heauenlie thing is compared with a worldlie thing the worldlie thing is nothing in respect of the heauenlie thing And therefore there is no man comparable to the Minister in labour the warrier the runner the plow-man is nothing to him The Apostle writing to Timothie saieth in his second Epistle Chap. 2. vers 5. If thou fight not thou shal◠neuer attaine to the crowne and why shouldest thou lose so faire a crowne for a momentes fighting No man saieth hee is crowned except hee fight faithfullie And 2. Timoth. 4. 8. There is a crowne of righteousnesse laide vp not onelie for mee but for all those that loue the bright comming of the LORD IESUS When Paul was an olde man and leauing this worlde I haue ended saieth hee my warrefare and I haue foghten a good fight and therefore I looke for that crowne If hee had neuer beene a runner hee would neuer haue taken this promise to himselfe A crowne is laide vp for mee And therefore the LORD giue vs grace to labour for a while that wee may rest from our labour in the life to come In the next verse hee prooueth that his warring and fighting in this worlde was not according to the flesh taking the argument from the weapons and armour wherewith hee fought such as the armour is such shall the warring bee if the armour bee weake the fight shall be weake if the armour bee strong the fight shall bee strong Our armour saieth the Apostle is not fleshlie our weapons are not of flesh nor fraile matter but our weapons are strong through GOD the power of GOD is in them GOD is in the worde which wee speake Hee setteth downe the ende To beate downe strong holdes This power will beate them downe nothing will gaine-stand it Brethren yee see by experience put a rasour into a childes hand it will cut this cutting commeth not of the strgēth of the childs hand but of the sharpnes of y ◠rasour Take a gun put it into a childs hand hee will slay a man or shoote thorow a woodden doore this is not by the strength of the childe but by the strength of the armour Euen so GOD by His worde in the mouth of the silliest and weakest bodie in the worlde will slaye and kill the strongest man that goeth vpon earth if He put His word it were but in a blabbering mouth as He did in Moses that word shall come and pierce in thorowe flesh and bone till it come to the mergh and shall diuide asunder the soule and the Spirit Hebr. 4. 12. It is not the man that doeth this but the weapon the word that is in his mouth The multitude of this world is beguiled if they see a poore man set vp they will measure y e grace of God by the man they think the inward man bee as weake as the outward and so Kinges and Princes are beaten downe this way and slaine Earles fall downe slaine men and women of all rankes fall downe slaine as sure as euer ye saw a man slaine in the bodie Ye remember the Historie of Samuel 1. Sam. 15. 32. he calleth for king Agag and as soone as Agag commeth forward and had eschewed the furie of the young king thought that he should eschewe the sword of the aged man also but Samuel calleth for the sword taketh it in his hand cutteth him in pieces So this worde in the mouth of weake bodies slayeth Kings and Queenes in the worlde when they are laughing playing they are slaine without their expectation Yet in this same verse marke the force of this armour Yee heare not of the building but of the throwing downe It is true he buildeth vp also but thou must first be brought down humbled and then be builded vp vpō a new ground What is he that will build a new worke vpon an olde rotten wall thou wouldest keepe nature and sinne yet be a new creature no thou must first renounce nature for the slaughter of the old man must go before the quickning of the new man In the verse following hauing spoken of the weapens he commeth to the warrefare and heere is a stranger battell than euer was foghten Wee throwe downe saieth hee the imaginations and euerie high thing c. There is a battell and a strange battell Paul is the fighter of this battell the warriour of the Lord Iesus a warrier to Him to win prisoners to Him to take Kinges and Princes by the cares and lead them to Christ That thing that is assaulted in this battell and against which Paul hath taken armour is first the cogitations By these cogitations is meaned the whole faculties of the soule for the principall function is the reason of man Nowe what is shee doing but sitting in her Castle building her rampiers and casting her fowsies about her and snaring her selfe in her owne nette And let thee bee thou needest none other to trappe thee thou wilt trappe thy selfe take thou as much pride in thine own engine as thou wil◠if thou haue no more woe is thee It shall fetter thee and take thee in the grinne as surelie as euer thou sawest a birde caught in the nette of a fowler The next thing that Paule assaulteth in this battell is euerie high thing that is exalted against GOD this I take to bee the pride of the heart which as an high mountaine rising vp as it were to the heauen exalteth it selfe against GOD and holdeth out GOD and the light of GOD. These then are the thinges which Paul assaulteth Nowe to come to the battell the first thing that Paule doeth hee wealdes his weapons so skilfullie that first of all he beateth down all the imaginations and reasonings of the mind which are as rampieres and fowsies wherewith shee circuiteth her selfe to holde out GOD and His light Next hee assaulteth the pride of the heart which as a mountaine exalted it self against GOD hee beateth it downe and maketh it equall with the ground Thirdlie hauing beaten downe all hee commeth and taketh the thiefe by the necke and leadeth him by the haire captiue to IESVS CHRIST not to himselfe that he should bee king ouer her No. IESVS CHRIST is the King ouer the soule as the Apostle in the second epist to the Corinth chap. 11. vers 2. voweth the Church of GOD not to himselfe but to her Spouse to the ende that shee may bee safe and GOD glorified The man that seeketh his owne gaine is but an hyreling There are three actions heere whereof the first two are none other thing but the destroying of the sinne that is in the mind and in the heart The third is the sauing of man by leading him captiue to Iesus Christ for the leading of a man captiue to Iesus Christ is his safetie and the libertie of the soule is this captiuitie and the slauerie of the soule is libertie to sinne When ye were slaues to sinne saith the Apostle Paul in the
as y e Apostle saith Eph. 4. 30. neither in word or thought And therefore as thou wouldest keep Him not anger Him study to sanctificatiō sanctification shall bring on saluation for it is y e very means that shall make thee to see God look what th'Apostle saith Heb. 12. 14. Without sanctification no man shall see GOD. Now vpon all this discourse I marke shortly There were neuer two things so straitly joyned together as God man is there was neuer such kinred betwixt two things in y e world as is betwixt the God of glory and an earthly man thou wilt count thy kinred with this man and that man if thou be joyned with him in blood or alliance But I aske this question Is his spirite within thee is his soule within thee or is thy soule in him Indeede it is true the affection may goe out of thee to him but giuest thou him thy spirit with thy affection or giueth he thee his spirit with his affection knowest thou y e thought of his heart or knoweth he the thought of thine heart who will say it O! but God with His affection giueth thee His Spirit within thee that thou mayest know the thought of His heart and He of thine This is the conjunction that is betwixt God thee there is a narrow conjunction indeed betwixt y e members of that mysticall body for they are conjoyned together by y e Spirit of Christ by loue but no member putteth his spirit into another member there is y e other cōjunction betwixt the head and the members of the naturall bodie for the soule will as it were come downe and the spirit of the head to the members and they will vnderstand the thought of the head and the head will vnderstand the thought of the members but there was neuer such a conjunction betwixt the members the head as is betwixt God man and all conjunctions among men are but a pendicle of that which is betwixt GOD and man In this conjunction with thy GOD and with thine Head IESVS for thou art joyned with GOD in Him standeth thy felicitie and blessednesse To come to the next verse It might haue bene said to the Apostle Thou dedicatest all to the Spirit of God may not the spirite of man doe something in this purpose may not my spirit search in to God and discouer the deepnes that is in Him He answereth Noman can see the thinges that are in God but His owne Spirit Then hee declareth his answere by a comparison Euen as no man can see the thinges which are in man but by the spirit of a man so nothing can search the things which are in God but the Spirit of God Thou canst not see the things that are in me onlie I my selfe will see the thinges that are in me euen so no man can see the things that are in God but onlie His owne Spirit Nowe the Apostle heere hee meeteth the verie pride of the heart of man that hee will conciet of himself that he by his spirit will search the things that are in God Paule had this experience in the Corinthians who were but carnall they tooke vpon them to judge vpon his doctrine that was spirituall Hast thou but that spirite which is carnall albeit thou bee a Monarch thou art too bolde to take vpon thee to judge of thinges which are spirituall and spoken spirituallie This same is the pride of the Papists this daye There will come out a Thomist a Scotist who hath the spirit of a man onlie and a verie subtile or rather a Sophisticall spirit an humane Philosopher and hee will judge of the Gospell of Iesus Christ and turne it ouer into humane Philosophie They haue turned the Gospell of Iesus to Aristotle all their writings are but spiritlesse There is not so much as a smell of the Spirit of Iesus in them all But O that terrible judgement that abideth such Doctors as are prophane polluters of the Gospell of Iesus Christ There is none of vs all but if a man would stand vp and say to mee or to thee I knowe thine heart and what is in thine heart wee would be angrie at him Then will not that glorious God bee angrie at a prophane villane that will say hee will search in to that profunditie hauing only his owne spirit Brethren when I was younger than I am if I had seene one of great engine great capacitie great graces I thought immediately he would comprehend the whole Bible but I protest before God that the longer I liue I thinke euer the lesse of the wit of man I had rather haue y e least sponk of the Spirit of Christ nor all the engine knowledge of y e world No a silly body that hath y e Spirit of Iesus will conceiue more of spiritual things than all the high headed bodies in the worlde Therefore alwayes renounce thine owne wit and be a foole that thou mayest be wise Another thing I marke heere When hee hath magnified the Spirit and made Him the searcher of all the deepnesse of God see howe hee holdeth off him the proude conceites of men hee will not let thee touch him or his priuiledges that is to search the deepnesse of God Therefore if yee will speake of God to His honour He is inuiolable saue him from the proude conceites of men Hold proude men off God let them not touch Him or violate that inuiolable Majestie or else thou shalt be guiltie if Hee be violated by thy default Alas wherefore art thou set in this world but to preach His glorie and to keepe it inuiolate from the injuries of all flesh in the worlde Looke what he doeth next in the last verse when he hath as it were holden off GOD the proude conceites of men who woulde take vpon them to search in to the deepnesse of God what doeth he He draweth that Spirit to himselfe and saieth Nowe wee haue receiued not the spirit of the World but the Spirit which is of God whereby hee learneth thee this lesson It auaileth thee not to magnifie to glorifie God and His Spirit except in the end thou take that Spirit to thy selfe and mayest challenge Christ and His Spirit as thine owne propertie Men haue spoken verie highlie of Christ and haue had little adoe with Him Speake thou not of Him so but as thou speakest of Him to His praise take Him to thy selfe otherwise in all thy speaking of Him thou art but a verie babler if thou haue not that Spirite within thee For the Apostle saith No man can call Iesus Lord except he haue the Spirit of Iesus 1. Cor. 12. 3. Therefore as thou wouldest saue thy selfe from prophaning of God and of His Spirit and of His graces when thou art praising and magnifying Him looke that thou haue the Spirite that thou mayest say to thy selfe This Spirit whom I praise is mine this God whom I haue bene magnifying and all His
without all impediment shall cry with the blessed Angels Holy holy holy is y e God of heaueÌ„ the Whole World is full of his glory There shall it find in his countenance saciety of ioy and at his right hand pleasures for euer Marke here last I shal end with it that the seeling of the mercy of God in Iesus Christ bringeth out obedience chearful seruice of God yea of al argumeÌ„ts to moue a man to abstein from sin to serue the Lord with pleasure that is y e most pithie forcible The shame of y e world the feare of temporal judgement the horror of conscience the feare of the paines of hel wil not be so steadable it may be â— they represse raging lusts furious affections â—â—r a time but they wil not mortify sin slay corruptioÌ„ wil neuer cause a man with pleasure to serue obey God but if a man hath fouÌ„d â— God hath loued him so well that he hath giueÌ„ his only son to dy that he might liue it is not possible but that maÌ„ in some measure wil set himself with alacrity chearfulnes to serue God Therfore the Apostle wheÌ„ he wold perswade christiaÌ„s to abstein from sin to serue God what argument vseth he chiefly read Rom. 12. 