crosse thy corruptions and evidence the stamp of God on thy affections the more divine it is And therefore to serve God in these is to serve him in truth Practice hath more of truth in it then a profession When your Fathers executed judgement was not this to know me Duties that have more opposition from our natures against them and lesse sewel or oyl to feed the flame of our self love and corruption have more truth in them and if you should worship God in all other duties and not especially in those you do not worship him in truth Next let us consider the manner of Divine Worship And this is as needfull to true Worship as true matter that it be commanded and done as it is commanded that compleats true worship Now I know no better way or manner to worship God in than so to worship him as our worship may carry the stamp of his Image upon it as it may be a glasse wherein we may behold Gods Nature and Properties For such as himself is such he would be acknowledged to be I would think it were true worship indeed which had engraven on it the Name of the true living God if it did speak out so much of it self That God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him diligently Most part of our service speaks an unknown God carries such an inscription upon it To the unknown God There is so little either reverence or love or fear or knowledge in it as if we did not worship the true God but an Idoll It is said that the fool sayes in his heart that there is no God because his thoughts and affections and actions are so little composed to the fear and likenesse of that God as if he did indeed plainly deny him I fear it may be said thus of our Worship It sayes There is no God it is of such a nature that none could conclude from it that it had any relation to the true God our prayers denie God because there is nothing of God appears in them But this is true worship when it renders back to God his own Image and Name Unde repercussus redditur ipse sibi As it is a poor clean Fountain in which a man may see his shaddow distinctlie but a troubled fountain or myre in which he cannot be hold himself So it is pure worship which receives and reflects the pure Image of God but impure and unclean worship which cannot receive it and retain it I pray you Christians consider this for it is such Worshippers the Father seeks and why seeks he such But because in them he finds himself so to speak His own I mage and superscription is upon them His mercy isengraven on their faith confidence His Majestie power is stamped on their humility and reverence His goodnesse is to be read on the souls rejoicing His Greatnesse and Justice in the souls trembling Thus there ought to be some engravings on the soul answering the Characters of his glorious Name O how little of this is among them that desire to know something of God How little true Worship even among them whom the Father hath sought out to make true Worshippers But alas How are all of us unacquainted with this kind of Worship We stay upon the first principles practices of Religion and go not on to build upon the foundation Sometimes your Worship hath a stamp of Gods holinesse and justice in fear terrour at such a Majesty which makes you to tremble before him But where is the stamp of his mercy grace which should be written in your faith and rejoycing Tremble and fear indeed but rejoyce with trembling because there is mercy with him Sometime their is rejoycing and quietnesse in the soul but that quickly degenerates into carnal confidence makes the soul turn grace into wantonness and esteem of it self above what is right because it is not counterpoised with the sense and apprehension of his holinesse and justice But O to have these joyntly written on the heart in worship fear reverence confidence humility and faith That is a rare thing it is a divine composition and temper of spirit that makes a divine soul For the most part our Worship savours and smels nothing of God neither his power nor his mercy and grace nor his holinesse and justice nor his majesty and glory a secure saint formal way void of reverence of humility of servency and of faith I beseech you let us consider as before the Lord how much pains and time we lose and please none but our selves profit none at all Stir up your selves as in his sight for it is the keeping of our souls continually as in his sight which will stamp our service with his likenesse The fixed and constant meditation of God and his glorious properties this will beget the resemblance between our worship and the God whom we worship and it will imprint his Image upon it then it should please him then it should profit thee and then it should edifie others But more particularly The Worship must have the stamp of Gods spiritual Nature and be conformed to it in some measure else it cannot please him There must be a conformity between God and souls this is the great end of the Gospel to repair that Image of God which was once upon man and make him like God again Now it is the way that Jesus Christ repairs this Image brings about this conformity with God by the souls worshipping of God sutable to his Nature it is the more and more like God and happy in that likenesse Now God is a Spirit therefore saith Christ you must worship him in spirit truth The worship then of Saints must be of a spiritual nature that it may be like the immortal divine Spirit It is such Worshippers the Father seeks he seeks souls to make them like himself and this likenesse and conformity to God is the very foundation of the souls happinesse and eternall refreshment This is a point of great consequence I fear not laid to heart The Worship must be like the Worshipped It is a Spirit must Worship the Eternal Spirit it is not a body that can be the principle and chief Agent in the businesse What Communion can God have with your bodies while your souls are removed far from him more than with beasts All society and fellowship must be between those that are like one another A man can have no comfortable company with Beasts or with Stones and Trees It is men that can converse with men and a Spirit must worship the self-being-spirit Do not mistake this as if under the dayes of the Gospel we were not called to an external and bodily Worship to any service to which our outward man is instrumentall this is one of the deep delusions of this Age into which some men reprobate 〈◊〉 the Faith hath fallen That there should be no externall
creature that are among the rest of the creatures meet all in man as their Center for this purpose that he may return with them all to the glorious Fountain from whence they issued thus we stand next God and in the middle between God and other creatures This I say was the condition of our creation we had our being immediatly from God as the beginning of all and we were to have our happiness and well-being by returning immediatly to God as the end of all But sin coming in between God and us hath displaced us so that we cannot now stand next God without the intervention of a Mediator we cannot stand between God and the creatures to offer up their praise to him but there is one Mediator between God and man that offers up both mans praises and the creatures songs which meet in man Now seeing God hath made all things for himself and especially man for his own glory that he may shew forth in him the glory and excellency of his power goodness holiness justice and mercy It is not only most reasonable that man should do all things that he doth to the glory of God but it is even the beauty and perfection of a man the greatest accession that can be to his being to glorifie God by that being We are not our own therefore we ought not to live to our selves but to God whose we are But you may ask what is it to glorifie God Doth our goodness extend to him Or is it an advantage to the Almighty that we are righteous No indeed and herein is the vast difference between Gods glorifying of us and sanctifying of us and our glorifying and sanctifying of him God calls things that are not and makes them to be but we can do no more but call things that are and that far below what they are Gods glorifying is creative ours only declarative He makes us such we do no more but declare Him to be such this then is the proper work that man is created for to be a witness of Gods glory to give testimony to the appearances and out-breakings of it in the wayes of power and justice and mercy and truth Other creatures are called to glorifie God but it is rather a Proclamation to dull and senseless men and a provocation of them to their duty As Christ said to the Pharisees If these children hold their peace the stones would cry out So may the Lord turn himself from stupid and senseless men to the stones and woods and seas and sun and moon and exhort them to mans duty the more to provoke and stirre up our dulness and to make us consider that it is a greater wonder that man whom God hath made so glorious can so little express Gods glory then if stupid and senseless creatures should break out in singing and praising of his Majesty The creatures are the books wherein the lines of the song of Gods praises are written and man is made a creature capable to read them and to tune that long They are appointed to bring in Brick to our hand and God has fashioned us for this imployment to make such a building of it We are the mouth of the creation but ere God want praises when our mouth is dumb and our ears deaf God will open the mouths of ashes of Babes and Sucklings and in them perfyte praises Psal. 8. 1. 2 Epictetus said well Si Luscinia essem canerem ut Luscinia cum autem homo sim quod agam Laudebo Deum nec unquam cessabo Is I were a Lark I would sing as a Lark but seeing I am a man what should I do but praise God without ceasing It is as proper to us to praise God as for a bird to chaunt All beasts have their own sounds and voices peculiar to their own nature this is the naturall sound of a man Now as you would think it monstruous to hear a melodious bird croping as a Raven so it is no less monstruous and degenerate to hear the most part of the discourses of men savouring nothing of God If we had known that innocent estate of man O how would we think he had fallen from heaven We would imagine that we were thrust down from heaven where we heard the melodious songs of Angels into hell to hear the howlings of damned spirits This then is that we are bound unto by the bond of our Creation this is our proper office and station God once set us into when he assigned every creature it s own use and exercise this was our portion and O the noblest of all because nearest the Kings own person to acknowledge in our hearts inwardly and to express in our words and actions outwardly what a one he is according as he hath revealed himself in his word and works It 's great honour to a creature to have the meanest imployment in the Court of this great King But O what is it to be set over all the Kings house and over all his Kingdom But then what is that in respect of this to be next to the King to wait on his own person so to speak therefore the godly man is described as a waiting maid or servant Psal. 123 2. Well then without more discourse upon it without multiplying of it into particular branches to glorifie God is in our souls to conceive of him and meditate on his Name till they receive the impression and stamp of all the letters of his glorious Name and then to express this in our words and actions in commending of him and obeying of him Our soul should be as wax to express the Seal of his glorious Attributes of justice power goodness holiness and mercy and as the Water that receives the beams of the Sun reflects them back again so should our spirits receive the sweet warming beams of his love and glorious excellency and then reflect them towards his Majesty with the desires and affections of our souls All our thoughts of him all our affections towards him should have the stamp of singularity such as may declare there is none like him none besides him our love our meditation our acknowledgement should have this character on their front There is none beside thee Thou art and none else And then a soul should by the cords of affection to him and admiration of him be bound to serve him Creation puts on the obligation to glorifie him in our body and spirits which are his but affection only puts that to exercise All other bonds leaves our natures at liberty but this constrains 2 Cor. 5. 13. it binds on all bonds it tyes on us all divine obligations Then a soul will glorifie God when love so unites it to God and makes it one spirit with him that his glory becomes its honour and becomes the principle of all our inward affections and outward actions It is not alwayes possible to have an expresse particular thought of God and his glory in every action and
as the misapprehension of the thing it self for as long as they mistake it in its own nature no sign no mark can satisfie in it You take Faith to be a perswasion of Gods love that calms and quiets the mind Now such a perswasion needs no sign to know it by it is manifest by its own presence as light by its own brightnesse It were a foolish question to ask any How they knew that they were perswaded of anothers affection The very perswasion it self maketh it self more certain to the soul then any token So then while you question whether you have Faith or not and in the mean time take Faith to be nothing else but such a perswasion it is in vain to bring any marks or signs to convince you that you have Faith for if such a perswasion assurance were in you it would be more powerfull to assure your hearts of it self than any thing else and while you are doubting of it it is more manifest that you have it not than any signs or marks can be able to make it appear that you have it If any would labour to convince a blind man that he saw the light and give him signs tokēs of the lights shining the blind man could not believe him for it is more certain to himself that he sees not than any evidence can make the contrary probable You are still wishing and seeking such a Faith as puts all out of question Now when Ministers bring any marks to prove you have true Faith it cannot satisfie or settle you because your very questioning proves that ye have not that which ye question if you had such a perswasion you would not question it So then as long as you are in that mistake concerning the nature of Faith all the signs of the word cannot settle you But I say if once you understood the true nature of Faith it would be more clear in it self unto you than readily marks and signs could make it especially in the time of temptation If you would know then what it is indeed Consider what the Word of God holds out concerning himself or us the solid belief of that in the heart hath something in the nature of saving Faith in it The Lord gives a testimony concerning Man That he is born in sin that he is dead in sin and all his imaginations are only evil continually Now I say to receive this truth into the soul upon Gods Testimony in a point of Faith the Lord in his Word concludes all under sin and wrath ◅o then for a soul to conclude it self also under sin and wrath is a point of Faith Faith is the souls testimony to Gods truth the Word is Gods Testimony Now then if a soul receive this testimony within whether it be Law or Gospel it 's an act of Faith if a soul condemn it self judge it self that is a setting to our seal that God is true who speaks in his Law so it s a believing in God I say more To believe with the heart that we cannot believe is a great point of found belief because it 's a sealing of that Word of God The heart is desperatly wicked and of our selves we can do nothing Now I am perswaded if such souls knew this they would put an end to their many contentions and wranglings about this point and would rather blesse God that hath opened their eyes to see themselves then contend with him for that they have no Faith It is light only that discovers darknesse and Faith only that descerns unbelief Its life and health only that feels pain sicknesse for if all were alike nothing could be found as in dead bodies Now I say to such souls as believe in God the Law-giver believe also in Christ the Redeemer and what is that It is not to know that I have Interest in him No that must come after it is the Spirits sealing after believing which puts it self out of question when it comes and so if you had it you needed not many signs to know it by at least you would not doubt of it more than he that sees the light can question it But I say to believe in Christ is simply this I whatsoever I be ungodly wretched polluted desperate am willing to have Jesus Christ for my Saviour I have no other help or hope if it be not in him it is I say to lean the weight of thy soul on this foundation stone laid in Zion to embrace the promises of the Gospel albeit generall as worthy of all acceptation wait upon the performance of them It is no other thing but to make Christ welcome to say even so Lord Jesus I am content in my soul that thou be my Saviour to be found in thee not having my own righteousnesse I am well pleased to cast away my own as dung find my self on other not an ungodly man Now it is certain that ◅any souls that are still questioning whether they have Faith yet do find this in their souls but because they know not that it is Faith which they find they go about to seek that which is not Faith and where it is not to be found and so disquiet themselves in vain and hinder fruitfulnesse Now the Faith of a Christian is no fancy it 's no light vain imagination of the brain but it dwells in the heart with the heart man believes and it dwels with love Faith and love we need not be curious to distinguish them it is certain that love is in it from it it s in the very bosome of it because faith is a soul embracing of Christ it 's a choosing of him for its portion and then upon the review of this goodly portion and from consideration what he is and hath done for us the soul loves him still more is impatient of so much distance from him We find them conjoyned in Scripture but they are one in the heart O that we studied to have these joyntly engraven on the heart as they are joyned in the word so our heart should be a living Epistle Faith and Love are two words but one thing under different notions they are the out-goings of the soul to Christ for life the breathings of the soul after him for more of him when it hath once tasted how good he is Faith is not a speculation or a wandring thought of Truth it 's the truth not captivated into the mind but dwelling in the heart getting possession of the whole man you know a man and his will are one not so a man and his mind for he may conceive the truth of many things he loves not but what ever a man loves that and he in a manner becomes one with another Love is unitive it 's the most excellent union of distant things The will commands the whole man and hath the office of applying of all the faculties of their proper works Illa imperat aliae exsequuntur
