in this world nor in the world to come to hinder the salvation of a true believer Where we are to consider First What it is to condemn Secondly That all and every one of us before we believe are in the estate of condemnation and therefore easily to be condemned because under the curse of the law and the guilt of sin Thirdly That when we come truly to believe in Christ even then we are not to think to be free from all that will assay and seek to condemn us and bring us to perdition and destruction Fourthly That though there be many as the Devil and all his instruments that aim and endeavour by many means to spoil us of our faith and hinder our salvation and so bring us to destruction yet shall none ever be able to do it Lastly We will make application of all to our selves For the first namely what it is to condemn It is taken diversly either in foro publico as in our courts when one is guilty of some offence against the Law and
so is bound over by sentence of condemnation to suffer for it Or else in foro conscientiae in the court of Conscience as here before God and it is nothing else but to have a Conscience guilty of sin and for that to be judged of God to Eternal punishment even to be separated from the Love of God in Christ for ever and ever And all this presupposeth a guiltiness for sin that justifies the Judgement of God in regard of the just sentence of condemnation Now who shall make the true believer guilty before God being once in Christ The answer is made by the Apostle There is not one that can Now for the second thing observed namely that those which come to believe while they were in a state of Nature and under the curse of the Law were in an estate of condemnation This is proved Eph. 2. 3. Among whom we also faith the Apostle had our conversation c. And were by nature the children of wrath as well as others As he also telleth those beleeving Romanes Rom. 6. 17. Of this their own conscience is witness against them The Law of God is the bill of inditement God the Judge the Devil the executioner and hell the prison from whence it is impossible to escape until they come soundly to believe in the Lord Jesus For the third When a man hath this blessed grace of faith and begins to lay hold on Christ he is not to think himself safe and that he is secured from all that will seek his condemnation For the Devil will do what he can still to winnow all goodness and grace received out of him That nothing may remain but chaffe And therefore it is we are taught in the Lords Prayer after forgiveness of sins to pray against temptations Though thy Sinns be pardoned by the bloud of Christ upon thy believing yet there is one that seeks to break the force of thy faith and so to bring thee to destruction And therefore it is he is called the accuser and destroyer Rev. 12. 10. so that thou must look that though thou hast got out of his paws yet he hath many wayes whereby he will labour what he can to bring thee back to condemn and destroy thee As first he will lay unto thee the wrath of God to drive thee to despair as he would have done Iob who was brought to sore tryals discovered in passionate speeches 2. The curse of the Law is inforced against thee to make thee think thy obedience to be so poor as God will not accept thee 3. Want of faith is another of his suggestions and for this he will alledge the condition of the Gospel and tell thee that thou dost not believe and so art not onely under the curse of the Law but the Gospel also 4. The sins of thy conscience that he will buffet thee with perswading thee that such a sin is not pardoned or pardonable 5. He will muster up the world where he hath many Troops following him to choak the Word and quench the grace of God that is in thee Lastly He will fear thee with the grim and dismal look of that last enemy death and put thee under fears of never being able to undergo it Now for the fourth circumstance That though with all his power cruelty and subtilty as before he doth assail yet a true believer he shall never be able to prevail against and that first because a true believer his debt is paid by the death of Christ Who shall condemn faith the Apostle Christ is mighty and strong None for faith hath a hand that layes hold on Christ so that if Christ perish he may else not And that First Even because Christ hath died for him and the strength of the Apostles reason stands thus A man in debt if his debt be paid he is not in danger of the Law to be condemned for it so there is not one farthing that God can in his Justice demand at a Believers hands for it is paid by Christ. There is a double debt indeed he hath but if both be paid for him the Law shall not condemn him The First is the debt of obedience to the Law God hath required of every child of Adam to obey and keep the whole Law and he hath not done it therefore there is a debt unpaid by him The Second debt is of punishment for not doing it and that is the curse of the Law Now a Bâ—liever may produce a surety that hath paid both namely Christ for first he died not before he had fufilled the Law His righteousness obedience and all was for us He took our nature onely that we might have our part in him he did all in our stead and names even for our sake upon our believing in him all is ours Secondly by his death he removed the curse which is the punishment of sin For the first Rom. 10. 4. Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth think of this and labour for a spirit of faith ever groan in thy soul till thou piercest the Heavens and obtainest saith For the second Gal. 