Play-houses but in the Church assemblies Act. 10.44 whiles Peter was preaching to Cornelius and his family the Spirit fell upon them so the Spirit fell on others by laying the Apostles hands on them the ordinances are the Vehiculum of the Spirit give what is just to them and no more give them neither too little nor too much do not over-value them but yet neglect them not neglect not the Sacrament ye know not what ye do when ye neglect to receive it ye think that yee ate and drink your own damnation if ye receive it unreverently Absence from it is a sinne as well as the remisse and negligent receiving of it Sicknesse and death yee feare why then doe you neglect the Sacrament why doe you receive it unworthily Whence are those Epidemicall diseases amongst us the cause of them is from hence that yee neglect the Sacrament that yee receive it unworthily 1 Cor. 11.30 For this cause many are weake and sicke among you and many sleepe Consider the danger of neglecting the Sacrament he that came not to the Passeover must bee cut off from the children of Israel the same Equitie remaines still in the Sacrament the cause of that was because he was to come up with the rest to remember the death of the first borne of Egypt and the redemption from their bondage hee being passed over thereby It is now the same sinne to neglect the Sacrament the Equity still remaines Are yee so strong in faith as ye need it not To bee absent from the Word yee thinke it a sinne so it is to be absent from the Sacrament nothing can excuse you If a master bid his servant do a thing and he goes and is drunken so that he cannot doe it will it excuse him If you have made your selves unfit to receive the Sacrament by commiting any grosse sinnes the unfitnesse will not excuse you If a man hath an occasion to ride a journey if he misse one day hee will take the next so ye if ye misse the Sacrament once be sure to take it the next time It is devided here that so if ye misse once yee may receive it the next time take heed therefore how yee neglect it The end of the Sacrament is to worship God to set forth Christs death it is the chiefest part of God worship therefore give it the chiefest respect Now from hence see the necessitie of this life of grace how can yee come to the Sacrament if yee are dead men Labour therefore for this life of grace And thus much for the first point that all men out of Christ are in a state of death We come now to the second which is this That all in Christ are in a state of life Our scope is to shew you what you are out of Christ and what benefits ye receive by being in Christ we cannot goe throughout all particulars but we will take the greatest life and death the one the greatest good the other the greatest evill All in Christ are living men this is the greatest benefit because death is the greatest evill therefore by the rule of contraries life must be the greatest good Farther men prize nothing so much as life this experience sheweth and Sathan himselfe could tell that skinne for skinne and all that a man hath he will give for his life Iob 2.4 Beyond experience God himselfe threatens death to Adam as the greatest evill The day that thou eatest of it thou shalt die the death Gen. 3.3 Now all that live this life are living men and have all things pertaining to life 2 Pet. 1.2 they have all that pertaines to life and godlinesse that is all things necessary for the nourishing and cherishing of them life were else unhappy take beasts and plants they having all belonging to their life are happy and they are said to live take any naturall life when as a man hath food and rayment and recreation he is said to live A man lives when he hath life and all that appertaines unto it I will divide this Doctrine into two parts and I will shew you two things First that there is such a life as this Secondly what this life is First that there is such a life as this It is needfull to shew you that there is such a life because it is a hidden life God hides these spirituall things as he hid Christ under a Carpenters sonne so he hides the glorious mysteries of the Sacrament under the base elements of Bread and Wine he hides the wisdome of God under the foolishnesse of preaching he hides those whom the world is not worthy of under sheepes Skinnes and Goates Skinnes Heb. 11. yea Col. 3.3 Our lives are hid with Christ in God But from whom is this life hidden I answer that it is hidden from naturall men as colours from a blind man they are there and he sees them not But with what is it hidden I answer that it is hidden First with this naturall life wee see it not because wee have this life it is hid as the Sap in the roote or water in the spring Secondly it is hidden with a base outside 2. Cor. 6.10 The Saints are as poore as despised as having nothing Christ had a base outside there was no forme or beauty in him that wee should desire him and so have the Saints being conformable to him they are like other men for their outsides Thirdly it is hidden with mis-reports thus Christ himselfe was hidden he was counted a wine-bibber a friend of Publicans and sinners one casting out divels by Belzebub and therefore he became a stumbling blocke unto many The Saints are likewise mis-represented they are evill spoken of they are presented to mens understanding otherwise than they are There are a generation of men that pervert the strait wayes of God Act. 13.10 that is they make them seeme crooked though they are straight notwithstanding they pervert them as a crooked or false glasse perverts a face that is beautifull representing it in another shape or as a sticke that is halfe in the water and halfe out seemes to be crooked and yet is straight in it selfe But in what is it hidden I answer that it is hidden in Christ as in the fountaine as in the heart and soule as in the subject wherein it dwels Men what ever they professe beleeve not this that there is such a life because it is a hidden life what course then shall wee take to make you beleeve it The Scriptures you will not deny yet you will be as hard to beleeve them as you will be to beleeve that there is such a life Wee will therefore say something without the Scriptures to perswade you that there is such a life as this First there is a life which the foule and spirits lives as the Angels they move act and understand though they eate not there is therefore a life besides this common life Secondly consider the matter of the soule then yee shall see that the soule lives such a life as Angels doe The soules of
will quicken you as the soule doth the body A Christian hath the life of the Sonne of God Gal. 2.21 I live yet not I but Christ lives in me all that I doe Christ doth it in me all that the body doth the soule doth it the body lives not but the soule lives in it After that manner Christ lives in us not a good thought or affection nor any resolution or motion of the soule but comes from Christ being united to Christ by faith he lives in us Ioh. 6.43 he that eates my flesh and drinkes my blood shall live As flesh gives life to the body so the Sonne gives it to the soule To eate the flesh of Christ is to prize him to desire and long after him which is after the spirit of bondage to eate him is to take him to come to him to have him for your God In these two things stands the eating of Christ First in prising him exceedingly so as to part with any thing for him and to take up his Crosse with all losses Secondly in beleving him to be yours and you his this eating and drinking of the body and blood of Christ expresseth our relative union with him and then followes our reall union the Spirit immediately gives this he that doth the first shall have the second But how shall we doe to beleeve this I answer yee see the old Adam communicated corruption to all his posterity because they were borne of him so those who are borne of the new Adam that is those who take him and beleeve in him have grace communicated to them by him this new birth makes you as capable of Christ as the other doth of the first Adam why then shall not the second Adam communicate grace as well as the other doth corruption The phylosophers were all deceived in this poynt from whence corruption should come but wee know that it came from Adam and so doth grace come from Christ. To get this life let us seeke it in him let us beleeve more let us be humbled more repent more and take Christ more take him on any condition prize him set him at the highest rate hold him fast As in the actions of mariage those who are to marry will not part upon any condition they take one another for richer for poorer for better for worse after this manner must wee take Christ the more yee take Christ thus the more yee have the Sonne and so yee live more the life of grace All grant that this life comes by the Spirit and there is no way to get the Spirit but by the Sonne Yee must first eate ere yee can bee nourished yee must fixe your eyes on his passion as the wife doth fixe her eyes or her husband yee must seeke this life from the Spirit ultimately but yee must first have the Sonne and then yee have life He must have the Sonne that will have this life he must be ingrafâ—ed into Christ as the branches are into the roote get Christ and then this life shall abound in you The fourth meanes to get and increase this life is the communion of Saints The mouth of the righteous is a well spring of life Prov. 10.20 they put life into those that have it not and increase it in those in whom it is Ephe. 4.24 Their speeches minister grace to the hearers they edifie them hearing of the word of life and talking of the fountaine of life puts life into men The life of the body doth not communicate it selfe to others it is otherwise in the life of the soule the life of it makes others to live more as Iron sharpens Iron so one holy man doth another See it by the contrary In evill men who are dead there is an aptnesse to dead others their words are as continuall droppings to put out this life their tongues are set on fire of hell Iames. 3.6 The tongue of good men is a cole fetched from the Altar they have fire within them When two lie together they keepe one another warme there is action and redaction which ingender heate so it is in the communion of Saints it is a powerfull meanes to get and increase this life The tongue the example and communion of the righteous is full of life it is powerfull to make men live Gal. 2.14 Paul speaking to Peter saith why compellest thou the Gentiles to live after the manner of the Iewes he used not outward compulsion his example and life was a compulsion The company which wee keepe compells us to doe as they doe Evill company are the Divels snares they doe as brambles keepe us in and fetter us the sutablenesse of evill companions drawes out our secret corruption He that resolves to live this life must resolve to withdraw himselfe from evill company who are a strong temptation unto evill and betake himselfe to the communion of Saints There is a difference betweene leading our selves into temptation and being led into it when you leade your selves into temptation as you doe when as you rush into evill company you are out of the pale of Gods protection If you touch pitch yee cannot but bee defiled with it wherefore make your company good this is an effectuall and powerfull meanes to beget this life in you Saul being among the Prophets changed his spirit and became a Prophet one that goeth fast makes those that goe with him to mend their pace Act. 11.23.24 it is said of Barnabas being a good man and full of the holy Ghost and of faith that he added much people unto the Lord. Which manner of speaking shewes that the speeches of those who are full of faith helpes to breed faith that if men be full of the Spirit they quicken the Spirit Evill company deads men they are the trunkes through which the Divell speakes and this deading is done in an insensible manner and then most of all where it is least perceived Evill company poysons men a man turning his opiaion which company can doe is most of all poysoned when as he thinks that he hath least hurt The last meanes to get and increase this life is that which is mentioned in the text and that is the hearing of the voyce of the Sonne of God this will beget and increase this life that is if when wee speake to your eares hee speake to your hearts then ye live Ye have two teachers the one is he that speakes to you the other is Christ. Heb. 8 1â— They shall no more teach one another for they shall all be taught of God There are two sheapheards the one is hee that feeds you the other is the great sheapheard of the sheepe Ther are two great voices the one speaking outwardly to the eare the other when as Christ speakes effectually to the heart When Christ speakes inwardly to the heart then men live and not before This is such a speech as Christ spake to Lazarus Lazarus come forth and he
the subject on which Christ doth exercise his Divinitie and that is on dead men The dead shall heare the voyce of the Sonne of God and shall live Secondly the instrument by which he doth it and that is by his Word which is not meant onely the bare preaching and hearing of the Word but such an inward commanding powerfull operative word that makes men doe that which is commanded them Such a word was spoken to Lazarus being dead Lazarus come forth and he did it This word commands men and makes them to obey it Thirdly the time when he will exercise his divinity the houre is comming and now is that is the time shall come when as it shall bee abundantly revealed the fruit of the Gospell shall appeare more plentifully and fully hereafter but yet it is now beginning to appeare there is now some small fruit of it Lastly It is affirmed with an asseveration or oath Verily Verily I say unto you And these are the parts of this Text. Out of these words I purpose to shew you these three things First What the estate of all men is out of Christ. Secondly what we gaine by Christ. Thirdly What we must doe for Christ. First we will shew you what your state is out of Christ for this will make you to prize him more And the point for this is That every man out of Christ is in a state of death or dead man that is All men how ever they are borne living yet they are still dead men without the living Spirit the root is dead Hence are these places of Scripture Gen. 2.17 The day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death Mat. 8.22 Let the dead bury their dead Ephes. 2.1 You hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sinnes Eph. 5.14 Awake thou that sleepest stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light The meaning is that all men are spiritually dead This will be of some moment to shew you that you are dead without Christ. Yee account it a gastly sight to see many dead men lie together it affects you much but to see a multitude of dead men walke and stand before us that affects us not The naturall death is but a picture or shadow of death but this spirituall death is death indeed As it is said spiritually of Christs flesh Ioh. 6.55 That it is meate indeed Now that you may know what this death is I will shew you First of all what this death is Secondly how many kinds of this death there are Thirdly the symptomes and signes of this death Fourthly the degrees of this death For the first what this death is it consists in two things First in death there is a privation of life then a man is dead when as the soule is separated from the body so a man is spiritually dead when as the soule is separated from the quickning spirit of Grace and righteousnesse This is all our cases In us there dwels no good there is no Spirit of life within us the Soule is so out of order that the spirit is weary of it and forsakes it When the body growes distempered and unfit for the Soule to use then the Soule leaves it Even as when the instrument is quite out of tune a man layes it aside whiles it is in tune he plaies on it So a man dwels in a house as long as it is habitable and fit to dwell in but when it becomes unhabitable he departs so as long as the body is a fit organ for the soule it keepes it when it becomes unfit it leaves it Even so the holy Ghost lives in the soule of man as long as it is in good temper but being distempered by sinne the holy Ghost removes You may see it in Adam as soone as hee did eate of the forbidden fruite the holy Ghost left him and he lost his Originall righteounes Secondly in this death as there is a privation so there is also a positive evill quality wrought in the soule whereby it is not onely void of goodnesse but made ill In the naturall death when a man dyes there is another forme left in the body so in this spirituall death there is an evill habit left in the soules of men This you may see Heb. 9.14 where the workes you doe before regeneration are called Dead workes there would be a contradiction in calling them dead workes if there were not another positive evill forme in man beside the absence of the quickning Spirit which forme is called Flesh in the Scriptures But it may be objected that sinne is a meere privation of good that it is a Non-ens therefore flesh cannot bee said to be an operative qualitie and forme of sinne To this I answer that though all sinne be a meere privation yet it is in an operative subject and thence it comes to passe that sinne is fruitfull in evill workes As for example take an Horse and put out his eyes as long as hee stands still there is no error but if he begins to runne once he runnes amisse and the longer hee runnes the further hee is out of the way wherein he should goe and all this because he wants his eyes which should direct him So it is with sinne though in its selfe it be but a meere privation yet it is seated in the soule which is alwayes active Anima nunquam otiosa The goodnesse that should inlighten it is taken away and there is a positive evill qualitie put into it that leades us on to evill Consider farther whence this death proceeds the originall of it is the understanding mind of man which is primū vivens ultimum moriens That which lives first and dies last The cause of life is the understanding inlightened to see the truth when the affections are right and the understanding straight then we live when it is darkened all goes out of order Ioh. 1.4 speaking of Christ it is said that in him there was life and the life was the light of men he was life because hee was light he did inliven men because he did inlighten them therefore Ephe. 5.4 the Apostle speakes thus to men Awake thou that sleepest stand up from the dead and Christ shall give thee light because light is the beginning of spirituall life Therefore it is said Iames 1.18 Of his owne will begot he them by the word of truth that is the word rectifies the understanding and opinion which is the first thing in this spirituall birth and Ephe 4.22.24 Put off the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts thereof and put on the new man which after God is created in holinesse and perfect righteousnesse The old man is corrupt according to the deceitfull lusts that which is here called deceitfull lusts c. in the Originall signifies lusts proceeding from error and holinesse proceeding from truth Lust proceeds from error in mistaking things for lust is nothing