desired tasting of it only begets a kindly appetite after it the more tasted still the fresher and more recent But yet it is above both desire and fruition thou cannot see my face c. All our knowledge of God all our attainments of experience of him do reach but to some dark confused apprehension of what he is the clearest and nearest sight of God in the world is as if a man were not known but by his back which is a great point of estrangement It 's said in the heaven we shall see him face to face and fully as he is because then the soul is made capable of it Two things in us here puts us in an incapacity of nearnesse with God Infirmity and Iniquity Infirmity in us cannot behold his glory it 's of so weak eies that the brightnesse of the Sun would strike it blind and Iniquity in us he cannot behold it because he is of pure eyes that can look on no unclean thing it 's the only thing in the Creation that Gods holinesse hath antipathy at and therefore he is stil about the destroying of the body of sin in us about the purging of all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit and till the soul be thus purged of all sin by the operation of the Holy Ghost it cannot be a Temple for an immediate vision of him an immediate exhibition of God to us Sin is the wall of partition and the thick cloud that eclipses his glory from us it is the opposite Hemesphere of darknesse contrary to light according to the accesse or recesse of Gods presence it is more or lesse dark the more sin reigns in thee the lesse of God is in thee and the more sin be subdued the readier nearer is Gods presence but let us comfort our selves That one day shal put off both Infirmity and Iniquity mortality shal put on immortality and corruption be cloathed with incorruption we shal leave the rags of mortall weaknesse in the grave and our menstruous cloaths of sin behind us then shal the weak eyes of flesh be made like Eagles eyes to behold the Sun and then shal the soul be cloathed with holinesse as with a Garment which God shal delight to look upon because he sees his own Image in that glasse We come to the Lords satisfying of Moses desire and proclaiming his Name before him it is himself only can tell you what he is it is not Ministers preaching or other discourse can proclaim that Name to you we may indeed speak over those words unto you but it is the Lord that must write that Name upon your heart he only can discover his glory to your spirit There is a spirit of life which cannot be inclosed in Letters and Syllables or transmitted through your ears into your hearts but he himself must create it inwardly and stir up the outward sense feeling of that Name of those Attributes Faith indeed comes by hearing and our knowledge in this life is thorow a glasse darkly thorow ordinances and senses but there must be an inward teaching and speaking to your souls to make that effectuall the anointing teacheth you all things 1 Ioh. 2. 27. Alas its the separation of that from the word that makes it so unprofitable if the spirit of God were inwardly writing what the word is teaching then should our souls be living Epistles that ye might read Gods Name on them O be much in imploying of depending on him that teacheth to profit who only can declare unto your souls what he is These names expresse his Essence or Being his Properties what he is in himself what he is to us in himself he is Jehovah or a self-being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as we heard in the 3. Chap. I am that I am and EL a strong God or Almighty God which two hold out to us the absolute incomprehensible perfection of God eminently and infinitely enclosing within himself all perfections of the creatures the unchangeable and mutable being of God who was and is is to come without succession without variation or shadow of turning and then the Almighty power of God by which without difficulty by the inclination and beck of his will pleasure he can make or unmake all create or annihilate to whom nothing is impossible which three if they were pondered by us till our souls received the stamp of them they would certainly be powerfull to abstract and draw our hearts from the vain changeable and empty shadow of the creature gather our scattered affections that are parted among them because of their unsufficiency that all might unite in one and joyn with this self-sufficient and eternal God I say if a soul did indeed believe and consider how All sufficient he is how insufficient all things else are would it not cleave to him and draw near to him Psal. 73. ult It is the very torment and vexation of the soul to be thus racked distracted divided about many things therefore many because there is none of them can supply all our wants our wants are infinit our desires insatiable the good that is in any thing is limited bounded it can serve one but for one use and another for another use and when all are together they can but supply some wants but they leave much of the soul empty But often these outward things crosses one another and cannot consist together and hence ariseth much strife and debate in a soul his need requireth both and both will not agree But O that you could see this one universall good One for all and above all your souls would choose him certainly your souls would trust in him ye would say Ashur soal not save us we will not ride on horses Creatures shal not satisfie us we will seek our happinesse in thee and no where else since we have tasted this new wine away with the old the new is better I beseech you make God your friend for he is a great one whether he be a friend or an enemy he hath two properties that make him either most comfortable or most terrible according as he is at peace or war with souls Eternity and Omnipotency You were once all enemies to him O consider what a Party you have an Almighty Party and unchangeable Party if you will make peace with him and that in Christ then know he is the best friend in the world because he is unchangeable and Almighty if he be thy friend he will do all for thee he can do and thou hast need of But many friends willing to do yet have not ability but he hath power to do what he will and pleases Many friends are changeable their affections dry up of themselves die and therefore even Princes friendship is but a vain confidence for they shal die then their thoughts of favour perish with them but he abides the same for all Generations there is no end of his
mercy make thee not fear and tremble before him and do not separate thee from thy sins if remission of sins be not the strongest perswasion to thy soul of the removing of sin certaiuly thou dost in vain presume upon his mercy Now consider what influence all this glorious Proclamation had on Moses it stirs up in him reverence and affection reverence to such a glorious Majesty great desire to have him amongst them and to be more one with him If thy soul rightly discover God it cannot but abase thee he made bade haste to bow down and worship O Gods Majesty is a surprising and astonishing thing it would bow thy soul in the dust if it were represented to thee labour to keep the right and intire representation of God in thy sight his whole Name Strong Mercifull Iust Great and Holy I say keep both in thy view for half representations are dangerous either to beget presumption and security when thou looks on mercy alone or despair when thou looks on Justice and power alone Let thy soul consider all joyntly that it may receive amixed impression of all this is the holy composition and temper of a Believer Rejoice with trembling love with fear let all thy discoveries of him aime at more union communion with him who is â—…ch a self-sufficient al-sufficient and eternal Beeing Joh. 4. 24. God is a Spirit and they who worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth WE have here something of the Nature of God pointed out to us somthing of our duty towards him God is a spirit that is his Nature and man must worship him that is his duty that in spirit in truth that is the right manner of the duty if these three were right pondered till they sink in to the bottome of our spirits they would make us indeed Christians not in the Letter but in the Spirit That is presupposed to all Christian worship walking to know what God is it s indeed the Primo cognitum of Christianity the first Principle of true Religion the very root out of which springs grows up walking sutably with worshipping answerably of a known God I fear much of our Religion be like the Athenians They builded an Altar to an unknown God and like the Samaritanes Who worshipped they know not what Such a Worship I know not what it is when the God worshipped is not known The two parents of true Religion are the knowledge of God and of our selves this indeed is the beginning of the fear of God which the wise Preacher cals the beginning of wisdom And these two as they beget true Religion so they cannot truly be one without the other It is not many notions and speculations about the Divine nature it is not high strained conceptions of God that comprises the true knowledg of him many think they know something when they can speak of these mysteries in some singular way and in some tearms removed from common understandings which neither themselves nor others know what they mean thus they are presumptuous self-conceited knowing nothing as they ought to know there is a knowledge that puffes up there is a knowledge that casts down a a knowledge in many that doth buâ—… swell them not grow them It s but a rumor full of wind a vain and empty and fâ—…othy knowledge that is neither good for edifying others nor saving a manâ—… self a knowledge that a man knows and reflects upon so as to ascend upon the height of it and measure himself by the degrees of it this is not the true knowledge of God which knows not it self looks not back upon it self but straight towards God his holinesse and glory our basenesse misery and therefore it constrains the soul to be ashamed of it self in such a glorious presence and to make haste to worship as Moses Iob Isaiah did This definition of God if we did truly understand it we could not but worship him in another manner God is a spirit Many ignorant people form in their own mind some liknesse and Image of God who is invisible you know how ye fancy to your selves some bodily shape when you conceive of him you think he is some Reverend and Majestick Person sitting on a Throne in Heaven But I beseech you correct your mistakes of him there is outward idolatry and there is inward there is idolatry in action when men paint or ingrave some similitude of God there is Idolatry in imagination when the fancy and apprehension runs upon some Image or likenesse of God The first is among Papists but I fear the latter be too common among us it is indeed all one to form such 〈◊〉 similitude in our mind and to ingrave or paint it without so that the God whom many of us worship is not the living and true God but a painted or graven Idol When God appeared most visible to the world â—…s at the giving out of the Law yet no man did see any liknesse at all he did not come under the percepâ—…ion of the most subtile sense he could not be perceived but by the retired understanding going aside â—…om all things visible therefore you do but fancy â—…n idol to your selves in stead of God when you apâ—…rehend him under the likenesse of any visible or senâ—…ble thing so what ever love or fear or reverence â—…ou have it is all but mispent superstition the love â—…nd fear of an idol 1. I know then that God is a Spirit and therefor he is like none of all these things you see or hear or smel or taste or touch The heavens are glorious indeed the light is full of glory but he is not like that If all your senses should make an inquiry and search for him throughout the world you should not find him though he be near hand every one of us yet your eyes and ears all your senses might travel the length of the earth and breadth of the sea and should not find him even as you might search all the corners of heaven ere ye could hear or see an Angel if you saw a man asunder and resolve him in atomes of dust yet you could not perceive a soul within him why Because these are spirits and so without the reach of your senses II. If God be a Spirit then he is invisible dwels in light inaccessible which no man hath seen or can see then ouâ—… poor narrow minds thaâ—… are drowned as it were and immersed into bodies of clay in this state of mortality receives all knowledge of the senses cannot frame any suitable notion of his spiritual and abstracted nature We cannot conceive what our own soul is but by some sensible operation flowing from it and the height that our knowledge of that noble part of our selves amounts to is but this dark confused conception that the soul is some inward principle of life and sense and reason
how then is it possible for us to conceive aright of the divine nature as it is in it self but only in a daâ—…k generall way we guesse at his Majesty by the glorious emanations of his power wisdome the rayes thereof which he displayes abroad in all the works of his hands and from all these concurring testimonies evidences of his Majesty we gather this confused notion of him that he is the fountain-self-independent being the originall of all these things and more absolute in the world then the soul is in the body the true Anima mundi the very life and the light of men the soul that quickens moves forms all this visible world that makes all things visible and himself invisible Therefore it is that the Lord speaks to us in the Scripture of himself according to our capacities of his face his right hand arm his Throne his Scepâ—…er his back parts his anger his fury his repentance his grief and sorrow none of which are properly in his spiritual immortall unchangeable nature but because our dulnesse anâ—… slownesse in such in apprehending things spiritual it being almost without the spâ—…e comprehension of the soul while in the body which is almost addicted unto the senses of the body Therefore the Lord accommodates himâ—… unto our termes and notions balbutit nobiscum he like a 〈◊〉 father stammers wiâ—…h the stammerinâ—… chilâ—…ren speakes to them in their own dialect but withall would have us conceive he is not really such a one but infinitely removed in his own being fâ—…om all these imperfections So when you hear of these teâ—…ms in Scripture O beware ye conceive God to be such a one as your selves but in these expressions not beseeming his Majesty because below him learn your own ignorance of his glorious Majesty your dulnesse and incapacity to be such as the Holy One must come down as it were in some bodily appearance ere you can understand any thing of him III. If God be a Spiâ—…it then he is most perfect most powerfull all imperfection all infirmity and weaknesse in the creature is founded in the grosse material part of it you see the more matter and bodily substance be in any thing it is the more lumpish heavy and void of all action it is the more spiritual pure and refined part of the creation that hath most activity in it and is the principle of all motions and actions You see a little flye hath more action in it than a great mountain because there are spirits in it which move it The bottom of the world contains the dregs of the Creation as it were a masse lump of heavy earth but the higher and more distant bodies be from that the more pure and subtile they are and the more pure subtile they be the more action vertue and efficacy they have the earth stands like a dead lump but the sea moves the air being thinner and purer than both moves more easily and swiftly but go up higher and still the motion is swifter and the vertue and influence is the more powerfull What is a dead body when the soul and spirit is out of it It hath no more vertue nor efficacy than so much clay although by the presence of the spirit of it it was active agill swift strong nimble so much then as any thing hath of spirit in it so much the more perfect and powerfull it is Then I beseech you consider what a one the God of the spirits of all flesh must be the very fountain-spirit the self-being spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 When the soul of a man or the spirit of a horse hath so much vertue to stirre up a lump of earth and to quicken it to many diverse operations even though that soul spirit did not nay could not make that piece of earth they dwel in then what must his power and vertue be that made all those things Who gave power and vertue even to the spirits of all flesh their horses saith God are flesh and not spirit Isa. 30. Because in comparison of his Majesty the very spirits in them are but like a dead lump of flesh If he should draw in his breath as it were they would have no more vertue to save the Israelites noâ—… so many lumps of flesh or clay for he is the spirit of all spirits that quickens actuates and moves them in their severall operations influencies Anima mundi anima animarum mundi an Angel hath more power than all men united in one body Satan is called the Prince of the air God of this world for he hath more efficacy and vertue to commove the air and raise tempests then all the swarmes of multiplied mankind though gathered into any army if the Lord did not restrain and limit his power he were able to destroy whole Nations at once An Angel killed many thousands of Senacheribs Army in one night what would many Angels do then if the Lord pleased to apply them to that work O what is man that he should magnifie himself or glory in strength or skill Beasts are stronger than men but mans weaker strength being strengthned with more skil proves stronger than they but in respect of Angels he hath neither strength nor wisdome IV. If God be a Spirit then he is not circumscribed by any place and if an infinit spirit then he is every where no place can include him and no body can exclude him He is within all things yet not included nor bounded within them he is without all things yet not excluded from them intra omnia non tamen inclusus in illis extra omnia nec tamen exclusus ab all is You know every body hath its own bounds limits circumscribed to it shoots out all other bodily things out of the same space so that before the least body want some space it will put all the universe in motion make every thing about it to change its place and possesse another but a Spirit can passe thorow all of them and never desturb them A Legion may be in one man have room enough If there were a well of Brasse or Tower having no Open neither above or beneath no body could enter but by breaking thorow and making a breach into it but an Angel or Spirit could storm it without a breach and pierce thorow it without any division of it How much more doth the Maker of all Spirits fill all in all the thicknesse of the earth doth not keep him out nor the largenesse of the heavens contain him How then do we circumscribe and limit him within the bounds of a publick house or the heavens O how narrow thoughts have we of his immense greatnesse Who without division or multiplication of himself fills all the corners of the world whose indivisible unity is equivalent to an infinite extension and divisibility How often I pray you do you reflect upon