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Pitch on these places and lay fast hold on Christ by faith and they will uphold thee in the evil hour even when the devil labours against thee with all his forces I but the Devil is crafty may some poor soul say it may be he hath some bill or bond yet undischarged that I know not of which he may demand at my hands No saith the Gospel he hath blotted out the hand-writing that was against us Col. 2. 14. All is crost and cancelled and this God hath spoken and sworn to therefore let him do what he can onely believe thou Every writing is cancelled there is not a whit to shew in the fight of God A poor man is indebted a great sum of money to a mighty King and knows not what to do having nothing to pay it withal whereupon he is convicted condemned cast into prison Now it pleaseth the Kings onely Son to undertake the debt his Father is content and in process of time he payes it and satisfieth his Father who then I pray you can condemn that man Even so is it with the poor believer he ought both body and soul and was to be put into the prison of Hell for ever for breaking Gods Law and incurring his displeasure But the Lord Jesus out of his love and free favour undertakes for the poor believer and payes his debt who then can condemn this poor Believer Now further by way of gradation and assent to make us raise up our thoughts in assurance of this the Apostle useth a second reason that is Because Christ our surety is not onely dead for us and so hath paid our debt but also is risen again to make the poor believer more sure he hath paid the
small moats inward failings it is grace therefore that makes the inside clean And not onely so but it makes us perform duties in a holy and lively manner it enableth us to do them to purpose To perform them in a holy manner for this is to perform duties in a holy manner when the heart is apprehensive of the presence of God in the businesse onely for holinesse is to sequester a thing and to appropriate it for the use of God onely so when thou comest to perform a good duty if thy heart be altogether looking upon the Lord so that nothing without have to do with it if nothing else come in and take up thy heart not the sight of men or the opinion of the creature or the by-respects of any thing none of these come and take a part of thy heart and use it â—s it were that is to perform a duty in a holy manner Otherwise whatsoever takes away the heart or sets it on work abates this holinesse for then the heart is not made peculiar to God in the performance of a duty for it meddles with common things Grace I say enableth to do this because grace sanctifieth that is it makes a man really and in good earnest appropriate and sequester his heart and minde to the Lord so that he onely looks to him to serve him holily in all duties so is it when we pray or preach or do any publique or private duty this is the holinesse of the heart when it is done onely to the Lord. Again I say it makes us perform duties not onely in a holy but in a lively manner for grace is the life of the soul. Where this life is not we may do duties but they are but dead works Vital actions are onely proper to grace because onely grace works life a man never comes to perform a work that is a living work but so far as it comes from grace grace is the fire of the holy Ghost Grace is to the soul as the lively and natural heat is in the body which onely acts it and makes it to do the works thereof So grace in the soul is that onely which begets livelinesse in duties wherewith they are to be performed Lastly I add it makes us perform them in a holy lively and substantial manner that is to do them to some purpose Take another man he doth these duties but to what purpose are they when we come to pray and to do these duties they are then done as they should be when the end is obtained then every businesse is done when the end of it is effected otherwise it is not done we do not say a thing is done because a man hath been about it but because he hath obtained that end for which he took the businesse in hand Consider now what is the end of the duties you do what is the end of your praying what is the end of your hearing is the end of your hearing edification is the end of your praying to be strengthened in grace prayer is a lost prayer except the heart be strengthened by prayer except the heart be made better and more composed into communion with God you pray not in the holy Ghost Now then examine your selves by this grace onely enableth a man so to pray that he shall grow more heavenly in every prayer whensoever any other prayer is made without this power of grace it is lip-labour it doth the heart no good And so for keeping of the Sabaoth The Sabaoth is made for man that is it is made for mans use for mans benefit for mans advantage What is the advantage we get by a Sabaoth That wee may be built up and grow in grace and in knowledge and the like Now a man without saving grace may abstain from all bodily labour and servile work on the Sabaoth day and be occupied in holy duties but to keep it so as to get advantage by it so as to get growth in knowledge and in grace so that he shall have a greater stock of grace laid up in his soul by the use of the ordinances upon that day this grace enableth a man to do So when a man comes to hear to purpose to hear so as to please God in his hearing to hear so as to get something into his heart by hearing this onely grace enableth to You know what our Saviour saith Luke 18. Take heed how you hear for to him that hath shall be given intimating that when you hear aright you have more given in