1. he proponeth the mercy of God offering Iesus to die for them for there hee saith I beseech you brethreÌ„ through the mercies of God â— ye offer vp your selues a liuing sacrifice therfore if thou wouldest couet to do y e Lords wil chearfully pray the Lord that he would not so much threateÌ„ thee propone terrors to thee as that he would make thee sensible of His mercies in Iesus Christ The vaine Papist speakes litle or nothing almost to the people of this mercy of God in Iesus Christ but propones to the people the pains of hell fire of purgatory to stay them from sin to make them serue God and do good works but if there be no more it wil neuer make them to bring forth such obedience as either is acceptable to God or yet profitable to themselues The Lord therfore make vs to bee sensible of his vnspeakeable loue in Iesus that wee may set our selues with pleasure to serue and glorify him here that so we may be assured that hee shall glorify vs in the kingdome of Heauen which Iesus hath purchased to vs by his precious blood To this Iesus with the Father the H. Spirit be all praise honor and glory for euer Amen THE XIII SERMON PSALME CXXX verse 5 I haue waited on the LORD my soule hath waited and I haue trusted in His word verse 6 My soule waiteth on the LORD more than the morning watch watcheth for the morning verse 7 Let Israel wait on the LORD for with the LORD is mercie and with Him is great redemption verse 8 And He shall redeeme Israel from all his iniquities WELBELOVED in the LORD IESVS The last day we diuided this Psalme into these three partes First the proposition whosoeuer hee was that writ this Psalme hee maketh mention and rehearsall of that prayer that hee made to his God in the time of his great danger and this hee doeth to the fift verse Then finding in experience a comfortable answere and howe good a thing it was to pray to God and to waite on Him he professeth that as before he had awaited on Him so still in time comming hee woulde awaite on Him and this hee doeth to the seuenth verse In the third and last part he turneth him to Israel to the Church and exhorteth them to await on God as hee had done promising them mercie and redemption from all their iniquities if they would awaite on Him The last day we ended the first part so wee haue now to follow out the other two parts which remaine Then as for the second The prophet finding in experience the fruite of his prayer hee professeth that hee will yet still waite on the Lord I haue waited on the Lord my soule hath waited and I haue trusted in His word As though he would saye I depend yet still on His word for the presence of the Lord that wee haue in this life is in His worde and in His Holy Spirite that accompanieth it So all the dependance we haue on GOD is in His worde and promise Take that away and then wee haue no sight no presence no faith here till wee see Him face to face Yet the wordes are better to bee marked hee saith I haue waited on the Lord Then hee saith My soule hath waited on the Lord as if he woulde saye I haue not awaited on the Lord onely with my bodily eyes but with mine heart and secrete inward affections I haue depended on Him from my verie heart For Brethren marke it well It is the heart of a man or woman that draweth GOD downe from Heauen sucketh in His presence Marueilous is the power that a faithful heart hath when it sendeth vp sighes and sobbes to Heauen for grace to pull down Gods presence and grace if there be no more but the eye it will not doe the turne but where the Spirit of the Lord dwelleth in the heart it maketh it to â—igh with sobbes that cannot be expressed It is not possible but GOD who giueth His Spirite to no man in vaine and who knoweth the meaning of His owne Spirite will grant that for which the Spirit maketh intercession Paul in the 8. chap. to the Rom. setting downe the waiting on of the godly how they wait on the Lord he setteth downe both the forceable operation of Gods Spirit in our hearts as also the fruit of his operation Wee sigh in our selues waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies there the vvaiting on of the godly is conjoyned vvith sighes and sobbes Then after hee letteth vs see what followeth vpon that What to seeke wee knowe not but when the Spirite of the Lord interceadeth for vs with sighes and sobbes vnspeakeable then the Lord who searcheth the heart knoweth the meaning of His owne Spirit granteth that thing for the which the Spirite maketh intercession for what els meaneth that vnspeakeable joye vvhich many a time the Saincts of God finde before they haue ended their prayers but that their prayers are fauourably accepted What meaneth that vnspeakeable joy when he saith Belieuing we rejoyce with joy vnspeakeable and glorious That joye witnesseth that the Lord giueth his presence for there is a sure ground There is no true joy but in the presence of God and so the joy testifieth to thee that thou sighest not so soone but the Lord giueth his presence to thee Now when hee hath saide My soule hath waited then he subjoyneth I will waite still vpon His word I will hold vp mine eare to Heauen as it were and heare what He wil speake vnto me There is no consolation nor joy in this world but in the hearing of His
vnto him then if thou takest no care of the purging of that corruption which hee hath contracted from thy loynes that same pest shall bee laide to thy charge in that great day Therefore nowe hauing spoken something of the fleshe and the generation thereof let vs nowe speake shortlie of the Spirite and His generation What is meaned by the Spirite This Spirite is the Spirite of the LORD IESVS this Spirit is y â— Spirit of Regeneration who reneweth men women of olde and sinfull creatures maketh them new and holy againe For as soone as a sinfull man beginneth to laye holde on the Lord Iesus by a true and liuely faith so soone findeth hee power and grace conuoyâ—d by His Spirit into his soule to renew it Then to speake of Christ because this Spirit is His Spirit As Iesus Christ is our elder Brother so is Hee also our Father Hee is called the Father of Eternitie Esai 9. 6. He is called the second Adam Rom. 5. 14. He is our spirituall Father who begetteth vs by His Holy Spirit Nowe compare the naturall parent with this spirituall parent Our naturall parent is not onely culpable and guilty of that first defection but also of innumerable sinnes and transgressions following thereupon Our spirituall parent Christ is culpable of no sinne at all but is full of all kinde of obedience for Hee was obedient to the Father to the death euen to the death of the Crosse Our naturall parent is altogether naturally corrupt yea a lumpe of sinne but Christ our spirituall parent is not only cleane in nature from all spot of sinne and perfectly holie as Hâ—e is man but also Hee is Holinesse it selfe because He is the Sonne of God from all Eternitie and what can bee cleaner than Cleannesse it selfe Now to come to their generation The naturall parent begetteth by the force of nature there is a force in nature to beget our spirituall parent Iesus is farre more able to beget by the power of His Spirit who is the author of nature The naturall parent by the force of nature will beget flesh a corrupt masse a sinfull creature yea the image of the deuill this will hee giue to his childe but our Heauenly parent the Lord Iesus by His Spirit begetteth the Spirit that is a spirituall man an holy cleane man who hath no delite nor pleasure in sinne for Sainct Iohn saith in his 1. Epistle Chap. 3. verse 9. Hee that is borne of God sinneth not that is sinneth not as the worldlinges doe with pleasure and delight sinne reigneth not in him why sinneth hee not because saieth hee the seede of God remaineth in him that is His Spirit by whom as a liuely seede wee are begotten and made newe creatures And what saith he more He saith such a man cannot sinne that is he cannot sinne that is he cannot sinne as the naturall and vnregenerate man sinneth hee cannot follow the course of this worlde and wallow in the puddle of sinne as they doe And why can he not sinne so because saieth hee he is borne of God It is a marueilous force that the Spirit of GOD hath Hee maketh a man that he cannot sinne all the worlde will not make him to sinne The naturall man can doe nothing but sinne all his actions are sinnes but hee that is borne of God cannot sinne Nowe this generation of the Spirite is called Regeneration which word albeit it be commonlie in many mens mouthes yet fewe vnderstand what it meaneth therefore wee shall set downe the nature and definition thereof and touch some particular circumstances which may serue for the better vnderstanding thereof Then what is Regeneration It is an alteration and changing of the whole nature of man accomplished and performed by the powerfull operation of the Holie Spirite When I call Regeneration a changing of nature I meane not that there shoulde be any change of the substance essence it selfe either of the soule or of y â— bodie as if that by Regeneration the olde substance were quite abolished and a newe substance brought foorth but I meane that there is a change and alteration of the qualities which are in the substance I will let you see this in the powers and faculties of the soule as in the minde and reason in the will and in the affections In the minde and reason there must bee a change of the vvisedome of the flesh into the vvisedome of GOD nothing is a greater enemie to GOD and His glorie to thy selfe and thy saluation than the vvisedome of the flesh And therefore if thou wouldest be saued this wisedome must be mortified thou must become a foole that thou mayest bee wise as yee maye reade in the first Epistle of S. Paule to the Corinthians the 3. Chapter and the 18. verse In stead of this vvisedome must bee powred into the minde the wisedome of GOD. In the vvill and affections there must bee a change of the frowardnesse and wicked inclination into holinesse and a good inclination Whereas before there was nothing in them but frowardnesse LORD that man is a froward creature when GOD commandeth him to goe one waye hee will goe the plaine contrarie that must be mortified and slain and in stead of it there must bee wrought in the heart a propension and willingnesse in some measure to pursue and to doe that which the LORD commandeth and hath pleasure into Nowe howbeit I call Regeneration a change onelie of the qualities yet it is not so light a matter and so easilie performed as men would think for it is a greater worke to renewe man than to create him In the beginning GOD created all thinges with His word but before man could bee renewed the Sonne of God behooued to become the sonne of man and suffer shame and ignominy die an accursed death euen the death of the Crosse It is an easie thing for thee to saye I must bee changed ere euer I see Heauen But Brethren it is not so soone done it is the moste difficill thing vnder the Sunne to gette the heart of a creature changed And they who haue found this vvorke sensiblie to haue beene begunne in them haue found howe harde it is by their owne experience for I tell thee that before thou bee renewed thou must denie thine owne selfe CHRIST saieth Thou must renounce thy selfe and take vp thy crosse daylie and followe Him LVKE Chapter 9. verse 23. If the LORD had onelie bidden vs renounce our friendes our father our mother our riches our landes and such other thinges as are without vs we would haue thought it a matter hard enough and scarcely would we haue bene induced to giue obedience as ye see in the young man in the Gospell Matth. 19. 16. But when the Lord commandeth vs to renounce our selues euen that thing that is moste excellent that which is moste wise this reason it selfe the wisedome of the flesh that furnisheth so many reasons to disswade meÌ„ either to
saith hee therefore did I speake Psal 116. 10. Look to the Apostles with what faith assurance they speake of it because saith Paul 2. Cor. 4. 13. We haue the same Spirit of faith according as it is written I beleeued and therefore haue I spoken wee also beleeue and therefore we speake So when thou hearest or speakest of this grace of the Lord Iesus seek to haue this assurance in thine heart and saye Lord giue me Thy grace in speaking and hearing of the benefite of Christ that I may speake and heare with assurance And if ye take heede to the words of the preface he riseth vp in commending of this sentence that Christ came into the world to saue sinners and hee saieth not onelie This is a true saying that wee may assuredlie beleeue but likewise hee saieth and by all meanes worthie to bee receiued Hee welcommeth in a manner Christ Iesus comming into the world he embraceth that saluation that Hee brought vvith Him And would to God whether wee bee Preachers or hearers that wee coulde attaine to that measure of grace that so oft as wee name the comming of Iesus Christ that in speaking of it our hearts may be mooued to embrace Him and that life and saluation which He hath purchased for vs. So this preface serueth to confirme our hearts deepelie to imprint in them the doctrine of the grace of Christ of remission of sinnes of saluation through Him c. for by nature there is in euerie one of vs such a mistrusting doubting thereof y ◠albeit God wold a thousand times offer it vnto vs albeit Christ himselfe would teach neuer so much vnto vs yet are we euer still in doubt and questioning in our owne heartes whether it be so or not Against all this mistrusting and reasoning of our owne hearts we must bee armed with this preface of the Apostle as with a buckler that it is a true saying by al means worthy to be receiued But to come to the saying it self It reckoneth vp y e whole Euangell for what is the Euangell in fewe wordes The Lord Iesus the Sonne of God is come into the world by his manifestation in the flesh taking vpon him our nature and in it hee hath suffered the moste shamefull death of the Crosse for the sinnes of man and rising againe from death hath passed vp to glorie and all to this ende For the saluation of man There is the whole Gospell Alas if we took heed to these tithings our hearts woulde not bee carried after so manie vanities The Apostle 1 Timoth. 3. 16. calleth this the mysterie of godlinesse and a great mysterie That GOD is manifested in the fleshe justified in the Spirite seene of the Angels preached vnto the Gentiles beleeued on in the worlde receiued vp into glorie c. All this hee setteth downe here in a word Christ Jesus came into the worlde and hee telleth vs it was to saue sinners that wee who are sinners might haue joye and rejoyce at His comming for wee should neuer heare nor reade such sentences but with joye But the wordes woulde bee weighed hee saieth CHRIST came into the worlde to saue sinners What is this that hee calleth sinners there are two sorts of sinners in the worlde The first are they who thinke they haue no sinne they are so hardned in their sinne they neuer got their hearts opened to see their owne sinne and wretchednesse for an indured sinner feeleth no sinne but by the contrarie they thinke themselues just they are puft vp with a cōceit of their own righteousnes they thinke thēselues whole free frō the disease of sin and these are the greatest part of the world An example we haue in that proude Pharisie who would stand vp and justify himselfe before God say I thanke thee O God that I am not a sinner as other men extortioners vnjust adulterers or euē as this Publicane Luke 18. 11. But it is not for the saluation of those men that Christ came into the world no mercy belōgeth not to them they will neuer taste of any mercy of God in Iesus Christ and therfore Christ saith Mat. 9. 12. 13. The whole need not a Phisition that is they who are whole free of the sicknesse of sin in their own conceit I am not come to call the just that is indured sinners who think thēselues just because they are touched with no sense of sin and well had it bene for them if Christ had neuer come into the world for they want not only grace in Him but by the contrary by the contemning of the grace that is offered they heap on cōdemnation on their own heads There is another sort of sinners who haue a true sense of sin and grone vnder the burthen thereof who are sore grieued in their owne consciences for it and it is of these sinners that th' Apostle speaketh here for Christ sheweth mercy only on these sinners He came into the world to saue them only therfore He saith Mat. 9. 13. I come to call sinners to repētāce meaning these sinners who haue their consciences wakened with y e sense of sin these sinners only He inuiteth to come vnto Him to get grace refreshmēt Come vnto me saith He all ye that weary laden I will refresh you Mat. 11. 28. These sinners will get grace to heare the word and wil get their minds illuminated with it whereas indured sinners the more they heare the more are they blinded and therefore Christ saith Joh. 9. 39. I am come vnto judgement into this world that they that see not may see to wit the penitent sinners and that they see that is indured sinners may bee blinded if thou be an indured sinner thou canst not heare the word with profite thou canst not be inlightened thereby But albert thou be a blasphemer an adulterer an harlot the greatest sinner that is if thou harden not thine heart at the hearing of the word of God O how wonderfully will it worke in thy soule it wil bring thee to a sense of thy sin it will make thee to bee grieued for thy sin and to lament mourne vnfainedly for it it will make thee to runne seeke for grace mercy in Christ that thy sin may be done away an example of this ye haue in Dauid when he had committed adultery murther no sooner is y e word preached to him by Nathan but assoone his heart is pierced with the sense of his sin he confesseth acknowledgeth it hee is sore grieued for it hee crieth for mercy in the Messias to put away his iniquities as ye may see 1. Sam. 12. 13. Psal 51. Such like ye see in Paul who before was persecuting the Church assoone as he heareth the voyce of Christ his consciēce is wakened he trembleth he is astonied he humble intreateth for mercy hee offereth seruice to the Lord saieth Lord what wilt thou that I doe Acts 9.