else but affection misplaced proceeding from error and that holinesse in which God delighteth in which his Image consists comes from truth When Adam was alive hee judged aright because then the wheeles and affections of his soule were right Being dead by reason of his fall he lost his sight hee saw no beauty in the wayes of God and this is the case of all unregenerate men but when the Spirit rectifies the judgement and convinceth men of sinn◠and righteousnesse then they beginne to revive To be dead is to have the understanding darkned the judgement erronious to be alive is to have the understanding inlightened and the judgement rectified And thus much for the first what this death is We come now to the kindes of this death which are three First there is a death of guiltinesse one that is guiltie of any offence that is death by the Law is said to be but a dead man So every one by nature is a dead man bound over to death though he be not executed Secondly there is a death in sinne that is opposite to the life of sanctification Ephe. 2.1 You hath he quickned who were dead in trespasses and sinnes and there is a death for sinne that is contrary to the life of Glory Thirdly there is a death that is opposite to the life of joy in hell there is a life man is not quite extinguished but yet men in hell are said to be dead because they have no joy This death consists in the separating of God from the soule when God is separated from the soule then man dies this death of sorrow God joynes himselfe to the soules of good and bad to those that are not sanctified he joynes himselfe in a common manner and thence it is they have common joy common comfort common civility to the godly he joynes himselfe in an extraordinary manner by which they have extraordinary joy now when God is separated from the soule then comes a perfect death see it in the separation of God from Christs humanity God withdrawing himselfe from him but for a time he crieth out My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee As God withdrawes himselfe more or lesse so is our joy our sorrow more or lesse Thus much for the kinds of this death Wee proceed now to the Symptomes or signes of this death and they are foure The first is this men are said to bee dead when they understand nothing when as there is no reason exstant in them when they see no more than dead men The life is nought else but the soule acted then a man is said to live when the understanding part is acted So man is spiritually dead when as his understanding is darkened when as hee sees or understands nothing of Gods wayes because they are spirituall and he carnall But it may bee objected men understand things belonging to faith and repentance carnall men not yet sanctified have some understanding of these I answer that they may understand the materials belonging to godlinesse as well as others but yet they relish them not they see them not with a spirituall eye Tit. 1.16 They are to every good worke reprobate they cannot judge aright of any good workes as to like approve and love them to see a beauty in them as they are good Rom. 8.7 the wisdome of the flesh is enmitie with God for it is not subiect to the Law of God the Greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the meaning is not that they understand it not but they like it not they relish it not they tast it not they thinke of Gods wayes that they are but folly 1 Cor. 2.14 They are at enmity with them they count them drosse The second symptome of death is want of motion where there is no motion there is death All men naturally want this motion they cannot judge or doe any good thing by nature they may doe the opus operatum but they cannot doe it in an holy manner their prayers their hearing receiving of the Sacrament and the like are dead workes without faith the principall of life how ever they may be faire in other mens eyes The third signe of a naturall death is sencelesnesse so men are spiritually dead when they are not affected with Gods judgements when they have hard hearts which cannot repent Rom. 2.5 when they have hearts as hard as a stone Ezek. 36.27 or when they are affected with them onely as naturall men apprehend evill not from a quickning Spirit but from a selfe-love Lastly in naturall death there is a losse of that vigor that beauty in the face and countenance which is in living men So in men that are spiritually dead there is no beauty no vigor they have death in their faces they may have painted beauty which may be like the living as he said pictum putavi esse verum verum putavi esse pictum they may be much alike yet they haue not that livelinesse and beauty as living men have Gods beauty the beauty of holinesse is not found in them But it may bee objected they have many excellencies in them they know much they excell in morall vertues I answer they may have excellencies as a dead man may have Iewels and chaines about him yet they are dead they have them but yet they are as Iewels of gold in a Swines snoute they are as Swine their good things make them not men they are beautifull yet they are but dead men as the evill workes of good men make them not bad men so the good workes of evill men make them not good Thus much for the signes of this Death We come now to the degrees of this death in all these deathes there are degrees First in the death of guilt if you have had more meanes the guilt is greater if you make no use of them The Gentiles they shall onely be condemned for breaking the Law of nature because they knew no other Law The Iewes they shall be condemned for sinning against the Law of nature and the Law of Moses they had a double Law and shall be condemned for the breach of it Christians having a treble Law the Gospell the Law of nature the morrall Law shall be condemned for all three and among all Christians such as have had more meanes and better education the greater shall their punishment be Secondly in the death opposite to the life of sanctification there are degrees Now yee must know that there are no degrees in the privative part of death but they are onely in the positive The lowest step in this second death is to have enmity to the wayes of God being fighters against God and enemies to the Saints this is the lowest step The second degree is when as men are not so active that way but yet are dead in pleasures ambition covetousnesse and the like There is a generation of men which trouble not
good men leade such a life as good Angels doe the soules of bad men such a life as bad Angels The life of beasts depends on the compacture and Temperature of the substance as the Harmony doth upon the true extent of every string With the soule of man it is otherwise the soule lives first and then causeth the body to live it is otherwise in beasts their soules and bodies live together Besides it is certaine that the soule shall live when as the body is laid aside then it lives another life from the body therefore it lives another life in the body The higher faculties of the soule the Vnderstanding and Will are not placed or seated in the body as other faculties are the visive facultie must have an eye to see the hearing facultie must have an eare to heare and so the rest of the faculties must have their organs but the Vnderstanding hath no such organ it onely useth those things that are presented to it by the phansie Our sight feeling and hearing perish when their organs perish but the superior faculties of the soule weare not away but the elder the body is the younger they are The soule lives now in the object now in the subject it lives in the things it is occupied about As the Angels are said to be where they worke because they haue no bodies as we have to make them bee locally there so the soule it also lives where it is occupied as if it be occupied about heavenly things then wee are said to have our conversation in heaven Take the understanding and faculties of reason they sway not men but the Ideaes truthes and opinions that dwell in the understanding sway men There are three lives in man there is the life of plants of beasts or sence and the life of reason I may adde a fourth and that is this spirituall life which is an higher life of the soule Where there is an evill life there is death but where there is a good life there is this spirituall life See it in the effects for these are but speculations First yee see by experience that there is a generation of men that live not a common life delight not in vaine pleasures sports and honors there is no life without some delights their delights and life is not in outward things abroad therefore they have a retired and inward life at home Secondly there are no Acts but for some end there are men who make not themselves their end if they did they might then take other courses going with the streame If then they make not themselves their end then they make God their end they live not to themselves but to the Lord 1. Thes. 3.8 Thirdly they care not what they lose to get advantage to God they are content to be despised contemned to suffer Torments imprisonments and death they are content to doe that which is the ruine of their lives which they would not doe had they not a more speciall-life within them 2. Cor. 4.11 We which live are alwayes given up to death for Iesus sake that the life also of Iesus might bee made manifest in our mortall flesh That is for this cause God suffered his children to be in danger that men might know that they live an other life and have other comforts this appeares by our readinesse to bee exposed to death all which shewes that there are some that leade an other life But it will be objected that the superstitious and those of another religion will suffer death as well as the Saints and morall philosophers are retired as well as the Saints and those who have but common graces live this life as well as the Saints therefore these experiences proue not the point sufficiently I answer that it is true that superstition doth worke much like Religion morall vertue doth many things like true holinesse and Common grace doth much like true grace yet it is no good argument to say that because a dreaming man dreames that he sees therefore a living man that doth see doth but as hee A picture is like a living man yet it followes not that a living man is dead because the picture is dead it is no Argument to say that because morrall vertue doth many things like true holynesse therefore true holinesse doth them not They may be like in many things yet not in all things the cause of all deceit is because we cannot discerne of things alike therefore I will shew you how these differ First superstition makes men suffer much as well as true Religion yet they doe it out of a false opinion the other from faith the one doe it being helped by the holy Ghost the other have a supernaturall helpe from Sathan that extendeth nature beyond his spheare the one doth it from grace the other from delusion the outward acts are alike but the inward principles differ Secondly morrall vertue and Christian holinesse differ in working the last is done of a sudden A man is made a living man suddainely though there are some previous dispositions yet the soule is suddenly infused after this manner the Saints passe from death to life Others have their habits by frequent acts and education they are moulded to it by little and little Thirdly in morrall men the change is never generall there is no new birth in them but in the Saints All things are new 2. Cor. 5.17.18 Fourthly morallitie doth never change nature but grace doth the most wilde man in a country the unlikeliest man of all others Religion makes him a Lambe of a Lion though it were unprobable Fifthly what did mortall men they went by divers wayes to the same center themselves were their end Epicures thought one way the best the Stoicks another but the Saints seeke a happinesse in denying themselves which helpes to perfect them Lastly common and true grace have many things alike yet they differ in this true grace doth things as a man doth naturall living actions as a man eates and drinkes with willingnesse and propensivenesse connaturally and readily so doth not the other Those who have onely common grace doe all from respects and by-ends their holinesse is but by flashes and by fits it continues not they are like violent motions quicke in the beginning and slower in the end the higher they goe the weaker they are but the motions and actions of the godly are as a stone falling downewards which moves faster and faster till it falles to the Center where it would be Now we have done all this there is not yet sufficient said to make it sufficiently appeare that there is such a life of grace these and an hundred other Arguments and reasons will not make naturall men beleeve that many men live other lives than they But when they see the life of
doe if they bring not forth fruit if they glorifie not God they are dead See what a price is put into your hands see what yee have done and mend whiles yee may bestow not your price amisse There are many Talents yet none like this of life take therefore the Apostles exhortation Gal. 6. While yee have time doe good life is but an acting yee then live when ye are doing good We see how many men fall from the Tree of life as leaves in Autumne the candle of this life is quickly blowne out have therefore a better life in store bee not alwayes building never inhabiting alwayes beginning never finishing Stultitiae semper incipit vivere folly alwayes beginns to live It is the fault of most men they are alwayes beginning and neuer goe on Lâ—t us take therefore the Apostles counsell 1 Pet. 4.3 Thinke it sufficient that we have walked formerly as we have done the time which remaines let us reckon it precious and bestow it to better purpose Secondly if every one that is in Christ be in an happy estate of life then let men from hence know their state and condition let them often reflect on their priviledges behaving themselves as men that prize them and bestowing their time as well as may bee let as few rivulets runne out of this streame as you can Wee pray that wee may doe Gods Will on earth as perfect as the Angels doe it in heaven wee should therefore practise this as we pray for their life is without interruption they are in communion with God let us then be alwayes doing having our thoughts above let not cares and businesse call us off but let us comfort our selves in God acting that which is for his glory wherefore prize this life esteeme it much know what ye have by Christ and consider the excellency of this life above all others That yee may know the excellency of this life consider it comparatively with this other life that we live It hath three properties wherein it differs from and excells this common life which we all live First it is an eternall life Ioh. 6. Your fathers did eate Manna and died but hee that eateth of this bread shall die no more but he shall live for ever that is this is the advantage that yee have by the life that I shall give you those that did eate Manna the food of Angels died and Ioh. 4. Those that drinke of this water shall thirst againe that is those that live another life than this shall die and thirst but those that live this life shall never die To live this life is when the soule lives in the object there is a living in the subject yet this spirituall life is when the soule lives in the object when as it is set on God Take men that live other lives yee shall see that their lives are short A man living in honour that being the thing he mindes and intends it is in potestate honorantis there is no constancy in it it is brickle If a man lives in wealth sets his minde on it Why riches take their wings and fly away Pro. 23. and then their life is ended So if a man lives in pleasure and musicke they passe away and then he is dead those who live in these things suffer many sicknesses and many deaths as their hearts are more intent upon them But it may be wee may not minde these