this God is near hand every one of us Who of us think of a Divine Majesty nearer us than our very souls and consciences in whom we live and move and have our being How is it we move think not with wonder of that first Mover in whom we move How is it we live persevere in being do not always cōsider this fountain-being in whom we live and have our being O the Atheism of many souls prosessing God! We do speak walk eat and drink go about all our businesses as if we were self-being independent of any never thinking of that all-present quickning Spirit that acts us moves us speaks in us makes us to walk and eat and drink as the barbarous people who see hear speak reason and never once reflect upon the principle of all these to discern a soul within This is bruitish in this Man who was made of a straight countenance to look upward to God to know himself and his Maker till he might be differenced from all creatures below is degenerated and become like the beasts that perish Who of us believes this al-present God We imagine that he is shut up in heaven and takes no such notice of affairs below but certainly he is not so far from us though he shew more of his glory above yet he is as present and observant below V. If he be a Spirit then as he is incomprehensible and immense in being so also there is no comprehension of his knowledge The nearer any creature come to the nature of a Spirit the more knowing and understanding it is life is the most excellent being and understanding is the most excellent life Materia est imers mertua the nearer any thing is to the earthly matter as it hath lesse action so lesse life and feeling Man is nearer an Angel then beasts and therefore he hath a knowing and understanding Spirit in him There is a spirit in man and the more or lesse this spirit of man is abstracted from sensual and material things it lives the more excellent and pure life and is as it were more or lesse deliverd from the chains of the body These souls that have never risen above retired from sensible things O how narrow are they how captivated within the prison of the flesh But when the Lord Jesus comes to set free he delivers a soul from this bondage he makes these chains fall off leads the soul apart to converse with God himself and to meditate on things not seen sin wrath hell and heaven the further it goes from it self the more abstracted it is from the consideration of present things the more it lives a life like Angels And therefore when the soul is separated from the body it is then perfectly free and hath the largest extent of knowledge A mans soul must be almost like Pauls whether out of the body or in the body I know not if he would understand aright spiritual things Now then this infinite spirit is an al-knowing spirit al-seeing spirit as well as al-present There is no searching of his understanding Isa. 40. 28. and Psal. 147. 5. Who hath directed this spirit or being his counsellour hath taught him Rom. 11. 34. Isa. 40. 1◅ He calls the Generations from the beginning and known to him are all his works from the beginning O that you would alwayes set this God before you or rather set your selves alwayes in his presence in whose sight you are alwayes How would it compose our hearts to reverence fear in all our actions if we did indeed believe that the Judge of all the World is an eye-witnesse to our most retired and secret thoughts and doings If any man were as privy to thy thoughts as thy own spirit and conscience thou wouldst blush and be ashamed before him If every one of us could open a window into one anothers spirits I think this assembly should dismisse as quickly as that of Christs when he bade them that were without sin cast a stone at the Woman we could not look one upon another O then Why are we so little apprehensive of the al-searching eye of God who can even declare to us our thought before it be How much Atheism is rooted in the heart of the most holy We do not alwayes meditate with David Psal. 139. on that al-searching and al-knowing spirit who knows our down-sitting up-rising understands our thoughts a far off and who is acquainted with all our wayes O How would we ponder our path and examine our words and consider our thoughts before hand if we set our selves in the view of such a Spirit that is within us and without us before us and behind us He may spare sinners as long as he pleases for there is no escaping from him you cannot go out of his dominions nay you cannot run out of his presence Psal. 7. 8. 9. He can reach you when he pleases therefore he may delay as long as he pleases Joh. 4. 24. GOD is a Spirit c. THere are two common notions engraved on the hearts of all men by nature That God is and that he must be worshipped and these two live and die together they are clear or blotted together According as the apprehension of God is clear distinct and more deeply engraven on the soul so is this notion of mans duty of worshipping God clear imprinted on the soul and when ever the actions of men do prove that the conception of the worship of God is obliterate or worn out when ever their transgressions do witnesse that a man hath not a live◅y ◅otion of this duty of Gods worship that doth al◅o prove that the very notion of a God-head is worn out and cancelled in the soul For How could souls conceive of God as he is indeed but they must needs with Moses Exod. 34 make haste to pray and worship It is the principle of the very Law of Nature which shall make the whole world inexcusable because that when they knew God they gloriesied him not as God A Father must have honour and a Master must have fear and God who is the common Parent absolute Master of all must have worship in which reverence and fear mixed with rejoycing and affection predomines it is supposed and put beyond all question that it must be He that worships him c. It s not simply said God is a Spirit must be worshipped no for none can doubt of it If God be then certainly Worship is due to him for who is so worshipfull And because it is so beyond all question therefore woe to the irreligious world that never puts it in practice O What excuse can you have who have not so much as a form of Godlinesse Do you not know that its beyond all Controversie that God must be worshipped Why then do you deny it in your practice which all men must confesse in their conscience Is not he God
joyntly to God it is certainly a great slight of that deceitful destroyer the Devill to possesse your minds with an opinion of Religion in such vain bablings that he may with-draw both your ears your hearts from the publick worship of God for when every one is busied with his own prayers you cannot at all joyn in the publick service of God which is offered up in your name The like I may say of stupid forms of prayer tying your selves to a plat-form written in a book or to some certain words gotten by the heart who hath commanded this Sure not the Lord who hath promised his spirit to teach them to pray and help their infirmities who know not how nor what to pray it is a device of your own invented by Satan to quench the spirit it of supplication which should be the very naturall breathing of a christian But there are some so grossely ignorant of what prayer is that they make use of the ten commands Beleef as a Prayer so void are they of the knowledge and spirit of God that they cannot discern betwixt Gods commands to themselves their own requests to God betwixt his speaking to men and their speaking to him between their professing of him before men and praying and confessing to him all this is but forged imaginary worship worship falsly so called which the Father seeks not and receives not But what if I should say that the most part of your worship even that which is commanded of God as Prayer Hearing Reading c hath no truth in it I should say nothing amiss for though you doe those things that are commanded yet not as Commanded without any respect to divine appointment only because you have received them as traditions from your fathers and because you are taught so by the precepts of men and are accustomed so to do therefore the stamp of Gods will and pleasure is not engraven on them but of your own will or of the will of men Let me pose your Consciences many of you what difference is there between your praying your plowing between your hearing and your harrowing between your reading of the Scriptures and your reaping in the Harvest between your Religious Service and your common ordinary actions I say what difference is in the rise of these You do many civill things out of custome or because of the Precepts of men is there any other principle at the bottom of your religious performances Do you at all consider these are divine appointments these have a stamp of his authority on them and from the Conscience of such an immediat command of God and the desire to please him and obey him do you go about these I fear many cannot say it O I am sure all cannot thogh it may be all will say it therefore your religious worship can come in no other account than will-worship or man-worship it hath not the stamp of truth on it an express conformity to the truth of God as his truth But we must presse out this a little more Truth is opposed to a ceremony shadow The ceremonies of old were shadows or the external body of Religion in which the soul and spirit of godlinesse should have been enclosed but the Lord did alwaies urge more earnestly the substance and truth then the ceremony the weightier matters of the Law Piety equity and sobriety than these lighter external Ceremonies he sets an higher account upon mercy then sacrifice upon obedience then Ceremonies but this people turned just contrary they summed up all their Religion in some ceremonial performance and separated those things God had so nearly conjoyned they would be devout men in offering sacrifices in their washings in their rites and yet made no conscience of heart and Soul-piety toward God upright just dealing with men Therefore the Lord so often quarrels them rejects all their service as being adevice and invention of their own which never entred in his heart Isa. 1. from 10. to 16. Ier. 7. throughout Isa. 66. to 6. Isa 28. Now if you will examine it impartially it is even just so with us there are some externall things in Religion which in comparison with the weightier things of faith and obedience are but ceremonial in these you place the most part if not all your Religion and think your selves good Christians if you be baptized and hear the Word and partake of the Lords table and such like though in the mean time you be not given to secret prayer reading and do not inwardly judge and examine your selves that you may flee unto a Mediator thogh your conversation be unjust and scandalous among men I say unto such souls as the Lord to the Jews Who hath required this at your hands who commanded you to hear the VVord to be baptized to wait on publick Ordinances Away with all this it is abomination to his Majesty though it please you never so well the more it displeases him If you say why commands he us to hear c. I say the Lord never commanded these external Ordinances for the sum of true Religion that was not the great thing which was in his heart that he had most pleasure unto but the weightier matters of the Law piety equity sobriety a holy and godly conversation adorning the Gospell What hath the Lord required of thee but this O man To do justly and walk humbly with thy God So then thou dost not worship him in Truth but in shadow the Truth is holinesse and righteousnesse that externall profession is but a Ceremony while you separate these external Ordinances from these weighty duties of piety justice that they are but as dead body without a soul. If the Lord required truth of old much more now when he hath abolished the multitude of Ceremonies that the great things of his Law may be more seen and loved If you would then be true worshippers look the whole mind of God especially the chief pleasure of Gods mind that which he most delights into and by any means do not separate what God hath conjoyned do not divide righteousness towards men from a profession of holiness to God else it is but a falshood a counterfeit coyn do not please your selves so much in externall Church priviledges without a holy and godly conversation adorning the Gospel but let the chief study endeavour delight of your souls be about that which God most delights into let the substantials of Religion have the first place in the soul Pray more in secret that he will be the life of your souls you ought indeed to attend publick ordinances but above all take heed to your conversation walking at home and in secret prayer in your Family is a more substantiall worship then to sit hear prayer in publick and prayer in secret is more substantiall then that The more retired and immediate a duty be the more weighty it is the more it
Ordinances but that Christians are now called to worship all Spirit pure Spirit c. This is one of the Spirits spiritual Doctrines that call themselves so which ye must not receive for it is neither spirit of God nor of Christ that teacheth this nor the spirit of God the Creator because he hath made the whole man body and soul and so must be worshipped of the whole man He hath created man in such a capacity as he may offer up external actions in a reasonable manner with the inward affections as the Lord hath created him so he should serve him every member every part in its own capacity the soul to preceed and the body to follow the soul to be the chief worshipper and the body its servant imployed in the worship True worship hath a body and a soul as well as a true man and as the soul separated is not a compleat man so neither is the soul separated a compleat worshipper without the body the external Ordinances of God is the body the inward soul-affection is the Spirit which being joyned together makes compleat worship Neither is it the Spirit of Christ which teacheth this because our Lord Jesus hath taught us to offer up our bodies and spirits both in a reasonable service Rom. 12. 1 2. The sacrifice of the bodily performance offered up by the spiritual affection and renewed mind is a living sacrifice holy acceptable and reasonable That spirit which dwelt in Christ above measure did not think it too base to vent it self in the way of externall Ordinances He was indeed above all above the Law yet did willingly come under them to teach us who have so much need and want to come under them He prayed much he preached he did sing and read to teach us how to worship and how much need we have of Prayer and Preaching This was not the Spirit Christ promised to his Disciples and Apostles which spirit did breath most lively in the use of the external Ordinances all their dayes and this is not the spirit which was at the hour in which Christ spoke The hour is come and now is ver 23. in which the true worship of God shal not be in the external and Jewish Ceremonies and rites void of all life and inward sense of Piety but the true worship of God shal be made up of a soul and body of spirit and truth of the external appointed Ordinances according to the word of truth and the spirit of truth and of the spirit and inward soul-affection and sincerity which shal quicken and actuate that external performance There were no such worshippers then as had no use of Ordinances Christ was not such his Disciples were not such therefore it is a new Gospel which if an Angel should bring from heaven ye ought not to receive it As it is certain then that both soul and body must be imployed in this businesse so it is sure that the soul spirit must be the first mover and chiefest agent in it because it is a spiritual businesse and hath relation to the fountain-spirit which hath the most perfect opposition to all false appearances and externall shews that part of man that commeth nearest God must draw near in worshipping of God if that be removed far away there is no real communion with God man judges according to the outward appearance and can reach no further than the outward man but God is an all-searching spirit who tryeth the heart and rins and therefore he will passe another judgement upon your worship then men can do because he observes all the secret wandrings and escapes of the heart out of his sight he misses the soul when you present attentive ears or eloquent tongues there is no dallying with his Majesty painting will not deceive him his very Nature is contrary to Hypocrisie dissimulation and what is it but dissimulation when you present your selves to Religious exercises as his people but within are nothing like it nothing awaking nothing present O consider my beloved what a one you have to do with It is not men but the Father of Spirits who will not be pleased with what pleases men of your own flesh but must have a spirit to serve him Alas what are we doing with such empty names and shews in Religion Busied in the outside of worship only as if we had none to do with but men who have eyes of flesh all that we do in this kind is lost labour and will never be reckoned up in the account of true worship I am sure you know and may reflect upon your selves that you make Religion but a matter of outward fashion and externall custome you have never almost taken to heart in earnest you may frequent the Ordinances you may have a form of godlinesse consisting in some outward performances priviledges and O! how void and destitute of all Spirit and Life and Power not to speak of the removall of affection and the imploying of the marrow of your soul upon base lusts and creatures or the scattering of your desires abroad amongst them for that is too palpable but even your very thoughts mindâ—… are removed from this busines you have nothing present but an ear or eye your minds is about other businesse your desires your fears your joyes and delights your affections never did run in the channel of religious exercises all your passion is vented in other things but here you are blockish stupid without any sensible apprehension of God his mercy or Justice or wrath or of your own misery and want You sorrow in other things but none here none for sin you joy for other things but none here you cannot rejoyce at the Gospel Prayer is a burthen not a delight if your spiriâ—…s were chiefly imployed in Religious duties Religion would be almost your Element your pleasure and Recreation but now it is wearisome to the flesh because the Spirit taketh not the chief weight upon it Oh be not deceived God is not mocked you do but mock your selves with external showes while you are satisfied with them I beseech you look inwardly and be not satisfied with the outward appearance but ask at thy Soul where it is and how it is Retire within and bring up thy spirit to this work I am sure you may observe that any thing goes more smoothly and sweetly with you then the Worship of God because your mind is more upon any thing else I fear the most part of us who endeavour to some measure to seek God have too much drosse of outward formality much scumof filthy hypocrisie and guile O pray that the present furnace may purge away this scum It is the great ground of Gods present controversie with Scotland but alas the Bellows are like to burn we not be purged our scum goes not from us we satisfie our selves with some outward exercises of Religion custome undoes us all it was never more