disappointed It is the violent that entreth into Heauen Matth. 11. 12. as yee will see a man violentlie thrust in at a doore Thou that wouldest goe to Heauen make thee for thronging thorowe till all thy gutâ—es bee almoste thrust out Paule in the eight chapter to the Romanes and the 22. and 23. verses vseth these argumentes against those wicked men that cannot sigh for Heauen First hee taketh his argument from the elementes the senselesse and dumbe reatures which sobbe and grone for the reuelation of the sonnes of GOD and trauell for that time as a woman in her birtâ— O miserable man The earth shall condemne thee the â—loore thou sittest on is sighing and woulde faine haue that carcasse of thine to Heauen The waters the aire the heauens all sighing for that last deliuerance the glorie appertaineth to thee and yet thou art laughing Alas what shall betide thee The other argument hee taketh from the sighing of men who haue gotten the Spirit of GOD We also saith he who haue the first fruites of the Spirit euen wee doe sigh in our selues waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodie Thou that hast not gotten the Spirit shalt neuer sigh for Heauen flesh and blood will neuer shed one teare for Heauen It must onely bee the Spirite of IESVS that must fetch vp the sigh out of the heart and the teare in the eye Roman 8. 26. So hee taketh his argument from them who haue gotten a sense of the Spirit of GOD and redemption of the body to prooue the certainty of that Heauenly Kingdome and glory Nowe there cannot bee a surer argument to vs that euer wee shall obtaine glory than this sighing in heart for it and this earnest desire thereof If thou find thine heart desirous of glory a sure argument thou shalt bee partaker of glory It is saide Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnes for they shall be filled Matth. 5. 6. Seekest thou for CHRISTES righteousnesse and thy glorie assure thee thou shalt get a sweete filling Marke it I saye to thee thou hast not onlie through this earnest desire of glorie an assurance that thou shalt reigne in glorie but looke to your experience that desire is not so soone begun of that life and glorie but so soone also the soule of the faithfull beginneth to rise with joye Who euer yet was hee that gaue a sigh from his heart raised vp by the Spirite of Christ that felt not with that sigh a joye in his heart Learne it by your experience This letteth vs see that the desire and thirst of glory putteth vs in present possession of a part of glorie Ere thou come to it desire it earnestly and I promise thee in the Name of the Father thou shalt be presently put in possession of a part of that Heauenly inheritance It is true thou shalt not get it al here yet there is none other Heauen after this life but that Heauen which thou gettest begunne in thee in this life Alwayes looke euer for that joye that is by sight There are two ioyes the one by sight the other by faith 2. Cor. 5. 6. The ioye by faith is in our pilgrimage in this life The ioy by sight is after this life when with our eyes wee shall see Christ The ioy by faith is to looke to Christ a far of and yet wee reioyce and loue Him that is farre absent 1. Pet. 1. 8. Faith hath a ioye that it enioyeth by speaking and thinking Sight hath the ioye that it enioyeth by presence The ioye of the eye great in quantitie and the fulnesse of ioye The ioye of faith not so great for it is the ioye of a pilgrime not as yet come to his home The ioye of the sight is when wee shall see our glorious Lord face to face whom we see only now by faith 1 Cor 13 12. This is the fulnes of ioy The ioy of Faith which induring our pilgrimage is not so full O how great shal be the ioy at the perfect seeing of Christ Thinke never to have the ioy by sight after this life except in this life thou have the ioy by faith as the earnest-penny of the other except by Faith thou once get a ioy before thou depart from this life thou shalt never see the face of Christ nor have ioy in him So brethren it is a good thing to have that desire of Heaven Sigh and sob and desire with Paul for Heaven for it is a Charter Evidence of thine everlasting inheritance never earthly lord had a surer charter of his land than thou that hast a desire of heaven hast of thine inheritaÌ„ce in heaven for these earthly evidences of land are without theÌ„ in their kists but this evidence of thine is written ingraffed in thine hart Now when extremity is threatned it is time to seek thy warrands of this heaveÌ„ly in heritance this present country is good forthee the best country that ever thou shalt see except thou find this warrand of sighing and desire for that heaveÌ„ly inheritaÌ„ce And therfore let scorners mockers scorn as they wil the children of God must powre forth tears And this is it that y â— Lord hath bene desiring these many days past he hath benegently drawing out of us this sense but now He beginneth to presse it out of us that our eyes might burst out in teares and thou that canst not sob and desire in these miserable dayes to bee dissolved thou hast no true matter of ioy Woe bee to them that have none heart to sigh for the troubles of Christs Church but are ever ready to execute iudgement against Gods servants when the Lord is visiting them Well the Lord shall wring out teares out of them in His wrath that will not sob in the time of the danger and trouble of His Church Then what is it that Pavle sigheth for And what desireth he Hee desireth a new cloathing to bee put one above as a cloathing that is he would keep this same body in substance and cast off this filthy garment of sinand death put on that glorious shape of the body of Christ The reason is set down For when the Lord shal cloath us we shall not be found naked So this body shall remaine in substance but O the glory and immortality of it Mark the natur of the lodging which we shall receive it shal not be another body in substance than this body which we have heer in earth The same body in substance wee shall have in heaven which we have heer Heerein onely is the difference this body is vile it is mortall full of sinne and wickednesse unglorious ignominious full of corruption weak infirm But when this body shall be changed in heaven it shall not be changed in substance but in qualitie Paul 1 Cor. 15. 42. 43. 44. Saith The bodie is sawn in corruption and is raised againe in incorruption and is raised againe in incorruption
this naturall life shall bee taken from thee thou shalt get another life euerlasting in glory but if thou findest thy self not renewed by the Spirit of grace take this life from thee thou shalt not get life euerlasting in glorie So looke if thou be a newe creature thou hast gotten a greater grace than to be borne to an earthly kingdome if so be thou mayst assure thy selfe of lif euerlasting What is this newnesse in the new creature This newnes that is in the new creature is nothing els but that same life which we shall liue in Heauen and is begun here This newnesse is only this new life of regeneration which life so long as thou liuest heere from the time that thou hast gotten a sponke thereof piece and piece eateth vp the olde and cankered nature The life of God within thee will consume euen as thou consumest the meat thou eatest the olde corruption which lieth in thy nature and in the ende in the glorious resurrection of the dead it shall bee altogether abolished This life then which is begunne heere it shall open the mouth and swallow vp death and death thereafter shall haue no more place This life is onely eating vp by little and little death heere but at that time it shall swallowe it vp wholly and thou shalt say with Paule Death is swallowed vp 1. Cor. 15. 54. So well is the soule that hath a warrande of his new creation whether he die in his bed or out of it he shall die with joy Then my counsell is seeing death is daylie threatned let euery one striue to get this assurance of this new life begun in him heere that it may swallowe vp death Woe bee to them that haue not this assurance This is the second assuraÌ„ce of life euerlasting I pray you marke these assurances for Paule had such an earnest desire that hee sought all assurances and warrandes of this life and hee is reigning now in Heauen So thou who thirstest after life learne at him Nowe resteth the thirde warrande in the next wordes Who also hath giuen vs the earnest of the Spirite Learne the words for al the doctrine riseth of the words Then the third warrand is the Spirit of Christ Iesus in thee If euer thou mindest to haue life hereafter thou must haue Gods Spirit in thee not onlie thine owne Spirite but Gods Spirite flowing from God through Iesus Christ entering into thy bodie soule Beholde the liberality of God when Hee by His Spirite hath renewed thee Hee will not take that Spirite from thee as a man will doe when he hath builded a worke hee will take his hand from it stand if it will or not But the Lord doeth not so Hee hath renewed thee by His Holie Spirite which Hee putteth within thee O how the Lord putteth the third person of the Trinitie in thee and maketh Him an earnest-pennie to thee of Life euerlasting Because thy regeneration is vnperfect and thou hast not yet attained to that Life therefore Hee letteth His Spirit abide in thee assuring thee as an earnest-pennie that whatsoeuer God hath promised He shal perform it to thee and thou shalt not bee disappointed of a jot thereof Such is the infidelitie of our nature that all the promises all the othes which He maketh to confirme His promises all His SacrameÌ„ts which Hee hath joyned to His promises cannot perswade vs. But looke to this thirde warrande Hast thou the Spirit of God if Hee bee in thee He will bee quicke working joye with sighs He cannot be idle Hee will be working the worke of regeneration both day and night Then anger Him not Ephes 4. 30. Away with filthie cogitations away with euerie rotten worde away with euerie euill deede labour to pleasure Him day night and striue to keepe Him and thou shalt hauea warrande of life in thy bosome and when thou art dying thou shalt find such sweetnesse in death as is wonderfull to tell None euer had the Spirite of God but in death they had vnspeakable joye Then seeke to bee in Christ and get His Spirite within thee and hauing gotten this Spirite keepe Him diligently and powre out thine owne spirite but never Gods Spirit for then in all distresses thou shalt have comfort Now to resume all Yee who take great pleasure in your Charters the Evidences of your inheritance and land take heed to this Your inheritance is in Heaven and thou art a foole who thinkest that thou hast an inheritance in earth For either shalt thou be pulled from it or it shall bee pulled from thee Nay looke as ever thou wouldest be an inheriter that thine inheritance be in Heaven Thou art the foolishest begger and the poorest that ever was if thou bee a King if thou thinkest thine inheritance to be in earth Having laid this count with thy selfe Mine inheritance is in Heaven then next looke that thou have thine evidence For thou shalt never possesse Heaven except thou have the evidence thereof laid up in thy charter kist Now thine evidences are the same euidences that Paul had and the same kind of evidences serve for all it is an inheritance that all men must get one sort of charter must serve for one inheritance What then can be the charter and evidence Canst thou sigh for that Heavenly inheritance Canst thou have a desire of it There is thy first evidence Then findest thou thy selfe to bee renewed Findest thou CHRISTS life in thee The life of Iesus is manifest in me saith Paul 2. Cor. 4. 10. Findest thou the wicked life of this world reformed There is the second evidence Yet more findest thou the worker of the desire and the worker of thy regeneration the Spirit of Christ within thee then keepe him well There is the best evidence of all the evidences of thine inheritance having these assure thy selfe of Heaven but wantest thou these or any of them thou shalt never get that inheritance in Heaven As these three are three evidences of thine heavenly inheritance so they are three props of Faith that gripe this Heavenly life They are the three pillars that hold up Faith which is builded upon them cut one of these pillars away and thou shalt lose Faith and Hope But here it may be asked Are all these three of the nature of the life to come I answere As for the desire sighing and sobbing for that heavenly inheritance it endeth with this life and in that life to come all weeping shall bee taken away REVEL 21. 4. Mourne and groane in time then heereafter shall come ioy aud pure ioy A troubled ioy is â—eere in this life but heereafter there shall bee a pure and solid ioy and nothing but ioy So this mourning ceaseth then and is not of the nature of the life to come but as to the new creature and regeneration it is of the nature of the life to come and it is the beginnning and first part of that heavenly glorie so that our
c. Hee was assured of GODS testimonie but hee trusted that the Corinthians also would beare him recorde that hee had traneiled truelie Hee saieth in your consciences It is to bee marked that he appealeth to their consciences not their mouthes but their consciences for the mouth of man will giue one testimonie but the conscience will giue another And when the conscience will bee saying the man hath spoken truelie and in sinceritie the mouth in the meane time will bee backebiting him and the conscience will say thou lyest mouth Speake therefore euer according to conscience for if thy conscience speak one thing and thy mouth another thou shalt bee challenged of a lye It is true indeede men knowe not the heart of man as when a Minister is speaking yee cannot judge of his heart the LORD judgeth it yet a faithfull and sincere man hee will vtter sometime the inwarde sinceritie of his heart in his wordes and deedes that all that seeth and heareth him will looke in therethorowe and see the inwarde sinceritie of the heart and giue an outward confession of it Now Brethren then in this example of Paule yee haue such a protestation as the faithfull Pastor shoulde make in the houre of his death and which should be his testament There is two things in his Ministerie the outwarde speaking and the inwarde sinceritie of the heart If hee would protest of his faithfulnesse looke that hee protest as PAVLE did First outwardly I haue vsed all diligence in discharging all the outward partes of my calling I haue kept nothing abacke and then inwardly As for my sinceritie First I take GOD to bee witnesse who knoweth and onely seeth mine heart with what sinceritie I haue spoken and then I take you to witnesse that haue beene conuersant with mee so farre as yee can knowe the inwarde sinceritie of mine heart by my liuing and outwarde actions Woulde to GOD wee coulde haue this sinceritie And I praye the LORD graunt mee this sinceritie and I beseech Him that as Hee hath beene with mee since the beginning of my Ministerie so Hee would neuer leaue mee vntill the time I finish my course with joye to His glorie and comfort of His CHVRCH through IESVS CHRIST our LORD To whome with the FATHER and the Holie GHOST bee all Honour Praise and Glorie both now and euermore So bee it THE FOVRTH SERMON II. COR. CHAP. V. verse 12 For wee praise not our selues againe vnto you but giue you an occasion to rejoyce of vs that yee may haue to answere against them who rejoyce in the face and not in the heart verse 13 For whether wee bee out of our wit wee are it to GOD or whether wee bee in our right minde we are it vnto you verse 14 For that loue of CHRIST constraineth vs. verse 15 Because wee thus judge that if one bee dead for all then were all dead and Hee died for all that they that liue shoulde not hence foorth liue vnto themselues but vnto Him who died for them and rose againe TO repeat shortlie that which we haue heard in this Chapter We hearde first of that assurance of glorie and life euerlasting which is the only remedy against death and the dissolution of this body Wee hearde secondly of the three warrandes of this assurance of life glorie The first the earnest desire which the heart had of that glorie and life The second Regeneration and renewing The thirde the Holie Spirite who is the worker of all grace in our heartes and who neuer leaueth vs but abideth in vs as an assured earnest-pennie of the full accomplishment of all that glorie promised to vs in the word of GOD. And yet for all this wee heard that the Apostle had not that contentation nor full satisfaction of his heart because he is yet a pilgrime liuing heere by confidence and hath not gotten the full presence of his LORD hee chooseth to leaue all the thinges in this life and therefore hee taketh resolution what hee will doe in life and death to the ende that when hee commeth to his LORD in the Heauens hee may bee welcome The thing hee resolueth to doe is this hee endeuoureth himselfe in his calling to be acceptable to Him in life and death and hee will consecrate all the actions and sufferinges of both to Him Beside that glory to come which moueth him to studie to bee acceptable to his LORD he setteth downe another motiue a terrible Tribunall which abideth him and all men and women who studie not to bee acceptable to the LORD The soule shall not so soone depart out of the bodie but it shall also as soone bee presented before that Tribunall and shall receiue that dolorous sentence if they haue not studied to bee acceptable to Him Therefore the Apostle concludeth Knowing therefore that terrour of the LORDm we trauell in our calling to preach Christ and to bring men to faith and that not for the fashion but in sinceritie of heart so that wee take God who seeth the heart to be witnesse to vs of our sinceritie And as to you Corinthians vpon whom we haue bestowed our labour wee appeale to your consciences and wee take you to be witnesse of that same sinceritie of our calling This is the summe of all which ye haue heard hitherto in this Chapter Now to come to this Text which we haue read In the first verse the Apostle hauing spoken of his sinceritie in preaching the Corinthians who had not that liking of him which they shoulde haue had might haue objected Well Paule yet vauntest thou of thy selfe thou hast once vaunted of thy selfe as appeareth in the second and third Chapters preceeding and yet art thou commending thy selfe He answereth no I commend not my selfe againe I vaunted not of my selfe before nor now neither but when I said We are made manifest to GOD and I trust also that wee are made manifest in your consciences in these words I giue you occasion to glorie of me and not so much for my cause as for the cause of false flattering Apostles who glorie in their outward doings without sinceritie of the heart the repressing of these mens vaine glorying is the cause of this my speaking This is the meaning of this verse Then this Text beeing plaine learne these lessons I marke first in the person of the Corinthians who objecteth this vaunting to the Apostle mistaking his words Scarse may a godly man speake a worde or two of the grace which the Lord hath giuen him and that not to his owne praise but to the praise of his God when he is mistaken by euill men who set thēselues to wryth euery word that is spoken And if euer there was an age in y e which this vice reigned I am assured experience proueth it none age may bee compared in that case to this age Yea a godly man can do nothing but incontinent he is mistaken he can speake nothing but he is misconstrued and especially