then you had before Grace now enableth a man so to do the duty that there is not onely the task the businesse the work done and passed over but it is done to purpose So when you come to receive the Sacrament what is the end of your receiving onely to come or to come with some outward reverence or shews of devotion c No the utmost end of receiving the Sacrament is to get more strength of grace to get more assurance of Faith to get more perswasion of the love of God towards you that your sinfull corruptions may be more healed that the grace that is in you may be more enlivened I say grace enableth to do this and herein the power of it is seen for without the power of grace you may do all these things but not to purpose I cannot enlarge these thing but to finish this point I beseech you in a word consider whether you have the strength of grace in you or no otherwise you receive the Sacrament in vain And let no man think I will make up this with my absence and fit my self against another time that is not the way Not to sacrifice as well as to sacrifice amiss was a sin he that came not up to the passeover as well as he that came uncircumcised was to be cut off he that would not come to the feast as well as he that came not with the wedding garment they were both lyable to judgement therefore I say take heed And if there were no other argument to move men not to defer their conversion this were enough that if a man come without grace to the Sacrament he eats and drinks his own damnation if he defer to come he provokes the Lord to anger and if he come unworthily without grace he provokes him to anger likewise 2 TIM 2. 1. Thou therefore my son be strong in the grace which is in Christ Iesus THe next point that we are to handle out of these words is this That All grace is recived from Iesus Christ. We can receive no grace but from him and in him there is enough to be had There is none but from him we know nothing but what we are taught by him as a Prophet whatsoever we do is lost labour except it be made acceptable through him as a Priest we are able to overcome no lust to do no duty but through the power we have from him as a King Besides I
that is but little they may take away my life but I make no account of it saith he if other men made as little account of these things as I do they would be as bold as I. Therefore I say now it is a time for a man to stir up his strength to be willing to part with these things when actions come that have hazzard accompanying them and opposition and persecution and resistance from this temptation and from that Now be strong in the Lord Ephes. 6. When there comes temptations if any thing be to be suffered be strong to endure it If any thing be to be done be strong to go through with it if be any special duty be strong wrestle with the Lord as Iacob did in distresse there was his course stir up thy strength at that time and wrestle with all thy strength So if â—he businesse be to contend for the common truth and faith a man must be strong what though it be accompanied with hazzard this is a time for a man to stir up his strength that is one case A second is in all great changes of estate for that is a time when a man should stir up his strength because then a man is most apt to be weak That is if a man â—alâ— into great crosses and afflictions and adversities and again if he be raised to prosperity more then ordinary now 〈◊〉 him be strong that is let him look to himself and take heed now that his heart be not broken by the one nor puffed up with the other now is the time for a man to be strong upon these great changes As the body of a man when he comes into a strange Countrey to change of diet and air he is affected with it it works upon him so the soul of a man in all great changes of estate that it falls into cannot but be affected with them Therefore the Scripture calls it drunkennesse A man may be drunk with prosperity and adversity and a man is apt to be so that is when a man is drunk his brain is weak and the beer or wine is strong so when the heart of a man is weak and the operation is strong the estate that falls on him is strong it makes him drunk both wayes A man is drunk with prosperity one while another while with adversities this is a time to be strong As the Apostle expresseth it Phil. 4. I am able to want and to abound to pass through good report and evil report That is now in this great change if you talk of strength I am able to do all things through strength from Christ. A man in an even condition it is nothing for him to keep his minde in an even temper but in the unevenness of a mans condition now to keep his minde equally disposed that is the difficulty And it is not onely difficult in that which riseth from the unevenness of a mans estate but the suddenness of the change When a sudden change comes look to thy self be strong As we say of the body it is a rule of Physicians it indures not sudden changes no more can the minde but it is apt to be disquieted and put out of temper As when a man hath had a great heat and sudden cold comes when a man is in one condition and suddenly comes into another now is the time to stir up strength That is the second Thirdly and lastly there are certain seasons and opportunities wherein a man is called to exercise such and such a grace now is the time when we must be strong to put that grace in practice Sometimes there is a season of using the grace of patience sometimes of love sometimes of temperance sometimes one grace sometimes another whensoever these seasons and opportunities come now put forth these graces and let them have their perfect work every grace in his season That is the time now when a man is to stir up his strength in those opportunities and turnings of a mans life Such things fall out every day now one grace is to be used and then another now be careful to stir them up as we see 2 Pet. 1. 