so much as a sound sense of Religion and a solemn exercising our selves to Godliness maketh us see and loath our selves and pity oâ—hers I find the Pharisees Enemies ever to the â—reeness of God's Grace to Sinners and the Work of Repentance And that the bringing of poor Sinners to Salvation was the great eye-sore They call Christ a â—ine-bibber and a Friend of Publicans and Sinners because of his social and free but sanctified Converse with all sorts of Men Mat. 11. 18. He would not take such a strict form as Iohn did because he would not seem to justify their Pharisaical Rigors So again Luke 15. 2. This Man receiveth Sinners and eateth with them Because he went to them as a Physician to heal their Souls Christ refused not familiarity with the poorest and worst as was needful for their Cure and would not observe the humour of proud Pharisaical Separation by the Parables of the lost Sheep and the lost Groat but confuteth it sheweth that this is the Spirit of the Elder Brother who envied the Prodigal's Return And telleth them in another place that Publicans and Harlots enter into the Kingdom of Heaven before them Mat. 21. 30. pleadeth the Case of the Woman against Simon the Pharisee Luke 7. 30. If this Man had been a Prophet he would have known who and what manner of Woman this is that touched him Luke 7. 47. Christ telleth him She had much forgiven her for she loved much Well then a penitent broken hearted sense of our own being indebted to Grace and tender compassion towards others that yet go astray discovereth the true Spirit of the Gospel But to stand aloof from others by a foolish singularity Isa. 65. 5. which say Stand by thy self come not near to me for I am â—â—lier than thou Some though impure and prophane counted all others unholy and unclean but themselves This inclosing Spirit is the Spirit of Pharisaism An outside strictness without that Faith Love Charity Meekness Usefulness and Humility which is the very Soul and Life of Christianity Usually Gifts and outward strictness puff up Men with a vain conceit of their own Righteousness and a censuring and despising others This one Text sheweth us both the Spirit of Pharisaism and the Spirit of Christianity The Pharisees who abounded in External Observances censured Christ for his free Converse disdained these penitent People whom he invited to a better Life But now true Religion maketh Men humble and lowly in their own Eyes by acquainting them with the desert of Sin and their own Misery and maketh Men pitiful and compassionate towards others more ready to help than to censure them and to use all ways and means to do them good But when Men would shine alone in the repute of Holiness they are envious to those who penitently return to their Duty as those Servants who had wrought all the day envied those that came in at the last hour Mat. 22. 12. or as the elder Brother envied the Prodigal or Simon the Pharisee repined at Mary Magdalen's observance of Christ. They esteem much of their own Works Merits Sufferings and Righteousness O take heed of this Spirit The use of this Bâ—anch is to press us to regard Internals more than Externals and the Substantials more than the Ceremonials of Worship and a broken-hearted thankful sense of our Redeemer's Love before a Legal Righteousness Inward Worship is Love Fear and Trust outward Worship is Prayer Praise Hearing Reading Outward Worship is not a Duty at all times but inward Worship is a Duty at all times for we should always love God and delight in God and trust in God Outward Worship may be omitted for a Work of Mercy and in case of invincible Necessities but inward Worship may never be omitted never dispensed with We always owe Love and renewed Obedience to God and must depend upon him and delight in him Outward Worship may be counterfeited and External Worship without Holiness is highly displeasing to God and never pleasing but when 't is in conjunction with it Hypocrites may abound in Externals but Hypocrites will not delight themselves in the Lord nor heartily devote themselves to him so as to serve please and glorify him the inward Graces cannot be counterfeited but the outward Expression may 2. Be more careful of the Substantials than of the Ceremonials of Religion and to mind the Power of Godliness more than the Form The Substantials of Religion are the Love of God and our Neighbour The Circumstantials are those ways of Worship which God hath appointed whereby we are visibly to express our love to him Now our main care should be in the first place to be intirely devoted and subject to God That was Iob's Character One that feared God and eschewed Evil Job 1. 