that so many do abide in themselves and trusting to their own good purposes resolutions endeavoâ—…s do think to pacifie God and help themselves out of their misery But O look again and look in upon your selves in the glass of the Word and there is no doubt but you vvill straightway be filled vvith confusion of face and be altogether spoiled of good confidence and hope as you call it you vvill find your self plunged in a pit of misery and all strength gone and none on the right hand or the left to help you and then and not till then vvill the second Adams hand stretched out for our help be seasonable That vvhich next follows is that vvhich is the companion of sin inseparably Death hath past upon all and that by sin Adams one disobedience opened a port for all sin to enter upon mankind and sin cannot enter vvithout this companion Death Sin goes before and Death follows on the back of it and these suite one another as the vvork and the vvages as the tree and the fruit they have a sibness one to another sowing to corruption reaps an answerable harvest to vvit corruption Sowing to the vvind and reaping the vvhirlewind how suitable are they That men may know how evil and bitter a thing sin is he makes this the fruit of it In his first Law and sanction given out to men he joyns them inseparably sin and death sin and vvrath sin and a curse By Death is not only meant bodily death which is the separation of the soul from the body but first the spiritual death of the soul consisting in a separation of the soul from Gods blessed enlightning enlivening and comforting countenance Mans true life wherein he differs from beasts consists in the right aspect of God upon his soul in his walking with God and keeping communion with him all things besides this are but common and base and this was cut off his comfort his joy and peace in God extinct God became terrible to his conscience and therefore man did flee and was araid when he heard his voice in the garden Sin being interposed between God and the soul cut off all the influence of heaven Hence arises darkness oâ—… mind hardness of heart delusions vile affections horror of conscience Look what difference is between a living creature and a dead carcase so much is between Adams soul upright living in God and Adams soul separated from God by sin Then upon the outward man the curse redounds the body becoms mortal which had been incorruptible it 's now like a besiedged City now some outward sorts are gained by diseases now by pains and torments the outward wals of the body are at length overcome and when life hath fled into a Castle within the City the heart that is at last all besiedged so straitly and stormed so violently that it must render unto death upon any terms The body of man is even a seminary of a world of diseases and grievances that if men could look upon it aright they might see the sentence of death every day performed Then how many evils in estate in friends and relations in imployments which being considered by Heathens hath made them praise the dead more then the living but him not yet born most of all because the present life is nothing else but a valley of misery and tears a sea of troubles where one wave continually prevents another and comes on like Iobs messengers before he speak out his woâ—…ul tydings another comes with such like or worse But that which is the sum and accomplishment of Gods curse and mans misery is that death to come eternal death not death simply but an everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power An infinite loss because the loss of such a glorious life in the enjoyment of Gods presence and an infinite hurt and torment beside and both eternal Now this is that we would lay before you you are under such an heavy sentence from the womb a 〈◊〉 of the Almighty adjudging you for Adams guilt and your own to all the misery in this world and the next to all the treasures of wrath that are heaped up against the day of wrath and strange it is how vve can live in peace and not be troubled in mind vvho have so great and formidable a party Be perswaded O be perswaded that there shal not one â—…ot of this be removed it must be fulfilled in you or your Cautioneâ—… and vvhy then is a Savior offered a City of refuge opened and secure sinners vvill not flee into it But as for as many as have the inward dreadful apprehension of this vvrath to come and knows not vvhat to do know that to you is Jesus Christ preached the second Adam a quickning Spirit and in that consideration better then the first not only a living soul himself but a Spirit to quicken you vvho are dead in sins one that hath undertaken for you and vvill hold you fast Adam vvho should have kept us lost himself Christ in a manner lost himself to save us And as by Adams disobedience all this sin misery hath abounded on man know that the second Adam his obedience and righteousness is of greater vertue and efficacy to save and in stead of sin to restore righteousness and in stead of death to give life therefore you may come to him and you shal be more surely kept then beâ—…ore 1. Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Iesus Christ came in the world to save sinners OF all Doctrines that ever vvere published to men this contained here is the choisest as you see the very preface prefixed to it import And truly as it is the most excellent in it self it could not but be sweet unto us if we had received into the heart the belief of our own wretchedness misery I do not know a more soveraign cordial for a fainting soul then this faithful saying That Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners And therfore we are most willing to dwel on this â—…ubject and to inculcate it often upon you That without him ye are undone and lost and in him you may be saved I profess all other subjects howsoever they might be more pleasing to some hearers are unpleasant and unsavory to me This is that we would once learn and ever be learning to know him that came to save us and come to him We labored to show unto you the state of sin and misery that Adams first transgression hath subjected all mankind unto which if it were really and truly apprehended I do not think but it would make this saying welcome to our souls Man being plunged into such a deep pit of misery sin and death having over-flowed the whole world and this being seen and acknowledged by a sinner certainly the next question in order of nature is this Hath God left all to perish in this
knowledge and omniscience p. 128. SERMON XI Joh. 4. 26. The true knowledge that God is and that he is to be worshipped goes together HOw inexcusable they are who profess to believe a Diety do not worship him p. 129 It is the souls honour and happiness to worship God p. 130 It 's all one not to worship God at all and not to worship him as he hath commanded p. 131 What will-worship and what true worship is p. 132 The most part of worship though commanded hath no truth in it p. 133 Truth in worship is opposed to Ceremony p. 134 Many place all their Religion in externalls p. 135 Men ought to be most taken up with that in Religion upon which God layes most weight and wherein he is most delighted p. 136 It compleats our worship when the thing commanded is performed according as it is commanded p. 137 What is the right manner in worshipping God p. 138 The best litle acquainted with spiritual worship p. 139 True worship must have the stamp of Gods spiritual nature engraven on it p. 140 External worship necessary under the Gospel p. 141 The soul and spirit must be the first mover and chief agent in spiritual worship p. 142 The greatest part of our Religion is bodily exercise ibid. What makes Religion burdensome and unpleasant to us p. 143 Formality in worship the greatest controversie against the land ibid. SERMON XII Deut. 6. 4. 1 Joh. 5. 7. Of the Unity of Gods essence and the Trinity of Persons GOdliness and Mystery p. 144 There is an unlawfull curiosity in men to know those things that are kept secret p. 145 We are to believe the mystery of the Trinity though we know not how it is p. 146 The light of reason may convince men that there is but one God p. 147 Why Christ is called the Word p. 148 149 Of the three Witnesses upon earth p. 150 SERMON XIII Deut. 6. 4. Joh. 5. 7. Of the Unity of the God-head and Trinity of Persons THe whole Word of God profitable ibid. The unsearchableness of this mystery of the Trinity ought to compose our hearts to a reverend apprehension of Gods divine Majesty p. 151 Since there is but one God we ought to have no other besides him p. 152 153 We have much and strong consolation both from the thing witnessed and from the Witnesses that bear testimony p. 154 155 Faiths victory is from the object of it the Lord God Almighty p. 156 Few consider that Jesus Christ the Saviour is the Eternall Son of God and the sad consequences thereof p. 157 We are ready so far to mis-conceive of God as if the Father and the holy Ghost were not so well minded to the Salvation of sinners as Jesus Christ. p. 158 The mystery of the Trinity affords us this plain instruction how me ought to worship God p. 159 SERMON XIV Eccles. 1. 11. Job 23. 13. Of the Decrees of God GODS absolute self-sufficient perfection admits of no accession of blessedness from the things which he hath made p. 160 The Eternal purpose and Decree of God it it most wise p. 161 It is most absolute and free having no cause without himself p 162 It is the first rise of all things past present to come p. 163 It reaches to every particular being and act so that nothing falls out by chance p. 164 165 The purpose of God is one and unchangeable p. 166 167 How we are to understand those Scriptures which speak of his repenting p. 168 169 Whatever God hath purposed from Eternity that he executes in time p. 170 Gods commands do not so much signifie what he intends to effectuate as what is our duty ibid. How comfortable it is for a Christian to consider that whatsoever falls out is according to an Eternall Counsel p. 171 The Counsel of God irresistible p. 172 The consideration of Gods Eternal Counsel should teach us that sweet Lesson of submission wherein we are so much wanting and so unwilling to learn p. 173 Want of submission makes a mans yoke heavy and his bands strong p. 174 From the absolute Dominion of God over all things we are to learn confidence in him in all things and for all things p. 175 176 Who are heirs of the promise p. 177 It is a well-spring and fountain of consolation to the people of God that he is in one mind p. 178 SERMON XV. Eph. 1. 11. Rom. 9. 22 23. Of Predestination PRedestination a Mystery not to be curiously or boldly enquired into p. 179 For the right up-taking of Predestination we must know that there is not a plurality of purposes in God but one intire purpose concerning all things p. 180 As also that it is not the creature or any thing in the creature which is first in his mind but himself and his own glory p. 181 How men miscarry in conceiving of the purposes of God while they subject the most High to the Rules of Carnall Reason where of the Arminian fore-knowledge and how it derogates both from the Soveraignty of God and the wisdome of God ib. p. 182 Some make that first in his intention which is last in execution p. 183 184 185 186 187 Gods saving the vessels of mercy by a Redeemer is not simply to manifest the glory of his goodness but of his gracious and mercifull goodness p. 188 189 190 SERMON XVI Rom. 9. 22. Eccles. 11. Of Predestination HOw to silence all the secret surmises and mutinies of the heart concerning Predestination p. 191 192 How great wickedness it is to enquire into a cause of his will ibid. Men speak wickedly for God in the matter of Predestination p. 193 194 195 The Objections of Carnall Reason against Predestination tending to accuse God and justifie men answered p. 196 197 198 199 SERMON XVII Heb. 11. 3. Of Creation GOD is the Creator of all things these things which he hath made prove him to be God p. 200 201 When this visible world was made p. 202 The wickedness of mens curiosity in enquiring what God was doing before he made the world why he was so long in applying himself to this work ibid. p. 203 The Lord in the beginning of the world declares more manifestly his Eternity his Self-sufficiency and his Liberty p. 204 205 God made all things very good to declare his goodness and wisdome p. 106 The course of nature is one continued wonder ibid. The power of God doth eminently appear in making all things of nothing and how easie it was for him to do so p. 207 Why the Lord took six dayes to perfect the work of Creation p. 208 SERMON XVIII Heb. 11. 3. Heb. 11. 4. Of Creation IT is not believed or laid to heart that God made the Heaven and the Earth p. 209 210 The faith of Gods making the world is of singular use to a Christian through his whole course p. 211 212 213 SERMON XIX Gen. 1. 26. 27. Of the Creation of Man
meditation but for the most part it ought to be so And if souls were accustomed to meditation on God it would become their very nature altera natura pleasant and delightsome However if there be not alwayes an express intention of Gods glory yet there ought to be kept alwayes such a disposition and temper of spirit as it may be construed to proceed from the intention of Gods glory and then it remains in the seed and fruit if not in it self Now when we are speaking of the great end and purpose of our Creation we call to mind our lamentabel and tragicall Fall from that blessed station we were constitute into All men have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 3. 23. His being in the world was for that glory and he is come short of that glory O strange short-comming short of all that he was ordained for What is he now meet for For what purpose is that chief of the works of God now The salt if it lose its saltness is meet for nothing for wherewithall shal it be seasoned Mark 9. 50. Even so when man is rendered unfit for his proper end he is meet for nothing but to be cast out and trod upon he is like a withered branch that must be cast into the fire Ioh. 15. 6. Some things if they fail in one use they are good for another but the best things are not so Corruptio optimi pessima As the Lord speaks to the house of Israel shal wood be taken off the vine tree for my work even so the inhabitants of Ierusalem Ezech. 15. 2 3 4 5. If it yeeld not Wine it 's good for nothing so if man do not glorifie God if he fall from that he is meet for nothing but to be cast into the fire of hell and burnt for ever he is for no use in the Creation but to the fuell to the fire of the Lords indignation But behold the goodnesse of the Lord and his kindnesse and love hath appeared towards men not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us through Iesus Christ Tit. 3. 4 5. Our Lord Jesus by whom all thing were created and for whom would not let this excellent workmanship perish so therefore he goes about the work of Redemption a second Creation more laborious and also more glorious than the first that so he might glorifie his Father and our Father Thus the breach is made up thus the unsavory salt is seasoned thus the withered branch is quickned again for that same fruit of praises and glorifying of God This is the end of his second Creation as it was of the first we are his workmanship created to good works in Christ Iesus Eph. 2. 10. This is the work of God to believe in him to set to our seal and to give our testimony to all his Attributes Ioh. 6. 29. and 3. 33. We are bought with a price and therefore we ought to glorifie him with our souls and bodies he made us with a word and that bound us but now he has made us again and paid a price for us and so we are twice bound not to be our own but his 1 Cor. 6. ult And so to glorifie him in our bodies and spirits I beseech you gather your spirits call them home about the businesse We once came short of our end Gods glory and our happinesse but know that it is attainable again we lost both but both are found in Christ Awake then and stir up your spirits else it shal be double condemnation when we have the offer of being restored to our former blessed condition to love our present misery better Once establish this point within your souls and therefore ask why came I hither To what purpose am I come into the world If you do not ask it what will you answer when he asks you at your appearance before his Tribunall I beseech you what will many of you say in that day when the Master returns and takes an account of your dispensation You are sent into the world only for this businesse to serve the Lord Now what will many of you answer If you speak the truth as then you must do it you cannot lie then you must say Lord I spent my time in serving my own lusts I was taken up with other businesses and had no leisure I was occupyed in my calling c. even as if an Embassadour of a King should return him his account of his negotiation I was busie at Cards and Dice I spent my mony and did wear my cloaths Though you think your plowing and borrowing and trafficking and reaping very necessary yet certainly these are but as trifles and toyes to the main businesse O what dreadfull account will souls make they come here for no purpose but to serve their bodies and senses to be slaves to all the creatures which were once put under mans feet Now man is under the feet of all and he has put himself so If you were of these creatures then you might be for them you seek them as if you were created for them and not they for you and you seek your selves as if you were of your selves and had not your descent of God Know my beloved that you were not made for that purpose nor yet redeemed either to serve your selves or other creatures but that other creatures might serve you and ye serve God Luk. 1. 74 75. And this is really the best way to serve our selves and to save our selves to serve God Self-seeking is self-destroying self-denying is soul-saving He that seeketh to save his life shal lose it and he that loseth his life shal find it and he that denies himself and follows me is my disciple Will ye once sit down in good earnest about this businesse It is lamentable to be yet to begin to learn to live when ye must die ye will be out of the world almost ere you bethink your self Why came I into the world Quidam tunc vivere incipiunt cum definendum est imò quidam ante vivere defiêrunt quam inciperent this is of all most lamentable many souls end their life before they begin to live For what is our life but a living death while we do not live to God and while we live not in relation to the great end of our life and being the glory of God It were better saith Christ that such had never been born You who are created again in Jesus Christ it most of all concerns you to ask Why am I made and why am I redeemed And to what purpose It is certainly that you may glorifie your heavenly Father Mat. 5. 16. Psal. 58. 13. And you shal glorifie him if you bring forth much fruit continue in his love Ioh. 15. 8. And this you are chosen and ordained unto ver 16. And therefore abide in him that you may bring forth fruit ver 4. And if you abide in him
possession of it Let all your meditations and affections and conversion proclaim this Whom have I in heaven but thee and none in the earth beside thee And certainly he shal guide you to the end and receive you into glory then you shal rest from your labours because you shal dwell in him and enjoy that which you longed and laboured for Let the consideration of our end unite the hearts of Christians here O what an absurd thing is it that those who shal lodge together at night be made perfect in one should not only go contrary wayes but have contrary minds and affections Of the SCRIPTURES 2 Tim. 3. 16. All Scriptures is given c. WE told you that there was nothing more necessary to know then what our end is and what the way is that leads to that end We see thâ—… most part of men walking at random running an uncertain race because they do not propose unto themselves a certain scope to aim at and whither to direct their whole cours According to mens particular inclinations humors so do the purposes designs of men vary and often do the purposes of one man change according to the circumstances of time his condition in the World We see all men almost running crosse one to another one drives at the satisfaction of his lust by pleasure another fancies a great felicity in honour a third in getting riches and thus men divide themselves whereas if it were true happinesse that all were seeking they would all go one way towards one end If men be not in the right way the faster they seem to move toward the mark the farther they go from it wandering from the right way suppose men intend well will put them farther from that which they intend Si via in contrarium ducat ipsa velocitas as majoris intervalli causa est Therefore it concerns us all most deeply to be acquainted with the true path of blessednesse For if we once mistake the more we do the swister we move the more distant we are from it indeed And there is the more need because there are so many by-paths that lead to destruction What say I by paths No high wayes beaten-paths that the multitude of men walk in never challenge nor will endure to be challenged as if they were in an error In other journeys men keep the plain high way and are afraid of any secret by-way lest it lead them wrong At hîc via quaeque tritissima maximè decipit Here the high pathed way leads wrong and O far wrong to Hell This is the meaning of Christs Sermon Enter in at the strait gate but walk not in the broad way where many walk for it leads to destruction Therefore I would have this perswasion once begotten in your souls that the course of the world the way of the most part of men is dangerous is damnable O consider whither the way will lead you before you go further Do not think it a folly to stand still now examine it when ye have gone on so long in their company Stand I say and consider be not ignorant as beasts that know no other thing than to follow the drove quae pergunt non quae eundum est sed quae itur they follow not whither they ought to go but whither most go You are men and have reasonable souls within you therefore I beseech you be not composed and fashioned according to custome and example that is brutish but according to some inward knowledge and reason Retire once from the multitude and ask in earnest at God what is the way Him that fears him he will teach the way that he should choose the way'to this blessed end is very strait very difficult you must have a guide in it you must have a lamp and a light in it else you cannot but go wrong The principles of reason within us are too dark dim they will never lead us through the pits and snares in the way these indeed shined brightly in Adam that he needed no light without him no voice about him But sin hath extinguished it much and there remains nothing but some little spunk or sparkle under the ashes of much corruption that is but insufficient in it self and is often more blinded and darkned by lusts so that if it were never so much refined as it was in many heathens yet it is but the blind leading the blind and both must fall into the ditch Our end is high and divine To glorifie God and to enjoy Him therefore our reason caligat ad suprema it can no more stedfastly behold that glorious end move towards it then our weak eyes can behold the Sun Our eyes can look downward upon the earth but not upward to the Heavens So we have some remnant of reason in us that hath some petty and poor ability for matters of little moment as the things of this life But if once we look upward to the glory of God or eternal happinesse our eyes are dazled our reason confounded we cannot stedfastly behold that Eph. 4. 18. 2 Cor. 3. 13. 14. Therefore the Lord hath been pleased to give us the Scriptures which may be a Lamp unto our feet a guide unto our way whereunto we shal do well to take heed as unto a candle or a light that shines in a dark place till the day dawn 2 Pet. 1. 6. These are able to make us wise unto salvation Let us here what Paul speaks of Timothy 2 Tim. 3. 16. All Scriptures is given c. Where you have two points of high concernment The Authority of the Scriptures and their Utility Their Authority for they are given by Divine Inspiration Their Utility for they are profitable for Doctrine c. and can make us perfect and well furnished to every good work The Authority of it is in a peculiar way divine of him and through him are all things All Writings of men according to the truth of the Scriptures have some Divinity in them in as much as they have of truth which is a Divine thing Yet the Holy Scriptures are by way of excellency attributed to God for they are immediatly inspired of God Therefore Peter saith that the Scriptures came not in old time by the will of Man but holy men spake as they were moved by the holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 21. God by his Spirit as it were acted the part of the soul in the Prophets and Apostles and they did no more but utter what the Spirit conceived The holy Ghost inspired the matter the words they were but tongues pens to speak write it unto the people here needed no debate no search in their own minds for the truth no inquisition for light but light shined upon their souls so brightly so convincingly that it puts it beyond all question that it was the mind and voice of God You need not ask How they did know that their dreams or