damnation shoulde mooue vs neuer to thinke on pleasing of our selues but onely to pleasure Him who hath deliuered vs from such damnation The third argument was taken from the purpose which the Lord had in dying for vs to wit that the life that was bought by His death should bee consecrated to Him and employed in His seruice for beeing once redeemed by Him we are no more our own men but His who hath bought vs. And therefore as the seruant setteth his eye vpō his lord waiting to pleasure him euen so in all our actions with our whole minde wee shoulde bee set to pleasure our Lord who bought vs when we were bond-slaues to sinne and Sath in Otherwise we shal fall abacke to that damnation from which wee were redeemed Now to come to this Text that we haue read in the first verse thereof we haue the resolution of the Apostle Paule and the purpose which hee taketh concerning this matter Seeing CHRIST his LORD hath set Himselfe to please him and to redeeme him from death and to purchase life to him his resolution is to giue Him againe that life which Hee hath purchased to him to employ the whole life of him in the seruice of that Lord who hath redeemed him Therefore Brethren before I goe forward learne a lesson of this generall If this was the purpos 〈…〉 CHRIST in dying for vs in dying so shamefull a death that we for whom He died should liue to Him and not to our selues our purpose shoulde bee on the other part to giue Him this life that He hath bought so dearely giue Him it or else thou shalt giue it to a worse man Imploy it in His seruice or else thou shalt imploy it in the seruice of a worse man And euerie one should say for their owne parts as Paul did for his part Hath Christ died for me to this purpose that I should liue to Him then will I take purpose and will resolue in mine heart to giue Him the life that He hath purchased to mee by His death this was His purpose in His death concerning mee I will not disappoint Him of His purpose that life that He hath wonne to me I will consecrate it to His seruice It is true thou canst neuer disappoint the Lord of His purpose His purpose standeth immooueable the man to whom He looked in His death hee must liue and euerie man for whome Christ died was in His eyes when Hee died No godlie man was out of His minde in His suffering but He saide in His heart I will die for this man and for this woman that they may liue to mee So He will not be disappointed But looke thou disappoint not thy selfe If thou sayest Christ died for me and in the meane time thou wilt not giue thy life to Him but wilt liue to thy lusts and not to Him thou of necessitie in the ende shalt bring thy selfe to a miserable point There is nothing in the world that a man should take more heede to than to the life to come to their maner of liuing heere and to the actions that they haue in hand and the thinges about the which they are occupied in their conuersation for if thou haue a conscience thy conscience will tell thee by thine actions what part thou hast in CHRIST if in thine actions thou be seruing Him thy cōscience wil tell thee thou hast a part in the LORD whom thou art seruing and thou in the meane time if thou bee but eating thy dinner if thou doest it to His glorie thou shalt finde a sweete apprehension of the death of CHRIST and it shall raise a great joye in thine heart But by the contrarie if thou be euill occupied and about to do an euill deede thy conscience within thee will giue thee a secrete warning and will saye O man thy worke testifieth thou hast nothing adoe with CHRIST and thou shalt find in thine hart no comfort of Christs death nor of His resurrection So it is good to be well occupied euery man in his owne calling and in all his doings euer to haue CHRIST before his eyes who hath giuen him this life Wouldest thou then trie whether the deedes that thou doest bee seruice done to y e Lord or not I shall tell thee how thou shalt know I will not speake of outward tokens but looke day and night within thy selfe to thine owne heart what thou feelest there feelest thou a conscience by night and by day testifying to thee that thou art vpon a good course and seruing CHRIST who died for thee it is well with thee if thy cōscience be rightly informed thou finde in the meane time a sweete apprehension of CHRISTS death passion and rising it is well But if thou feelest not this testimonie of a good conscience but rather a displeasure and grudging in thy soule all is wrong Well art thou if thou finde in all thy doinges a sweete apprehension of CHRISTES death and resurrection if thou finde it not woe is thee leaue that deede away with it Away with all businesse that will not furnish a joye of conscience in CHRIST and will not make thee to saye CHRIST is mine I am doing Him seruice Nowe to come to the purpose The speciall point of seruice that should be giuen to CHRIST is set downe in these wordes From hencefoorth know wee no man after the flesh These are the wordes weigh them The special point of seruice set down here is the right estimatiō of men among whom we liue in y ◠world It is no small matter to esteeme of men women as we shuld do The rule whereby the Apostle will esteeme of them is not in the flesh nor by fleshly doing that is by nonē outward thing All these outward things as kindred nobilitie beautie wisdome worldly eloquence riches honour c. with all the rest of these things which men hold in admiration are nothing This is not the rule of the Apostle nor we should not by that rule esteem of them How then What is contrarie to the flesh the spirite What is contrarie to nature grace What is contrarie to the olde man regeneration Then what ought to be the rule according to the which wee should judge of men the spirit grace and regeneration But ye will say Are not all these worldlie thinges benefites of God shoulde not men bee esteemed of for them I answere The Apostle speaketh not simplie of them but in comparison in respect of the spiritual graces The nobilitie of the king is but dung in respect of the least droppe of the blood of Christ the least sponke of grace is worth whole nature the least portion of Heauenlie glorie is worth all the glorie in the world the least sponke of regeneration is worth all the genealogies that can bee in this worlde When Christ commeth with His spirit grace and regeneration all these earthlie prerogatiues vanish as the mist Then marke There is the speciall point of seruice done
sixteenth Chapter and the two and twentie verse of the first Epistle to the Corinthians Louest thou Him assure thy selfe howbeit thou canst not get such a loue to Him or such a sight of these thinges as thou wouldest haue they are prepared for thee Onelie thou art to take heede to see if that loue of GOD bee in thine heart Goe not to search what is in Heauen and thinke not to get a full sight of that glorie in this life that is laide vp for thee But rest on Him yea though it were halfe blindlinges Well is the soule that can loue the LORD IESVS I will ende heere and will recommende to euerie soule that Loue of IESVS as euer they woulde see the thinges that the eye neuer sawe nor the eare neuer hearde nor hath euer entered into the heart of man to their euerlasting comfort and consolation at the comming of the LORD IESVS To whome with the FATHER and the Holy GHOST bee all Honour Prayse and Glorie for euer and euer world without ende So bee it THE SEVENTH SERMON I. COR. CHAP. II. verse 10 But GOD hath reuealed them vnto vs by His Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all thinges yea the deepe thinges of GOD. verse 11 For what man knoweth the thinges of man except the spirite of a man which is in him Euen so the thinges of GOD knoweth no man but the Spirite of GOD. verse 12 Nowe wee haue receaued not the spirit of the world but the Spirite which is of GOD that wee may know the things that are giuen to vs of GOD. THE last day Brethren we heard a cleare description commendation of that wisedome which ` Paul spake and preached which is none other in effect but this same blessed EVANGELL that is preached to you We shewed you that there was nothing that might commende a science or wisedome in this world but it concurred with him to the commendation praise and glorie of this wisdome that is here described The author of it is not the world nor the Princes of the world but God the maker of the worlde The secrecie of it was hidden vp in a mysterie so manie ages from the creation to the comming of Christ and manifestation of Him in the nature of man The antiquitie of it it was predestinated from all Eternitie The end of it our glorie The sublimitie and highnesse of it when it was reuealed at the cumming of CHRIST none of the Princes of this world could vnderstand it for if they had known it they had not crucified the LORD of glorie The subject of it the thinges which the eye neuer sawe the eare neuer hearde which neuer entered into the heart of man and yet for all this prepared for them that loue the LORD Nowe to come to the Text which wee haue in hand It might haue bene asked of the Apostle If such thinges as were neuer seene neuer heard of nor neuer entred into the heart of man were contained in that wisdom which he taught what profite haue we by that wisedome what profite haue wee of the thinges whereof wee are not capable The Apostle meeteth this in the first verse which we haue read But saith hee God hath reuealed them vnto vs by His Spirit It is true indeed they passe the sight of our eyes they surmount aboue our hearing they passe the capacitie of our mind yet that LORD hath dimitted Himselfe vnto vs by His Spirit He hath reuealed those things to vs the sillie ones of y e world not to the princes of y e world but to the sillie simple ones Hee hath reuealed them not by our spirit but by His owne Spirit There is the summe of the answere shortlie He giueth the reason in the next part of the verse and letteth vs see that the Spirite of Iesus is able to reueale all these high and hidden things to vs setting out the nature of the Holie Spirit For saieth hee the Spirite searcheth all thinges yea the deepe thinges of God The Spirite is a searcher and hee is a searcher of all things created in Heauen and earth Nothing can escape him but hee will seâ—rch into the secretest things in the world and into the secretest parts of thine heart What more Hee is a searcher of the God of glorie Himselfe and will pierce into the infinite deepnesse that is in God Hee being such a Spirit as this is he not able to reueal the things whereof wee are not capable There is the meaning of the whole verse shortlie Then we see these things contained in the Heauenlie wisedome as the riches of God in IESVS CHRIST our remission of sinne our justification our regeneration our saluation and life euerlasting euen common thinges which yee heare of daylie together with Iesus Christ the Mediator in whome and thorowe whome all thinges are wrought are the thinges which the eare hath not hearde nor the eye hath not seene neither haue they eâ—â—ered into the heart of man Yet wee see that these thinges passe not so the capacitie of man nor they are not so altogether hidden from man but they are reuealed And they are reuealed to whom To them for whom they are prepared They are reuealed when euen in this life there is none for whom they are prepared from all Eternitie but in this life before the soule goe out of the bodie they shall receiue some reuelation and vnderstanding of these same things and thou that gettest no reuelation of them in this life and gettest not a sight of them ere the soule goe out of the bodie I will say to thee They were neuer prepared for thee Remission of sinnes was neuer prepared for thee Iustification before the Tribunall of GOD Regeneration Life euerlasting was neuer prepared for thee There is not a better token of life after this life than a blink of life in this life if it were but a glimmering for the best of vs hath but a glimmering a blinke of IESVS Christ and of the graces that are in Him in this life is the surest token that thou canst haue of the life to come And by the contrarie There is not a worse token of darkenesse after this life than to haue thine eyes so closed that thou hast no blinke heere of that life to come And when thou diest hauing no sight of the life to come thou shalt die a miserable catiue a faggot for the fire of Hâ—ll Let vs goe forward to the rest God hath reuealed them by His Spirit Now yee see heere a reuelation by the Spiritâ— Marke it I shall tarie somwhat vpon these wordes Yee heard before of a reuelation by the word which is this wisedome Now yee heare of a reuelation by the Spirite It is not enough to receaue a reuelation by the word though it were neuer so faire and so soundly preached it will neuer doe thee good it is nothing but as if thou wouldest holde a light before a blinde man say to him Man seest
thou not this light Wilt thou bid a blinde man judge of colours thou scornest him Euen so all the speaking of the Scriptures vnto men is but scorning of them except they get this reuelation of the Holie Spirite What is this reuelation of the Spirit I shall tell you what it is With that preaching of the worde which is the first reuelation the Spirite of IESVS commeth downe and seateth Himselfe in thine eye openeth thine eye to see the thinges which are spoken commeth to thine eare openeth thine eare to heare the things which are spoken entreth into thine heart and maketh thee to conceaue the thinges which thou seest and hearest and maketh thee capable of them of the which thou art no more capable by nature than the verie stone in the pillar speak to thee to the stone all is alike till this alteration be made in thy soule Then Brethren There are two reuâ—lations The first by y e word when it is preached The second by the Spirit when that Holy Spirit concurreth with the word I will tell you the differeÌ„ce of them The first will bee common to all the word is preached alike to all O! but the other reuelation is not so coÌ„mon but is only made to some secret ones of y e Lord. That blessed Spirit will not light vpon euery man and woman but onlie vpon some secret persons vpon whom the Lord hath pitie Wee reade in the 16. Chapter of the Actes of the Apostles that there is a meeting of manie many are gathered together Paule the Apostle the Preacher hee reuealeth the graces of the worde to all alike amoÌ„g all the rest we reade of one speciall person called Lydia there was neuer a word spokeÌ„ of the rest it is said of her namely that the Lord opened the heart of Lydia to receiue that which Paul preached the Spirit of IESVS opened her heart not Paul the Spirit of IESVS only is the reuealer be neuer content with hearing onelie fie on thee if thou thinke thou hast done enough when thou hast sitten an houre or two hearing if thou finde not the sweet operation of the Spirit to opeÌ„ thine heart with such a sweetnesse as is vnspeakeable And therfore fixe not your eyes so much on men as vpon the Lord who sendeth the Spirit and crie euer Lord giue me y e Spirit or els all is but wind blessed is that body that getteth the Spirit for the word will neuer doe good without the Spirit Yet I goe forward and I marke the reason The Spirit searcheth all thinges yea the deepnesse of GOD. These are the wordes There is a great deepnesse in these wordes if wee could attaine to it The first thing that I take vp heere is this Great is that deepnesse and that profundity that is in our God Paul in the 3. chap. to the Ephes and the 18. verse considering that deepenesse falleth out in these words That yee beeing rooted and grounded in loue may be able to comprehend with all Saincts what is the breadth and length meaning of God for He is both broade and long and the depth Hee is deepe and the height He is high also Infinite in length infinite in breadth infinite in height infinite in deepnesse what would yee haue He Himselfe is as it were a bottomlesse Deepe There is neuer a propertie in Him as we call them but all is an infinite deepnesse the wisedome of GOD an infinite and endlesse deepnesse His power an endlesse deepenesse And therefore the Apostle Rom. 11. 34. falleth out in an admiration of the deepenesse both of the wisedome and of the knowledge of GOD. Well then Brethren it is no wonder albeit it was saide in the verse going before that the thinges that are prepared for them that loue Him the eye hath neuer seene the eare hath neuer hearde neither haue they entered into the heart of man Why Because all these things are hidden vp in a bottomlesse deepnesse that is in GOD. What wonder then that thou canst not see them that the eye of a worme creeping vpon the earth cannot see them that the eare of a worme cannot heare them and that the heart of a worme cannot be capable of them It is true indeed y â— Gospel speaketh of them al vnto vs yet the worde is not sufficient to shew them they are not so in the word but they abide still in that deepnes the mercie is not so reuealed in y e word broght down froÌ„ Heauen but yet it remaineth still in that deepnes remission of sins is not so reuealed in the word but yet it abideth still in that deepenesse And therefore the worde when it speaketh of these thinges whither sendeth it thee vnto When it speaketh of the mercie of GOD in Iesus Christ of the justice of God of Life euerlasting whither doeth it direct thee Euermore to this deepnesse Goe thy wayes saieth the word to the deepnesse of GOD and see all these thinges plainlie Therefore the same Apostle saieth Coloss 3. 1. 3. Seeke the thinges which are aboue where thy life is hidden with Christ in God Where is thy life then I am speaking of it now but where is it It is hidden vp in that deepnesse of God The word should not holde downe thine eye but lift it vp to seeke all those mercies that are aboue with God Ye may see then these thinges that concerne our saluation in Iesus Christ our remission of sinnes our justification our saluation these are euen the things to speake them plainlie whereof the Apostle meaneth they are incomprehensible to the wit of man to the eye of man to the judgement of man to the nature of man Hee will stand vp and talke of his nature of his engine an high spirited man his wit will compasse all the worlde O! but thy wit reached neuer vp heere to search this deepnesse Therefore by nature there is none assurance of remission of sinnes of saluation of life if thou haue no more but nature scorne as thou wilt although thou be a Monarch thou shalt neuer get assuraÌ„ce of life but die like a desperate dogge Art thou able to pierce in to the deepnesse of the sea that hath a bottome or to the deepnes of the earth that is finite No thou wilt neuer see one foot into it albeit thou be neuer so clear of sight then O foole wilt thou striue to reach vp to a bottomles deepnesse that is in God with thy wit and thy conception when thou canst not attaine to a finite thing Now Brethren I haue spoken of God of His deepnes next we haue to speak of the Spirit of the searching of the Spirit I shall only touch it shortly as farre as the Text will furnish and not digresse in amplifying of these common heads I marke then of this Text As there is an infinite deepnesse in God so there is a searcher of it it wanteth not a searcher The onlie searcher of this deepnes is