11. To do that we do out of love to him obeying his Laws as our Rule and depending upon his Rewards as our Happiness And as to Men let us be faithful and walk holily in our Places Callings and Relations being just and kind unto all but having an exceeding dear love for our fellow-Saints and everlasting Companions This is more pleasing to God than the costliest Sacrifices than all our Flocks and Herds or any outward thing that we do for him I take notice of those words of God to Solomon when he was building him a magnificent Temple 1 Kings 6. 11 12. And the Word of the Lord came to Solomon saying Concerning this House which thou art building if thou wilt walk in my Statutes and execute my Iudgments and keep all my Commandments to walk in them then will I perform my Word to thee which I spake to David thy Father God hath more respect to Solomon's faithful Obedience than to that glorious Building So far do Morals exceed Ceremonials in Religion 3. That you prefer a broken-hearted thankful sense of our Redeemer's Love before legal and conceited Righteousness of our own Christ's love to Sinners is that which the Pharisees mainly stumbled at An external shew and fair pretence of a good Life which had no bottom of Regeneration was the superficial Righteousness of the Pharisees Nicodemus who had been of that Sect wondred when that was pressed upon him Iohn 3. 4 5. an outward Conformity which was more in Shew than in Substance in Form and Fashion than in Power was their Religion abstaining from gross Sins as Murder and Adultery but not purifying the Heart from Lusts. Murder they made Conscience of but not of Envy Malice and Hatred Theft but not Covetousness and close Extortion Adultery but not Wantonness or looking upon a Woman to lust after her as you may see at large Matth. 5. Thus Christ presseth us to exceed the Pharisees who turned all Obedience into an empty Formality wherein they puffed up themselves as meer Men and so had never been at the Market of Free Grace all their Wares were their own and their Righteousness of their own spinning and therein stood upon their own Bottom
apt to think that Religion is a sower thing and abridges them of all the Comforts of their lives No besides the rich Comforts it provideth for the Soul it alloweth and forbiddeth not so much sensitive pleasure as tendeth to the holiness of the Soul and furthereth us in God's Service It rebukâ—th and forbiddeth nothing but what really may be a Snare to us It considereth all things Meats Drinks Marriage Wealth Honours and Digâ—â—ties of the present World as they have respect to God and a better World and as they help and hinder us in the pleasing God and seeking Immortality 2. With respect to others The Spirit of our Religion may be known by the Example of our dearest Lord 'T is not a proud disdainful Spirit that refuseth the company of the meanest and worst so we may do them good He came to save Sinners and conversed with Sinners He came to redress the miseries of Mankind and went up and down doing good tho his familiarities were with the most godly yet he disdained not the company of others And surely his Religion where it prevaileth in the Hearts of any it causes them not only to deal justly with all but to love all all Mankind with a love of Benevolence it maketh us to long for the good of their Souls and desirous also to do good to the Bodies of those that are in need 'T is said indeed Prov. 29. 27. An unjust Man is an abomination to the just and he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked But we must distinguish of the hatred of Abomination and the hatred of Enmity We hate our sinful Neighbour as we must our selves much more in opposition to the love of Complacency but not in opposition to the love of Benevolence so we must neither hate our selves nor our Neighbour no nor our Enemy The business of your lives must be to do good to all especially to the Houshold of Faith God's Natural Image is on all Men his Spiritual Image on his Saints and we must love God in all his Creatures especially in his Children This is true Religion consecrated by our Lord's Example Secondly We may observe That an External Holiness which consisteth in an outside strictness without that Faith Love Charity Hope usefulness and activity which is the very soul and life of Christianity usually puffeth up Men with a vain conceit of their own Righteousness and a censuring and a despising of others This Text sheweth us both the Spirit of Pharisaism and the Spirit of Christianity The Pharisees who abounded in outward Observances censured Christ for his free Converses and disdained those Sinners whom he invited to a better life Luke 18. 