visions were indeed from the Lord And that they did not frame any imagination in their own hearts and taught it for his Word as many did I say you need no more ask that than ask How shal a man see light or know the Sun-shine light makes it self manifest and all other things it s seen by its own brightnesse even so the holy men of God needed not any mark or sign to know the Spirits voice his revelation needed not the light of any other thing it was light it self he would certainly over power the soul and mind and leave no place of doubting God who cannot be deceived and can deceive no man hath delivered us this Doctrine O with what reverence should we receive it as if we heard the Lord from heaven speak If you ask How you shal be perswaded that the Scriptures are the Word of God his very mind opened to men made legible Truly there are some things cannot be well proved not because they are doubtfull but because they are clear of themselves and beyond all doubt and exception Principles of Arts must not be proved but supposed till you find by triall and experience afterward that they were indeed really true There are no question such characters of Divinity and Majesty imprinted in the very Scriptures themselves that whosoever hath the eyes of his understanding opened though he run he may read them and find God in them What Majesty is in the very simplicity and plainnesse of the Scriptures They do not labour to please mens ears and adorn the matter with the curious garments of words and phrases but represent the very matter it self to the soul as that which in it self is worthy of all acceptation and needs no humane eloquence to commend it Painting doth spoil native beauty external ornamēts would disfigure some things that are of themselves proportioned and lovely therefore the Lord choses a plain and simple style which is foolishnesse to the world but in these swadling cloaths of the Scriptures and this poor Cottage the Child Jesus the Lord of Heaven and Earth is contained There is a jewel of the mysterious wisdom of God and mans eternal blessednesse in the Mineral What glorious and astonishing humility is here What humble and homly Glory and Majesty also He is most high and yet none so lowly What excellent consent and harmony of many writters in such distant times Wonder at it All speak one thing to one purpose to bring men to God to abase all glory and exalt him alone Must it not be one Spirit that hath quickned all these and breathes in them all this one heavenly Song of Glory to God on high and good will towards men Other Writers will reason these things with you to convince you and perswade you and many thinks them more profound and deep for that reason and do despise the basenesse of the Scriptures But to them vvhose eyes are opened the Majesty and authority of God commanding and asserting and testifying to them is more convincing from its own bare assertion then all humane reason Although there be much light in the Scriptures to guide mens vvay to Gods glory and their own happinesse yet certainly it vvill all be too smal purpose if the eyes of our understanding be darkned and blinded If you shal surround a man vvith day-light except he open his eyes he cannot see The Scriptures are a clear Sun of life and righteousnesse but the blind soul compassed vvith that light is nothing the vviser but thinks the lamp of the Word shines not because it sees not it hath its own dungeon vvithin it therefore the Spirit of God must open the eyes of the blind enlighten the eyes of the understanding that a soul may see vvonderfull things in Gods Law Psal. 119. 5. 8. Ioh. 1. 5. The light may shine in the darknesse but the darknesse cannot comprehend it I vvonder not that the most part of men can see no Beauty no Majesty no excellency in the holy Scriptures to allure them because they are natural and have not the spirit of God and so cannot know these things for they are spiritually discerned 2 Cor. 2. 14. c. Therefore as the inspiration of God did conceive this writting at first and preached this Doctrine unto the world so there can no soul understand it or profite by it but by the inspiration of the Almighty Verily there is a spirit in man and the inspiration of the Almighty gives him understanding saith Iob. When the spirit comes into the soul to engrave the Characters of that Law and truth into the heart which were once engraven on Tables of Stone and not written with Pen and Ink then the spirit of Christ Jesus writes over and transcribes the Doctrine of the Gospel on fleshly Tables of the heart draws the lineaments of that faith and love preached in the word upon the soul then the soul is the Epistle of Christ written not with ink and pen but with the spirit of the living God 2 Cor. 3. 3. And then the soul is manifestly declared to be such when that which is impressed on the heart is expressed in the outward man in walking that it may be read of all men Now the soul having thus received the Image of the Scriptures on it understands the Spirits voice in them and sees the truth and divinity of them The eye must receive some species and likenesse of the object before it see it it must be made like to the object ere it can behold it Intelligens in actu fit ipsum intelligible So the soul must have some inspiration of the holy Ghost before it can believe with the heart the inspyred Scriptures Now for the utility and profit of the Scripture who can speak of it according to its worth Some things may be over-commanded nay all things but this one God speaking in his word to mankind Many Titles are given to humane writings some are called accurate some subtile some ingenious and quick some profound and deep some plain some learned But call them what they please the Scriptures may vindicate to it self these two Titles as its own prerogative Holy and profitable The best speaker in the world in many words cannot want sin The best Writer hath some drosse refuse but here all is holy all is profitable Many Books are to no purpose but to feed and inflame mens lusts many serve for nothing but to spend drive over the time without thought most part are good for nothing but to burden and over-weary the world to put them in a fancy of knowledge which they have not many serve for this only to nourish mens curiosity and vain imaginations and contentions about words and notions but here is a Book profitable all profitable If you do not yet profit by it you can have no pleasure in it it s only ordained for souls profiting not for pelasing your fancy not for matter of curious speculation not for
a little time the advantage of all the Books of the world shal be gone The statutes and Laws of Kings and Parliaments can reach no further then some temporall reward or punishment their highest pain is the killing of this body their highest reward is some evanishing and sading honour or perishing richest But he sheweth his word and judgements to us and hath not dealt so with every nation Psal. 147. 19. 20. And no nation under the whole heaven hath such Laws and Ordinances eternall life and eternall death is wrapt up in them these are rewards and punishments suitable to the Majesty and Magnificence of the eternall Law-giver Consider I beseech you what is folded up here the Scriptures shew the path of life life is of all beings most excellent and comes nearest the blessed being of God When we say life we understand a blessed life that only deserves the name Now this we have lost in Adam death is past upon all men but that death is not the worst it s but a consequence of a soul death the immortall soul whose life consisteth in Communion with God peace with him is seperated from him by sin and so killed when it s cut off from the fountain of life what life can it have any more than a beam that is cut off by the intervention of a dark body from the sun Now then what a blessed Doctrine must it be that brings to light life and immortality especially when we have so much miserably lost it and involved our souls into an eternall death Life is precious in it self but much more precious to one condemned to die to be caught out of the paws of the Lyon to be brought back from the Gibbet O how will that commend the favour of a little more time in the World But then if we knew what an eternall misery we are involved into and stand under a sentence binding us over to such an inconceivable and insupportable punishment as is the curse wrath of God O how precious an esteem would souls have of the Scriptures how would they be sweet unto their soul because they shew unto us a way of escaping that pit of misery and a way of attaining eternall blessednesse as satisfying and glorious as the misery would have been vexing and tormenting O that ye would once lay these in the ballance together this present life and eternall life Know ye not that your souls are created for eternity that they will eternally survive all these present things Now how do ye imagine they shal live after this life your thoughts and projects and designs are confined within the poor narrow bounds of your time when you die in that day your thoughts shal perish all your imaginations and purposes providences shal have an end then they reach no further then that time if you should wholly perish too it were not so much matter but for all your purposes and projects to come to an end when you are but beginning to live and enter eternity that is lamentable indeed Therefore I say consider what ye are doing weigh these in a ballance eternal life the present life if there were no more difference but the continuence of the one shortnesse of the other that this worlds standing is but as one day one moment to eternity that ought to preponderate in your souls do we not here flee away as a shadow upon the mountains are we not as a vapour that ascends and for a litle time appears a solid body and then presently vanisheth Do we not come all into the stage of the world as for an hour to act our part and be gone now then what is this to endless eternity When you have contained as long as since the World began you are no nearer the end of it ought not that estate then to be most in your eyes how to lay up a foundation for the time to come But then compare the misery and vexation of this life with the glory and felicity of this eternall life what are our dayes but few and full of trouble Or if you will take the most blessed estate you have seen or heard of in this world of Kings and rich men and help all the defects of it by your imaginations Suppose unto your selves the highth and pith of Glory and abundance and power that is attainable on earth and when your fancy hath busked up such a felicitie compare it with eternall life O how will that vanish out of your imaginations if so be you know any thing of the life to come you wil even think that an odious comparison you will think all that earthly felicitie but light as vanity every man at his best estate is altogether vanity Eernall life will weigh down eternally 2 Cor. 4. 17. 18. O but it hath an exceeding weight in it self one moment of it one hours possession and taste of it but then what shal the endlesse endurance of it add to its weight Now there are many that presume they have a right to eternall life as the Jews did you think saith he that you have it you think well that you think its only to be found in the Scriptures but you vainlie think that you have found it in them And there is this reason of it because you will not come to me that you may have life vers 40. If you did understand the true meaning of the Scriptures and did not rest on the outward Letter and Ordinances you would receive the testimonie that the Scriptures give of me But now you hear not me the Fathers substantiall Word therefore you have not his Word abiding in you vers 38. There was nothing more generall among that people than a vain carnall confidence and presumption of being Gods people having interest in the promise of life eternall as it is this day in the visible Church There is a multitude that are Christians onlie in the Letter not in the Spirit that would never admit any question concerning this great matter of having eternall life and so by not questioning it they come to think they have it and by degrees their conjectures and thoughts about this ariseth to the stabilitie of some faigned strong perswasion of it In the Old Testament the Lord strikes at the roots of their perswasions by discovering unto them how vain a thing it was and how abominable before him to have an externall profession of being his people and to glory in external Ordinances and Priviledges yet to neglect altogether the purging of their hearts consciences from lusts and Idollisâ—…s to make no conscience of walking righteously towards men Their profession was contradicted by their practice Will ye steal murther and commit adultery and yet come and stand in my house Jer. 7. 8. 9. doth not that say as much as if I had given you liberty to do all these abominations Even so it is this day the most part have no more of Christianitie
but a name they have some outward priviledges of Baptism and hearing the Word and it may be have a form of knowledge and a form of worship but in the mean time they are not baptized in heart they are in all their conversation even conformed to the Heathen world they hate personall reformation and think it too precise and needlesse Now I say such are many of you yet ye would not take it well to have it questioned whether ye shal be partakers of Eternall life you think you are wronged when that is called in question Oh that it were beyond all question indeed But know assuredlie That you are but Christians in the Letter in the Flesh and not in the Spirit Many of you have not so much as a form of knowledge have not so much as the Letter of Religion You have heard some names in the preaching often repeated as Christ and God and Faith and Heaven and Hell you know no more of these but the name you consider not and meditate not on them And those who know the truth of the Word yet the Word abideth not nor dwelleth in you you have it in your mouth you have it in your minde or understanding but it is not received in love it doth not dwell in the heart Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly Col. 3. 16. you have it imprisoned in your minds and shut up into a corner where it is useless can do no more but witnesse against you and scarce that as the Gentils incarcerated and detained the truth of God written by nature within them in unrighteousnesse Rom. 1. 18. So do many of you detain the knowledge of his word in unrighteousness it hath no place in the heart gets no libertie and freedom to walk through the affections and so to order the conversation of men And therefore the most part of men do but fancie to themselves an interest and right to eternall life you think it and do but think it it is but a strong imagination that hath no strength from the grounds of it no stabilitie from any evidence or promise but meerly from it self or it is but a light and vain conjecture that hath no strength in it because there is no question or doubts admitted which many try the strength of it But then I suppose that a man could attain some answerable walking that he had not onlie a form of knowledge but some reality of practice some inward heat of affection zeal for God and godlinesse yet there is one thing that wants and if it be wanting will spoil all And it is this which Christ reproves in the Jews You will not come to me to have life The Scri-Scriptures testifie of me but you receive not their testimonie Suppose a man had as much equitie and justice towards men piety towards God sobriety towards himself as can be found among the best of men let him be a diligent reader of the Scriptures let him love them meditate on them day and night yet if he do not come out of himself and leave all his own righteousnesse as dung behind him that he may be found in Jesus Christ he hath no life he cannot have any right to life eternall You may think this a strange assertion that if a man had the righteousnesse holinesse of an Angel yet he could not be saved without denying all that and fleeing to Christ as an ungodly man And you may think it as strange a supposell that any person that reads the Scriptures and walks righteously and hath a zeal towards God yet are such as will not come to Christ and will not hear him whom the Father hath sent But the first is the very substance of the Gospell There is no other Name by which men may be saved but by Iesus Christ Acts 4. 12. Life eternall is all within him All the treasures of grace and wisdom and knowledge are seated in him Col. 1. 19. and 2 3. All the light of life and salvation is imbodied in this Sun of Righteousnesse since the Eclipse of mans felicitie in the Garden Adam was a living soul but he lost his own life and killed his Posterity Christ Jesus the second common man in the world is a quickning Spirit he hath not only life in himself but he gives it more abundantly and therefore you have it so often repeated in Iohn who was the Disciple most acquainted with Christ In him was life and the life was the light of men 1. 4. And he is the bread of life that gives life to the World Joh. 6. 33. and 35. He is the resurrection and the life 11. 25. and The way the truth and life 14. 6. The Scriptures do not contain eternall life but in as far as they lead to him who is life and whom to know and imbrace is eternall life And therefore saith he These are they which testifie of me Men lived immediatlie in God when he was in innocencie he had life in himself from God but then he began to live in himself without dependance on God the fountain of life and this himself being interposed between God and his life it evanished even as a Beam by the interveening of any grosse body between it and the Sun Now mans light and life being thus eclipsed and cut off the Lord is pleased to let all fulnesse dwell in his Son Jesus Christ and The fulnesse of the God-head dwels in him bodily Col. 2. 9. that since there was no accesse immediatly to God for life a flamming fire and sword of Divine Justice compassing and guarding the tree of Life left man should touch it there might be accesse to God in a Mediator like unto us that we might come to him and might have life from God by the intervention of Jesus Christ. Look then what is in the holy Scriptures and you shal find it but a letter of death and ministration of condemnation while it is separated from him Christ is the very life and spirit of the Scriptures by whose vertue they quicken our souls if you consider the perfect Rule of Righteousnesse in the Law you cannot find life there because you cannot be conformed unto it the holiest man offends in every thing and that holy Law being violated in any thing will send thee to hell with a curse Cursed is he that abideth not in every thing If you look upon the promise of life Do this and live What comfort can you find in it except you could find doing in your selves And can any man living find such exact obedience as the Law requires There is a mistake among many They conceive that the Lord cannot be well pleased with them if they do what they can but be not deceived the law of God requires perfect doing it will not compound with thee and came down in its tearms not one jot of the rigour of it will be remitted If you cannot do all that is commanded all you do