5. when a man hath one grace saith the Apostle let him add one to another Therefore give all diligence thereto join vertue with faith and with faith knowledge and with knowledge temperance with temperance patience with patience godliness with godliness brotherly kindness with brotherly kindness love That is suppose saith the Apostle thou hast faith perhaps there iâ— need of more then that there comes seasons when thou art to do good works to add works to thy faith therefore remember in such a case to join vertue to it for vertue is taken here for action a readiness in a man to perform to bring that faith into use But when you are set on work perhaps it may be a difficult case to know what a man in discretion should do in this ambiguous case therefore add knowledge and prudence to guide and direct you in that you do but when you have gotten prudence and know what is to be done then add to knowledge temperance It may be a man may know well enough what to do but he is drawn aside with some pleasure and lust for it is usual for a man to know but because he is byassed the wrong way with some inordinate affection he performs not that 〈◊〉 knows therefore saith the Apostle now is the season to add temperance to knowledge to abstain from those things And besides as pleasures are a means on the one side to keep him from the practise of what he knows so there are likewise some dangers and difficulties somewhat that a man is to suffer When a good action is to be done a men shall find many crosses and oppositions somewhat he must part with therefore add not temperance onely but patience that is a time for patience or else he cannot do any thing to purpose When both these are done joyn with patience godliness A man may do much and join temperance and patience but these are moral vertues a man may do them for other ends he may be a good servant but he may serve a wrong Master therefore saith he eye God in all you do join to these godliness do it out of sincerity advance him and his glory and do it not for your own ends and with godliness brotherly kindness that is that the work and business you do though it must be done to the Lord for his sake and so you must do it in a godly manner yet your business is with men for the most part therefore you must join with godliness brotherly kindness that you do it out of love to men as well as out of sincere respect to God I but there are other men in the world besides godly men and we have to do with them and there are many businesses to do for their sake and advantage therefore saith the Apostle
we find it is powerful whereas the form is weak and powerless and inefficatious having a form of godliness saith the Apostle but denying the power So that if you would know whether it be right godliness indeed that you have consider whether it have the power of godliness or no whether it be strong in you for if it be weak and inefficatious that it is able to do little certainly it is not godliness And therefore you may know it by the strength of it it is powerful As you may see by all that which makes up godliness The Word of God is a powerful Word that Word that begets this godliness Therefore the Apostle saith 1 Thess. 1. 5. The Gospel came to you not in word but in power And St. Paul speaking of it in another place he saith It is the power of God to salvation I say it is a powerful Word that doth the thing for which it is sent It hath such a power to heal the soul of a man that is sick to death As we say of Medicines that they are good when they are powerful to do the thing that they are applied for So this Word is powerful to work this change to beget godliness So the Holy Ghost is a spirit of power and therefore Act. 10. 38. It is said that Iesus Christ was anointed with the Holy Ghost and with power That is wheresoever the Holy Ghost is there is much power accompanying of it therefore you have them commonly put together the Holy Ghost and Power Till you be indued with power from on high that is till you receive the Holy Ghost that shall make you powerful Even so certainly it is that as the Word and the Holy Ghost which make up godliness in the hearts of men are powerful and mighty so is godliness it self very powerful You will say powerful in doing what It is powerfull in bringing all into subjection to it it brings every thought and every lust and every unruly affection into subjection It is as a powerful Kingdom set up in the heart of a man for there is a Kingdom of Christ which is set up in the heart of the regenerate and he rules by his Scepter the rod of his mouth his word and that Kingdom is powerful to bring all into subjection As it is 1 Cor. 4. 19. 