graces is mine In the end of the verse hee setteth downe the ende wherefore GOD hath giuen vs this Spirit The end is this To make vs to know the things which are giueÌ„ vnto vs by God I see here the Spirit of Iesus when He maketh our eye to looke in to that deepnesse of God to that store of mercie He will let vs see nothing in GOD but meere grace mercy As this Euangell preacheth nothing but meere grace and mercie so the Spirit of Iesus when He letteth thee see al the hidden things in GOD Hee letteth thee see nothing but meere mercie and grace And therefore hee that will tell the people of the merits of men or of the Saints that they are not justified by meere grace but must ad to their own deseruings I wil tell you my judgmeÌ„t of such a man suppose he be neuer so glorious a Doctor neuer so sacond or so learned hee neuer spake by the Spirite of IESVS Papist Doctors who leade men to leane to their owne merites and to the merites of Saincts neuer spake nor wrote by the Spirit of Iesus For the Spirite of Iesus letteth thee see nothing in God but meeâ—e mercie for one merite of man will destroye all grace so contratie is the Spirit of God the spirit of man the grace of Christ the merit of man And this is y e spirit that men striue to put amoÌ„gst vs againe for if they bring in Papistrie amoÌ„gst vs again farewell y e Spirit of Iesus No I speak it from mine heart if that Idolatrie come in againe I shall stand vp in my last Preaching and saye Farewell the Spirit of Iesus For no more than Hell can accompanie Heauen no more can that blessed Spirit of Iesus accompanie that dirt dung of mans doctrine Therefore as thou wouldest keepe the Spirit of Iesus holde abacke these men for thou shalt not enjoye them both in despite of thine heart The Lord Iesus cannot remaine amongst Idolaters and if thou haue not His Spirite thou art not His Roman 8. 9. if thou be not His thou art the Deuils and shalt goe to euerlasting damnation Therefore I say ouer againe Holde them away as thou wouldest keepe that blessed Spirit of IESVS CHRIST To whom with the FATHER and the Holie Ghost be all Honour Praise Power Glorie and Dominion both now and euer worlde without ende AMEN THE EIGHT SERMON II. COR. CHAP. IIII. verse 3 If our Gospell bee then hidden it is hidden to them that are lost verse 4 In whome the god of this worlde hath blinded the mindes that is of the Infideles that the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ which is the Image of God should not shine vnto them verse 5 For wee preach not our selues but CHRIST IESUS the LORD and our selues your seruants for IESUS sake IN the verse immediatelie going before this Text which wee haue read in your audience the Apostle hath beene speaking of that sinceritie of that plainnesse which hee vsed in the preaching of the Gospell of CHRIST which he vttered with such an euidence that whosoeuer hearde him might vnderstand him might haue seene the light of the Gospell and haue apprehended it Nowe because this people of Corinth were stiffe-necked hard to conceiue full of conceits and liked nothing but humane wisdome and eloquence scorning mocking the euidence of the Spirit Therefore some of them might haue objected immediatelie Paule thou speakest of thy plainnesse in vttering the Gospel yet for thy plainnesse there is manie amongst vs who knowe not what thou speakest thy Gospell is hidden to manie manie vnderstand thee not The Apostle meeteth this in the first wordes which wee haue read If our Gospell be hidden it is hidden to them that perish A sore sentence as if hee woulde saye Corinthians blame me not nor my Gospell the fault is in that miserable corruption which is in you yee cannot see the light of my gospel because ye are adjudged to perdition and damnation so the blame is in your blindnesse who are appointed to damnation before all eternity So this verse being plaine let vs obserue some lessons The first is this There hath beene and is many in the world in all ages that neuer saw seeth nor shall see the light of the Gospell Ye haue an example of these Corinthians howbeit the Gospel should shine clearer than y e Sunne at noone time of the day it shall neuer be seene of them it will be hidden to them howbeit it should bee as a booke laide open before them yet it will bee a clasped booke to them Let euerie man beware of himselfe for this is a necessitie laide vpon the multitude of this worlde A multitude hath bene in all ages a multitude is in this age a multitude shal be in euerie age to come who shal neuer see the light of the Gospell The next lesson is These folke haue this propertie and disposition beeing pleasurers of themselues they are euer quarreling with the Gospell amongst all the hearers of the worlde they are the most quarrellous they I say who get the least good of it are alwayes the moste quarrellous and euermore laying the fault either vpon the Gospel or vpon the teachers thereof because they neither get light nor consolation thereby Beware of this quarrellous complexion I marke thirdlie where is the fault or in whome They blame the Gospell and the teachers therof but where is the fault indeed Paule telleth thee heere If my Gospell bee hidden it is hidden to them that perish That perdition and destruction wherunto thou art appointed from all eternitie is the cause wherefore thou receiuest no consolation no light in thy soule thorow the Gospell of Iesus Christ Thou layest the fault where it is not thou art like a blinde man that will stand vp against the Sunne shining at the noone time of the daye and accuse it because it shineth not when in the meane time it is shining vpon the face of him Thou art a vessel of perdition if there bee not a remedie and because the sentence is past therefore as when a thiefe or a murtherer is once condemned to death the gracious presence of the Prince is with-drawne from him that hee may looke on him no more Euen so if once a creature bee adjudged to death the gracious countenance of Iesus Christ is with-drawne from him lest hee should beholde it in the Gospell Another thing followeth There are manie tokens of damnation that men and women are adjudged to death Amongst the rest this is a sure token If the Gospell be hidden to thee euen as it is preached in SCOTLAND wee haue neither Peter nor Paul to teach vnto vs yet if it be hidden to thee if thou receiue neither light nor consolation by it as it is now preached if thou continue so till thy life be in thy lips as wee speake till the last gaspe thou hast a seale in thine owne bosome of euerlasting damnation thine heart
thee and holden vp before thine eyes then He sendeth His torturer saith Go thy wayes Sathan and plucke out the eyes of this bodie then hee plucketh out the eyes of thy mind immediately and God giueth thee ouer to a reprobate sense and this is it which the Apostle saith of the Gentiles Rom. 1. 28. It pleased them not to retaine God in knowledge therefore God gaue them ouer to a reprobate sense And Ephes 4. 18. Hauing saith he their cogitations darkned and beeing strangers from the life of God thorow the ignorance that is in them because of the hardnesse of their heartes There plainlie hee letteth vs see that the hardnesse malice of their heartes bringeth on this ignorance and blindnesse Therefore beware of this malice and put it out of thine heart or else thou shalt bee carried blindlinges to euerlasting damnation suppose thou bee an Earle or a King what regarde hath GOD of persons Now BrethreÌ„ there are some words that I must weigh to you as the Lord shall giue me the grace I shall repeat them marke ye with me if they be not weighty That the light of the glorious Gospell of Christ which is the image of God shuld not shine vnto theÌ„ or spread His beames vpoÌ„ them ye know anie man y t hath knowledge knoweth that this might haue bene spokeÌ„ in fewer baser words but the Apo. coÌ„tents not himself with base words in such a matter but saith that y e light of the glorious gospel c. Well is there one word here in vaine and is there any chaÌ„ge of words made for nothing are simple base words changed into glorious words for nothing no alas we cannot see this and it is one of the things in the world that I would fainest haue you to vnderstand what moueth the Apostles and Prophets to vse such an high language and set vp a thing in such glorious tearmes the which they might vtter in baser tearmes Thinke not that the men of God Prophets and Apostles haue spoken as we say hyperbolicè great and loftie words greater than the matter These wordes are borrowed words and they are borrowed from the most glorious thing in the earth and yet they attaine not to the thousand part of the things which by them he would expresse All the high wordes that a man can vse to expresse y e glorie of Christ are not able to expresse the thousand part of that glorie But to come to the purpose Ye haue set down first in glorious tearmes the effect of the Gospell it is set down in shining and beames thereafter ye haue set downe the Gospell it selfe To come to the first The most glorious thing that a man can see in this earth is the shining of the Sunn which the Lord hath fixed in the Heauens The pleasandest thing that a man can looke to when he hath looked to all these earthlie thinges is the glauncing of the Sunne in a faire day And therefore ye see the glorie of the Sunne is described very highlie by Dauid in the 19. Psalme To applie this Euen so the effect of the Gospell beeing the most glorious effect that euer was wrought the Spirite of God setteth it out by the most glorious thing in the world the spreading of the Sunne beames And surelie suppose there were no more but this word Shyning it letteth vs see a wonderfull effect of the Gospell in the hearts of men and women Ye see by experience the beames of the Sunne suppose they were neuer so bright will neuer alter the bodie which they shine vpon nor make it bright like themselues the sunne hath shined this long time in the world but yet by shining it could neuer so trans-change any creature that it coulde become as bright as the Sunne it selfe It may well let thee see the bodie that is opacum as wee saye darke obscure so long as it shineth but as soone as it is remooued the bodie is darke as it was before But as to the Gospell The Gospell with the beames of it not onelie maketh the object wherevpon it shineth to be seene and to appeare but it doeth more it transformeth the soule of the man or woman into that same light and brightnesse that is in it That is to say The face of IESVS the Sunne of righteousnesse that shineth in the Gospell when the beames of it striketh vpon thy soule they make it lightsome and bright like the face of Iesus they turne the soule in the shape of the face of IESVS that shineth in the Gospell Would yee haue Scripture for this looke the last verse of the chapter going before We behold saieth hee as in a mirrour the glorie of God with an open face and are changed into the same image from glorie to glorie as by the Spirit of the Lord. And this is done in such a sort O would to God wee knew the power of the Gospell that thou who hadst nothing but darknesse within thee art made a shining light casting out thy beames and ouer-shadowing sillie darke bodies Hee that brought light out of darknesse saith Paul by His word Hee hath shined in mine heart that I may minister the knowledge of Iesus Christ to others So is it moste certaine thou in whome the Gospell is so powerfull art made a light in the world to illuminate darke soules Nowe to come to the next the Gospell it selfe How expresseth he the Gospell Hee calleth it not simplie and barelie with a meane word The Gospell all these meane words and sillie simple speaches of such a glorie telleth what feeling men haue in their heartes of the effectualnesse of the Gospell but hee calleth it The light of the Gospell The Gospell is a light and it is the light of lightes The Sunne albeit it be bright was neuer comparable to it in shining and therefore it casteth out such glorious beames in the soules of men and women What is the cause that it is a light The cause is in the subject of it The subject of it is glorie What will make a light if glory will not make it The Gospell is the Gospell of glory and all that is within it is glorie What glorie â—â— this The glory of CHRIST the King of kingâ— his glory must be a great glory what kind of person is this Christ He is y e Image of God He neuer resteth mounting vp till he come to that diuinity Lo how he riseth he climbeth from the Gospel to the Mediator from y e Mediator to that glorious Majesty So all the glorie that shineth in y e Gospel is y e glory of God and all the light of the Gospel is that light of God which th'Apo 1. Tim. 6. 16. calleth y t light which hath none accesse neuer man had accesse to it till this Iesus brought it down without this light thou art but darknesse and shalt end in exteriour vtter darknesse All the beames of the Sunne are but darknesse in
he changeth his voice saith If I come againe I shall not spare you when I come againe I shall terrifie you with the power of God because ye throw it out of mee I see againe hee is verie sharpe against these false Oratours hee vseth no lenitie towardes them Yet there is a discretion to bee had betwixt the dealing with false teachers and with the people There should be lenitie vsed towards the people but what should bee with a deceiuing lowne that beginneth to bring the trueth in slander Hee must bee handled with seueritie and rigour no lenitie should bee vsed towardes these that crcepe in daylie to bring the trueth in slander Yee know their voyces Who made LVTHER a Minister Who made CALVIN a Minister But they shall finde it one day that LVTHER and CALVIN were Ministers and that there was a power in the word which LVTHER and CALVIN teached For this is true that PAVLE spake The LORD consumeth them daylie with the word that commeth out of the mouthes of His Ministers and shall consume them daylie vntill the Daye of the LORDS appearance In the third verse hee falleth out in a description of the maner of his walking Neuerthelesse though wee walke in the flesh c. Though wee liue in the flesh that is in the infirmitie of this common nature for to liue in the flesh heere is to liue in the weaknesse of nature yet we walke not or warre not according to the flesh that is our actions and doinges in our Apostleship are not fleshlie and weake Yee see the outward bodie is weake but measure not the inward man after the bodie and strength thereof for suppose my bodie be weake yet mine actions are strong So hee taketh to him one thing and refuseth another Nowe Brethren let euerie man that liueth take gladlie to him frailtie and weaknesse and if men call thee weake take it to thee for hee that will bee strong in himselfe cannot bee strong in GOD. In this same Epistle Chap. 12. verse 9. The power of GOD saieth hee is made perfect in mine infirmitie Of all men in the worlde a man whose calling is to bee a Minister shoulde take chiefelie vpon him this frailtie and weaknesse yea let him accept it more redilie than it can bee casten to him and as hee is fraile and weake so hee must feele his frailtie and weaknesse and the chiefest part of his preaching should bee of frailtie and that Minister that neuer felt his owne miserie cannot perswade the people that they are miserable and bring them to an acknowledging of it And heerein appeareth the wisdome of GOD who chooseth not to this Ministerie those who haue the greatest graces of nature and naturall giftes but Hee chooseth out the weake ones and contemptible bodies that are amongst men and Hee setteth them vp to bee Preachers to mankinde as Hee speaketh in the first Epistle to the CORINTHIANS in the first Chapter and the sixe and twentie verse Yee see Brethren your calling howe that not manie wise men amongst you according to the flesh not manie mightie not manie noble are called but GOD hath chosen the foolish thinges of the worlde to confound the wise and GOD hath chosen the weake thinges of the worlde to confound the mightie So the Lord chooseth the ignoble and sillie creatures and setteth them vp aboue kinges yea and the greatest Monarches of the worlde to beate them downe Marke againe as euerie man shoulde willinglie take to him this frailtie and weaknesse of nature so let him refuse the other that is to saye let him refuse to walk according to the flesh To walke according to the flesh and to warre according to the flesh is all one for the walking of a Christian is a warrefare Holde backe these fleshlie actions and namelie these actions of sinne take to thee the weaknesse of nature but cast off sinne For if thine actions bee altogether fleshlie bee thou sure thou hast no part of the power of God nor of the life of IESVS CHRIST thou hast but the life of a man or of a woman and shalt die like a man or a woman without the life of GOD. But aboue all men in the worlde let a Minister eschewe these actions of the flesh looke that his actions bee powerfull and that the power of GOD appeare in his walking so that when in outwarde appearance hee is but a weake bodie yet it may bee said of him y t he is strong in Christ For as weake as hee is to looke to yet hee is a strong warrier the Spirite is sensible in him hee speaketh not like a man onelie there is another grace conuoying his wordes than can accompanie the worde of man If thou bee a Minister although thou were neuer so strong in bodie if thou findest not GODS power in thy life and doctrine I will not giue one penny for thee looke that thou feele the power that Paule felt as yee reade in the 2. Epist to the Corin. chap. 4. vers 16. when hee was dying in the bodie then was the inner man quickest in him and the more the bodilie life was away the more the life of GOD was manifest in him A Minister that hath not the power of GOD within him howe can hee preach of CHRISTES power or of His life howe can hee bee a Minister of life that hath no tasto of life himselfe how can he preach of life that neuer felt life of necessity he must be a shamelesse man that will speake of Christ of His mercie life and power when in the meane time hee knoweth not what the mercie life power of Christ meaneth that man was neuer called of God to bee a Minister all that hee speaketh is like the babling of a Parockquet the power of God doeth the deede therfore God chooseth the weake instruments that the world may see that it is onelie His grace and not the gifts of the men that doeth the turne He calleth it not his walking but warring fighting The life of a Minister is but a warre-fare and hee who would bee a Minister shoulde make him for warre-fare make him for paine and labour otherwise let him neuer striue for that calling Yea there is nothing so laborious or painefull but the life of a Minister is compared vnto it We neuer read in the Scriptures where it is compared to any thing that importeth easinesse or idlenesse 1. CORIN 9. 