things Yes as if we minded theÌ„ not as a man that hears a tale and hath his mind elsewhere or as a man that baits at an Inne his minde being somewhere else If yee mind them ye die in them he that minds the best things never dies because there is no change in them God is alwayes the same his favour and love is constant see therefore that yee prize them As a time that is infinitely long exceeds that which is a but a span long in quantity so doth this life exceed the naturall life in perpetuity and excelles all other lives in excellencie Secondly this life is a life indeed as that that feeds it is meate indeed the other is not so looke upon all the comforts of this present life they are not such indeed take wealth pleasures honours and the like wealth is but a false treasure Luke 16.11 it is called the unrighteous Mammon the false treasure Et falsus Hector non est Hector in comparison of the true treasure it is nothing Therefore Salomon Pro. 23.5 speaking of riches saith Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not these riches are nothing So for honours all praise among men is nothing it is but vaine-glory and vaine because it is empty and hath nothing in it so the pleasures of this life are but sad pleasures the heart is sad at the bottome the riches the comforts of this life and onely these are riches and comforts indeed the actions of this life are actions indeed In eating and drinking there is sweetnesse but when we feed on the promises by faith then we taste sweetnesse indeed in them One that is weary being refreshed with sleepe finds sweetnesse and ease but it is another refreshing that those finde who have beene weary and heavie laden with sinne and are nâ—w refreshed this brings comfort to the soule So to thinke of houses wife children and lands to consider all the actions that wee have done under the Sunne and all that we have passed thorow is pleasant but to thinke of the priviledges we have in Christ that we are Sonnes of God and heires of Heaven this is comfort indeed especially to thinke of the good workes wee have done what good prayers wee have made what good duties wee have performed these are actions indeed and bring comfort indeed All the actions of this life are actions indeed this life is a life indeed in death you shall finde it so that Christs body and bloud are meate and drinke indeed that remission of sinnes and peace of conscience are comforts indeed peace indeed they are such now though ye thinke not so yee shall then know that this life is life indeed Thirdly this life of grace is a prevailing life swallowing up the other 2 Cor. 5.4 the Apostle desired death not to be uncloathed but to be cloathed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life that is desiring death I desire not to be deprived of the comforts of this life then I were unwise I would not put off my cloathes but to be cloathed with a better suite I desire a life to swallow up this life not as a Gulfe swallowes that which is cast into it or as fire swallowes up the wood by consuming it but a life that swallowes it up as perfection swallowes up imperfection as the perfecting of a picture swallowes up the rude draught as perfect skill swallowes up bungling or as manhood swallowes up childhood not extinguishing it but drowning or rather perfecting it
that it is not seene The life of grace being perfect swallowes up imperfection he that lives the life of grace hath the imperfections of this naturall life swallowed up For example before wee live this life we magnifie riches honours and Gugaes but the list of grace comming wee have other kindes of comforts then as a man that is to be made a Prince contemnes the things hee before admired The weakenesses we are subject to are swallowed up in this life al sicknesse and trouble ar swallowed up in this so are all our frailties and imperfections This should teach us to set a high prize upon this life of grace that we dye no more if we live it that it is a life indeed that it swallowes up this other life compare it with other lives it far excels theÌ„ all this therefore should move us to desire and seeke it Secondly this life of grace must needes be more excellent than the common life because it makes a man a better man much better than he was this puts man into a better condition elevates and puts him into a condition equall to the Angels and beyond in some respects That yee may understand this yee must know that every thing is made better by mingling it with things that are better than it selfe as Silver being mixed with Gold Water with Wine are made better than they were before There are two things required to make a thing better First that that thing with which it is mixed be of a better nature than the thing it selfe Secondly that there be a good union Nothing puts so high a degree of excellency into us as this that we are united unto God this uniting to God is the chiefest good Secondly this union betwixt God and us is a perfect union There are many unions as first there is a relative union such as is betweene man and wife Secondly there are artificiall and natural unions as when two peeces of bords are put together so that one touch the other so when graine and graine of another sort are mixed together there is a nearer union than this when as water and water are mixed together nearer than this is the union that is betwixt the soule and the body Such a union as this is there betweene us and Christ we are in him as the branches in the vine wee are incorporated and knit to him this puts us into an higher degree of excellency silver mixed with gold is better yet if we could take the spirits out of gold and make silver take the nature and quality of it it would be much better Wee put on the Spirit and quality of Christ when as we live this life Lusts which are most contrary to this life puts us below men and makes us worse than Beasts this life puts us beyond men and makes us equall with Angels All men desire some excellency which is done by adding something to them some desire wealth some learning some honour Consider then if yee live this life yee goe beyond all others nothing beyond Gods Image nothing better to be united to than God let this set the life of grace at a high rate in your affections men do it not and therefore they despise religion in its selfe and in those in whom it appeares Thirdly yee have this advantage in this life of grace it addes liberty to you it makes you to doe those things that otherwise yee could not doe it makes yee to pray to repent to beleeve and to doe those things without which there is no salvation looke on Christ. There are but few that can doe this there are few that can delight in God relish the word in its purity take pleasure in the company of the Saints comfort themselves in the Lord their God this life gives liberty which is an addition of some perfection it makes us to do things that we could not doe before and to doe them in another manner A man having gotten an Art hath liberty to doe those things which before he could not as one that hath gotten the Art of logicke or geometry can doe that which before he could not doe as one in health hath liberty to doe that which he could not doe being sicke water being hot hath liberty to heaâ—e which it could not before There is no liberty to doe holy actions but this liberty of the life of Grace the Spirit of life addes liberty to doe the actions of life 2 Cor. 3.17 Where the Spirit of God is there is liberty to doe things which before we could not as one having an Art can doe things that hee could not doe before This though you prise it not whiles your mountaine is strong yet the time will come when yee will need liberty to pray repent and trust in God and then ye will find the preciousnesse of it this then sets a price upon this life of Grace and should make you to desire it Thirdly if it be a happy condition and the priviledge of those who are in Christ that there is such a life for them let this â—each men to seeke to live this life of grace to get it if they have it not to confirme it if they have it to abstaine from lust the sicknesse of the soule and the meanes to quench this life take heede of estranging your selves from God who is the principle of this life take heed of dejections of mind the cloudings that damp this life This life is to be active to act much in the wayes of God when a man is cheerefull and vigorous he lives a life of nature so he that hath a quicke and nimble sence and is forward and busy in good workes lives most this life of grace He that rejoyceth most in God hath most comforts most life Take heed of the contraries Idlenesse sencelessenesse and barrennesse are contrary to life take heed of them take heed of sadnesse that rusts the wheeles of the soule whereas joy doth oyle them Doe all to further this life avoid all that hinders it Labour now to bee translated from death to life that which hinders us is that we thinke we are in a state of life when we are not Now yee may know whether ye are alive or no by seeing whether yee are dead or no But because yee may be certaine whether ye are alive or not I will give you some positive signes of life to know it First ye are translated from death to life yee are living men if ye love the Brethren 1 Ioh. 3.14 If a man be a living man he lives in another element than he did before Every living man converseth with those of the same kind as every creature doth Sheepe with Sheepe Lyons with Lyons Doves with Doves so living men will converse with living men Not loving the brethren wee are in a state of death Every creature must have an element to live in a new life must have a new element evill men out of their companies
are as Fish out of the water Every life hath likewise a taste and appetite a new life hath a new taste and judgement Pro. 29.27 An unjuste man is an abomination to the just and he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked that is one hates the thing that the other loves he that is alive the things which before he loved he now hates he abhors the things that evill men delight in That which is a dogs meate is a sheepes poyson as the proverb is so that which wicked men delight in is as odious as poyson to the just To judge this life by see what your company and delights are nothing can be lesse dissembled than company In his company man doth speake out of the abundance of the heart he then bewrayes himselfe what he is there is no dead man no living man but he is inward with the like no signe so much poynted at in the Scripture as this Yee are translated from death to life if yee love the brethren 1 Ioh. 3.14 and Ioh. 13.35 By this shall all men know that yee are my disciples if yee love one another this rule will not deceive you Secondly yee may know whether yee live this life if ye contend for it that life which a man lives for it he will contend he will let any thing goe rather than it If yee live this life of grace yee will maintaine it and yee can doe no otherwise 1 Iohn 3.9 Hee that is borne of God cannot sinne to be borne of God is to leade a new life he that lives a new life admits not the things which tend to the destruction of it Compare this with the 1. Pet. 2.11 Abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule hee that is borne of God sinnes not that is hee yeelds not to sinne with his good will but struggles against it as one in health strives against sickenesse resists the disease and maintaines a warre against it But yet the best are foyled T is true yet they strive they never yeeld they maintaine a warre and this they doe not onely by discourse but there is a naturall instinct that puts them forwards they may be cast backe yet they returne againe they may have a sickenesse that takes away sence they may swound and be astonished for a time yet after they contend for life Every evill man contends for his life he leades his life in some lust or other from which if he be drawne hee returnes againe as a thing that is lifted from the earth will fall downe to it againe he reckons the wayes of God hard and opposite to him The wisedome of the Spirit is enmity to the flesh neyther can it be subiect to the Law of God Rom. 8. it cannot but resists it Every creature labours to mainetaine its being so evill men continuing in sinne strive naturally against all that would bring them out of this life of sinne So the Saints they live a life of grace and labour to maintaine it Iohn 6.68 Christ asking his Disciples whether they also would goe away Peter made this answer Lord whither shall wee goe thou hast the words of eternall life that is whiles we conceive thee to be the principle and fountaine of this life we cannot depart from thee The Saints wil let go friends and life and all for this life Count therefore of others and judge of your selves by contesting for this life strive to mainetaine it let all goe rather than it Thirdly yee may know whether yee have this life in you or not by the fruites of it as the tree is knowne by its fruites If the word turne the flocke into its owne nature ye know it by the fruites Gal. 5.25 If ye live in the Spirit ye will also walke in the Spirit that is if ye professe your selves holy men shew it by walking in the Spirit holy men will bee doing that which is good This is the surest triall our workes will not deceive us other things which consist in imagination may 1 Ioh. 3.10 In this the Children of God are manifest and the children of the Divill who doth not righteousnes is not of God he that is of God doth not unrighteousnesse Consider then what your walke and your actions are and by them ye shall know this life But how shall we know whether we walke in the Spirit or no I answere first that there are many by-walkes and if ye walke but in one of them yee walke in the flesh and not in the Spirit Iam. 1.26 If any man seeme to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his owne heart this mans religion is vaine that is hee that makes this sinne his trade and walkes ordinarily in it his religion is vaine Secondly yee may know it by the guides yee follow Evill men they follow three guides Ephe. 2.3 they follow first the world secondly the Divill thirdly the flesh Holy men have three contrary guides first the renewed part within secondly the holy Ghost thirdly the course of the Saints Goe ye the broad way oportet Sanctos vadere per diverticula the Saints doe not so Follow yee the streame fulfill yee the will of flesh or of the Spirit what are your actions Ephe. 4.17 I charge you that you henceforth walke not as the Gentiles doe in the vanity of their mindes that is holy men may have vanity in their mindes yet they walke not in it as others doe evill men may have other thoughts yet they walke in the vanity of their mindes and albeit that evill men walke not in all the waies of sin yet they are dead there is but one way to hit the marke but there are a thousand by-wayes a holy man may stumble in the wayes of God and have some foyles but he leades not his life in sinne he strives against it hee that leades his life in any knowne sinne not resisting it and will doe it and not crosse himselfe in it is dead his religion is vaine But what actions are there that holy men doe but that wicked men and others doe them I answere that there is no good actions we doe but they may be dead workes as men may pray and keepe the Sabbath yet they may be but dead workes they may doe them for a shew yet they are dead A shaddow hath all the liniaments of a body yet it wants life so the workes of hypocrites they want life consider therefore whether your workes are living workes you may know it by these three signes First if they proceed from the fountaine of life they are not dead workes compare Gal. 5.6 In Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing nor uncircumcision but faith which worketh by love with Gal. 6.15 In Christ Iesus neither Circumcision availes any thing neither uncircumcision but a new creature all that proceeds not from a new heart and from faith which worketh by love is nothing this is