20. The Kingdom of God is not in word but in power That is the Kingdom of God whereever it is found whereever it is set up in a mans heart that is regenerate it not onely teacheth him what he shall do consisting in word but it powerfully ruleth there it brings all into subjection there it makes a man strong to bring down all his lusts to mortifie all his corruptions That as we say of a good rider he is powerful to master and to break the horse he is powerful to guid and to over-rule him Such a thing is godliness in a mans heart Let a mans heart be never so rebellions yet when this Kingdom comes it is a Kingdom of power it brings all into subjection So again it is powerful in enabling us to perform not onely to purpose and intend well but it enableth us to do also it doth not only breed in us good conceptions as oft-times men have but when the children come to the birth there is no power to bring forth So many times men have good purposes and desires but there is no power to bring them into execution But now this godliness enableth us to do to perform all that we purpose Again it enableth us to resist When a temptation cometh a weak man is not able to stand out the bankes are too weak for the stream they are not able to resist the billowes the tempest but godliness makes a man powerful to do all this The form is but weak it makes you able to desire or to purpose and resolve it may be but it doth not bring the thing to act it doth not overcome and overmaster your unruly lusts it brings not all things into subjection It enableth you to take good purposes to your selves but you have not ability to perform those good purposes They are in a weak heart like new wine in old vessels they are weak they last not they continue not there So it is where there is this form onely and no more men purpose well but have no strength to bring them forth And so again where there is but a form you are weak in resistance you are not able to stand out against temptations but when you are assaulted with sutable temptations agreeing with your own lusts when the occasion is present and the temptation is strong you are able to do nothing by way of resistance when there is but a form But where there is true godliness there is a power and ability You see these two things then It is true and not counterfeit whereas the form is counterfeit Secondly where there is godliness indeed there is a power but where there is a form onely there is weakness and no power I will but name the rest Thirdly Where there is true godliness there is substance where the other is onely there is but a shaddow of it You will say what is the substance The substance is that reality in every duty As for example to receive the Sacrament to receive it after a common fashion as men do it that come to it out of custom with some kind of slight and overly preparation but they fail in the substance the substance of receiving is to receive it with faith and love And so again to hear the word to hear it negligently in a common fashion is but the shaddow of hearing there is something like to hearing which carrieth a resemblance of it but the substance of hearing is to hear so as to practise to hear and obey to hear so that the word may work powerfully upon your hearts this is the reality and substance of it And so to pray in a customary manner is the shaddow to do it in an humble and holy fashion is the substance and reality Godliness if it be right it is substantial It is not a meer shaddow and resemblance But I can but point at things Again Fourthly Godliness wheresover it is indeed it goes through with the work it brings the thing to pass but where there is onely a form it sits down in the middle it gives over it holds not out Fifthly And lastly to conclude all the form is but partial but true godlines is total and universal it makes a man do every thing it makes a man able to suffer every thing Where there is but the form onely it makes a man but partial in the duties of godliness he is but here and there in it These things I should have enlarged but so much shall serve for this time and for this Text. A PATTERN OF Wholesome Words OR Pauls Charge to Timothy IN A Treatise on 2 Tim.
creatures are made known by many things that are not their names as by qualities and accidents but whatsoever God is made known by is his Name therefore to abuse his creatures oâ— the works of his mercy since he is made known by them is a taking of his Name in vain and these that do so God will not hold them guiltless if not those that take his Name in vain in other things much less in this therefore the Word is like Ionathans Bow it never returns home empty it is like the Sun that softens wax but hardens clay so that if the Word light on a muddy heart it makes it worse if on good it softens it and makes it better There is not a Sermon which is heard but it sets us nearer Heaven or Hell On the contrary not repeating is the cause that many are alwayes learning but never come to the knowledge of the Truth Suppose all that is delivered be not profitable mind that which is and know there is a necessity laid on these If a man be convinced of the truth let him take heed how he omits it for if he do he shall be beaten with many stripes because sinne grows out of measure sinful If whatsoever be delivered be meat to nourish Physick to heal then we must learn to esteem it much What is the reason that men account of the Phylosophers Stone so much if it could be got Why do men labour all their lives for it and spend their Estate to get it when they see so many before them to have lost their labours It is true it heals all the diseases of the body but this heals all the diseases of the soul and this may be attained the other cannot Let us therefore as Salomon bids us buy the truth that is beat any pains for it lose outward contentments for it and when we have got it sell it not for pleasure idleness or things that will not profit us and this we would do if we were as sensible of spiritual diseases as of bodily for then we would turn the Word over and over and find plaisters for our sores If a man be troubled with the Stone or Gout whither will he not go and what will he not give for remedy so if a man have but the least grain of grace in him he shall find spiritual diseases as sore as temporal If we did see our diseases we would to the Word and get them healed we would gather reasons and apply them in particular 1 Suppose a man have a disease like a Feaver an inflamation of lust see what reasons the Word hath against it and apply them in particular First if they take their pleasure they shall lose their profit in God for an hours pleasure eternity of pain This consideration caused Iob to make a Covenant with his eyes not to look on a maid Secondly consider what great punishments are to the works of sin and iniquity Iob 31. 