that Jesus Christ may be the only foundation of thy soul as God hath laid him in the Church for a sure foundation That who so believeth in him may not be ashamed What ever beside a soul be established on though it appear very solid and the soul be setled fixed upon it yet a day will come that will unsettle that soul and raze that foundation either it shal be now done in thy conscience or it must be done at length when that great tempest of Gods indignation shal blow from heaven against all unrighteousnesse of men in the day of accounts then shal thy house fall and the fall of it shal be great But a soul established upon the sure promises and upon Christ in whom they are Yea and Amen shal abide that storm and in that day have confidence before God have wherewith to answer in Jesus Christ all the challenges of divine justice and the accusations of conscience He that trusteth in him shal be as Mount Sion which cannot be moved You see all things else change and therefore mens hopes and joyes perish even here the tentations and revolutions of the times undermines their confidence and joy and the blasts of the Northern wind of affliction blows away their hopes Now as Christ is the Foundation so he is the Corner-stone of the building It is Christ who hath removed that Partition-wall between Jews and Gentiles even the Ceremonies of the one and the Atheism of the other He is our peace who hath made of two one The two sides of the House of God are united by this Corner-stone Jesus Christ. Thus we who were the Temples of Satan are made the Temples of God thus poor stranger-Gentiles who had no interest in the Covenant of Promises come to share with Abraham Isaac and Iacob and to be founded upon the Doctrine of the Prophets who taught the Jewish Church Christ is the bond of Christians this is the Head into which all the members should grow up into a Body Distance of Place difference of Nations distinction of Languages all these cannot separate the Members of Jesus Christ they are more one though consisting of diverse Nations Tongues and Customes and dispositions than the people of one Nation or Children of one Family for one Lord one Spirit unites all Alas that all are not united in affection judgement why do the sides of this House contend and wrestle one against another when here is such a Corner-stone joyning them together Are not there many Christians who cannot endure to look one upon another who are yet both placed in one building of the Temple of God Alace this is sad and shamefull But that which I would especially have observed in this is that Jesus Christ is such a foundation that reacheth throughout the whole building and immediatly toucheth every stone of the Building it 's such a Foundation as riseth from the bottom to the top and therefore Jesus Christ is both the Author and finisher of our Faith the beginning and the end the first stone the last 〈◊〉 of our building must rise upon him and by him the least degree of grace and the greatest perfection of it both are in him and therefore Christians should be most dependent creatures dependent in their first being and in after well-being in their being and growing wholly dependent upon Christ that out of his fulnesse they may receive grace and then more grace for grace that all may appear to be grace indeed Now I beseech you my beloved in the Lord to know whereupon ye are builded or ought to be builded There are two great errours in the time take heed of them one is the Doctrine of some and another is the practice of the most part Some do prefer their own fancies and night-dreams and the imaginations of their own heart to the Word of God and upon pretence of Revelation of new Light do cast a mist upon that Word of God which is a light that hath shined from the beginning Be not deceived but try the Spirits whether they be of God or not There are many pretend too much of the Spirit and therefore cry out against the Word as Letter as Flesh But my Brethren believe not every Doctrine that calls it self a Spirit that spirit is not of God that hears not Gods voice as Christ reasons against the Jews seek ye more of the Spirit of Christ which he promiseth who is a Spirit that teacheth all things and bringeth to remembrance these blessed sayings and leads us to all truth It shal be both safest and sweetest to you to meditate on the word of the Prophets and Apostles and the entrance into it shal give you light an old light which was from the beginning therefore a true light for all truth is eternall and yet a new light to your sense and feeling It 's both an old command and a new command an old word a new word if thou search by the Spirits inspiration that old word shal be made new that Letter made spirit and life Such are the words that Christ speaks But yet there are many who do not reject the Scriptures in judgement who notwithstanding do not build on them in practice Alas it may be said of the most part of professed Christians among us that they are not builded upon the foundation of the Prophets Apostles but upon the sayings of fallible and weak men What ground have many of you for your Faith but because the Minister saith so You believe so the most part live in an implicite faith and practice that in themselves which they condemne in the Papists You do not labour to search the Scriptures that upon that foundation you may build your faith in the questioned truths of this Age that so you may be able to answer to those that ask a reason of the Faith that is in you Alas simple souls you believe every thing and yet really believe nothing because you believe not the Word as the Word of the living God but take it from men upon their authority Therefore when a temptation cometh when any gainsayings of the truth you cannot stand against it because your Faith hath no foundation but the sayings of Men or Acts of Assemblies And therefore as men whom you trust with holding out light unto you hold out darknesse in stead of light you embrace that darknesse also But I beseech you be builded upon the foundation of the Prophets and Apostles not upon them but upon that whereon they were builded the infallible truths of God You have the Scriptures search them since you have reasonable souls search them other mens faith will not save you you cannot see to walk to heaven by other mens light more than you can see by their eyes You have eyes of your own souls of your own subordinate to none but the God of Spirits and Lord of Consciences Jesus Christ therefore examine all that is spoken to you from the Word
make our abode with him Ioh. 14. 23. Here now is an evidence that he likes it for he must needs like that place he chooses to dwell in he who hath such a glorious Mansion and Palace above he must needs love that soul dearly that he will prefer it to his high and holy place Now I know it will be the secret question and complaint of some souls How shal I get love to God I cannot love him my heart is so desperatly wicked I cannot say as Peter Lord thou knowest that I love thee I shal not insist upon the discovery of your love unto you by marks and signs only I say if thou indeed from thy heart desires to love him art grieved that there is not this love in thy soul to him which becomes so love-worthy a Saviour then thou indeed lovest him for he that loveth the love of God loveth God himself And wherefore aâ—…t thou sad for want of that love but because thou lovest him in some measure and withall finds him beyond all that thou canst think and love But I say that which most concerns thee is to love still more and that thou wouldest be more earnest to love him then to know that thou loves him Now I know no more effectuall way to encrease love to Jesus Christ then to believe his love Christ Jesus is the Author and Finisher both of Faith and Love and we love him because he first loved us Therefore the right discovery of Jesus Christ what he is and what he hath done for sinners is that which will of all things most prevail to engage the soul unto him But as long as ye suspend you Faith upon the being or encrease of your Love and obedience as the manner of too many is you take even such a course as he that will not plant the Tree till he see the fruit of it which is contrary to common sense reason Since this then is the sum of true Religion to believe in Christ and to love him and so live to him we shal wind up all that is spoken into that exhortation of the Apostles Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard You have this Doctrine of Faith and Love delivered unto you which may be able to save your souls Then I beseech you hold them fast salvation is in them they are sound words and wholesom words words of life spirit life as Christ speaks as well as words of truth But how will you hold them fast that have them not at all that know them not though you hear them You who are ignorant of the Gospel and hear nothing but a sound of words in stead of sound wholesome words how can you hold them fast Can a man hold the wind in the hollow of his hand or keep in a sound within it You know no more but a sound a wind that passeth by your ear without observing either truth or life in it But then again you who understand these sound words and have a form of knowledge of the Letter of the Law what will that avail you You cannot hold it fast except you have it within you and it is within you indeed when it is in your heart when the form of it is engraven upon the very soul in love Now thogh you understand the sound of these words the sound of truth in them yet you receive not the living Image of them which is Faith and Love Can you paint a sound Can you form it or engrave it on any thing Nay but these sound words are more substantial solid they must be engraven on the heart else you will never hold them they may bee easily plucked out of the mouth and hand by temptation unlesse they be enclosed and laid up in the secret of the heart as Mary laid them The truth must hold thee fast or thou canst not hold it fast it must captivate thee and bind thee with the Golden chains of affection which only is true freedom or certainly thou wilt let it go Nay you must not only have the truth received by love into your heart but as the Apostle speaks you must also hold fast the form of sound words Scripture words are sound words the Scriptures method of teaching is sound and wholesome There may be unsound words used in expressing true matter and if a man shal give liberty to his own luxuriant Imagination to expatiat in notions and expressions either to catch the ear of the Vulgar or to appear some new discoverer of light and Gospel-mysteries he may as readily fall into error and darknesse as into truth and light Some men do busk up old truths Scripture-truths into some new dresse of language and notions and then give them out for new discoveries new lights but in so doing they often hazard the loosing of the truth it self We should beware and take heed of strange words that have the least appearance of evil such as Christed Godded let us think it enough to be wise according to the Scripturs and suspect all that as vain empty unsound that tends not to the increase of faith in Christ and love and obedience unto him As ordinarily the Dialect of those called Antinomians is giving and no granting that they had no unsound mind yet I am sure they use unsound word to expresse sound matter the cloaths should be shaped to the person Truth is plain and simple let words of truth also be full of simplicity I say no more but leave that upon you that you hold fast even the very words of the Scriptures and be not bewitched by the vain pretentions of Spirit all Spirit pure and spiritual service and such like to the casting off of the word of truth as Letter as Flesh and such is the high attainment of some in these daies an high attainment indeed and a mighty progresse in the way to destruction the very last discovery of that Antichrist and Man of sin Oh make much of the Scripture for you shal neither read nor hear the like of it in the world Other books may have sound matter but there is still something in manner or words unsound no man can speak to you truth in such plainnesse and simplicity in such soundnesse also But here is both sound matter and sound words the truth holden out truly health and salvation holden out in as wholsome a manner as is possible Matter manner are both divine Exod. 3. 13 14. When they shal say unto me What is his Name What shal I say And God said I AM THAT I AM. WE are now about this question What God is But who can answer it Or if answered who can understand it It should astonish us in the very entry to think that we are about to speak and to hear of his Majesty Whom eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor hath it entered into the heart of any creature to consider what he is Think ye blind
searching we could find them out unto perfection but to believe what is spoken till the day break and the shadows flee away and the darknesse of ignorance be wholly dispelled by the rising of the Sun of Righteousnesse We are called then to receive this truth that God is one truly one and there are three in this one the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost This I say you must believe because the wisdom of God faith it though you know not how it is or how it can be though it seem a contradiction in reason a Trinity in Unity yet you must lead your reason captive to the obedience of faith silence it with this one answer The Lord hath said it If thou go on to dispute and to enquire how can these things be Thou art escaped from under the power of Faith and are fled unto the tents of humane wisedom where thou mayest learn artheism but no Religion for the world through wisedom knew not God 1 Cor. 1. And certainly who ever he be that will not quiet his conscience upon the bare word of truth in this particular but will call in for the help of reason and disputation how to understand and maintain it I think he shall be further from the true knowledge of God and satisfaction of mind than before There is no way here but to flee into Pauls Sanctuary Who art thou O man that disputes When ever thou thinks within thy self How may this be how can one be three and three one then withall let this of Pauls sound in thine ears Who art thou O man who disputes Think that thou art man think that he is God Believing ignorance is much better than rash presumptuous knowledge ask not a reason of these things but rather adore and tremble at the mysterie and Majesty of them Christianity is foolishnesse to the world upon this account because it 's an Implicite faith so to speak given to God but there is no fear of being deceived though he lead thee blind by a way thou know not yet he cannot lead thee wrong This holy simplicity in believing every word of God trusting without more trying by disputation is the very Character of Christianity and it will be found only true wisdome for if any will become wise he must be a fool in mens account that he may be wise he must quite his reason to learn true Religion which indeed is a more excellent and divine reason neither is it contrary to it though it be high above it In this place of Moses you have the Unity of God asserted The Lord thy God is one Lord And that is indeed engraven on the very hearts of men by nature That God is One for all may know that the common notion and apprehension of God is that he is a most perfect being the Originall of all things most wise most powerfull infinite in all perfections Now common reason may tell any man that there can bee but one thing most perfect Excellent there can be but one infinite one Almighty one beginning and end of all one first mover one first cause of whom are all things and who is of none Again in this place of Iohn ye have a Testimony of the blessed Trinitie of Persons Father Son and holy Ghost in that holy Unity of Essence The great point which Iohn hath in hand is this fundamentall of our Salvation that Jesus Christ is the Son of God Saviour of the World in whom all our confidence should be placed and upon whom we should lean the weight of our souls this he proves by a twofold testimony one out of Heaven another in the Earth There are three bearing witnesse to this truth in heaven The Father the word that is Jesus Christ the eternal Son of God whom this Apostle calls the word of God or wisdom of God Ioh. 1. 1. and the Holy Ghost The Father witnessed to this truth in an audible voice out of Heaven when Christ was baptized Mat. 3. 17. This is my wel-belovd Son hear him here 's the Fathers Testimony of the Son when he was baptized which was given very solemnly in a great congregation of people and divinely with great glory and Majesty from Heaven as if the heavens had opened upon him and the inaccessible light of God had shined down on him which was confirmed in the transfiguration Mat. 17. 5. VVhere the Lord gave a glorious evidence to the astonishment of the three Disciples how he did account of him how all Saints and Angels must serve him Him hath God the Father sealed saith Iohn Indeed the stamp of divinitie of the divine Image in such an excellent manner upon the man Christ was a Seal set on by God the Father signifying confirming his approbation of his well-beloved Son and of the work he was going about Then the Son himself did give ample Testimony of this this was the subject of his Preaching to the VVorld I am the light and life of men He that beleeveth on mee shall be saved and therefore he may be called the word of God and the wisedom of God Joh. 1. 1. Prov. 8. Because he hath revealed unto us the blessed mysterie of Wisdom concerning our Salvation He is the very expression and Character of the Fathers person and Glory Heb. 1. In his own Person and he hath revealed and expressed his Fathers mind and his own Office so fully to the World that there should be no more doubt of it Out of the mouth of these two witnesses this Word might be established But for superabundance behold a third the Holy Ghost witnessing at his baptisme in his Resurrection after his Ascension the Holy Ghost signifieth his presence and consent to that work in the similitude of a Dove the Holy Ghost testified it in the power that raised him from the dead the Holy Ghost put it beyond all question when he descended upon the Apostles according to Christs promise For the other three witnesses on earth we shal not stay upon it only know that the work of the regeneration of souls by the power of the word and spirit signified by water the justification of guilty souls signified by the blood of Jesus Christ the Testimony of the spirit in our Conscience bearing witnesse to our Spirits is an assured Testimony of this that Jesus Christ in whom we believe is the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth The changing pacifying and comforting of souls in such a wonderfull manner cryes aloud that he in whom the soul believes is the true and living God whom to know is eternal life But mark I pray you the accuracy of the Apostle in the change of the speech these three witnesses on earth saith he agree in one in giving one common testimony to the Son of God and Saviour of Sinners But as for the heavenly witnesses the Father the Word and Holy Ghost how ever they be three after an inconceivable manner