and good a man that lives a naturall life not knowing the life of grace is sensible of more good and evill than sensible beasts hee apprehends Heaven and Hell but a man that lives the life of grace is more capacious of comfort here you may suffer your facultyes to runne out to the utmost If ye desire wealth or pleasures your affections must not runne out yee must hold them in else they drowne you into perdition and pierce you thorow with many sorrowes If ye affect heavenly Treasures if yee affect praise with God yee may be as covetous of them as you will Thirdly let this move you to seeke this life of grace because it is the most excellent thing of all other All other things are subordinate to it the utmost end is still most excellent the end of warre is for peace therefore peace is better than it yee plow for harvest therefore harvest is best the end of all actions is for this life of grace Why labour yee for foode but to maintaine life Why live ye but to serve your soules Prudence is a steward to this holy life as the steward provides for the family that the master be not troubled with those meaner things so prudence is a steward that the soule may be occupied about things that are agreeable to it that it may have its conversation in heaven and with God Pervert this order it destroyes the creature Beasts living the life of sence it doth perfect them for that is their utmost end man having reason living as a beast destroyes himselfe because that is not his end he that perfects himselfe as a beast destroyes himselfe as a man perfectio mentis est perfectio hominis Let this stirre us up to live this life it is the utmost end of all To be Lawyers Physitions and other callings helpe us in the living of this life yet they are subordinate to it drowne not your selves in subordinate things if ye doe it is your destruction therefoâ—â— pitch on the principall Fourthly that which is best in the end I take end now in another sence is to be chosen above all things else That is well which ends well In this life of grace yee have this advantage which yee have no where else Eccles. 7.4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning that is this life disposeth us to thinke of death the end of all which to doe is wisedome Deut. 32.29 O that they were wise then would they consider their latter end In other things the beginning is good the end is bitter but the actions of the life of grace are sweet yee fare the better for them the very remembrance of them is pleasant and the reward of them comes not long after All other things are called perishing meates Iohn 6.27 There is a parable in it that is they are as perishing meats that are sweete in the palate yet they passe away but this endures unto eternall life it continues The worst thing in this life yee never repent of as it is said of sorrow for sinnes that it is sorrow never to be repented of but the best things that yee doe in the other life ye repeâ—t of All other things that yee doe they may be sweet for the present yet as it is said of drunkennesse Prov. 23.32 so may it be said of them that they bite like a Serpent and sting like an Adder though they seeme sweet The strange woman is sweet yet Prov. 5.4 her end is bitter as wormewood sharpe as a two-edged sword Goods evill gotten are sweet for the present yet their mouthes shall be filled with gravell that got them But on the other side the end of all the actions of this life is good as it is said of Iob that his latter end was more than his beginning Iob 42.12 So may it be said of all those who live this life Psal. 37.37 Marke the perfect man and behold the upright for the end of that man is peace If a man being to die and having ended his daies should put all his honours wealth and pleasures into one ballance and his good workes all his faithfull prayers all the actions of the life of grace into another he would find them to be best The bad man doth as the Silkeworme doth winding up himselfe into his ill workes he perisheth the other winding up himselfe in his gracious actions enters into salvation Fiftly choose this life before all others because God is pleased with it it being like himselfe as the creature is pleased with that which is like it God is a Spirit and will bee worshipped in Spirit and truth he is a living God and doth delight in a living man wee our selves delight not in dead men no more doth God therefore Rom. 12.1 We are exhorted to give up our soules and bodyes a living sacrifice to God God regards not dead bodyes bee yee living sacrifices which is the act of your will acting the duties of this life This is called walking with God which is to be in his presence to goe his way and to maintaine communion with him this is when as men doe audire et reddere voces when there is naturall delight when as they are in presence one with another and therefore walking with God and pleasing of God are used promiscuously for one and the same thing For Gen. 5.22 it is said of Enoch that he walked with God and Heb. 11.5 It is said that he pleased God But you will say what benefit is this I answer that is it great God disposeth of all things in the world is it not wisedome then to have him your friend Gen. 28.9 Iacob being to take his journey Isaacke said unto him God all-sufficient be with thee God is all-sufficient if yee have him yee have all In the creatures there is no such thing there is nothing but vanity in them they are but as candles or as Starres to the Sunne God is all-sufficient all the happinesse of the creature makes not men happy All men seeke happinesse yet they never finde it without having God All happinesse is in Gods favour In outward happinesse you must have other compounded things Christ rebuked them that counted her happy in the creatures saying Blessed is the wombe that bare thee and the Paps that gave thee sucke No saith Christ these will not make a man happy but blessed are they which heare the word of God and keepe it having God ye have all things God disposeth all things and giveth the comfortable fruition of them Ye may have all outward things and yet want comfort Gods curse makes all miserable though yee have all that the creature affords therefore give your selves no rest till yee have got this life without which God delights not in you Adam losing Gods Image was not happy because God was gone from him yet hee had all the creatures which he had before This life of grace
brings us to that state that Adam was in at first this restores us to it seeke not then your happinesse where it is not to be found We all doe as the Prodigall did we get our portion into our owne hands and goe from our Fathers house and seeke for our happinesse elsewhere but yee shall finde at last that all else is but huskes Thus the Saints have found it This life of grace gives rest to the soule all else in the creature is but vanity and vexation of spirit Vanity is nothing else but an insufficiency in the creature to give that content that wee looked for in it as when we looke for water in an empty well seeke for that in the creature that is not in it wee see its vanity in the absence of the good wee looke for and presence of the evill wee looked not for In God yee finde rest and tranquility such a tranquility as is in the Sea when it is without waves as is in the upper region of the ayre where no tempests are Looke on the lives of men who are taken up with trifles when they are young when they come to a riper age greater things move them when men are wiser they feele the apprehension of higher things when ye lift up your soules and keepe them on the wing yee are freed from troubles and cares Paul had a greater measure of this life than other men his Epistles which doe transcribere animam transcribe as it were his soule declare as much and hence was it that in all his troubles and afflictions he was full of constancy and comfort the more constantly we live this life the greater gainers shall we be Lastly till yee live this life yee have no assurance that yee are in the number of the elect Repentance puts a new life into men till yee finde this in you yee know not whether God is yours whether God will worke this life in you This should make us tremble and feare and never to leave till wee had got this life This life is a fruite of election wee know not whether wee are in Iacobs or Esau his case till we know we have it make haste therefore to get it It lies not in your power The Spirit breatheth when and where it listeth ye may feare that God will not give it you if you spend your life in vanity Take one who neglects you all the time that hee is able to doe you service if hee seekes unto you in his extremity for his owne ends what answere doe you give him but this Seeing he hath neglected you when he was able to doe you service you may justly refuse him now he is able to doe you none So if ye neglect God whilst ye are able for to serve him and seeke to him in your extremity take heede that yee receive not that answer from him as the Israelites did in their extremity Goe to your Idols and let them helpe you nay hee forbids Ieremiah to pray for them Consider this and make haste to live this life of grace ye cannot get it of your selves God must put it into you Now if these motives move you to seeke this life and after examination of your selves ye finde it not to be in you then use these meanes to get it The first meanes to get and mainetaine this life which is all one for that which begets it doth likewise nourish it is knowledge abound in knowledge get much light this life consists in light when a man judgeth aright The understanding enlightened is the primum vivens the first living part and therefore ye shall finde that life and light are put one for the other Ephes. 5.14 Stand up from the dead and Christ shall give you light and Ioh. 1.4 Christ was that light and that light was the life of men this life stands in inlightning the mind adde to this light yee adde to life The reason why men are dead is because there is a darkenesse in their soules they see not the wayes of God therefore they act not they step not forwards because they are in the darke All shining is from light as ye increase light so ye increase life Ephe. 4.18 it is said of the Gentiles that they were strangers from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them The knowledge of God brings men nearer to the life of God Ephe. 4.24 Holinesse is said to proceede from truth the words are put on the new man which after God is created in righteousnesse and holines which proceeds from truth But you will object that there are many who abound in knowledge who have life little enough that ignorant men live this life most that none live it lesse than those that know most To this I answer that there is a double knowledge First there is a meere inlightening and informing knowledge Secondly there is an operative knowledg yee may have enough of the first and be never the neere but it is the last that helps and gets this life and this knowledge is the gift of the sanctifying Spirit this is the operation of God we doe but informe and teach men wee cannot make them doe any thing wee cannot make them practise Gods teaching makes this knowledge operative perswades every way works every way Secondly there is a knowledge in the habit and a knowledge in the act which produceth actions these are set downe obscurely In the. 2 Pet. 1.12.13 the Apostle there saith that hee would not be negligent to put thē alwaies in remembrance of those things though they knew them and were established in the present truth yea I thinke it meete as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stirre you up by putting you in remembrance Peter did not write unto them that they might know those things habitually for so they knew them before but that they might know them actively and might presently act them for that end he wrote The first knowledge is as sparkes raked up in ashes the other as sparkes blowne up the first is as the sap in the roote the later like the sap that fills the branches with leaves and fruite the first is a generall knowledge gotten by contemplation the last is a practicall and actiue knowledge a knowledge to practise The Scripture exhorts to doe things that intend this knowledge Deut. 4.1 and Deut. 6. the Israelites were exhorted to heare and know the statutes of the Lord that they might doe them to speake of Gods word and works which actes their knowledge puts them in remembrance of Gods mercies and stirres up their minds Iosh. 1.8 he is commanded to reade the Law and to meditate in it day and night he must reade it not to know it for at that time there was little written but hee was to reade it that he might doe it But if we doe this so much it will hinder and interrupt our businesses so that we shall faile of
is not to have body and soule joyned together to be a living man in that sense we usually take life for if that were life then those in hell should not bee said to dye the death for you know in hell there is a conjunction of soule and body and yet men are not said to live there for it is death which is the punishment of sinne and indeed you shall finde that there is something a mans heart cleaves unto wherein hee rejoyceth which is the same with his life Therefore looke as the Soule enlivens the body so the conjunction of the present things which hee reckons his joy that is his life enliven his soule he cannot live without them Now if Christ be thy chiefe joy thou wilt finde this that thou canst not live without him as men are wont to say of their delights Such a man cannot live without such a thing so it is true of every man that hath taken Christ he is not able to live without him This life is no life and therefore if there be but a separation betweene thee and Christ if a mans conscience bee as it were clouded for a time hee findes no rest he doth as the Spouse in the Canticles She seekes from one place to another and gives her selfe no rest till she finde him and why because it was he whom her soule loved So you shall finde Beloved whatsoever it is that your soules love whatsoever you make your chiefe joy you will take no rest but as farre as you love and enjoy it Therefore for the finding of this whether Christ be thy life and thy chiefe joy consider what it is that thy thoughts feede upon every wicked man every man that is out of Christ there is something that his thoughts feed upon some things there are in contemplation of which the soule solaceth it selfe some pleasures that are past present or to come the very thinking of these are the greatest joy of his heart he roules them under his tongue even as a Servant that hath got some dainty bit out of his Masters presence and â—ates it in a corner so the soule of a man hath out of Christ some secret some stolen some unlawfull delights that it feeds upon and delights in Consider therefore well with thy selfe what breakfast thy morning thoughts have that I may so say what breakefast they have every morning what is that Pabulum that food of thy soule wherewith thy thoughts and affections are nourished and refreshed from day to day whether it be some carnall pleasure some reflecting on thy state upon thy wealth upon thy friends or whether it be on Christ. See as David exercised it whether be they thy songs in the night time All carnall men have something past whereby they comfort themselves something present where by they cheare up their hearts something to come something in hope So every man that is in Christ he hath the comforts of the Spirit the meditation of the priviledges that he hath in Christ the hope of Gods favour These are his appointed food these are the things that his soule feedes on in secret yea the very workes that he doth that seemes to be the hardest part of a Christians life the very workes that hee doth in serving the Lord from day to day even that is his meate and his drinke that is it is as sweet and acceptable to his soule as meate and drinke is to the hunger and thirst of his body Now consider with thy selfe whether it be so with thee whether that which is thy continuall feast without which thou canst not live bee Christ or the assurance thou hast that he is thine and thou art his whether it bee the priviledges thou hast in him and the things that belong to the kingdome of God See whether these be thy life the things without which thou couldst not live or whether it bee some thing else some stollen delights some unlawful pleasures some thing else that thy soule and affections are set upon This is the next thing by which thou maiest try thy selfe whether thou belong to Christ or no to consider whether he bee thy chiefe joy whether thy soule bee most filled and satisfyed with him And this is the third thing 4 The fourth is to know whether he be thy chiefe Refuge If thou bee one that hath tooke him and received him I say he is thy chiefe refuge For every man hath some refuge some castle or other to which his soule retires in all difficult and doubtfull cases by reason of that indigency that insufficiency to which the nature of man is subject There is something that hee must have to leane unto marke it for mankind is like that generation which the Wiseman speakes of You know it is sayd of the Connyes They are a generation not strong and what then and therefore they have their burrowes to hide themselves in I say such is the generation of mankinde he is a weake creature a generation not strong therefore there is something that he must leane to something out of himselfe some sufficiency besides himselfe some strong hold some refuge every man hath I say every man hath some refuge or other whither he thinkes his soule may goe and there hee may have succour in cases daungerous and in troubles Now consider what is thy refuge whither thy heart runnes in all such cases to what wing to what strong hold In daungerous cases you see every creature hath some refuge or other The Child runnes to his Mother The Chickens runne to the henne The Fox to his earth the Connyes to their burrowes so every creature to their severall corners and receptacles proper to them I say so it is with every man so hath every one of you to whom I speake there is somewhat that is a secret refuge to which your hearts fly Now consider whether that be Christ or somewhat else A covetous man or rather a man of this world he hath wealth for his strong hold in which his heart comforts it selfe well saith he what change of time so ever come yet I have an estate to hold me up and when he is ill spoken of abroad yet hee applaudes himselfe with that hee hath at home The Courtiers they have the Princes favour that is their refuge wherein they comfort themselves Those that are given to Company they have good fellowes such as they that are their compaâ—ions and so long as they speake well of them they â—are not who speake ill of them Some have a refuge of this kind some of another every man hath his refuge If you will looke into the Scriptures you shall see Davids refuge in any distresse upon any occasion At Ziglag he comforteth himselfe in the Lord his hart did fly to him as the chickens fly to the henne there he comforted himselfe there he shrowded himselfe there he encouraged himselfe in the Lord. When he fled from his son Absolon was not the Lord