3. strange sins have strange punishments Thirdly sweet sins have bitter punishments this sin of lust or any other pleasing sin is sweet therefore the punishment must be bitter as sweet as honey at first but as bitter as gall after as soft as oyle but as sharp as a raisor Fourthly it is an irrecoverable disease they that go into it return not again neither take hold of the wayes of life that is ordinarily they do not Make a plaister of these reasons and apply them and they will heal 2. Suppose a man hath a swelling of pride see what the Scripture saith of it First God resists the proud he sets himself against him think then that God is thy enemy the mighty God that doth what he will in Heaven and Earth Secondly God sends the proud empty away he may fill him with honour and things that may do him more hurt but he sends them away empty of good things Thirdly God knows him afar off Fourthly it brings destruction when a wall swells it is nearer breaking so when the heart is puâ—t up it is nearer destruction apply these reasons and they will prick the bladder of pride and make it flat and will bring down the pride of the heart Suppose a man hath a Paralysis or a Palsie of anger that a man would be quiet and cannot Consider first Anger rests in the bosom of fools all anger comes of folly else when a mans anger is over why doth he repent him of what he hath done Secondly it comes from pride cure pride and heal anger Thirdly it is a shame to be angry for a fool is known by his anger but a wise man covers his shame It is a shame to be drunk so to be angry for anger distempers the soul as drunkards doth the body for all these are as drunkenness and the actions that proceed from them as vomits Suppose a man hath a leturgy of idleness consider first it brings beggery secondly it makes our Sacrifices dead our prayers cadaverosa sacrificia carcases of sacrifices and have neither life nor soul in them as the carcase hath the lineaments of the body but wanting soul none delight in it so prayers have the lineaments of a dury but wanting life God abhors them Apply this medicine and it will quicken us and make us shake off this disease Suppose a man hath a humor of vain glory see what the Scripture saith of it First he hath his reward his applause is the reward and he shall have no other And will it not be a terrible thing when a man hath performed a duty and hath applause of men and no more for God to say to him thou hast thy reward Secondly it is an empty thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like a bubble with a mans breath it is soon broken Suppose he hath a plurisie of security consider first I Prov. 32. ease slayeth fooles it s an ordinary thing whereby fooles forget God Secondly it brings sudden destruction as a plurisie brings present death if a man be not let blood Esa. 47. 11. Evil comes and he knowes not the cause of it mischief falls on him and he knowes not how to put it off desolation comes suddenly and he knowes it not labor therefore to be let blood speedily Lastly suppose a man have an unfavoury breath of evil speeches First pray with David Psal. 141. 3. Set a watch O Lord before my mouth and keep the door of my lips Secondly as unsavoury breath comes from unsound lungs So evil speeches come from an unsound heart therefore preserve good things in thy heart and the speeches that come from it will be good For out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh What goods are in the work-house are brought in the Shop Let therefore this plaister be laid to the sore and abide there for so it must si morbus sit contumax if the disease be violent As the word healeth those that be sick so it nourisheth and strengtheneth babâ—s and
and through temptation it will vanquish and subdue corruption and bring him on his knees and so he falls flat before the Lord In such a case I say a man that hath his corruption subdued though it were a tryal tentimes greater and more sore yet he may live upon better terms with the Lord and more comfortably then another man with a lighter cross As it falls out many times in the time of War and hostility between two Cities or Nations the weaker part in the time of War indures and sustains more inconvenience and blood-shed and loss of men then after the full conquest is made especially if the government of the Conqueror be moderate and just as it is sometimes So as long as a man stands out with God in pride of spirit and will not yield he lives far more uncomfortably then when he is truly humbled and subjected to God Thirdly and lastly these general and greater afflictions may be born more comfortably and a less may more disquiet and trouble the heart because when a man hath been afflicted but in some one thing or a few things and hath many outward contentments and comforts yet remaining to him this is the usual course of men in such a case they think when their spirits are bruised and wounded with grief of heart they have lost such a friend they have lost part of such an Estate or credit then presently