you your hearts deceive you when they perswade you that you have had no other God but the true God Christianity raises the soul again and advances it by degrees to this love of God from which it had fallen the soul returns to its first husband from vvhom it vvent awhooring now the stamp of God is so upon it that it is changed into his Image and glory having tasted how good this one self-sufficient-good is it gladly easily divorces from all other Lovers it renounces formall lusts of ignorance and now begins to live in another Love transplants the soul into God and in him it lives and vvith him it vvalks It 's true this is done gradually there is much of the heart yet unbroken to this sweet and easie yoke of love much of the corrupt nature untamed unreclaimed yet so much is gained by the first conversion of the soul to God that all is given up to him in affection and desire he hath the chief place in the soul the disposition of the Spirit hath some stamp and impression of his Onenesse singularity My beloved is one Though a Christian is not wholly rid of strange Lords yet the tye of subjection to them is broken they may often intrude by violence upon him but he is in an hostile posture of affection and endeavour against them I beseech you since the Lord is one and there is none beside him O let this be engraven on your hearts that your inward affections and outward actions may expresse that one Lord to be your God and none other beside him It is a great shame and reproach to Christians that they do not carry the stamp of the first Principle of Religion upon their walking the condition conversation of many declares how little account they make of the true God vvhy do ye enslave your souls to your lusts the service of the flesh if ye believe in this one God Why do ye all things to please your selves if this one Lord be your God As for you the Israel of God who are called by Jesus Christ to partake with the Common-Wealth of Israel in the Covenant of promises hear I beseech you this and let your souls incline to it and receive it Your God is one Lord have then no other Lords over your souls and consciences not your selves not others But in the next place let us consider to what purpose John leads such three witnesses that we may draw some consolation from it The thing testified and witnessed unto is the ground-work of all a Christians hope and consolation that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God and Saviour of the World one able to save to the utmost all that put their trust in him so that every soul that finds it self lost and not able to subsist nor abide the judgement of God may repose their confidence in him and lay the weight of their eternal well-fare upon his death sufferings with assurance to find rest and peace in him to their souls He is such a one as faith may triumph in him over the world all things beâ—…de A Beleever may triumph in his victory and in the faith of his victory over hell and death and the grave many overcome personally for this is our victory over the world even our faith vers 4. And how could a soul conquer by Faith if he in whom it believes were not declared to be the Son of God with power there is nothing so mean weakly as Faith in it self it s a poor despicable thing of it self and that it sees and that it acknowledges yea faith is a very act of its self denyall it s a renouncing of all help without and within it self save only that which is laid on Christ Jesus therefore it were the most unsuitable mean of prevailing and the most insufficient weapon for gaining the victory if the object of it were not the strong God the Lord Almighty from whom it derives and borrows all its power vertue either to pacifie the conscience or to expiate sin or to overcome the world Oh! consider Christians where the foundation of your hope is scituated it is in the divine power of our Saviour if he who declared so much love good-will to sinners by becoming so low suffering so much have also all power in Heaven and Earth if he be not only man near us to make for us boldnesse of accesse but God near God to prevail effectually with God then certainly he is asure foundation laid in Sion elect and precious he is an unm oveable Rock of ages whosoever trusts their soul to him shal not be ashamed I am sure that many of you considers not this that Christ Jesus who was in due time born of the Virgin Mary died for sinners is the eternall Son of God equall to his Father in all glory and power O how would this make the Gospel agreat mystery to souls the Redemption of souls a precious and wonderfull work if it were considered Would not souls stand at this Anchor immoveable in tentation if their faith were pitched on this sure foundation and their hope cast upon this solid ground O know your Redeemer is strong and mighty and none can pluck you out of his hand and himself will cast none out that comes If the multitude of you believed this you would not make so little account of the Gospel that comes to you make so little of your sins which behoved to be taken away by the blood of God could be expiated by no other propitiation you would not think it so easie to satisfie God with some words of custome and some publick services of forme as you do you would not for all the World deal with God alone without this Mediator and being convinced of sin if you believed this solidely that he in whom forgivennesse of sin and salvation is preached is the same Lord God of whom you hear in the Old Testament who gave out the Law and inspired the Prophets the only begotten of the Father in a way infinitly removed from all created capacities you could not but find the Father well satisfied in him find a sufficient ransome in his death doings to pacifie God to settle your consciences But as the thing testified is a matter of great consolation so the witnesse testifying to this foundamentall of our Religion may be a ground of great encouragement to discouraged souls It is ordinary that the apprehensions of Christians takes up Jesus Christ as very lovely and more loving than any of the Persons of the God-head either the Father or the Holy Ghost there are some thoughts of estrangednesse and distance of the Father as if the Son did really reconcile and gain him to love us who before hated us and upon this mistake the soul is filled with continual jealousies and suspicions of the love of God but observe I beseech you the Father the Son
will not wait on their concurrence You see now strange things done you wonder at them how we are brought down from our excellency how our land is laid desolat by strangers how many instrumeÌ„ts of the Lords work are laid aside how he lifts up a rod of indignation against us and is like to overturn even the foundations of our land All these were not in our mind before but they were in his mind from eternity and therefore he is now working it Believe then that there is not a circumstance of all business not one joynt or jot of it but is even as it was framed and carved out of old his present works are according to an ancient pattern vvhich he carries in his mind all the measures and degrees of your affliction all the ounces and grain-weights of your cup vvere all weighed in the scales of his Eternall Counsell the instruments the time the manner all that is in it If he change instruments that was in his mind if he change dispensations that was in his mind also And seeing you know by the Scriptures that a blessed end is appointed for the godly that all things work for their good that all is subservient to the Churches welfare seeing I say you know his purpose is such as the Scriptures speaks then believe his performance shal be exact accordingly nothing dificient no joynt no sinew in all his vvork of providence no line in all his book volume of the creature but it was written in that ancient book of his eternal counsel first fashioned in that Ps. 39. 16. Then lastly his will is irresistible his Counsell shal stand who can turn him from his purpose and who can hinder him from performance therefore he attains his end in the highest and most superlative degree of certainty and infallibility Himself will not change his own purpose for why should he do it if he change to the better then it reflects on his wisdom if he change to the worse it reflects both on his wisdom and godlinesse certainly he can see no cause why he should change it But as himself cannot change so none can hinder his performance for what power think you shal it be that may attempt that Is it the power of men of strong men of high men of any men No sure for their breath is in their nostrils they have no power but as he breaths in them if he keep in his breath as it were they perish all nations are as nothing before him and what power hath nothing Is it Devils may do it No for they cannot though they would he chains them he limits them Is it good Angels They are powerfull indeed but they neither can nor will resist his will Let 〈◊〉 be the whole University of the Creation suppose all their scattered force and vertue conjoyned in one yet it is all but finite it amounts to no more if you would eternally adde unto it But all victory resistance of this kind must be by a superior power or at least by an equal therefore we may conclude that there iâ—… no impediment or let that can be put in his way nothing can obstruct his purpose if all the world shoulâ—… conspire as one man to obstruct the performance oâ—… any of his promises and purposes they do but rage iâ—… vain like dogs barking at the Moon they shal be sâ—… far from attaining their purpose that his Majesty shaâ—… disabuse them so to speak to his own purpose hâ—… shal apply them quite contrary to their own mind tâ—… work out the counsel of his mind Here is the absolute King only worth the name of a King Lord whom all things in Heaven and Earth obeyes at the first nodd and beckning to them Hills Seas Mountains Rivers Sun Moon Clouds Men Beasts Angels and Devils all of them are acted moved and inclined according to his pleasure all of them are about his work indeed as the result of all in the end shal make it appear are servants at his command going where he bids go and comming where he bids come led by an invisible hand though in the mean time they knew it not but thinks they are about their own businesse applauds themselves for a time in it ducunt volentem fata notentem trahunt Godly men who knows his Will and loves it are led by it willingly for they yeeld themselves up to his disposall but wicked men who have contrary Wills of their own they can gain no more by resisting but to be drawn along with it Now to what purpose is all this spoken of Gods Decrees and purposes which he hath called a secret belonging to himself If his works judgements be a great depth and unsearchable sure his decrees are far more unsearchable For it is the secret and hidden purpose of God which is the very depth of his way judgement But to what purpose is it all I say Not to enquire curiously into the particulars of them but to profit by them The Scripture holds out to us the unchangeablenesse freedom extent holinesse and wisdom of them for our advantage and if this advantage be not reaped we know them in vain Not to burden your memory with many particulars we should labour to draw forth both instruction and consolation out of them Instruction I say in two things especially to submit with reverence respect to his Majesty in all his works and wayes to trust in him who knows all his workss will not change his mind There is nothing wherein I know Christians more deficent than in this point of submission which I take to be one of the chiefest sweetest though hardest duties of a Christian. It is hardly to be found among men a through complyance of the soul to what his soul desires a real subjection of our spirits to his good will and pleasure There is nothing so much blessed in Scripture as waiting on him as yeelding to him to be disposed upon Blessed are all they that wait on him Pride is the greatest opposite and he opposes himself most to that for it is in it self most derogatory to the highnesse and Majesty of God which is his very glory Therefore submission is most acceptable to him when the soul yeelds it self and its will to him he condescends far more to it he cannot be an enemy to such a soul submission to his Majesties pleasure is the very bowing down of the soul willingly to any thing he doth or commands what ever yoke he puts on of duty or suffering to take it on willingly without answering again which is the great sin condemned in servants to put the mouth in the dust to keep silence because he doth it I was dumb with silence I opened not my mouth because thou didst it their is submission indeed silence of mind mouth a restraint put upon the spirit to think nothing grudgingly of him for any thing he doth It is
certainly the greatest fault of Christians grounds of many more that ye do not look to God but to creatures in any thing befalls you therefore there are so frequent risings of spirits against his yoke frequent spurnings against it as Ephraim unaccustomed with the yoke so do ye this is it only makes it heavy and troublesome if there were no more reason for it but your own gain it is the only way to peace quietnesse Durum sed levius fit patientiá quicquid corrigere est nes as your impatience cannot help you but hurt you it is the very yoke of your yoke but quiet and silent stooping makes it easie in it self and brings in more help beside even Divine help Learn this I beseech you to get your wills abandoned and your spirits subdued to God both in the point of duty and dispensation If duties commanded crosse thy spirit as certainly the reality and exercise of Godlinesse must be unpleasant to any nature know what thou art called to to quit thy own will to him to give up thy self to his pleasure singly without so much respect to thy own pleasure or gain learn to obey him simply because he coÌ„mands though no profit redound to thee by this means thou shalt in due time have more sweet peace and real gain though thou intended it not And in case any dispensation crosse thy mind let not thy mind rise up against it do not fall out with providence but commit thy way wholly to him and let him do what he pleaseth in that be thou minding thy duty be not anxious in that but be diligent in this and thou shalt be the only gainer by it besides the honour redounds to him Then I would exhort you from this ground to trust in him seeing he alone is the absolute Soveraign Lord of all things seeing he hath past a determination upon all things and accordingly they must be and seeing none can turn him from his way O then Christians learn to commit your selves to him in all things both for this life and the life to come why are ye so vain and foolish as to depend hang upon poor vain depending Creatures Why do ye not forsake your selves Why do ye not forsake all other things as empty shadows Are not all created powers habits gifts graces strength riches c. like the idols in comparison of him who can neither do good neither can they do ill Cursed is he that trusts in man Jer. 17. 15 16. there needs no other curse than the very disappointment you shal meet withall Consider 〈◊〉 beseech you that our God can do all things what ever â—…e pleaseth in Heaven and Earth and that none can obstruct his pleasure blest is that soul for whom the counsel of his wil is ingaged it is ingaged for all that trust in him he can accomplish his good pleasure in thy behalf either without or against means all impediments thorns set in his way he can burn them up you who are heirs of the promises O know your priviledge what his soul desireth He doth even that what he hath seriously promised to you he desires If you ask who are heirs of the Promises I would answer simply these and these only who do own them and challenge them and claim to them for their life and salvation these who seek the Inheritance only by the Promise and whose soul desires them and imbraces them O if you would observe how unlike ye are to God ye change often ye turn often out of the way but that were not so ill if ye did not imagine him to be like your selves and it is unbelief which makes him like to your selves when your frame and tender disposition changes when presence and accesse to God is removed that is wrong it speaks out a mortall creature indeed but if it be so O do no more wrong do not by your suspicions and jealousies and questionings of him imagine that he is like unto you and changed also that is a double wrong and dishonour to his Majesty Hath he not said I am God and changes not He is in one mind who can turn him How comes it then that ye doubt of his love as oft as ye change When ye are in a good temper ye think he loves you when it is not so ye cannot believe but he is angry and hates you is not this to speak quite contrary to the Word that he is a God that changes that he is not in one mind but now in one and then in another as oft as the unconstant wind of a souls self-pleasing humour turns about Here is your rest and confidence if you will be established not within your selves not upon marks and signs within you which ebbe and flow as the Sea and change as the Moon but upon his unchangeable Nature and faithfull promises This we desire to hold out to you all as one ground for all you would every one have some particular ground in your own disposition and condition thinks it general doctrine only which layeth it noâ—… home so but believe it I know no ground of realsoul-establishment but general truths and pinciples common to you all and our businesse is not to lay any other foundation or moe foundations according to your different conditions but to lay this one foundation Christ and God unchangeable to exhort every one of you to make that general Foundation your own in particular by leaning to it building upon it claiming to it all other are sandy and ruinous Let us now in this sad time presse consolation from this the Lords hand is in all this it 's immediate in every dispensation and its only carnal-mindednesse that cannot see him stretching out his hand to every man with his own portion of affliction Know this one thing that God is in one mind for all these many wayes judgements he is in one mind to gather the Saints to build up the Church the body of Christ this is his end all other businesses is in the by subservient to this therefore he will change it as he pleases but his great purpose of good to his people all the World cannot hinder Let us then establish our souls in this consideration all is clear above albeit cloudy below All is calm in Heaven albeit tempestuous here upon Earth There is no confusion no disorder in his mind though we think the world out of course and that all things reel about with confusion hee hath one mind in it who can turn him And that mind is good to them that trust in him And therefor who can turn away our good Let men consult and imagine what they please let them passe votes decrees what to do with his people yet it is all to no purpose for there is a Counsel above an older Counsel which must stand and take place in all generations If mens conclusions be not according to the Counsell