that the righteous have more comfortable than all the revenues of the vngodly be they never so great That which hath been said of blessings the like also may bee said of crosses yee may grieve for them if yee take them as crosses but withall take heed that you account not those things crosses which indeed are no crosses Want was no crosse to Paul nor yet Imprisonment for in the one he abounded in the other hee sung It is advantage unto us many times to have outward blessings taken from us It is advantage to us to have bloud taken away in a Pleurisie it is good sometimes to lop trees that so they may bring forth more fruit so it is good many times for us to have crosses to humble us and to bring us nearer to God yet yee may sorrow for the losse of these things and take it as a crosse if yee can say this from your hearts that yee are not afflicted because ye are made poore because your wealth is taken from you but because it is Gods pleasure to take it from you either for the abuse of it or else to punish you for some other sinne So if that yee are cast into some sicknesse ye may not grieve for it as a crosse meerely as it is a sicknesse but as you conceive the hand of God in it laying it on you as a punishment for your sinne The second Let and Deceipt is the present sence and feeling that we have of the comfort that comes from aboundance Men are ready to say that they feele comfort from aboundance of outward things therefore whatsoever you say to the contrary is but speculations and fancies Men are guided by sence which cannot be deceived we find and feele comfort in these things by experience we see a reality in these things and therefore whatsoever you say to the contrary is but vaine and to no purpose To this I answer you must not judge of things according to sence for sence was never made a Iudge by God to judge of these things but judge of them according to faith and rectified reason which judgeth of things that are to come that are past present all together and so can best judge of these things as they are Now for to helpe your judgements in these things First consider what the Scripture doth say of them what it doth say of pleasure friends and riches the Scripture presents things as they are and that tels you that they are but Vanity of vanities and that all is vanity Secondly consider the Iudgements of others concerning them who have beene on the stage of afflictions and have abounded with good workes whilst they lived but are now gone Thirdly consider what yee will judge of them at the day of death then men are awaked they see these things as they are indeed and then they be foole themselves that they have spent so much time in seeking after those things which will not profit them and spent so little time in seeking after salvation Fourthly Iudge not of them as you finde them for the present but likewise as you shall finde them for the time to come judge of all together Now for Sence you must understand that there is a double sence First there is a sence and feeling of the comfort of the creature as a man that is benummed with cold is refreshed with fire or a man that is faintie and feeble in heart is refreshed with wine Secondly There is a supereminent comfort proceeding from an inward apprehension of Gods fauour towards us in giving these blessings to us There may be an inward distemper which may make our joyes to bee hollow and counterfeit there may be sadnesse of heart when as there is outward joy because there is an inward and supereminent sence which affects the heart another way and therefore Eccles. 2.2 Externall Ioy is called mad Ioy because wee minde it not It is the joy of joyes and life of comfort that is from within that proceeds from the inward man As the soule is stronger and the more it is in health so it findes more comfort both externall and supereminent comfort Graces are to the soule as health is to the body the more and greater they are the more comfort they administer But yee may object that the creature can administer its owne comfort and of its selfe To this I answer That there is an aptnesse and fitnesse in the creature for to comfort us but yet it can yeeld us no comfort without God Wherefore keepe your affections in square have so much joy and delight in the creature as the creature requires and no more if your affections hold a right proportion with their objects they are right therefore thus farre yee may joy in the creature and no further First Yee may joy in it with a remisse joy and yee may also sorrow for it with a remisse sorrow yee may joy in it as if yee ioyed not and sorrow in it as if yee sorrowed not Secondly Ye may joy in them with a loose joy and affection as they set loose to you so yee may set loose to them 1 Cor. 7.29.30.31 Brethren the time is short it remaineth therefore that those who have wives be as though they had none that those that weepe be as though they wept not that those that reioyce as though they reioyced not and those that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this world as not abusing it That is let your affections be loose to these things Take any of these outward things yee may cast your affections on them in a loose manner goe no further than this For the fashion of the world passeth away Yee may bee taken away from it and it from you therefore affect it no otherwise than a transitorie thing and with a loose and transient affection willing to depart from it whensoever it shall please GOD to take it from you Thirdly yee may love them with a dependent affection they are things of a dependent nature they have no bottome of their owne to stand on they onely depend on God and so yee may love them as depending on him eyeing the Fountaine and not the Cesterne from whence they flow take not the light from the aire onely but looke to the Sunne from whence it comes The third Deceipt is false reasoning We finde it otherwise by experience we see that a diligent hand maketh rich and bringeth comfort we see that labour bringeth learning and for the labour which we take to get it in recompence of it it makes us happy To this I answer That this chaine doth not alwayes hold God breakes it many times riches come not alwayes by labour nor comfort by riches except God bee with the labour the labour profits nothing Psal. 127.1 Except the Lord build the house they labour in vaine that build it Except the Lord keepe the Citie the Watchmen
Christ it is not giuen us to keepe exactly for that is impossible it was impossible to keepe it through the weaknesse of the flesh Rom. 8.3 the Law was therefore given that wee might know our weaknesse not that we should keepe it but that Christs righteousnesse might bee fulfilled in us by faith Gal. 3.24 the Law is our schoolemasted to bring us to Christ that we might be iustified through faith that is the end of â—he Law But it will be objected that in as much as we are commanded to doe things impossible mans nature is destroyed for man is a free creature Secondly the command implies an absurdity an impossibility to bid a man doe that which hee cannot doe to bid a man that is in a deepe Well bound hand and foote to come out himselfe is foolish yee may blame him for falling in it is absurd to bid him come out To this I answer that there is a difference betweene the externall binding and the bonds wherewith a man is fettered by sinne There is an externall impediment which a man cannot remove as when he is fettered in the well but there is no externall impediment when as men are bound in the chaines of sin When wee command you to doe thus and thus all the businesse is with the wil we rather say men will not than they cannot come There is liberty when as a man hath eligibile or non eligibile when hee hath a thing in his owne choise when there is no impediment when hee may argue both wayes If a man out of the perversnesse of his nature doth it not it is not compulsory but free a beasts action is not free because hee cannot reason on both sides but man when hee considers arguments on both sides when hee can say doe not doe such a thing but doe such a thing when he can conceive arguments on both sides he is free there is no such externall impediment in him as to bid one in darkensse to doe a thing of the light or one bound hand and foote in a pit to come out since the chiefe impediment here is in the depraved wils of men which God doth rectifie and change by his grace and Spirit through the use of meanes If then every man out of Christ bee in an estate of death let every man examine himselfe and consider whether he be a dead man or no this is the great quere or question in this mutability and incertaintie of things Let us make the life to come sure our life is uncertaine here but have we this spirituall life are we living men then wee are happy but are we dead then he that is not partaker of the first resurrection shall not be partaker of the second It is too late to begin to live when we are dying certainely the time of our naturall death is a time of spending not of getting or inquiring after life If yee deferre this search while yee are in health when ye lie on your deaths bed when ye shall see heaven and hell immediately presented unto you this question will hold you solicitous and then you shall see that this spirituall life is the life indeed The time of this naturall life is not long the candle burnes not long if it burne out yet it is oftner blowne out than burnt out men oftner fall downe than come down from the tree of life this Tabernacle is often throwne downe before it fals downe therefore in this short life make your selves sure of eternall life Now there are two things which hinder this search and inquirie after spirituall life The first is a false opinion men thinke themselves in the wayes of life being in the wayes of death they thinke there is a greater latitude in the Gospell than there is The second is men are not at leasure there are millions of businesses in their heads so that they cannot hearken to the whisperings of conscience they have no spare time to be wise unto salvation It will be our wisdome therefore to consider our end Deut. 32.29 To helpe you therefore in this Quere whether you are dead or alive Consider first if ever you have beene dead Secondly if ye have beene dead whether yee are made alive First I say consider whether yee have beene dead or no I meane whether sin hath beene made alive in you that you might die Rom. 7.9.10 I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandement came sinne revived and I died that is the Commandement awakens my sinnes and they being aalive I died sinne when it affrights not a mans conscience then hee is dead when it wounds the conscience then hee is alive The Law being brought to the soule by the Spirit yee see the rectitude of the Commandement and your owne obliquity and crookednesse then sinne is alive and ye die Peter preaching to the Iewes Acts 2. recites to them their sinne in crucifying the Lord of glory which sinne was made alive and pricked them at their hearts Sinne was dead in David till Nathan and the Law came unto him afterward hee lived and was humbled Luke 5. Peter seeing Christs Divinitie by the draught of Fishes cries out Depart from mee Lord for I am a sinfull man hee had sinnes in him before but they were dead then they were made alive Paul hee had sinnes that were dead in him but when the outward light which was but a tipe of his light within did shine about him then he dies and his sinnes were made alive So Iosephs brethren had sinnes but they were not made alive till they were put in prison then their sinne in selling their brother Ioseph lived and they died Hath sinne ever beene alive in you by the commandement to slay you that is hath it bred such an apprehension in you as of death not a sigh or two for a day that is no slaying of you but ye must apprehend sinne as death as one that is to bee executed forthwith apprehends death so must you apprehend sinne then it is a signe that there is life within you Secondly are yee made alive againe Is there such a change in you as if yee were other creatures as if yee lived an other life Where this life is it works an alteration and a change gives us another being makes us to bee no more the same men Who ever is in Christ is a new creature it works a generall change from death to life it makes all our actions to bee vigorous like the actions of living men Old things passe away all things become new it makes men lead a new life If old acquaintance and lusts would draw us away we answer that we are dead that we live no moe to these that now we have not our owne wills Christ lives in us and workes in us Gal. 2.20 It is not I that live but Christ lives in me The same mind will bee in us that was in Christ Iesus Phil. 2.5 Now if ye desire
holinesse blase in their eyes they say it is but guilded over it is but hypocrisie These reasons may prepare and confirme but they cannot perswade we must therefore beleeve that there is such a life Iohn 3 Christ treates of this that there is such a life he tels Nicodemus that hee must live it and be borne againe He wonders at it how it can be Christ therefore concludes in the 12. verse If I have told you earthly things and yee beleeve not how shall yee beleeve if I tell you of heavenly things that is it must be beleeved that there is such a life sense beleeves it not yet it is easier to beleeve it because it is wrought on earth others things are harder than this to beleeve because they are wrought in heaven though this be wrought on earth yet it is hard to beleeve and must be beleeved And thus much for the first part of the doctrine that there is such a life For the second what this life is yee may know one Contrary by another wee have shewed already what death that is contrary to it is by which yee may partly perceive what this life is yet wee will give you some other signes how to know it This life is a reall life as reall as the other though it consist not in eating and drinking as the other doth it is a life of faith it is not seene yet it is as reall as the common life as will appeare by comparing it with the common life First in this common life of nature there must be temper of body disposition of instruments so in this life of grace there is a frame of heart a composition of soule on which it doth depend there are humors and ingredients of this life and they are the things yee know there is a realitie in this life as well as in the naturall life Secondly as the naturall life hath a temper of body hath divers mixtures so it abhorrs things that are hurtfull to it and desires things that chearish it so in this life of grace there in an appetite those that live it they are carried to the things that helpe them they hunger after the Word and that which buildâ— them up they abhorre sinne and lust that would destroy them Thirdly as in the naturall life so in this there is a taste a palate that helps this appetite Rom. 12.2 Be yee changed by the renewing of your minde that yee may prove what is that good and perfect and acceptable will of God that is that yee may bee able to discerne of it as the touchstone discernes of gold or the taste and palate of meates Fourthly as in the other life there is hunger and thirst so is there in this men who live it are sensible of paines and refreshings they are sensible of sinne judgements and threatnings which others are not being hard and dead Fiftly as the other life is fed with food so is this the food which a man eats is not presently turned into flesh and bloud that nourisheth but there is a nutritive facultie that nourisheth and turnes all we eate into nourishment So the Saints who live this life have a nutritive facultie they assimulate and turne all things to a good use there is a living and vitall faculty in them that sets them forwards Ephe. 4.16 They being knit to Christ according to the eflectuall power working in every part increase and edifie themselves in love Lastly as this common life hath beside other things that maintaine it some other indowmâ—nts to helpe it out as company recreation riches and the like so hath this spirituall life it hath riches and friends it hath its heritage company habitation God is our habitation from everlasting with the same realitie though not with the same visibility and so exposed to sence as the other The cause of this life is the holy Ghost who is to the soule as the soule is to the body hee is the cause of it the end of it is the Lord all is done to God No other life is so this life is of God through God and for God when you finde such a realitie in your actions tending to God when he is your aime then ye live this life If this bee the condition of all that are in Christ to live and bee quickned see what is expected from you to whom this talent is committed every excellency is a talent it must not lie dead but bee improved for our masters use the sinne is great if ye doe it not the neglect being of a greater thing the sinne is greater God sets a proportionable account On his benefits and expects a severe account from us if wee use them not Bee exhorted then to live this life some live much in a short time some never live this life at all one man may live more in one day than another man in an hundred for to live is nothing but to be stirring and doing 1. Tim. 5.6 Those who live in pleasures are dead whilst they live so hee that is occupied about riches or honours is dead all that time that men are occupied about riches and their estates about credit honours and the like making them their end is a time of death yee have lived no longer than yee have acted duties of new obedience If you summe up your lives according to this computation to how short a reckoning will they come A wise man speakes more in a few words than a foole doth in a multitude one peece of gold hath more worth than a hundred peeces of brasse as we say of an empty oration that there is a flood of words but a drop of matter so if you consider your lives and see how long yee have lived in death bungling out your time you will see that yee have lived but little in a long time therfore now be doing something redeeme the time bee busie in doing or receiving good be still devising to doe something for God and to put it in execution spend your fat and sweetnesse for God and man weare out not rust out flame out not smother out burne out bee not blowne out So did Christ so did Moses so did Paul making the Gospell to abound from Ierusalem to Illyricum so did David the text saith that he served his time hee did not idle it out that is hee lived not as his owne master but hee did doe all to God as to a master All the worthies of the Church have lived thus and not onely they but poore Christians likewise are still doing they serve God and men they are usefull they are the men that live Those who spend their time in sports in gaming in businesse in serving wealth and honour in morall discourses in Histories in hearing and telling of newes as the Athenians did these are dead men they doe not live As we say of Trees that if they bring not forth fruit they are dead so what ever men