9 10 11 12. And they were ignorant of true Wisdom which is justified embraced and received by all her Children Learn then that an unruly fierce censorious Spirit which is only born up by external advantages is not the right Spirit of the Gospel True Religion maketh men humble and low in their own eyes acquainteth them with their Desert Sin and Misery and maketh them pitiful and compassionate to others and more ready to help them than to censure them and to use all ways and means to do them good Thirdly The main Observation is this That a free Life guided by an holy Wisdom is the most sanctified Life and bringeth most honour to God and is most useful to others Here I shall shew you 1. Wherein lieth this free life guided by holy Wisdom 2. How it is the most sanctified life 1. Wherein lieth this free life guided by holy Wisdom 'T is said of Enoch Gen. 5. 22. That he walked with God and begat Sons and Daughters that is dedicated himself to God's Service and lived in most strict Holiness And there you see the use of a conjugal life in its purity may stand with the strictest Rules of Holiness So for worldly Affairs when the course of our calling ingageth us in them 't is not using of the World but over-using is the fault 1 Cor. 7. 31. So for the Comforts of this life Psal. 62. 10. If Riches encrease set not your heart upon them The business is not to withdraw them away but to withdraw the Affection So for the lawful Delights there are two extreams clogging and retrenching our liberty with outward burdensome Observances or abusing our liberty to wantonness Gal. 5. 13. Ye are called to liberty only use not your liberty as an occasion to the Flesh. Corrupt Nature venteth it self both ways either by superstitious rigors or by breaking all Bonds and inlarging it self according to the licentiousness of the Flesh. Meat Drink Apparel are in their own nature indifferent neither must Superstition work upom them nor Profaneness and in the mean between both lieth Godliness 2. How it is the most sanctified life 1. Partly because it suiteth with the Example of Christ He came as to expiate our Offences so to give us an Exsample 1 Pet. 2. 21. Leaving us an Example that we should follow his steps and 1 Iohn 2. 6. walk as he walked 'T is high presumption to aim at an imitation of Christ in those acts of his which he did for satisfying the Father's Justice or proving his Dâ—ity yea 't is impossible to imitate him in those yet in Actions moral we are bound to imitate him and in Actions indifferent not to suffer our Liberty to be strâ—ightned but to govern Circumstances according to that holy Wisdom Christ retired not from the society of Men but used the greatest freedom in an holy way 2. Because there is more true Grace in being dead to the Temptation than to retreat from the Temptation A Christian is not to go out of the World neither by a voluntary Death Iohn 17. 15. nor by an unnecessary sequestration of our selves from Business and the Affairs which God calleth us to 1 Cor. 7. 20. Let every Man abide in the same Calling wherein he was called But to be crucified to the World Gal. 6. 14. that's Grace to withdraw our Hearts from the World while we converse in it and with it Many real Christians when they hear us press Mortification and deadness to the World think they must leave their Callings or abate of their necessary activity in their Callings Alas in the Shop a Man mayâ—keep himself unspotted from the World as well as in the Closet in a Court as well in a Cell We read of Saints in Nero's Houshold Phil. 4. 22. he was a great Persecutor yet some Saints could live there within his Gates There were some Professors of the Gospel So Rev. 2. 13. I know thy Works and where thou dwellest even where Satan's seat is and thou holdest fast my Name and hast not denied my Faith even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful Martyr who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth In the sorest and thickest of temptations a Christian may maintain his Integrity In short our way to Heaven lieth through the World
Father is this To visit the Fatherless and Widows in their Affliction and to keep himself unspotted from the World Heb. 13. 16. To do good and to communicate forget not for with such Sacrifices God is well pleased Ephes. 5. 21 22. Submitting your selves one to another in the fear of God Now a true Christian maketh Conscience of all this as of Internal Worship so External As of Solemn and Sacred Acts so of a constant Awfulness of God Secondly The Reasons 1 st Why a true Christian doth worship God 2 dly Why in the Spirit 1 st For the Worship it self 1. Because they have a deep sense of his Being and Excellency impressed upon their Hearts 1. His Being These two Notions live and die together That God is and that he ought to be worshipped and served Heb. 11. 6. The one immediately floweth from the other The first Commandment is Thou shalt have no other Gods before me The second Thou shalt not worship a graven Image If 〈…〉 Worship is certainly 〈…〉 They that have no 〈…〉 they had no God The Psalmist proveth Atâ—â—ism by that Psal. 14. 