they fall to other things that are left them and they think to make themselves whole there when they have lost their contentment in one particular they enjoy they think to make them whole and to supply it with the outward things that remain This succeeds not because the wound that is made in the spirit by the loss of that whatsoever it be thou art crossed with it may be the anger of the Lord is mixed with it it may be the arrow of the Lord sticks in thy soul. Now if that be thy case all the outward application of comforts of the world will not do the turn Onely that hand that strook the arrow in our side is able to pluck it out of us And we see nothing more frequent and usual in the world men as long as they have other things to solace themselves with to set their delight on they never go to God If a man go to God for comfort it is as it were because he shuts every door else against him he hath no passage else that he must needs go that way or no way Therefore as long as God affords men the things of the world to solace and comfort them they do their utmost to seek it there but when God takes away all things and strikes away every prop that he hath nothing to rest on as the Dove that Noah sent that had no rest for the sole of her foot till she returned to the Ark this forceth a man of necessity to the Lord. Now though the wound were ten times more grievous and heavy coming to the right Physitian the Lord that made the wound he can cure it and comfort a man again If a man have but a scratch with a pin if he have an unskilful Chyrurgion the wound goes on to ranckle more and more and at last it costs a man his life On the other side if a man have a wound that is dangerous if he go to one that is skilfull this man recovers and lives in the world So many times many men live with disquiet minds they go to the world and seek to be whole there they seek their Physitian there and make the wound that is made worse and the latter end is worse then the beginning But now though a man be never so empty of comfort and be struck down and the hand of God be never so heavy upon him if he go to God and seek to him the Lord is able to make him a comfortable man again and to revive his spirit and bring him again from the grave So we see that objection fully answered that though we be not able to stand under lighter afflictions we may be able and strong enough to bear greater So much for this time THE LAVV OF SIN and GRACE COMBATING Rom. 7. 23. But I see another Law in my members warring against the law of my mind and leading me captive to the law of sin which is in my members THat which is to be done for the solemnity of this day which hath been most profitable and necessarily set a part by the Church for the rememberance of our deliverance from the Gun-powder Treason I leave it to be performed by another We have now pitched upon a text which will serve for our particular use This day indeed puts us in mind of a great Treason which was intended against the whole State both of Church and Common-wealth and this will put us in mind of a Treason within us Now it is true that these outward Treasons and when we hear of Wars and rumours of Wars such things as are terrible to us every man is ready to be affected affrighted with things of this nature change of state loss of goods abreption of life these things are naturally terrible to us the very hearing of them But this now is a War within which is much more dangerous and concerns every one of us to be affected with a thousand times more for it is a deadly War a War that devours the soul the other destroys onely the body this is a War which kills us with an everlasting death when as the other is onely the loss of a temporal life And this is a War which is for the most part forgotten and not minded for it is a fight that makes no noise it comes not with the sound of drums and trumpets it carrieth along with it no terrible appearance hence it is that we think of it but little Now what do we serve for that are the watch-men of your souls but to stir you up to a mindfulness of this War to sound an allarm to you and if you will be stirred up to work your deliverance well if not we have delivered our own souls and he that perisheth his blood shall be upon his own head In this Chapter in the verse before my Text the Apostle Paul triumpheth in that liberty which he had through the grace of God I delight saith he in the Law of God concerning the inner man though I find many temptations to the contrary But when he had exprest that triumph he comes now with another caution which he expresseth in these words that I have read But I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and leading me captive to the Law of sin that is in my members That is I find in my self a strong inclination a strong habit of sin carrying me violently to that which is evil Now this he sets forth by these properties First he calls it a Law Secondly he saith it is