your particular sinnes your particular actions these will worke upon you This course Peter tooke with the Iewes Act. 2. yee have crucified the Lord of life so Christ told Paul that he was a persecutor Act. 9. so Iohn 4 he told the woman of Samaria her particular sinne he that shee now lived with was not her husband so God told Adam thou hast eaten of the forbidden fruite Gen. 3. If yee are guilty of any grosse sinnes as drunkennesse covetousnesse pride ambition and the like consider them Consider your other sinnes minoris infamiâ— not minoris culpâ— as neglecting of holy duties misspending the time inordinate gaming overly performing of holy duties unprofitable hearing keeping of bad company profaning of the Sabbath and the like Consider then the terrors of God and hell know with what a God you have to deale and what a burthen sin is if God charge these on your consciences yee cannot â—eare them I desire not by this to burthen you but to unburthen you of your corruptions Now seeing this life is so excellent I will adde certaine motives to make you to desire it First it is a happy life and it must needes be so because it is the life of God and Angels it is that life which wee shall live hereafter ye may live this natural life and want happinesse This life of grace and the life of glory differ onely in degrees not in kinde the competent judges of this are the Saints who have tryed both Heb. 11.15.16 If they had beene mindfull of that countrey from which they came they had liberty to have returned but now they desire a better contrey that is an heavenly In a Heard of Swine if some stray away from the rest and returne not againe it is a signe they have found a better pasture so when men leave their companions and returne no more it is a signe they have found some better things Conceive not then of this life as many doe to be onely a privation or a melancholy thing nothing but a meere mortification this is a life which hath its comforts eating recreations and delights yee loose not your pleasures if yee live it but change them for advantage he that leades this life dies as the corne doth from a seede it growes up into many stalkes hee gaines by this bargaine Christ doth make an hard bargaine with none he that deales with him gaines a hundred fold If yee part with temporall wealth yee have spirituall treasures for it if you part with your worldly pleasures ye have joy in the holy Ghost have yee crosses yee are sanctified in that which is better loose yee this life yee have eternall life Secondly this life of grace hath that which every man seekes it hath much pleasure Prov. 3.17 All her wayes are wayes of pleasure Those who walke in the waies of God are full of pleasure this life brings a double pleasure first the reward of it secondly the comfort in performing the actions of it Every good worke as the Hebrew proverbe is hath meate in its mouth the living of this life hath a reward sufficient in its selfe as appeares by this All pleasures follow some actions and therefore men desire life because it is a continuance of action so men delight in new things because as long as they are new the intention remaines The actions of this present life are full of change and therefore of discomfort but the actions of this spirituall life are constant and perfect and those actions that are perfect there is pleasure following them as beauty followes a good constitution or as flame the fire The actions of this life are perfect actions the perfectest actions have the most perfect delight the actions of this life are most perfect actions therefore they have most perfect delight because they are the actions of the best faculty about the best object All actions have the denomination of their perfection from their objects these are actions of the soule they are occupied about God therefore they are the best and highest actions He that lives about the best object greatest content doth follow hee that lives this life lives about the best object therefore he hath greatest content all the waies of it are waies of pleasure There is more comfort and Assiduity of consolation in this life than in any other In other lives every one according to his humour hath his delights but yet they are not permanent because hee delighteth in transitory things but hee that lives the life of grace delights in things that are truly delightfull at all times other delights are but delights at some times in some places they are not alwaies so but he that lives the life of grace pitcheth on those that are alwayes so Prov. 14.15 A good conscience is a continuall feast Other comforts may faile a man may fall into affliction riches and pleasures may be taken away then the dayes are evill but a good conscience is a continuall feast that is be a mans case what it will his comfort is never interrupted All other comforts are about sence or things of this life which are subiect to alteration but this life and the comforts of it admit no change A man being sicke hee cannot doe actions of health they are restrained so one in prison is not at liberty to doe what he would but the actions of this life are assiduous they cannot be interrupted ye may pray continually rejoyce evermore yee may alwayes have communion with God Thirdly this life is a life that is least indigent of all others it needeth least Take a man that leades any other life hee needs many things Luk. 10.41.41 this is shadowed in that of Martha and Mary Martha busies her selfe about many things she wanted many but Mary had one thing that was profitable for all things that removes all evills brings all happinesse and that is Godlinesse which is profitable for all things 1 Tim. 4.8 Fourthly the comforts of this life are pure comforts Psal. 18.26 I walke purely with those that walke purely This is not onely to be understood of the consolations of grace but also of common blessings being the fruites of this life there is no sorrow with them there is a pure comfort without any mixture of sorrow God giving these blessings in mercy they are free from mixture of discomfort but being not the fruites of this life of grace being reached by sinne and sinfull meanes or God giving them in his providence not in his mercy there is sorrow in them yee may have riches honours friends and all outward things and yet they are not pure blessings because Gods blessing is not mingled with them Lastly it is a life most capacious of comforts yee may give all the faculties of the soule comfort Every creature according as his life is feeles more or lesse comfort Plants as they feele no hurt so they feele no sweetnesse beasts that have a sensible soule feele more evill
our other enterprises To this I answer that this will not hinder them but they shall be done the better as oyling of the wheeles makes them goe the better Psal 1.2 hee is said to be blessed that doth meditate in the Law of God day and night Your knowledge being brought to action helpes you much often hearing of the word which puts you in remembrance addes to your life though it hinders you in other things Those who have not the word to heare live not under preaching Ministers who will not be at the cost to get them or live where they are not are much to blame and live not this life Simon Magus sinned in thinking that the holy Ghost might be bought with mony doe not they also sinne who doe lesse than hee that will not give mony for to have the Gospel brought unto them There is the like fault when as men may have the word and come not to it If they come to it though it addeth not to their knowledge yet it helpeth their acting and life Those who neglect the constant reading of the word who are not constant in private prayer those who neglect the speaking and talking of good things they neglect this life That Arabian proverbe Shut up the five windowes that the house may bee full of light will be of good use here that is the five senses being shut up the fuller of light shall wee be the not stopping up of them makes men ignorant cares and businesses possessing mens mindes there is no roome left for better things Let your minds be still plodding on that which may further you in grace and truth It is ignorance that makes men strangers from the life of God Ephe. 4.18 and this is not an ignorance that proceedeth from want of knowledge but from the badnesse of your hearts Hard hearts make men ignorant why doe men heare and yet are ignorant but because their hearts are hardened they regard not the word and so they grow not in knowledge The second meanes to get this life is to bee much in doing be much in doing in acting the duties of new obedience the more yee are occupied the more ye live else deadnesse will possesse you be therefore still praying and meditating these will revive you these are the coales that keepe the heart warme this life like water is apt to grow cold unlesse it be acted and stirred up But I must be full of life ere I can doe actions I answer that one begets the other action begets life and life begets action as health produceth exercises and exercise procureth health But I am indisposed and unfit for such actions I answer that if ye are indisposed the more need you have to be doing else you are more unexcusable the way to get heate is to bee acting as motion doth bring life to a benummed member so doth it to the soule be awaked be stirring this will revive you againe Christians hearts are awaked when as they themselves sleepe if they stirre them up there will be more life in them Rom. 2.13 when Christians begin to languish their medicine is to rise up and be doing whence Saint Paul admonisheth the Galatians Gal. 5.16 To walke in the Spirit those who have the Spirit stand not still as one that cannot stirre but they are still acting and walking this acting helpes this spirituall life first by inlarging and intending this life Secondly by preventing that which increaseth death the more we walke in the wayes of life the more we prevent the way that leades to the Chambers of death Be doing therefore if not one duty yet another In the steppings out of your callings be doing be reading and praying Conferring and talking of good things the neglect of this is the cause why there are so many dwarfes in grace Men content themselves with morning and evening duties and it is well if they doe them but doe you the actions of life more constantly and abundantly It is the corruption of our nature that wee are not doing life is maintained by the actions of life habits are mainetained by actions that are sutable to them We live in the commandements by well doing as the creature doth by food Good actions mainetaine life it receives strength from well-doing Set therefore your selves to pray to doe holy duties be still praying doing more and more the more ye doe the more life increaseth The third meanes to get this life is to get faith Faith helps this life it is a life of faith and it makes us to live this life by three several waies First it gives a reality to the priviledges of life and makes you see they are priviledges indeed therefore is it that yee act the duties of this life because ye beleeve that God is such a God that ye have such priviledges that yee are heirs of all things If yee thinke that God is such a one as he is in wisedome power and mercy if ye intend and minde the priviledges of this life then will you live the life of grace If ye doubt and question with Atheists whether these things be but dreames then ye intend them not and live not this life He that beleeves saith let me have God sure the other saith let me have that I touch and feele but the imaginary things consisting in faith and hope I care not for The more ye beleeve these things the more ye are occupied about them Secondly faith drawes you on to action and this life is but the acting of the duties of new obedience Faith and perswasion further other things as if one be perswaded that such a thing will hurt him it produceth an action of the will abstinence if a man be perswaded that he shall dye without the Physition he sends for him So in all other actions perswasion is that which sets a man on worke So in spirituall actions if we are perswaded that such a sinne committed wil not make our bodies sicke but our soules we will not doe it if we are perswaded our soules shall fare the better if wee doe such a thing this make us to doe it being perswaded wee shall have a recompence of reward it produceth action and the more action the more life Thirdly faith doth it by fitting us for Christ from whom our life comes 1 Ioh. 5.12 he that hath the Sonne hath life First the Sonne of God infuseth life into him to whom he is conjoyned the conjunction betwixt Christ and us is but relative as betweene the King and the subject when the subjects resolve to take such an one for their king they are conjoyned to him so when a woman resolves to take such a man for her husband shee is conjoyned to him The action of taking Christ is to take him as a Lord to serve him as a Saviour to have all comfort by him hee that hath the Sonne in the relative union shall have him in the reall union the Sonne
laid open to the heart all things necessary to salvation must be manifested to it then there must be light in the heart to apprehend those reasons which are propounded The Scripture propounds things by authority and when as things are thus expounded the holy Ghost doth kindle light to apprehend them which another doth not Marke how Moyses beginning his booke saith that in the beginning it was thus and thus God did he doth not perswade them by arguments to beleeve it so Iohn begins his Gospel without perswasions In the begining was the word c. so the Apostles commission was Goe and preach that Christ is Come he that beleeves shall be saved he that beleeves not shall be damned The word of it selfe is sufficient authority when the Gospell it selfe is thus propounded then the holy Ghost kindles light in men And when as the Gospell is propounded and light kindled then this life is wrought Now there are three degrees of working this life by the Spirit First there is a stirring up of men to attend to the voyce of Christ many there are that heare yet attend not Act. 16.14 The holy Ghost opened the heart of Lydia to attend unto Pauls preaching We sow on fallow ground till the Spirit opens the heart to attend to the things that are spoken The second worke of the Spirit is to convince and perswade effectually and fully Ioh. 16.8 The Spirit shall convince the world of sinne that is it shall convince and perswade thorowly none can doe this but the Spirit It doth also farther perswade men that it is good for them to be convinced and this is when the knowledge is full when as all the corners of the heart are answered and the minde resolved to practise Hypocrites and civill men are perswaded yet not fully therefore they never practise if one objection of the heart bee unanswered yee never come to practise The last worke of the Spirit is to keepe this voyce on the heart that it vanish not Iames 1.21 The ingrafted word is that which is made able to save your soules and none else Men may attend for a flash but the Spirit must ingraft the Word into the heart which as a sprig ingrafted growes bigger and bigger and hath fruit from the sap other men having truthes not fastned on them they grow weaker and weaker To understand fully what this voyce of the Sonne of God is ye must know that there is a double voyce First an outward voyce of the word which all heare Secondly an inward voyce of the Spirit This I collect out of Esa. 6.9 Goe to that people and tell them heare ye indeed but not understand see yee indeed but not perceive that is they shall have an outward hearing an outward knowledge but not an inward There is a common knowledge which all those have who live in the Church and there is a knowledge that is onely proper to the Saints which saves them The differences twixt these two knowledges that of hypocrites and of them in sixth of the Hebrewes twixt common knowledge and effectuall knowledge that is wrought in the hearts of the elect are these First common knowledge is confused and generall this is distinct inward and particular