26. The Minister is compared to a Warrier then to a runner running with all his maine speede striuing to come to the marke neuer looking ouer his shoulder to this or that thing as manie will doe saying I haue done this turne or that turne No when thou hast done all thou canst doe say thou hast done nothing Then hee is compared to a wrastler and to an husbandman that holdeth the plough from morning till euening In all these comparisons of the Scriptures the figure is not so great as the thing figurate when an
take it vpon thee it will presse thee to euerlasting damnation Then there is the meane of our saluation The mercie of GOD. Next hee laieth out the partes of our saluation abroade one by one that yee may see what saluation meaneth hee saieth By the washing of the newe birth and the renewing of the Holie Ghost There is the first part It is a washing of vs when GOD putteth to His hand to saue vs. Yee knowe washing presupponeth foulenesse therefore it must follow when GOD beganne to saue vs we were vnclene full of byles and botches conceiued and borne in filthinesse and then warbling and wallowing in our owne sinne and filthinesse and euer the longer wee liue we are still the filthier It is a maruell that that Holy GOD should euer sustaine to looke to thy filthy byles or to put His holie and pure hand to thy vile botches or to sende downe His cleane Spirit to dwell in thine vncleane heart or that any wayes His purity should meddle with thine impurity Amongst all the argumentes of His loue this is one When Hee putteth to His fair baÌ„d to thee that art so foule Findest thou thy sinnes pardoned and thy selfe purged washed assure thy selfe thou art safe and GOD hath loued thee For except the loue of GOD had beene all the greater towardes thee Hee woulde neuer haue purged thee from thy sinnes It is a sure token of His loue towards thee that it is infinite exceeding that He hath not loathed thee and thy filthie byles botches I see heere two washings one outwarde another inwarde the first in these wordes The lauer of regeneration the next Therenewing of the Holie Spirite The first is our Baptisme the next the inward washing and renewing by the Holie Spirite represented by this outwarde Baptisme As the vvater vvasheth away the filth from the bodie so the Holie Spirite purgeth vvasheth the heart from sinne I vvill speake but thus farre shortly of Baptisme The outwarde vvashing in Baptisme is not to bee looked to lightlie the powring on of the vvater is but a base signe to looke to yet it is not a bare signe of the vvashing of the Holie Spirite but it is the instrument that God taketh in His hand vvhereby He applieth â—o vs the inwarde vvashing of the Holie Spirite Col. 2. 12. Rom. 6. 4 hee ascribeth our regeneration to Baptisme Wee by Baptisme are buried vvith Christ risen vvith Christ and if this meane bee conâ—emned there shall bee no regeneration if a man lightlie this Baptisme I affirme there shall be no renewing inwardlie by the Holie Spirit and if he be not renewed hee shall neuer bee saued for vvithout regeneration no saluation Ye see 2. Kin. 5. 10 vvhat vvas injoyned to Naaman the Syrien vvhen hee sought cleansing the Prophet bad him goe to the Iordane and vvash him seuen times But hee thought vvith himselfe What is this Are not there faire Riuers at home at Damascus Yea hee would not goe till hee tooke better counsell but so soone as hee vvent and vvashed himselfe seuen times hee vvas cleansed Euen so it is in Baptisme if a man contemne the outward vvashing hee shall neuer be cleansed by the Spirit This same is also true of the Sacrament of the Supper Count not therefore little of the Sacraments because God hath promised to giue Himselfe vvith the Sacrament if it bee rightly receiued Now looke howe long our regeneration is in working in this life the force of Baptisme continueth as long thou must be continually renewed tiâ—l thy last breath therefore the force of Baptisme must continue vvith thee to thy last breath It is a vanitie to thinke that the force of Baptisme standeth in the ministration of the action onelie no it leaueth vs neuer after wee haue once receiued it till vve be placed vvith Iesus Christ Haue thine eye still vpon Baptisme for it is a meane vvhereby the Lord vvill saue thee Further Brethren hee beginneth heere at regeneration Yee may see then the necessitie of regeneration Wouldest thou be safe looke that there bee a newe birth looke that thou bee borne ouer againe as Christ said to Nicodemus Iohn 3. 3. Verilie I say vnto you except a man bee borne againe hee cannot see the Kingdome of GOD. If thou bee not a new creature thou art not in CHRIST but without CHRIST and without IESVS CHRIST there is no saluation Yee see men woulde beguile themselues if they shoulde saye when yee aske of them Whether they will goe to Heauen or not They will answere Wee will goe to Heauen and yet in the meane time they will holde on the olde man and will neuer change their maners but that vaine opinion wil deceiue them 2. Corin. 6. 9. Bee not beguiled for no â—ornicaters adulterers murtherers drunkardes c. shall inherite the Kingdome of Heauen If thou holde on the olde man thou shalt neuer bee safe IESVS CHRIST must beget thee a newe againe or els thou shalt neuer enter within the gates of Heauen Now when hee hath spoken of this inward and outward washing hee insisteth in this point concerning the Spirit and declareth from whom this Spirit commeth which Hee shedde on vs aboundantlie through IESUS CHRIST our Sauiour We haue Him not our selues He that washeth vs is He that powreth on the precious lauer of the Spirit vvherby vve are vvashen Then the Spirit is from GOD. Is that Spirit from the Father immediately No He powreth Him in through IESVS CHRIST our Sauiour so immediatly this Spirit commeth from IESVS CHRIST but mediately from GOD as the Fountaine Hee commeth from the Father to the Sonne from the Sonne to vs. Iohn 15. 26. The cause of this order is this Hee is our Sauiour and hath bought vs vvith a deare price the Spirite is bought to vs by the blood of IESVS CHRIST His blood hath bought all which vve receiue and get by Him so He giueth His holy Spirit vvith all His graces by the hand of IESVS CHRIST the man Then if ye would haue the Spirit dresse your selues to that treasure in HeaueÌ„ and beseech God that He would vouchsafe to send that Spirit vpon you through IESVS CHRIST and giue you His grace by the hand of the man CHRIST Yet to open vp the vvordes more narrowly Which Hee powreth out c. He speaketh of the Spirit as it were of vvater the Spirite heere is compared to vvater because of the vvashing for as the one vvasheth the filth of the body so the other vvasheth the filth of the soule Hee is not content to say Hee powreth out the Spirit simply but hee saith aboundantly in a great measure as a flood in aboundance This teacheth two things to vs first the liberality of GOD Hee giueth not grace niggardly as men but vvhatsoeuer vvee gette it is in aboundance His loue is rich His mercy is rich the Spirit vvhich He giueth vnto vs is rich so Hee is liberall vnto vs. Then it followeth of this also that vve
are very foule and vncleane A cloth that is very foule will require much vvater washing euen so vvee must haue aboundance of grace because vvee vvere so foule through sin but suppose vve vvere neuer so foule except vve get a sight of our filthinesse vve vvill neuer desire to be vvashen when Dauid felt himselfe verie filthie in murther and adulterie he cryed Wash mee O Lord and make mee cleane PSAL. 51. When a bodie commeth to a remorse of conscience it is a vvonder to see howe hee vvill drinke in that Spirite and desire to bee satiate vvith that vvater A foule bodie that hath not the sense of his filthinesse will neuer crie for vvashing The murtherer and the harlot vvill neuer crie Lord vvashe mee except they gette a sight of their owne vncleannesse Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousnesse for they shall be filled MATTH 5. 6. There may bee mooued a question heere Howe is it saide that the Spirite is powred out so aboundantly how many feeleth this riches Will a man or vvoman discende into their selues they will finde great lacke and scarcitie of this Spirit Brethren I answere One droppe of the Spirite of Iesus Christ is coūted great riches one droppe of grace is great riches one droppe of the vvater of life is greater riches than all the vvater in the vvorlde it vvill vveigh downe all the precious things that are vpon the face of y e earth Thou that hast gotten one droppe of grace in Iesus Christ thou art richer than all the kinges in the worlde Moreouer if this droppe of grace could bee dried vp in the heartes of the regenerate it were lesse to be coūted of but there is stil droppe after droppe and none ende of dropping Continually thou art refreshed now and then vvith new drops of grace so long as thou liuest So this cōtinuance in dropping is a great riches thou hast no cause to complaine that hath this continuance Well is the soule that getteth droppe after droppe for that soule may saye it hath gotten great riches Thus much for the first part of our saluatiō called regeneration when God putteth to His hande to saue vs He putteth to His hād vvasheth vs inwardly and outwardlie and giueth vs His Spirit Nowe followeth the next part That being justified by grace we may be made heyres according to the hope of life euerlasting The next part standeth in justification I vvill not insist I shall touch it in a worde It is none other thing but the imputing of the righteousnesse of IESVS CHRIST vnto vs. This righteousnesse is not inherent in vs but the satisfaction of IESVS CHRIST is imputed to vs. This Iustification in effect is none other thing but forgiuenesse of sinnes when God forgiueth thee thy sinnes accounteth Christs righteousnesse to bee thine and laieth not thy sinne to thy charge Al is one thing Iustification is not this y ◠men dreame of to wit a righteousnes inherēt in our selues but it is another mans justice which by imputation is made ours Compare these two together Iustification and Regeneration and consider the naturall order of them Iustification is first A man is justified by the blood of IESVS CHRIST imputed to him ere euer he be regenerate by the Spirit The Spirite that vvasheth him in regeneration commeth through the blood the blood first and then commeth in regeneration and vvasheth awaye the mother sinne and the foule stinking corruption that is in thee and both thy justification and regeneration commeth of free grace without merites for these two are euer opponed grace and mercie preasse not to deale these two to giue GOD one part and to attribute another part to thy selfe leaue thy merites behinde thee and take thee to the mercy of God otherwise there is no saluation for thee Thereafter commeth on another part of saluation vvee are made heires of euerlasting Life but there is something going betwixt that is not set downe here For yee see that when wee are justified and regenerated vvee are made sonnes by adoption before we be heyres vve must bee children But I leaue this because the Apostle speaketh not of it heere Then the last part is Wee are made heyres of the Kingdome of Heauen vvhat more can be required in saluation there is the highest degree Thou art placed in thine inheritance there is thy perfection According to the hope of eternall Lift lest vvee should thinke that vvee are alreadie put in possession of this inheritance he meeteth this and sheweth that albeit vve are in this life made heyres yet vvee are not in this life put into a reall possession of this heyrship but hee saieth according to hope vvee are heyres by hope but once hope and all shall goe awaye and vvee shall bee heyres in very deede Yet hope is necessarie so long as vvee liue heere so long as the Father is liuing the heyres haue a to-looke and a hope of the heyrship Hope thou or else thou shalt neuer see Heauen Nowe this hope is not so bare that in the meane time vvee haue no fruition of the thing hoped for yea euen in this life the fruition of Heauen is begunne in effect and if thou haue not the beginning of it heere hope neuer for the accomplishment of it heereafter Wee haue a beginning in this life but as for the full possession and fruition of our inheritance it is reserued to the life to come And therefore it is that the Godly in this life hope still for the comming of IESVS CHRIST till they bee set and placed vvith Him in that inheritance purchased to vs by His blood To vvhome vvith the Father and the Holy Spirite bee all Honour Prayse and Glory for euer and euer AMEN THE TWELFTH SERMON PSALME CXXX verse 1 Out of the deepe places haue I called vnto Thee O LORD verse 2 LORD heare my voyce let Thine eares attende to the voyce of my prayers verse 3 If Thou O LORD straightly markest iniquities O LORD who shall stand verse 4 But mercie is with Thee that Thou mayest bee feared THE inscription of this PSALME Brethren declareth that it is a PSALME most excellent The excellencie of it wee remit to the matter contained therein it hath bene penned by some holy man and Prophet of old but by whom it is not certaine It is sufficient to vs to knowe that the Spirite of GOD was the dyter of it To come to the matter and partes thereof The Prophet whosoeuer he was first setteth downe the estate and disposition of his soule in trouble to wit that he ranne to the Lord and prayed to Him for deliuerie and this hee doeth to the fift verse Next finding in verie deede the effectes of the prayer hee made and finding mercy and deliuerie as hee craued hee professeth before all the worlde that as he had before awaited vpon GOD so hee will await still vpon Him and He will put his confiden̄ce in Him and this he doeth to the seuenth