a particular combate and yet may get the victory notwithstanding A man may have a blow such a blow as may make him stoop and yet prevail against his enemy so though in a particular combate they may be overthrown yet they get the victory over their lusts Therefore Peter though he were so timerous at that that time to deny his Master yet afterwards wee finde he was as bold as a Lion So David though he was overcome in that particular combate yet the victory was on his side all his life was chaste and pure and holy afterward Last of all there is a difference in the continuance of this fight for a natural man doth make resistance yet he groweth weary of it and layeth down the wasters in the end and yields to the sinne and saith thus with himself Well I see I shall never get the victory over this or that particular lust therefore I will contend no more against it But now in the regenerate this fight continueth to the end As you shall see in Peter Peter saith our saviour when thou art old they shall gird thee and carry thee whether thou wouldest not There was a resistance he was carried whether he would not he was carried where the spirit would but where the flesh would not and this was when he was old so there was a continual resistance so it was with Nicodemus he began and he held out because grace in him was as a spring that still enlargeth it self more and more In others it is not so Iudas he was like a pond and not like a spring though he held out a long while and was on Christs side and carried his colours yet he continued not so Ioash and Amaziah they made resistance but we see they continued not And the reason is because in a natural man the combatants do not continue those good things that are in him are but as blossoms they vanish Now when that which should maintain the contention vanisheth there must needs be an end of the combate but in the other it continues to the end A word for application very briefly When we hear that there is such a Law in our members it should teach us to reflect upon our selves that we may be able to cry out as Saint Paul doth O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death For if a man had but his eyes open to see this Law in his members overspreading his whole soul and fighting against the regenerate part against the Law of his mind which should be in every man it would make a man amazed in himself it would make a man wonder that he had lived so long with himself and knew himself no better And in this case it takes away that ordinary excuse that men have for men are ready to say alas I have resisted such and such a sin I have a nature exceedingly inclined to them But alas thou art deceived in this for this is so far from excusing thee as that this very thing that thou hast a strong inclination to evil it makes thy sin out of measure sinful For even as it is in good actions the more zeal there is the better is the good work so is it in evil works the more lust there is in every evil work the greater is the sin for the more lust there is the more sin and the more wilfull a man is in sin the more is the sin Take a serpent or a toad that is hateful to the nature of a man though it hurt us not yet we loath it because it is contrary to our nature So this Law in our members this strong inclination to that which is evil though it should not break forth to actual transgressions yet it is hateful to the pure eyes of God therefore we should humble our selves for this and not excuse our selves because of our evil nature The worse thy nature is the more cause thou hast to abhor thy self and there is great reason for it because sin is worse in the root then in the branches the bitterness is more there as the soureness is more in the leaven then in the dough As the heat is more in the fire then in the air that is heated by it So there is more evil in this nature of ours then in any outward act of sin Therefore let no man excuse himself with this to say I have a Law in my members that prompts me strongly to sin against God It is all one as if a thief should excuse himself and say I am of a purloyning nature I cannot hold my hands when I see any thing but I must needs steal If a servant should come to his Master and say Sir I was drunk and could not do your business would this excuse him So this Law in our members this necessity this strong inclination to evil is it not our selves that have brought it upon us we are the authors of that Original sin And besides that we intend it the more by custom in sin often relapses intend this Original corruption and make it prevalent You will say how shall a man do then how shall a man be saved I answer except thou find in thy self this Law of the mind resisting this Law in the members except thou find another man in thee a regenerate part created in thee that fighteth against this Law in the members thou canst not be saved But you will say again how shall I know it seeing there may be a resistance arising from the natural conscience I answer thou shalt know it by thy constant and ordinary course whether thou walk after the spirit or no. For we are not to judge of our selves or of any other by a step or two If you will judge of a man by a step or two you shall find Noah drunk you shall finde Mases speaking unadvisedly with his lips You shall find David lying and murdering and making another drunk you shall find Iehosaphat making a league with Ahab which God had forbidden him you shall finde Hezekiah boasting of his treasure and Peter forswearing of his master and Paul and Barnabas in such a passion that they were fain to part assunder This you shall see if you shall observe a step or two onely and so you shall condemn the Generation of the righteous Again on the other side if you observe a man by a step or two you shall see Cain sacrificing you shall see Saul among the Prophets you shall see Iudas among the disciples you shall see Iehu restoring religion you shall see Iohn Baptist getting Herod into his house and hearing him gladly You shall see Felix trembling at a Sermon So that I say if you observe your selves or others onely by a step or two you shall justifie the wicked and condemn the just for the best men have their swervings and the worst men have their good moods A thief may sometimes go