that is the voyce of the Sonne of God speaking in the Ministry to all may breed a knowledge of truthes in men yet they apply them not to their hearts and the turnings of them Heb. 4.11 The Word is sharper than a two edged Sword discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart piercing even to the dividing asunder the soule and spirit and of joynts and marrow that is that Word of God that is lively indeed that voyce of God that is effectuall to salvation it is sharpe it strikes not in generall but enters the inward parts A staffe cannot enter the flesh it may bruise it but the voyce of Christ enters like a two edged Sword discerning twixt morrall vertues and supernaturall things wrought by the Spirit it distinguisheth exactly twixt the rectitude and obliquity of mens hearts this is proper onely to the saving knowledge of the Word As nothing is hid from God but it is naked to his sight so it is to his word See if the word be distinct to you else you know nothing A man never knowes any thing till he knowes the Elements parts and grounds of it the voyce of the Sonne of God onely makes you know things thus particularly So in other things yee know not till you know particulars Aristotle saith a man is not a Physition that knowes things in generall in the grosse but he that knowes them in particular This is not to be a Physition to know that such dry meates are good for a moyst stomacke unlesse he also know dry meates and the Symptomes of a moyst stomacke so it is in the knowledge of the Word To know what regeneration is is not enough except yee know the parts the kinds and signes of it To know that none are translated from death to life that love not the brethren is not enough except yee know the brethren and love them To know that hee that is in Christ hath crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof is nothing except yee know that yee your selves have crucified it This particular knowledge is that which makes manifest to a man the secrets of his owne heart 1 Cor. 14.25 that is the voyce of the Sonne of God discerneth the secrets of the heart to know things particularly that are in it The sheepe distinguish the voyce of the sheapheard from the voyce of a stranger when men come to heare they heare the voyce and distinguish not the sound because they want this particular knowledge Secondly this hearing of the voyce of the Sonne of God workes a quicke sence in the hearts of those that heare it which the outward voyce doth not and this followes the former Let knowledge be particular it workes quicke sence Heb. 4.11 the word is called lively in operation now life consists in quicknesse and motion the voyce of Christ speaking effectually breeds quicknesse Sola individua agunt et sentiunt A knife in generall cuts nothing the particular knife cuts To know in generall you are sinners have corrupt natures offend in many things workes nothing it is the reflection on your particular sinnes that workes this makes men tremble Act. 2.36.37 Peter having told the Iewes that they had crucified Christ that pricked them at the heart As it is of sinnes so is it of comforts particular comforts only worke If one can say I am thus and thus then comfort followes so particular threatnings make men sensible When God said to Adam Hast thou not eaten of the tree whereof I said thou shouldest not eate this made him feare The word doth breed a quicke sence they who have not this true voyce sounding to them Esay 6.9 In hearing they doe not heare and seeing they doe not
they should redeeme in idlenesse and gaming most in drunkennesse and disorder and not as they should Yee have heard of mortification yee have heard the doctrine of changing from death to life apply them and take heed how you heare yee that heard it negligently shall grow worse and worse The second meanes to heare profitably is that which is set downe in the 1 Thess. 2.13 that is to receive the Word not as the Word of man but as the Word of God This makes the Word of Christ effectuall to heare it as the Word of God that is consider whose word it is Consider the ground of it that it proceeds from God who is present God is there and we speake in his stead God spake to the Israelites in Mount Sinay and would have continued for any thing we know yet the people desired that Moses should speake unto them Wee beseech you in the stead of Christ to be reconciled unto God This is of much moment to heare it as Gods Word morrall truths may build you up in morrall vertues and may be profitable to that purpose but they will not breed spirituall life that the Word onely doth being received as the Word of God Iohn 6.65 when as Christ demanded of the twelve whether they also would goe away Peter made this answer Lord whither shall we goe Thou hast the words of eternall life A man is not a living man but by conjunction betwixt God and the soule God is to the soule as the soule is to the body hee puts life into it and is conjoyned to it by his word when it is thus received The Word comming as from God wee doe that which is commanded us because God will have us doe it we doe it simply and sincerely so that God accepts it When we receive the Word as the Word of God with faith and full Assurance then it breeds life within us and when it begets life then it comes from God then it comes in power and in the holy Ghost and makes us become followers of Christ 1 Thess. 1.5 When we receive the Word of God as from God himselfe with full assurance then it workes effectually then it begetteth life in us To live is to have sence and motion to be acting the receiving of the word with ful assurance makes us active the beleeving of it sets men on worke 2 Chron. 25.5.6.10 When as Amasiah beleeved that God would not be with him unlesse hee sent away the Israelites then he sent them away and not before Caleb and Iosuah did beleeve therefore they followed God constantly Abraham offered up his sonne Isaacke because he beleeved God that he could give him another sonne or raise him out of ashes againe Let a man be perswaded that such a thing will hurt him or that such a thing will doe him good hee doth the one and leaves the other Receive therefore the Word with full assurance consider what is delivered if it be the Word or no consider that it which yee heare is eyther the Word or not the Word it belongs to me or not Men take things overly and are not rooted and grounded in faith and that makes them heare unprofitably See then if your particular actions agree with the Word so yee shall be rooted in faith this makes the Word a Word of life The third rule and meanes to heare with profit is that which is set downe of the fourth ground in the parable of the seed in the eight of Luke the 15. verse that is To receive the Word with honest and good hearts having heard the Word to keepe iâ— and to bring forth fruite with patience Heare the word with honest hearts this is done when as a man is resolved to practise whatsoever God will reveale when he hath no reservations or exceptions to himselfe when hee is resolved to practise what he heares with an humble heart being humbled we will doe this and not before The fourth ground was humbled men will not heare this because they are proud now pride is an evill disposition in the creature whereby it exalts its selfe above its measure There is this fault â—n men they will picke and chuse in the wayes of God The last ground will onely part with all for Christ. Act. 9. When as Paul was humbled hee then cryed out Lord what wilt thou have me to doe I will doe or suffer any thing for thee and hee was as good as his word So Act. 2.32 the Iewes being humbled cried out Men and brethren what shall wee doe wee will doe any thing to be saved So Act 16.30 The jaylor being humbled demanded of Paul what hee should doe to be saved when as a man is thus disposed God will teach him Psal. 25.9 God teacheth the humble his wayes man himselfe will doe so if he see one willing to learne he will teach him The secrets of the Lord are revealed to those that feare him to those that stand in awe of him and dare doe nothing against him hee reveales his peculiar truthes in a peculiar manner to men those things that are effectuall to their salvation Bring therefore humble hearts ready to obey But you will say wee doe obey and practise what we heare I answer that yee may be deceived as they in the fift of Deut. They said they would obey but God saw that there was another heart in them than what they saide therefore God said O that there were such an heart in them that they would feare me and keepe my commandements alwayes that it might goe well with them and their children for ever So Iohanan and the other Captaines Ier. 42.20 desired Ieremia to goe to God to know his will and they would doe whatsoever he should say whether it were good or evill But Ieremiah tels them that they did but dissemble in their hearts he knew they would not doe it Looke to this in the acts and effects what have you done when the Word crosseth you in your aymes estates names friends If you have disobeyed it then Eze. 14.4 the Word is made a stumbling blocke your iniquities are before your face and the Lord will answere you according to the multitude of your Idols God will answer such men according to their comming as they come with false hearts they shall be dealt withall accordingly Come then with hearts resolved to practise whatsoever is spoken and desire God to make it effectuall to salvation The fourth meanes to heare the Word and the voyce of Christ profitably is to lay up what you heare let it abide and continew with you This rule is prescribed by Christ himselfe Ioh. 15.7 If ye abide in me and my words abide in you ye shall aske what yee will and it shall be done unto you When ye attend to the Word if yee are affected with it but for the time it is nothing except it continue with you it will not profit you you
come very neare within a step or two to heaven and yet misse it many there are which do much like the young man yet some thing is wanting that also must be had els there is no Salvation Why is there so little change in men but because they thinke that lesse will serve the turne This cold overly and customary performance of holy duties marres all therefore consider but this First that it doth you no good at all what good did the Laodiceans luke-warmnes doe them they had as good bin cold yea God wisheth that they were either hot or cold Rev. 3.15 What good did all that Amafiah did to him seeing that he did it not with a sincere perfect heart These dowbaked services as I may so stile them these carkases without life these slight services profit not therefore there are conditions added to them in the Word prayer prevailes If it be fervent Iam. 5.16 If thou beleevest with all thine heart Act. 8. Effectuall faith diligent hope and fruitfull love 1 Thess. 1.3 It is a good observation of Divines that God loves adverbs better than verbes well doing above doing those that came to the wedding not having wedding garments were shut out Math. 22.11.12.13 as well as those that came not those that offred strange fire as Nadab and Abihu and their company were consumed as well as they that did not offer at all Secondly consider the nature of the thing what it is to be religious Is it an easie thing to turne nature to worke a change Is it easie to get ground of a raging lust It is as hard as to get ground of the Sea Consider the difference betwixt the Law and us That is spirituall wee are carnall Rom. 7. Consider the distemper of your affections and know your selves all that we have in us is either common or corrupt nature Gods graces are beyond the one and contrary to the other must we make these duties of religion to be onely in the by Prayer keeping of the Sabboths are to most men but as things in the by the streame of their affections runs in an other channell There is another thing required of us than this we must love the Lord with all our hearts and strength Deut. 6.5 This is it which all must do they must love God with all their strength else they are not worthy of him There is a qualification required of all that are saved he is not worthy of Grace or Heaven that seekes them not with his utmost indevour The difference twixt Cains Abels sacrifice was this Gen. 4.3 4.5 The one did it negligently brought the worst of his fruits the other brought the best he had Cursed is every one that doth the worke of the Lord negligently that is contenting himselfe with the outward performance of it doing it as a taske and being glad when it is done and over to doe it diligently is to worke with an eye to that which it tends to and to obtaine the end The end of prayer is to quicken you to performe holy duties when you obtaine this end then is your prayer diligent To do things onely for shew is nothing the effect and end is all you esteeme not your servants works unlesse they obtaine their end there is nothing that you esteeme the end of it being not done What is it to pray the end being not done men not being built up by it Iude 20. We must build up our selves in our most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost A cold formall performance doth but hurt us breeds more coldnesse and deadnesse in us In habits the more imperfect the acts are the more they weaken the habits the duties of religion coldly performed weaken grace Let a man accustome himselfe to write carelesly and crookedly it marreth his hand Let us therefore do all we do to God with diligence and fervency consider that those whom you thinke least needed for to do it did so their diligence should stir you up You know that Iacob wrestled with God all night Gen. 32.24 and so should you wrestle with him with strong prayers Christ himselfe spent many nights in prayer looke upon the prayers of David the fastings of Daniel aâ—ove all others looke upon Paul you may see him in watching in prayers and in fastings often he had a continuall strife with his heart to bring his body that is the deeds of his body into subjection I keepe under my body saith he and bring it into subjection 1 Cor. 9.17 My body that is the sinfull lusts of my body must bee brought downe I must go thorow fighting till I have the victory else I shall be a cast-away I shall else have onely an outward shew but yet bee nothing accounted of with God Consider this if a little diligence will not serve the turne adde more if prayer will not doe it adde fasting to it As there are some divels that will not be cast out without fasting and prayer so also are there some sinnes Make the plaister fit to the disease Complaine not with the sluggard who puts his hands in his bosome and doth nothing at all or doth not proportion his labour to the worke Lesse labour would serve the turne if our soules were as dry wood but they are as greenwood there must be much blowing ere they will bee kindled It is hard to get our soules to good duties hard to keepe them on the wing we must continue in prayer and that instantly too Men are ready to give over and to sit downe but you must continue Eph. 6. We must watch thereunto with perseverance there must every day be a new winding up of the soule there is a spring of sin in us so there must be a spring of holy duties we must doe them constantly you have daily new crosses and impediments therefore you must mend your pace in the way to heaven and bee more diligent you must be fervent in spirit serving the Lord and not slothfull Rom. 12.11 Doe your owne worke up and be doing and the Lord shall be with you 1 Chr. 22.16 God will deale with you as he did with the Eunuch hee was reading of the Scripture and God sent Phillip to him for to teach him Act. 8.26 c. So Cornelius hee was praying and God sent his Angell to him first and afterward Peter Act. 10. So the Apostles when as they rowed all night as Christ bade them he at last joynes himselfe to them and helpes them Matth. 14.24 c. The worst natures with his helpe can doe any thing the best without him can doe nothing Fiftly if the wayes of God are so full of crosses and difficultyes then learne from hence to justifie the wisedome of the Word of God and the Religion in the Scriptures It is an argument that it comes from heaven because it is not a whit agreable with our natures It is a pure and no leaden Lesbian rule it is