creature but it had some ingravings of God upon it some curious draughts and lineaments of his Power Wisdome and goodnesse upon it and therefore the Heavens are said to shew forth his glory c. But whatever they have it is but the lower part of that image some dark shaddows and resemblances of him but that which is the last of his works he maketh it according to his own image tanquam ab ultima manu he therein gives out himself to be read and seen of all men as in a glasse other creatures are made as it were according to the similitude of his footstep ad similitudinem vestigii but man ad similitudinem faciei according to the likenesse of his face in our image after our likenesse It is true there is one only Jesus Christ his Son who is the brightnesse of his glory and the express substantiall image of his person who resembleth him perfectly and throughly in all properties so that he is alter idem another-self both in nature properties operations so like him that he is one with him so that it is rather an onenesse than a likenesse but man he created according to his own Image and gave him to have some likenesse to himself likenesse I say not samenesse or onenesse That is high indeed to be like God The notion and expression of it imports some strange thing how could man be like God who is infinite incomprehensible whose glory is not communicable to another It is true indeed in these incommunicable properties he hath not only no equal but none to liken him in these he is to be adored admired as infinitely transcending all created perfections conceptions but yet in others he has been pleased to hold forth himself to be imitated and followed and that this might be done he first stamps them upon man in his first moulding of him if ye would know what these are particularly the Apostle expresses them Col. 3. 10. in knowledge in rightousnesse and holinesse Eph. 4. 24. This is the Image of him who created him which the Creator stamped on man that he might seek him and set him apart for himself to keep communion with him and to bless him There is a spirit given to man with a capacity to know and to will And here is a draught and lineament of Gods face which is not engraven on any sensitive creature It is one of the most noble and excelâ—…ent operations of life in which a man is most above beasts to reflect upon himself his Creator There â—…re naturall instincts given to other things naturall â—…ropensions to those things that are convenient to â—…heir own nature but none of them have so much â—…s a capacity to know what they are or what they â—…ave they cannot frame a notion of him who â—…ave them a beeing but are only proportionate â—…o the discerning of some sensible things and can â—…each no further He hath limited the eye within coâ—…ours and light he hath set a bound to the care that 〈◊〉 cannot act without sounds and so every sense he â—…ath assigned his own proper stanse in which it moves â—…ut he teaches man knowledge and he enlarges the â—…hear of his understanding beyond visible or sensible â—…hings to things invisible to spirits this capacity â—…e hath put in the soul to know all things and it self â—…mong the rest the eye discerns light but sees not it â—…lf but he gives a Spirit to man to know himself and â—…is God and then there is a willing power in the soul by which it diffuses it self towards any thing that is conceived as good the understanding directing and the will-commanding according to its direction and then the whole faculties and senses obeying such commands which makes up an excellent draught of the image of God There was a sweet proportion and harmony in Adam all was in due place and subordination the motions of immortall man did begin within the lamp of reason did shine give light unto it till that went before here was no stirring no chusing or refusing when reason which was one sparkle of the divine nature or a ray of Gods light reflected into the soul of man when once that did appear to the discerning of good evil this power was in the soul to apply the whole man accordingly to chose the good and refuse the evil it had not been a lively resemblance of God to have a power of knowing and willing simply unlesse these had been beautified and adorned with supernaturall and divine graces of spiritual light and holinesse righteousnesse these make up the lively colour and compleat the image of God upon the soul. There was a Divine Light which did shine in upon the understanding ever till sin interposed Eclipsed it and from the light of Gods countenance did the sweet heat warmnesse of holinesse uprightnesse in the affections proceed so that there was nothing but purity and cleannesse in the soul no darknesse of ignorance no muddinesse of carnall affections but the soul pure and transparent to receive the refreshing and enlightning rayes of Gods glorious countenance and this was the very face and beauty of the soul it is that only that is the beauty and excellency of the creature conformity to God this was throughout in understanding and affections the understanding conformed to his understanding discerning between good and evil and conformed it behoved to be for it was ouâ—… a ray of that Sun a stream of that fountain of wisdom and a light derived from that primitive light of Gods understanding and then the will did sympathize as much with his will approving and chusing what he approved refusing that which he hated I dem velle atque idem nolle ea demum firma est amicitia that was the conjunction and it is more strict than any â—…ye among men there was not two wills they were as it were one the love of God reflecting into the soul did as it were carry the soul back again unto him that was the conforming principle which fashioned the whole man without and within â—…o his likenesse to his obedience Thus man was â—…ormed for communion with God this likenesse behoved to be or they could no joyn as friends But now this calls us to a sad meditation to think â—…om whence we have fallen and so how great our fall â—…s to fall from such a blessed estate that must be great misery Sathan hath spoyled us of our rich treasure â—…hat glorious image of holinesse And hath drawn â—…pon our souls the very visage of hell the lineaments â—…f his hellish countenance but the most part of men 〈◊〉 stupid insensible of any thing as beasts that are felâ—…d with their fall that can neither find pain nor rise 〈◊〉 we could but return and consider what are all those â—…d and woefull consequences of sin in the world what 〈◊〉 strange distemper it hath put in the Creation What
and glory to his ever glorious Name for whom are all things There is none but they will allow God some government in the world Some would have him as a King commanding and doing all by Deputies and Substitutes Some would have his influence generall like the Suns upon sublunary things but how shallow are all mens thoughts in regard of that which is God has prepared indeed his Throne in heaven that is true that his glory doth manifest it self in some strange and majestick manner above but he whole tenour of Scripture shews that he is not shut up in heaven but that he immediatly cares for governs disposes all things in the world for his kingdome is over all It is the weaknesse of Kings not their glory that they have need of Deputies it is his glory not basenesse to look to the meanest of their creatures it is a poor resemblance empty shadow that Kings have of him He rules in the Kingdomes of men to him belongs the dominion the glory he deserves the name of a King whose beck Heaven earth obeyes Can a King command that the Sea flow not Can a Parliament act and ordain that the Sun rise not or will these obey them Yet at his decree and command the Sun is dark the Sea stands still the Mountains tremble at thy rebuke the Seafled Alas What do we mean that we look upon creatures act our selves as if we were independent in our being and moving How many things fall out you call them casuall attribute them to Fortune How many things do the World gaze upon think upon and discourse upon and yet not one thought one word of God all the time What more contingent than the falling of a sparrow on the grōnd And yet even that is not unexpected to him but it flows from his will counsel What lesse taken notice of or know than the hairs of your head yet these are particularly numbred by him and so no power in the World can add to them or diminish from them without his counsell O what would the belief of this do to raise our hearts to sutable thoghts of God above the creatures to encrease the fear faith and love of God and to abate from our fear of men our vain and unprofitable cares and perplexities How would you look upon the affairs of men the counsels contrivances endeavours successes of men when they are turning upside down and plotting the ruine of his people establishing themselves alone in the earth What would you think of all these revolutions at this time Many souls are astonished at them and stand gazing at what is done and to be done and this is the very language of your spirits and wayes The Lord hath forsaken the earth the Lord seeth not this is the language of our Parliaments and people they do imagine that they are doing their own businesse and making all sure for themselves But O what would a soul think that could escape above them all and arise up to the first wheele of present motions A soul that did stand upon the exaled Tower of the Word of God and looked off it by the prospect of faith would presently discover the circle in which all these wandrings and changes are confined and see Men States Armies Nations and all of them doing nothing but turning about in a round as horse in a Mill from Gods eternall purpose by his Almighty Power to his unspeakeable glory you might behold all these extravagant motions of the creatures inclosed within those limits that they must begin here and end here though themselves are so beastly that they neither know of whom nor for whom their counsels and actions are Certainly Satan cannot break without this compasse to serve his own humour principalities and powers cannot do it if they will not glorifie him he shal glorifie himself by them and upon them Gen. 2. 17. In that day thou eatest thou snalt die the death Gen. 1. 26. Let us make man according to our image THe state wherein man was created at first you heard was exceeding good all things very good and he best of all the choisest externall visible peece of Gods workmanship made according to the most excellent pattern after our Image though it be a double misery to be once happy yet seeing the knowledge of our misery is by the grace of God made the entry to a new happinesse it is most necessary to take a view of what man once was that we may be more sensible of what he now is You may take up this Image and likenesse in three branches First there was a sweet conformity of the soul in its understanding will and affections unto Gods holinesse light A beautifull light in the mind dirived from that fountain-light by which Adam did exactly know both divine and naturall things What a great difference doth yet appear between a learned man and an ignorant rude person though it be but in relation to naturall things the one is but like a beast in comparison of the other O how much more was there between Adams knowledge and that of the most learned The highest advancement of Art and Industry in this life reaches no further then to a learned ignorance of the mysteries in the works of God and yet there is a wonderfull satisfaction to the mind in it But how much sweet complacency hath Adam had whose heart was so enlarged as to know both thing higher and lower their natures properties vertues and severall operations No doubt could trouble him no difficulty vex him no controversie or question perplex him but above all The knowledge of that glorious eternall Being that gave him a being and iniused such a spirit into him the beholding of such infinite treasures of wisdome and goodness power in him what an amiable and refreshfull sight would it be when there was no cloud of sin and ignorance to interpose and eclipse the full enjoyment of that increated light When the Aspect of the Sun makes the Moon so glorious beautifull What may you conceive of Adams soul framed with a capacity to receive light immediatly from Gods countenance How fair and beautifull would that soul be until the dark cloud of sin did interpose it self Then consider what a beautifull rectitude and uprightnesse what a comely order and subordination would ensue upon this light and make his will and affections wonderfull good Eccl. 7. 29. God made man upright There was no throw or crack in all all the powers of the sou bending upright towards that fountain of all gooness now the soul is crooked bends downward towards those base earthly things that is the abasement of the soul then it looked upright towards God had no appetite no delight but in him and his fulnesse and had the Moon or changeable World under its feet there was a beauty of holynesse and righteousnesse which were the colours that did perfect
able to perform it O! how much is in this one word Upright Not only sincerity and integrity in the soul but perfection of all the degrees and parts no part of holiness wanting and no measure of these parts no mixture of darkness or ignorance no mixture of indisposition or unwillingness godliness vvas â—…weet and not laborious the love of God possessing the heart did conform all vvithin and vvithout to the vvill of God and O how beautiful vvas that conformity and that love of God! the fountain-being did send forth as a stream love and good-will to all things as they did partake of Gods Image and so holiness towards God did beget righteousness towards men and made men to partake of one anothers happiness This is a survey of him in his integrity as God â—…de him but there follows a sad but a sad and vvoâ—…l exception but they have sought out many inventions We cannot look upon that glorious estate vvhereinto mâ—…n was made but straightway we must turn our eyes upon thâ—… misery into which he hath plunged himself and be the more affected with it that it was once otherwise It is misery in a high degree to have been once happy this â—…ost of all agredges our misery and may encrease the sense of it that such Man once was and such we might have been if we had not destroyed our selves Who can look upon these ruins and refrain â—…ouring It 's said that those who saw the glory of the first Temple weâ—…t when they beheld the second because it was not answerable to it in magniâ—…ence and glory So I say it might occasion much â—…ness grief even to the children of God in whom that Image is in part repaired and that by a second Creation to think how much more happy and blessed Man once was who had grace and holiness without sin But certainly it should and must be at first before this Image be restored the bitter lamentation of a soul to look upon it self wholly ruinous and defaced in the view of that glorious stately fabrick which once was made How lamentable a sight is it to behold the first Temple demolished or the first Creation defaced and the second not yet begun in many souls the foundation-stone yet not laid It was a sad and dolâ—…ul invention which Satan inspired at first into mans heart to go about to find out another happiness to seek how to be wise as God an invention thaâ—… did proceed from hell how to know evil experimentally and practically by doing it that invention hath invented and found out all the sin and misery under which the world groans It is a poor invention to devise misery and torment to the creature this was the height of solly and madness for a happy creature to invent how to make it self miserable and all others Indeed he intended another thing to be more happy but pride and ambition got a deserved fall the result of all is sin and misery And now from this first devillish invention the heart of man is possessed with a multitude of vain imaginations Man is now become vain in his imaginations and his foolish heart is darkned that divine wisdom he was endowed withall is eclipsed for it was a ray of Gods countenance and now he is left wholly in the dark without a guide without a director or leader he is turned out of the path of holiness and so of happiness a night of gross darkness blindness is come on the way is full of pits and snares the end of it is at best eternal misery and there is no lamp no light to shine in it to show him either the misery that he is posting unto or the happinesse that he is flying from There is nothing within him sufficient to direct his way to blessednesse and nothing willing nor able to follow such a direction And thus Man is left to the invention and counsel of his own desperately wicked and dâ—…ful heart and that is above all plagues to be given up to a reprobate mind He is now left to such a tutor and guideâ—… and it is full of inventions indeed But they are all in vain that is all of them unsufficient for this great purpose all of them cannot make one hair that is black white much lesâ—… redeem the soul but besides they are destructive they pretend to deliver but they destroy a desperate wicked heart imagineth evil continually evil against God and evil to our own souls and a deceitful heart â—…mooths over the evil and presents it under another notion and so under pretence of a friend it 's the greatest enemy a man hath a bosome enemy Al mens inventions thoughts cogitations projects and endeavors what do they tend to but to the satisfaction of their lusts either the lusts of the mind as Ambition Pride Avarice Passion Revenge and such like or the lusts of the body as pleasure to the ears and to the eyes and to the flesh Man was made with an upright soul with a dominion over that brutish part more like Angels But now all his invention run upon that base and beastly part how to adorn it how to beautifie it how to satisfie it and for this his soul must be a drudge and slave And if men rise up to any thoughts of a higher life yet what is it for but to magnifie and exalt the flesh to seek an Excellency within which is lost and so to satisfie the pride and self-love of the heart If any man comes this length 〈◊〉 to apprehend some misery yet how vain are his inventions about the remedy of it not knowing how desperate the disease is men seek help in themselves think by industry and care art to raise themselves up in some measure please God by some expiations or sacrifices of their own works Now this tends to no other purpose but to satisfie the lust of mans pride and so it increases that which was mans first malady and keeps them from the true Physician In a word all mens inventions are to hasten misery on him or to blindfold himself till it come on all his invention cannot reach a delivery from this misery Let us therefore consider this which Solomon hath found out and if we carefully consider it and accurately ponder it in relation to our own souls theÌ„ have we also â—…ound it with him Consider I say what man once was and what you are now and bewaile your misery and the fountain of it our departure from the fountain of life and blessednesse know what you are not only weak but wicked whose art and power lyes only in wickednesse skilful and able only to make your self miserable and let this consideration make you cast away all your confidence in your selves and carry you forth to a Redeemer who hath â—…ound a ransome who hath found out an excellent invention to cure all our distempers and desperate diseases The counsel of the holy Trinity that met about