Spirit who may transchange thee transforme thee and take thee out of nature and plant thee in grace for so long as thou remainest in nature thou canst not thinke well thou canst not speake well thou canst doe nothing well yea thou art worse than a very beast But because the wordes are very weightie wee will yet consider them better What meaneth hâ—â— when he saieth Lord let thine eare bee attentiue to my prayer Thought he that the Lord heard him noâ—â— and that the Lord played the part of a deafe man No He meaneth not this look to the estate of the godly when y e hand of the Lord is vpoÌ„ them when y e Lord afflicteth vs any way we think that He neither heareth nor seeth vs nor remembreth vpoÌ„ vs Indeed I grant it is not so in effect for God neuer altereth His affection towardes His owne but the faithfull oftentimes judge and apprehend so and all the fault of this is in vs. Yee see how Dauid oftentimes complaineth to the Lord that Hee had forsaken him Hee had left him and desireth that He shold look vpoÌ„ him I aske Is it so indeed that when the faithfull soule crieth Lord heare see and remeÌ„ber that He heareth not He sâ—eth not He remembreth not No question but He doth for Hee that made the eye seeth Hee not Hee that made the eare heareth He not Hee that formed the heart of man vnderstandeth He not remembreth He not Psal 94. Yea all things are patent to His Majesty albeit when Hee maketh it not manifest by some sensible effectes and operation we think He heareth not He seeth not He remembreth not His fauour affection is neuer indeed altered noâ— chaÌ„ged froÌ„ his own children Then wheÌ„ they cry for His presence are they altogether destitute depriued of his preseÌ„ce no they want it not for who gaue the heart to saye Lord heare me Lord see and remember me if that thou hadst not some presence of the Lord in thine heart thou couldest neuer vtter these voyces to God TheÌ„ I say If I haue the presence of God when I crie vnto Him why crie I and pray I as though I had not His presence Are not such prayers in vaine No for although we haue the presence of God when wee praye yet for all that our prayers to God are not in vaine for if we had Him of before in any measure by our prayers He will manifest Himselfe more sensibly piece and piece more and more And looke howe much more strongly thou cryest so much the more will the Lord bee drawne to thy soule and so much the more shalt thou finde the increase and grouth of grace in thy soule It is vnpossible that the prayer of a faithfull man if it were but one worde that proceedeth from the Spirit of adoption can passe away without comfort for the Lord giueth His Spirit to no man in vaine but because He knoweth the meaning of His owne Spirit therefore He will graunt that thing for which hee maketh request there is nothing more certaine And therefore the Lord Matth. 5. 6. pronounceth them blessed who hunger and thirst for righteousnesse for saith hee they shall bee filled and satisfied And so Christ speaketh to that woman of Samaria Ioh. 4. 13. 14. If thou soughtest a drinke I shoulde giue thee a drinke of the water of life for the water that I shall giue shall bee in a man or woman a Well of water springing vp into eternall life meaning generally that whosoeuer hath gotten the first fruites of the Spirite and the beginnings of grace desireth and seeketh for further progresse and increase that the LORD shoulde euer furnish them with something to quench their thirst and that because they shoulde euer haue a fountaine within their bellie to furnishe something to them when they thirsted so that when as they shoulde seeke refreshment they might gette it in aboundance And if we felt this thirst and drinesse of the soule we would seeke earnestly for there was neuer such a drynesse and such an heate in any man naturally as there is in vs through sinne Consider thine owne experience when thou hast felt somtimes the great burthen of sinne and the terrours of the wrath of God for sinne whensoeuer in this estate thou camest to God and prayedst for mercie and said I am a miserable sinner LORD giue mee mercie hast thou not felt that the Lord hath answered thee comfortably and hath filled thine heart with joye euen when in thy prayer thou sighest and sobbest vnspeakeablie What meaneth that joye Euen that as soone as thou openest thy mouth with libertie to seeke that water of life the Lord conuayeth some portion of it into thine heart to quench thy thirst Now after hee hath cryed twise hee subjoyneth in the next wordes If thou O Lord straightly markest iniquities O Lord who shall stand This no question followeth by way of preoccupation It might haue bene objected to him in his prayer for manie are the temptations of the godly by his conscience pleading for GOD against him or GOD Himselfe might haue saide Thou prayest to mee and yet thou art a sinner how should I heare thee How darest thou stand before mee It is a wonder that in my fierce wrath I destroye thee not To this hee answereth first by waye of confession It is true O LORD that if thou wilt straitelie marke iniquitie that no flesh can stand in thy presence but they must bee consumed through the rage of thy displeasure Then hee answereth by waye of correction But mercie is with thee the meaning is Thou takest none heede to our iniquities but of thy free mercie and grace thou pardonest them all in thy Sonne IESVS CHRIST for none of the Saincts none of the Fathers none of the Prophets euer got mercy but thorow that blood of IESVS CHRIST who was slaine from the beginning of the worlde through His blood only was the wrath of God pacified except Gods justice bee first satisfied there is no place left to mercy therefore saith he my refuge is to thy mercie Indeed our estate who liue now is farre better than the estate of them who liued before Christ came into the world for they saw the death satisfaction of Christ remission of sin in his blood but a far of but we see now all already past wee may say that now God in Christ is merciful to vs is become our Father and hath forgiuen all our sins Now out of these words by this example of the Prophet yee maye see what is the estate of Gods children in prayer to wit when in affliction they seeke to repaire to GOD by prayer they will not so soone begin to pray but as soone their guiltie consciences will beginne to knocke and challenge them as vnworthie to bee heard the conscience will stand vp and if it be not cleansed it will present thy sinnes before thee and set them in order in all their circumstances
shalt still be the worse So this testifieth that the object of our faith is the surpassing mercy of God Then if thou wouldest search y e nature of God and search Him a thousand yeeres thou shalt neuer come to the ground of His deepnesse search out especially His loue mercy a man may faile vanish away in curiosity searching y e deepenesse of God but in searching out His mercy thou shalt neuer erre it shall be with a joy cōsolation of the heart Paul prayeth for the Ephesians chap. 3 vers 18. that they might attaine to that infinite deepnesse breadth length height in God for God is infinitly deepe in all things but wherefore is it that he prayeth Euen that they searching in God should search that infinit profoundity of the loue of God Surely if wee would know that profoundity of God search in to His nature thē let vs search alwayes in to that loue mercy of God in IESVS Christ And this searching hath euer a grouth and increase in faith till wee get a sight of Him euerlastingly To go forward He is not cōtent to say with Him is gentlenes but he subjoynes with Him is great redemption the words grow in highnesse these words comprehēd set out a greater mercy in God than the former now y e mercy of God in Iesus Christ is not all told in a word alas for want of feeling we speake slenderly lightly of it no in very deed all the words and the greatest words in the world of the most holy most wise most eloquent men is not able to set out point out that infinit greatnesse deepnes of it and he she that once haue tasted of mercy scarcely can they find words to expresse the thousand part of it whē they haue gotten a little taste apprehension of it they are not able to get words to expresse that apprehension of the heart Paul commonly calleth it the riches of mercy God who is rich in mercy according to His infinit great loue c. Ephes 2. 4. Paul Dauid the rest of them cānot get words to expresse that apprehension of mercy that they haue in their heartes No there is no creature that is capable of that infinite mercy for the worke that y e Spirite of Iesus Christ doeth worke in the heart whether it be a sense of dolour or a sense of joy the tongue of no creature can tell or expresse Paul calleth it sighes inexpressible Peter calleth it joy vnspeakeable So y e heart cannot expresse the greatnesse of the worke of the Spirit Men will thinke them hyperbolicall words but that is a token that they haue not tasted that joy and mercy in their owne hearts Now in the last words he commeth neare hand makes a particular promise of His mercy to His Church He will redeeme Israel His Church from all her iniquity as hee would say I haue told you He is mercifull full of redemption but I come nearer hand Thou shalt finde in experience that Hee is mercifull full of redemptiō So it is not enough to the Preachers of y e word to preach Gods mercy and redemption generally to the world no they must come nearer hand in promising they must make to the hearts of the people a particular application and say not only God is mercifull but He will be mercifull vnto you and He is full of redemption and He shall redeeme you and so say I I haue not beene speaking of mercy and redemption that appertaineth not to vs but the Lord shal be mercifull and redeeme you if ye belieue in Iesus Christ for there is no grace but in Him If this particular application be not made the cōscience of sinne is so great that the sinner dare not put foorth his hand to receiue mercy Now to whom pertaineth mercy and redemption He saith Hee shall redeeme Israel that is the Church militant The Church is militāt in this world but redemption pertaineth to it in the ende But where from shall the Lord redeeme y e Church Not from persecution and tribulation in this worlde but from all her sinnes So this presupponeth first That the Church is full of sin so long as it is in this world This is but a vaine dreame to imagine that there shall bee a Church or any member of the same in this worlde without spot away with that vanitie So next the redemption of the Church standeth nor so much in freeing it from persecution or tribulation although she shall be redeemed from all these things also as from redeeming her from sin the chiese redemption shall be from sin for why the greatest enemy of the Church is her own sins it is her own sins that is the cause of all her persecution and it is sin that the Lord mortifieth and slayeth by persecution and tribulation for if there were no sin there would not bee such a thing as a persecuter or a tyrant against her and the greatest burthen that y e godly feele is alwayes their owne sins they were neuer vnder so great perfecution no crosse no trouble comparable to the burthen of sin Paul saith Rom. 7. 24 Miserable man who shall deliuer me Where from Not from persecution albeit he was subject to as great persecution as anie man but from this body of sin because hee could not get that obedience to God that hee would haue had And wherfore died Christ Was it to redeeme vs from persecution or crosses in this world No the Lord died that Hee might redeeme vs from sin with His precious blood And Paul to y e Corin maketh mention of that triumph that the Church shall haue when the Lord Iesus shall come O death where is thy sting Then she shall glory that she is redeemed from sinne and from offending of GOD. And that shall be our chiefe felicity in that life to come that our hearts thoughtes shall be free of all sinne we shall offend God no more but al shall be full of obedience to Iesus Christ and then shall we be fully sanctified and glorified when wee get that blessed presence of the Lord Iesus which wee long for To whome bee praise and glory for euer Amen THE XIIII SERMON MATTH CHAP. XV. verse 21 And Iesus went thence and departed into the coasts of Tyrus and Sidon verse 22 And beholde a woman a Canaanite came out of the same coastes and cryed saying vnto him Haue inercie on mee O Lord the sonne of Dauid my daughter is miserably vexed with a deuill verse 23 But he answered her not a word Then came to him his disciples and besought him saying Sende her away for she cryeth after vs. verse 24 But he answered and said I am not sent but vnto the lost sheepe of the house of Israel verse 25 Yet shee came and worshipped him saying LORD helpe mee verse 26 And hee answered and saide It is not good to take
the childrens bread and to cast it to whelps verse 27 But shee saide Trueth Lord yet in deede the whelps eat of the crummes which fall from their maisters table verse 28 Then Iesus answered and saide vnto her O woman great is thy faith bee it vnto thee as thou desirest And her daughter was made whole at that houre IN this TEXT which wee haue read wel beloued in the Lord Iesus wee haue a wonder that the Lord wrought on a woman a Canaanite a Gentile of a cursed generation the generation of Canaan The wonder is the healing of a womans daughter that was possessed and sore and miserably vexed with a deuill The woman hauing the occasion to meet with the Lord through His comming to these parts where she abode shee slippeth not the occasion but seeketh mercy and grace she findeth at the first great hardnesse and difficulty to get mercy but at the last she ouercommeth all by her faith and getteth mercy Now to go through this History so shortly and plainly as the LORD shall giue the grace This woman is called a Canaanite that is descended of that olde and rotten stocke of Canaan that was destinate for wrath and destruction Genes 9. 25. Looke to her estate shee is come of a cursed rase she is lying in sinne and security first in sinne next in a deadly sleepe and security of sinne This is the estate of euery one of vs we lie in sinne conceiued in sinne and borne in sinne we feele not the sinne that deadly sleepe of security is worse than the sinne we lie in there is none of vs better by nature than this woman was Then when she is thus lying in sinne security the Lord from the Heauen sendeth her awakening and a sharpe wakening for the judgements of God are like many messengers from Heauen to waken vs. In the example of the woman wee see that the Lords children must bee wakened and oftentimes our first wakening is verie sharpe dolefull and fearefull as it is with one that is wakened in the rage of a feuer Yet there is grace here Well is y e man that is wakened though the wakening were neuer so sore and sharpe for the multitude of the worlde dye in securitie and neuer waken till the fire of Hell waken them Well is thee and thou be wakened albeit it should be with neuer so heauy a judgement yea though thy daughter or thy selfe should bee possessed with a deuill Now when this poore womā is thus wakened and is wrastling vnder the heauy hand of God the Lord casteth an eye towardes her for no doubt howbeit she was one of the rase of cursed Canaan yet she was chosen to eternall life and of very purpose He casteth Himself into these parts where she was what euer other erand Hee had there is no question but He had a particular respect to her ◠she might haue the occasion to come to Him and this was a great grace When we are wakened out of security then the Mediciner hath his time and this is a greater grace It is a great grace to bee wakened but it is a greater grace to find a Mediciner to cure thy disease for as multitudes die in securitie so also multitudes die in paine torment and desperation after they are wakened Well she hearing tell that He was come to these parts and that He was such a man a wonderful man as the prophet Esay calleth Him who cured all sort of diseases who restored sight to the blind limmes to the lame cleansed the leprous and raised vp the dead she is moued to seeke grace and mercy at Him Had not the Lord preuented her and come downe thither sought her to draw her to Him there had neuer bene such a thing that she had sought for Him All thy misery albeit it vvere neuer so great vvill neuer draw thee to Him except Hee seeke thee first and draw thine heart vnto Him Well nowe to come forwarde vvhen shee seeketh Him shee findeth Him and getteth His bodilie presence CHRIST and His Disciples vvere vvalking together after His accustomed manner at the first meeting saieth the TEXT The woman cryeth Hee is apparantlie going before and the vvoman followeth after and cryeth Miserie constraineth her to crie And if the LORD laye His handes vpon thee Hee vvill compell thee to howle and crie O that power and might that is in the LORD ouer His creature But I doubt not considering the vvordes and communication that the LORD hath with this poore miserable and sinfull vvoman but it was that Spirit of adoptiō that opened her mouth so vvide to crie vpon Him so O thou sonne of Dauid haue mercie on mee What crieth shee Marke her words She crieth haue mercy vpon me How many of Hierusalem cried after this manner An Heathen ◠Cananite crieth this way misery compelleth her to cry But what maketh her to cry Mercy Wee will raile blaspheme God whē we are in misery but what caused her to cry Mercie No question the conscience of her demerites caused her to crie Mercie shee felt her selfe to bee worthy of all that misery wherewith shee was burthened The voyce of a miserable sinner that feeleth misery is O Lord haue mercy vpon mee but loe howe shee stileth Him O Lord The Sonne of Dauid these were the common stiles indeed of the Lord in this life He was called of the multitud LORD and the sonne of Dauid But certainly I am of this mind that this woman took these stiles otherwise than y e common multitude The very eye of her soule was opened to see Iesus Christ to be the Lord to bee the Sonne of God manifested in the flesh of the seed of Dauid howbeit I will not attribute vnto her a distinct clear knowledge of both His natures in one person and of His offices Then Brethren ye see two grounds of her petition The first is a Lordship and Power and Dominion in Him of whom she sought mercy The next is a Pitie a Mercy in Him of whome shee sought mercy She sought mercy at a mèrcifull face grace at a gracious face Looke that thy prayer bee well grounded on the LORD When thou openest thy mouth to seeke mercy at that LORD looke that thou acknewledge that there is a power in that Lord to giue thee euery thing that thou standest in need of and chiefely looke that thou acknowledge that there is an infinit passing mercy in that Lord surmounting all thy sinnes and then shalt thou pray from the heart with confidence and liberty otherwise thou mayest well seeke mercie from the teeth outwarde but neuer with thine heart Then shee letteth Him see a good cause wherefore she sought mercy Lord I haue need of a Phisition for I am sicke What sicknesse is sorer to a poore body than this to bee rent both in soule and body with a deuil Lord my poore daughter is tormented with a deuill As in thy prayer thou must haue a sight