but endeavour perfection I would but aske this question of you doe you make God your utmost end or no If you doe then appetitus finis est infinitus you would never stint your selves if you do not make him your utmost end then you will limit your selves If a man desires money for such an end when he hath the end the desire ceaseth so if a man desire Physicke for health hee desires onely so much as shall gaine his health but if a man make money his utmost end hee sets no limits to it Thus it is with every holy man that desires grace and makes it his utmost end hee sets himselfe no limits you must not set your selves any bounds in grace When you finde this disposition in you that you are not ready to complaine for want of Grace but to justifie your selves when as you do not see your lamenesse and that corruption which is in you you have not the Spirit for that convinceth men of sinne and of righteousnesse and of judgement Iohn 16.8 You would be then complaining of your selves if you had the Spirit if you follow Christ you must cleanse your selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God 2 Cor. 7.1 Let that minde then be in you that was in Christ Phil. 2.5 follow him to the very utmost Fourthly if all that looke for any intrest in Christ must follow him then learne frō hence not to go before him we must follow Christ go not then before him in any thing in your opinions yeeld to his will let no desire runne out but know first whether it bee Christs will or no you must resigne your selves to him in every thing in all conditions you must follow him doe not therefore chuse your conditions hee saith to one sit here to another sit there in high or low places he is the great Symposiarch hee placeth you were hee pleaseth and you must rest contented So for your workes and calling he gives you your worke to doe Christ is the Master and good reason is there that hee should appoint the worke So for suffering if he who is the Generall commands it yee must doe it So for Physicke and corrections we would rather have other than that hee appoints us yet we must resigne all to him we are subject to preconceptions Iames complaines of this Iam. 4.13 Goe to now yee that say to morrow wee will goe to such a Citty and continue there a yeare and buy and sell and get gaine whereas you ought to say if the Lord will you goe before and doe not depend on Christ by resigning your selves to his providence Remember then that you are but Creatures and must follow Christ in every thing as servants to him A servant doth not say I will goe to such and such a place to morrow because hee saith that hee knoweth not his Masters will so a child that is under Tutors cannot goe whither hee will say not then to morrow wee will doe thus and thus boast not of it preconceive not of such an estate if you doe it is sinfull for then you are your owne guides and follow your owne wayes and not Christ. Lastly learne from hence to doe what you doe from an inward principle we must not be drawne after Christ as beasts but wee must goe on our owne legs Many do follow Christ but other respects doe carry them some mens company carries them and these are but carried in the streame Some are set on with other respects some other wheeles set them on worke as the spring doth the clocke such as these doe not follow Christ. Now the meanes to follow Christ are these First seeke to Christ None can come to mee except the Father draw him Iohn 6.44 Secondly love him If you did but love him you will like the Spouse in the Canticles follow him in all places Cant. 3. Thirdly feele the burthen of sinne Sathans yoake and then you will come unto Christ whose yoake will then be easie Math. 11. vlt. Fourthly beleeve in him Hee that comes to God must beleeve that he is and that he is a Rewarder of all such as seeke him Heb. 11.6 There are promises that you shall have a hundred for one even in this life if you follow Christ beeleeve them therefore and then you will follow him Fiftly have patience possesse your Soules with it without this you continue not as the fourth ground did which brought forth fruit through patience And thus much for this Text. FINIS THREE SERMONS VPON THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORDS SVPPER 1 Iohn 5.14 And this is the assurance which wee have in him that if wee aske any thing according to his will he heareth us THe scope of the holy Apostle in this Chapter is to set forth some of those principall priviledges we have by Iesus Christ. One maine and principall which is the greatest of all the rest is that through him we have eternall life And therefore saith hee know this that when you have the Sonne once you have life in the 12. verse He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Sonne hath not life Therefore saith he have I written this Epistle to you for this purpose that you might consider well what gaine you have by Christ Iesus These things have I written saith he in the verses before this that I have now read unto you to you that beleeve in the Name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternall life After this he names another great priviledge that wee have by Christ mentioned in this verse that I have now read unto you This saith he is the assurance we have in him that whatsoever wee aske according to his will hee heareth us This is the second great priviledge we have by Christ we shall be heard in all our requests it is no more but aske and have 〈◊〉 up what petition you will if you bee 〈…〉 once you have this assurance that he 〈…〉 you but he delivers it with this 〈…〉 must first bee in him We have 〈…〉 him saith he that if wee aske any 〈…〉 to his will he heareth us So that 〈…〉 are two plaine poynts lying 〈…〉 us 1 That except a man be in Christ he 〈…〉 hee ought not to apply to himselfe any 〈…〉 spirituall priviledges that we have by him if we be in Christ this and all other are ours if you be in Christ saith he then you have this assurance for we have that assurance in him The second point that the verse affords us is 2 That whosoever is in Christ whatsoever he askes he shall have it Now my full intention was onely to have handled that which is mainely aimed at in the verse for the other you see is but touched by the way which is this great priviledge that belongs to all Christians that whatsoever they aske in prayer according to the will of God they shall be heard in
in old garments that will do thee no good at al the Lord regards not that like new wine in old vessells so it is where there are some new things that are good things in themselves in a carnall and old heart they are not fit for the heart and therefore they never stay long there So saith the text Put a new peece into an old garment and it makes the rent greater Therefore all must be new I say there must be a new nature that these new things may bee there even as the severall creatures are in their severall elements as the elements are in their owne place as the plants are in their proper soyle as the branches are upon their own roote For then they florish then they hold out then they continue Therefore see whether this vigor this efficacy this vertue hath gone out from Christ into thy heart whether it hath not only renewed al in thee but also hath given thee a new nature That is whether it hath wrought such a change in thee that all the wayes of godlines and new obedience become in a measure naturall to thee so that thou canst doe them cheerefully even as wee heare and see and do naturall actions and that thou dost them without wearinesse for you know things that are naturall wee are not weary of them And so thou wilt doe them constantly for what is naturall stayes and abides by us that it out-growes and out-wearies what ever is in us beside Now hath there a vertue gone out from Christ that hath wrought all this in you that hath made all new hath not onely done so but hath made it naturall to thee But you will say must it needs be so cannot Christ take and comprehend me but there must be this wonderfull change wrought who can be saved then I have then but little hope when I am upon my death-bed and then shall looke upon my old nature and finde no such worke as this wrought upon me Beloved I beseech you consider this that there is a necessity of it It is so and it must be so and except you have it you cannot be saved you see the words in the Scriptures are most cleare Whosoever is in Christ is a new creature Doe but consider whether it be so or no there must bee a new-heaven and a new earth You see that was the great promise that was to bee fulfilled in our times of the Gospell Is there not a new priesthood is there not a new covenant and hath not the Lord said there must be a new heaven and a new earth That is new graces from heaven and a new company of men wrought on and changed by those graces Shall those that are borne of old Adam receive a power from him to make them like to him to carry his Image to be corrupt carnall and sinfull as he is And do you not thinke that the New Adam the Second Adam shall have as much efficacy in him to make those new creatures that are in him that come to him Certainely there is as much power life and vigor in the new Adam to change every man that is in him that comes to him to make them new creatures as in the old Adam to make them like to him Besides hath not Christ said plainely I came not into the world to save soules only that is not my busines alone though that was a great part of the businesse and errand for which hee came into the world but saith he I came to purifie a people to my selfe zealous of good workes in the 2 Tit. Now if that were the end of Christs comming dost thou thinke that hee will loose his end Wherefore its impossible that any man should bee saved or have part in Christ that hee should bee in Christ and Christ in him except his heart bee purified so as to be zealous of good workes If Christ dwell in thy heart thou mayest easily know it for dost thou thinke that Christ will dwell in a foule and uncleane place hath hee not pure eyes And therefore it is certaine wheresoever hee dwells that place must bee a fit Temple for him to dwell in Wherefore of necessity hee must cleanse thy heart hee must fashion it and keepe it pure cleane and sweet so as it may bee a fit Temple for him and his Spirit to dwell and delight in Besides doth hee not looke to his glory in all those that belong to him he hath many eyes to looke upon them as it were there are many spectators men and Angells to see what they are and how they behave themselves If he should have a company of men to belong unto him that are carnall perverse and worldly minded that have crooked wayes like other men would this be for his honour would it not be said Like men like Master would it not reflect upon him Certainely it would and therefore the Lord so orders it that those whom he hath redeemed shall be holy in all manner of conversation Saith he you must be as I am else it will bee for my dishonour As I am holy so every one of you must be holy in all manner of conversation Therefore let no man deceive himselfe to thinke hee can goe away and yet bee in Christ and bee saved through Christ and the mercies of God in Christ when there goes out no such vertue and power from Christ to change him to worke on him to alter him to make him another creature And therefore I beseech you in the examining of this for its a matter of great moment to consider with your selves if this be wrought in you or no whether you finde any experiment and effect of this mighty power efficacy and vertue and let me bring you a little to particulars Hath there gone out a vertue from him to enable thee to beleeve There is a faith required in the Deity there is a faith required in the promises of God and there is a faith required in the providence of God to thinke that every particular thing is ordered by it There is also a faith in all the threatnings of God Now for the manner of propounding when the Scripture comes to propound any thing it propounds it thus and no more as you see in Moyses he writes nothing but In the beginning God made heaven and earth c. And so the Apostles write Such a thing was done Iesus Christ was borne of the Virgin Mary Thus and thus he did Now when the naked object is propounded other writers wht they deliver or write is rationall They use Reasons and arguments to convince men of those things which thy deliver but when the Scripture sets downe any propositions of faith it doth but barely propound them for there is the Majesty and authority of God in them to confirme them But now here you will demand the proposition being but nakedly laid downe in the Scriptures what will
it But because I understand you had a Sacrament appointed for this day I have altered a little that course the hearing of that hath somewhat diverted me caused me at this time to pitch upon the other point which I named to you That except a man he in Christ he ought not to apply any priviledge to himselfe if hee be I say all belongs to him When you come to receive the Sacrament it 〈…〉 great priviledge to meddle with those 〈…〉 to have those simboles given to 〈…〉 love and favour of God in Christ but 〈…〉 must remember this that except you be 〈…〉 you have nothing to doe with him and 〈…〉 it is a fit necessary point for this 〈◊〉 For when the Apostle would give directiâ—â—â— to the Corinth what they should do to prepare themselves to the Sacrament that they may be worthy receivers he gives it in this short precept Let every man saith he examine himselfe so let him eate this bread and drinke this cup. Now what is a man to examine himselfe of Surely every one that comes to the Lords Table is to examine himselfe concerning these two things 1 Whether he be in Christ and so whether he hath any right at all to come neere to him in that holy ordinance 2 Though he be in Christ yet hee must examine himselfe whether he be particularly prepared quickned and fitted whether his heart be put into such a trance of grace or fashioned so as it ought to be when he comes to the immediate performance of such a duty as that is Now because I handle this point but onely for this particular occasion I will not enter into such a manner of handling of it as I was wont to do at other times but onely take up so much of it as may serve for the present occasion Therfore because I say this to you That except a man bee in Christ he ought not to take any priviledge to himselfe we will First exhort every man to consider whether hee be in Christ for this is the present question which any 〈◊〉 heart would aske when he heares this 〈◊〉 Why if all the priviledges be 〈◊〉 upon my being in Christ my maine 〈…〉 to examine whether I be in Christ or no. 〈…〉 because a man may bee in Christ and yet 〈…〉 by some interveniall sinne by 〈…〉 disposition of minde and heart that may 〈◊〉 on him from the actuall injoying of the present fruit and benefit of that priviledge which belongs to him therefore we will first give you rules to examine your selves whether you be in Christ or no. It is very useful to all that now are to receive or at any other time its usefull you know too not onely upon such an occasion as this but upon all occasions and therfore a point that men magnifie so much I say there was a time when they were exceeding good but sinne hath blowed upon them it hath blasted the beauty and vigour of them so that now when the Lord looks upon them this is the sentence that is pronounced of them you know in Eccl. 1.14 They are all vanity and vexation of spirit Consider if thou be able to looke on al these things even the best things the world hath as things being but meere vanity things wherein the Lord sowed not mens happinesse and therefore thou canst not think to reape it there If you marke but the expression the wise man useth in 〈◊〉 saith he All things under the Sun are but 〈…〉 there is a reason conteined in those 〈…〉 are but vanity for waters you 〈…〉 not higher than the 〈…〉 carry not any thing higher than 〈…〉 so all the creatures that bee 〈…〉 be but under the Sunne 〈…〉 ascend to that happinesse 〈…〉 the Sun nor carry you to that 〈…〉 is above for happinesse is 〈…〉 laide up in Heaven Therefore 〈…〉 all things under the Sunne if they bee considered to make a man happy they are but vanity Now consider whether thy judgement be so of them or no whether it bee conformable to the holy Ghost whether thou hast this conceit of all other things but the quite contrary conceit of Iesus Christ whether thou canst thinke of him as of one that is most excellent and thy chiefest treasure as one that is farre beyond all these as one upon whom thy heart is pitched as one in whom thy happinesse is conteined 4 Againe a mans treasure is that which hee will bee at any cost to get hee will bee at any paines to attaine it It is that on which his 〈◊〉 is bestowed and affections are occupied 〈◊〉 Is it so with thee when thou 〈…〉 to Christ Iesus art thou willing to 〈…〉 more cost and paines to get him than any 〈…〉 besides Is thy heart and affections 〈…〉 upon him For where a mans treasuâ—◠〈◊〉 there his heart is I doe not aske whether 〈◊〉 bestowest more time upon the matters of grace than the duties of thy calling but whether thou dost them with more intention whether thou bestowest thy time and paines upon them as upon that which thou reckonest thy treasure farre exceeding all other 5 Fiftly consider whether thou art willing to part with any thing rather than with Christ Iesus for whatsoever is a mans treasure you know a man wil part with any thing rather than it Is it so with thee hadst thou rather part with any thing than with Christ than to part with a good conscience with the graces of the Spirit or with any thing that tends to holinesse to build thee up further in the worke of Gods grace I say consider whether thy heart bee willing to part with any thing rather than with Christ for thou shalt finde this that Sathan and the world will cheapen Christ and when they come to bidding they will bid well Consider whether thy heart can give a peremptory answer to the world and say thus I will not sell 〈…〉 I will not sell a good conscience for any 〈…〉 when Sathan and the world bid 〈…〉 tell thee as hee did Christ that he 〈…〉 all the riches and all the glory in the 〈…〉 wilt part with Christ Consider 〈…〉 be ready to deny whatsoever 〈…〉 as he will be sure to offer that 〈…〉 most sutable to thy disposition 〈…〉 heart hath taken this resolution to 〈…〉 Christ is my chiefest treasure I will 〈◊〉 with all therefore I will part with liberty with life with goods with credit with pleasures with profits with whatsoever is neere and deare unto me rather than I will part with the Lord Iesus If this be thy hearts resolution and minde then Christ is thy chiefe treasure that 's the second thing 3 Thirdly consider what is thy cheife joy and delight what is thy life I put them together for that which is a mans chiefe joy indeed is his life For wee know life is nothing else but that joy which the heart hath wherby it is nourished and fed as it were for life