too much vpon him more than he is able to performe So as the Pharisie concluded before that Hee was no Prophet now they conclude that Hee was no Mediator Well Brethren the worke of our saluation hath many impedimentes Wilt thou seeke saluation seek grace mercie then think not to come sleeping to grace for I say to thee ere thou wantest a stoppe to hinder thee from grace from remission of sinnes thine owne heart by the suggestion of the deuill shall stand vp in thy teeth and blaspheme as the Pharisie did first and as the rest at the table did thereafter and all to hinder the worke of thy saluation But see the ende Stayeth the Lord for all this Reâ—raiteth He His sentence againe and saieth thy sinnes are not forgiueÌ„ thee No no the Lords conclusion is past if Hee say it once to thine heart and if He giue once that perswasion in thine heart so that thou mayest saye Lord be blessed my sinnes are forgiuen me happy art thou they shal be forgiuen thee the Lord shall double it within thee so Hee speaketh to the woman as He would say Let them speake what they wil thou art in Heauen thy sins are forgiueÌ„ thee goe in peace There is no peace but the peace of the Lord comming from the remission of sinnes Crie peace as thou wilt but if thou goe not in the peace of the Lord thou gâ—est not in peace but in warre the Lord is at warre with thee and albeit thou gettest the Kinges peace and all the worldes peace yet if thou gettest not the LORDS peace thou hast no peace at all so wel is him that hath His peace for they only may goe in joy that may say Now Lord I am at peace with Thee thou hast forgiuen me my sinnes And if thou canst say this truely thou shalt haue such a joy in thy soule as all the Kings in the world cannot giue thee nor all outward comforts and pleasures affoord thee Nowe the LORD giue vs this peace and a blincke of that joye in the heart through the remission of our sinnes for then one day wee shall see the accomplishment of it to our euerlasting joye and saluation in IESVS CHRIST To whom with the FATHER and the Holie SPIRIT bee all Honour Praise Glorie Power and Dominion both now and euermore worlde without ende So bee it THE XVI SERMON IOHN CHAP. III. verse 6 That which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that that is borne of the Spirit is spirit IN this conference that NICODEMVS hath with CHRIST welbeloued in the Lord IESVS First Nicodemus comming to Him by night and confesseth Him plainly that Hee was a Teacher that came from God because there was none that could worke those wonders that He wrought except the Lord were with him Then the Lord Iesus beginneth to playe the part of a Teacher to Nicodemus who was a Doctor in Isaael And the first ground that Hee beginneth to instruct him into is the ground of Regeneration For Christ came to make a new world again and to renewe man who was dead in sinnes and trespasses Therfore He beginneth to instruct Nicodemus in this doctrine of Regeneration and Hee bindeth him to learne it with such a necessity that except hee and whole mankinde bee regenerate there is none of them that shall see the kingdome of God and this Hee doeth with a great asseueration saying Verily verily Nicodemus hearing and fearing that heauie denunciation of banishment from the kingdome of GOD but not vnderstanding this regeneration beginneth to reason that it was a thing vnpossible that hee coulde bee borne againe because hee was an olde man and it is not possible that an olde man can enter into his mothers wombe againe Christ answereth and answering insisteth in that proposition of regeneration vrging him againe with a necessitie of the same regeneration Onely He addeth to that that He spake before the manner and waye of this begetting to wit of water and the Spirite It is not a fleshlie generation but a Spirituall generation whereby a man is begotten againe by y e renewing of the Holy Spirite in him of the which water is the seale to seale vp our faith in that assurance of that regeneration or new birth Nowe in this Text which I haue read Christ insisteth in the same doctrine and like as in the verse preceeding Hee hath proponed the manner of this new birth not to be naturall but spirituall so in this verse He sheweth Nicodemus what a kinde of birth it is That saith He that is begotten of the Spirit is Spirit that is the Spirit of the Lord IESVS working begetteth not a fleshly or corrupt creature but a Spirituall and Heauenly creature This Hee sâ—tteth not downe simplie but Hee setteth it downe by waye of comparison with the fleshlie generation to the ende that Nicodemus and all men seeing the corruption of the flesh they shuld esteeme the more highly of that Spirituall generation And Hee saieth that the thing begotten of the flesh is flesh that is as the flesh a corrupt masse of flesh and blood cannot beget but corrupt flesh Euen so the Spirit of the Lord Iesus cannot begâ—tte but that that is Spirituall and Heauenly and thus yeesâ—e the meaning of this place But because this place offereth occasion to speake somewhat of Regeneration whereof the worlde had neuer greater neede than at this present for I thinke the world is going backe againe to that old corruption from the which they were deliuered Therefore to the ende that all thinges may be the more cleare I shall speake to you first of the flesh and generation thereof Next of the Spirit Regeneration And the LORD make vs carefull to finde the Spiriâ—e to bee effectuall in euerie one of vs to regeneration Then beeing to speake of the flesh it shall bee expedient to deduce it from the fountaine There are two sortes of sinne in this worlde The one sort is called Originall that sinne that man and woman is borne with in this worlde which they drawe out of their mothers wombe vvith their birth The other sort is called Actuall sinne that standeth in a doing and vvorking and vvhich floweth and proceedeth from that originall sinne as from the fountaine I maye not insist vpon these thinges particularlie but I shall giue you a short viewe of them Originall sinne standeth in two partes The first is that horrible defection and apostasie which whole mankinde in the worlde from Adam to the ende of the worlde haue made in the loynes of Adam for yee must vnderstand it was not Adam alone that sinned and fell from GOD but it vvas thou and all others that euer vvere gotten of man and borne of woman whole mankinde made that defection for as it is saide in the seuenth Chapter to the Hebrewes the ninth verse that when Abraham paide tithes to Melchisedeck that Leui vvho long after vvas not begotten nor borne vvas tithed in the loynes of Abraham his
6. And it is onely such persons as these who are of a contrite Spirit who tremble at the Lords wordes that doe get mercie and saluation Then in a word a humble penitent sinner how great so euer his sinne be he â—all get saluation So there is nothing that hindereth thee from mercie and saluation but the malitiousnes of thine owne heart It is not Adulterie it is not Murther it is not Blasphemie or oppreslion that depriueth thee of y t saluation but the hardnes of thine heart that cannot repent if thou hast a contrite heart and canst say Woe is me that I haue offended so sweet gracious a God thou shalt get mercie It is an heauie Iamentable case that sinners should want mercy for fault of repentance When he hath set downe this generall sentence whereon hee groundeth the mercy of God that was shewed on him that Christ came in the world to saue sinners he coÌ„meth to the particular application he subjoyneth But I am the first sinner in the world the conclusion is vnderstood therefore Christ Iesus came in the world to saue me Would to God euery sinner in the world could learne to apply this general sentence to themselues in the same maner that Paul doth here froÌ„ his heart could say with him Christ Iesus is come in the world to saue sinners then subjoyne Bot I am the first sinner in the world that sa he might apply mercy saluation to himselfe for without this application these generall sentences can serue for no vse It is true indeede Brethren sciences of these generall sentences that are contained in y e Scripture is very good yea the knowledge of them is most necessary for no man can haue conscience without knowledge But it is as true on the other part that science and knowledge auaile not without coÌ„science applying particularlie to a mans soule the thing that hee knoweth As when men know these generall sentences set downe in the word if they applie them not to themselues the knowledge of them can serue to no purpose As for example when a man knoweth this generall sentence of the law Cursed is euery man that continueth not in euery thing which is written in the booke of the law to doe them if thou apply it not it can doe thee no good But if thy conscience be wakened to acknowledge thy traÌ„sgressing of y e law consequently to apply to thy selfe that curse of the lawe eternall condemnation what sorrow griefe will it worke in thine heart what earnest desire will it worke to bee free from that curse and eternall condemnation Yea thou wouldest bee content to giue all the world to bee free of that curse and the heauie burthen of the wrath of God And Brethren look neuer for mercy nor saluation except first thine own conscience condemne thee if thy conscience condemne thee not the Lord of HeaueÌ„ shal condemne thee There is neuer one that is freede from the curse and condemnation of the law but they who feele their sin groane vnder the burthen of it get a sight of their condemnation for sin Another example we haue of this generall sentence that the Apostle hath in this place Christ Iesus is come into the world to saue sinners If thou applie it not say not as the Apostle doeth I am a sinner it can furnish thee no joy nor comfort TheÌ„ when we come to heare the doctrine of grace mercy let vs come with a conscience wakened wearie with the sense of sin for if the soules of men and women were weary laden with the burthen of sin they would feele an vnspeakeable joye in their hearts at the preaching of y â— doctrine of saluation But because we are casten vp in a senselesse securitie our consciences are asleep the thing that we haue is but a generall motion therefore it is that at the preaching of the law there is no sorrow no griefe no heauinesse of hart if the glad tithings of the Euangell bee preached there is no joye nor comfort And this is the thing that we haue moste to lament at the preaching of the word that wee haue no feeling neither of sadnesse nor of joy and therefore the judgement is the nearer And hee or she that lâ—eth hardest sleeping in greatest security shall get the forest most terrible wakening when the judgement commeth Nowe the Lord waken our consciences in time and giue vs grace to take heed to the preaching of the word and to beware of our selues euer pray to the Lord for grace neuer let neither the memory of His mercy toward peniteÌ„t sinners nor of His judgemeÌ„t against indured and impenitent sinners passe out of our mind Marke againe In application when he applieth the generall vnto himselfe he applieth not immediately saluation but first he applieth sinne to himselfe and then saluation he saith not first I am saued but first hee saieth I am the greatest amongst sinners thereafter he saith I haue obtained mercy Then take heed to thy application When thou hearest by the preaching of the Gospell saluation offered to sinners take not first to thy selfe saluation but first take sinne and death then take life and apply it to thy selfe Rejoyce not first at the preaching of the glad tithinges of saluation but first conceiue a displeasure then let joy arise out of displeasure for joy of saluatioÌ„ must arise out of the displeasure through the feare of damnation It shall passe thy power to finde joye through the sense of mercy and saluation before thou find sadnesse heauinesse of heart through the sense of sinne and damnation Euen as ye see a spring of water will not breake out of a rocke except the rocke bee broken Euen so is it with this effect No joye can bee to the heart of a Christian man or woman till the heart be contrite and broken with sadnesse through the sense of sinne The heart is first exceeding heauy and sorrowfull and out of that heauinesse ariseth the joy and the heauier the heart is the greater the joye is Would to God we had this sorrow sadnesse and the sense of the wrath of God in our hearts for sinne for the saddest heart for sinne will get the greatest joy euermore the greater sadnesse the greater joye If our hearts bee grieued and weary with the sight of sinne wee shall haue such a spirituall joy as the world knoweth not And this joy is as sure an earnest-penny of that joy of HeaueÌ„ as euer was And he that hath that joy that ariseth from that sorow in the hart for sinne he hath a sufficient warrand of that joy in Heauen and hee that hath not that joy hee hath no warrand of that Heauenly joye Therefore Christ saieth Blessed are they that mourne for they shal be comforted Mat. 5. 4. Now in this world this joy is mixed with teares but then it shall be a perfect joy
the Spirite of God euerie spirite is a searcher it is the nature of a spirite euer to pierce in and to search for it is a subtile thing and will pierce in very subtilely to the secrets of things The spirit of an Angell is a searcher and a subtile thing the spirit of the Deuill is subtile and will pierce in subtilely he will pierce in to thine heart and insinuate himselfe therein likewise the spirit of a man is a subtile spirit and a searcher also he will search out the things that are in heauen and in the sea and in the earth for he is wonderfully inclined to searching But all the spirites except the Spirit of that Holy One search onely the creatures The spirite of an Angell of the deuill of a man search but the creatures As for the Creator no spirit is able to search in Him but His owne Spirit yea they knowe nothing in Him but so much as He will reueale vnto them As for man hee is very busie but for all his businesse hee could neuer yet search out his owne heart â—â—there is a mysterie of sinne lying in the foldes of his heart which hee shall neuer see except this Spirite enter in and giue him light But the blessed Spirit of God and of Iesus Christ hee is the Spirit both of the Father and of the Sonne for one Spirit proceedeth froÌ„ both He searcheth the Father He searcheth the Sonne Hee discouereth all And no man can bee a good searcher or a sanctified searcher except hee haue this Spirite If thy spirit be not sanctified by this Spirite which is the onlie searcher and sanctifier of all thinges all thy searching is but vanitie Nowe to goe forward Before Hee was called a searcher and now He is called a reuealer First He searcheth out then He reuealeth vnto vs There is the order He reuealeth the hiddeÌ„ things in God because He Himselfe of His owne nature is a searcher of them and before that euer Hee reueale them He searcheth them out first TheÌ„ he that will be a reuealer and will set himself to reueale those things to men I speak it in plain talk he that will bee a Preacher of these hidden thinges to others looke that first hee bee a searcher and let him bee occupied in searching and heartilie beseech GOD that the Holie Spirite would lead him in to those things that haue none accesse For hee is not fit to bee a Preacher of the Gospell that searcheth not with all his might first to see these things in God which he speaketh to others Woe to him that commeth in of purpose to speake the things to others which he neuer saw nor felt first in his owne heart Dauid saith Psalme 116. 10. I beleeued and therefore I spake Paule afterwardes saieth We beleeue and therefore wee speake 2. Cor. 4. 13. What is this beliefe None other thing but before hee speake to others to get an assurance of them in his owne heart Now looke the maner of the reuealing of these things The Spirit he reuealeth because hee openeth our heartes and taketh away the vaile off our heartes to let vs see them otherwise in vaine were it to laye them before vs. I see another maner of this reuelation and therefore looke what more the Spirit doeth Hee is not content only to take the vaile froÌ„ thine heart but hee taketh thy soule by the hand as it were and leadeth it in thorow the deepnesse of God he will rauish it out of the bodie as it were and leade it in to that light which hath none accesse and will say Loe there is the mercie loe there is the righteousnesse loe there is the euerlasting Life which is spoken of seest thou not them all in Him So he will point out euerie thing in God Therefore no doctrine auaileth without this Holie Spirit seeing Hee alone taketh the vaile from our heartes and leadeth vs in to see the thinges which are spoken of There is no perfect Doctor but the Spirite of Iesus onlie There is no creature although hee be an Angell that can take the vaile off thine heart to let thee see that can bore thine care to let thee heare perfectlie And therefore in preaching depend not vpon the mouth of men but onlie vpon the Spirit of Iesus Christ Yet I shall make the matter more plaine and shew how the Spirit will take thee and let thee see the thinges which are in God I will vse a supposition which cannot bee yet it will make the matter more cleare I suppose that my spirit or soule entered into thee if my spirite or my soule bee in thee there woulde bee nothing within mee but thou wouldest see it all my thoughtes would bee patent to thee Now to applie this This is no supposition God will put His Spirite into a man or woman for if His Spirit be not in vs wo be vnto vs for euer and euer If God put His Spirit into anie of vs must it not follow of necessitie that wee must see in God at least the things which concerne our weale and saluation That spirite in mee in thee must reueale to mee to thee the thinges which lie in the verie deepnesse of God which concerne our weale and saluation and that man that hath the Spirite of God will see the verie heart of God His mind he will see the remission of his sinnes in the mind of GOD and all by the benefite of the Spirite of IESVS that dwelleth in him Marke this yee that account so lightlie of the Spirite of Iesus in whom consisteth the onlie felicitie of man For if thou want His Spirite woe to thee thou shalt goe to Hell So wee haue a great vantage heere that by the benefite of the Spirite wee see the thinges that are in GOD. But Brethren God hath as great an aduantage of vs for if Gods Spirit be in vs by His Spirit Hee seeth all that is in our heartes for if my spirit were in thee as I spake before as thou wouldest see all that is in mine heart so I would see all that is in thy soule the least thought of thine heart would bee patent vnto mee so much more that Spirit seeth the least motion thoght of the heart of man in whom He is will present them all to the Father and lay them open before Him So al serueth to this end that we should take heed to the least thought of our hearts and beware to thinke one thought to displease Him for the Spirit as He is called the searcher of the deepnesse of God so He is called the searcher of the heartes of men There is not one thought nor one grone in thine heart or one motion of joy in thy soule but He reporteth all to the Father We haue neede to take heede to all the motions of our heartes and neuer to thinke one thought but that which wee thinke is acceptable to the Father neuer to anger the Spirit