1. The Fool hath said 〈…〉 Heart There is no God And vers 4. They call not upon God 2. His Excellency They have a cleareâ— sight of God than others have and are more acquainted with him than otherâ— are and therefore are more prone to worship When God had proclaimed his Name and manifested himself to Moses Exod. 34. 8. He made haste and bowed himself to the Earth and worshipped None so ready and forward Psal. 9. 10. They that know thy Name will put their trust in thee 2. Because they have a Principle within them which inclineth them to God Their Hearts are carried to him as light Bodies are carried upward There is such a Grace as Godliness 2 Pet. 1. 6. and distinct in the Notion from Righteousness and Holiness 1 Tim. 6. 11. Follow after Righteousness Godliness 2 Pet. 3. 11. What manner of Persons ought we to be in all Holy Conversation and Godliness What is the Notion then of it 'T is Tendentia mentis in Deum An Impression left upon their Hearts which causeth a bent and tendency towards God as the Fountain of their Mercies the Joy of their Souls and the Center of their Rest. There is such an Inclination in some stronger in others more remiss but in all that are made Partakers of a Divine Nature in some good Degree so as ordinarily to prevail over the Inclinations of the Flesh As Holiness noteth purity of Life so Godliness an Inclination to God 3. Because of their Relations to God which they own God pleadeth his Right Mal. 1. 6. If I be a Father Where is mine Honour If I be a Master Where is my Fear A Father must have Honour and a Master must have Fear And God who is the common 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Master of all must have both A Worship and Honour in which Reverence and Fear is mixed with Love and Joy Or as the owning of a King implyeth submission to his Government so the owning of a God Adoration and Worship 2 dly Why in the Spirit 1. Because Worship without the Spirit is like a Body without the Soul 't is but the Carcase of a Duty The Heart must be the principal and chief Agent in this Business Mat. 15. 8. This People draweth nigh to me with their Mouths and honoureth me with their Lips but their Hearts are far from me There is no Love to God rather an habitual aversion from him 2. External Worship is but a Means to the Internal as Prayer Hearing Reading Receiving tend to promote Love Trust Heavenly-mindedness Self-denial Mortification purity of Life and Conversation Now as the Means are only valuable with respect to their End so are these Duties of Hearing Reading Singing Diligence in the use of Means is good but those Acts that are conversant about the End are better such as the Love of God and Delight and Trust in God for Finis est nobilior mediis Nay amongst the Internal Acts as they are Means to one another so the nearer respect they have to the last End the more noble they are As Faith is more noble than bare Knowledg because Knowledg tendeth to Faith Psalm 5. 10. Love than Faith because Faith tendeth to Love Gal. 5. 6. 1 Cor. 13. 13. Faith causeth Love and serveth as the Bellows to in-kindle this Holy Fire and in Love Desire maketh way for Delight as its noblest Act. And accordingly must all things be valued as they suit the great End which is the injoying of God 3. A Man doth not partake of the Gospel-Blessing till he doth serve God in the Spirit that is till he be made partaker of the Regenerating Grace and actual Influence of the Holy Spirit 1. Of his Regenerating Grace Rom. 7. 6. That we should serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the Letter New Life is the principal of Evangelical Obedience and when we are renewed by the Holy Ghost we walk in newness of Conversation The Gospel is a Ministry of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 8. It not only requireth Duty but giveth Power to perform it The Letter of the Law requireth but giveth no Principle or Inclination to do it that is from Regenerating Grace or the Law written upon our Hearts John 3. 6. That which is born of Spirit is Spirit that is suited inclined disposed fitted for a Spiritual Life 2. Actual Influence He still worketh in us what is pleasing in God's sight Helpeth to mortify Corruption Rom. 8. 13. If ye through the Spirit do mortify the Deeds of the Body ye shall live To perfect Holiness Heb. 13. 21. that so we may serve God in all purity of Life We cannot get nor keep nor act nor increase Grace of our selves if forsaken by the Spirit of Grace The foulest Sins would become our Pleasure and the most unquestionable Duties our Burden If he withdraw his quickning Influences you can do nothing Vse 1. It reproveth those that either do not worship God or by halves or not worship him in the Spirit 1. It disproveth their Confidence that do not worship God There are an irreligious sort of Men that neither call upon him in publick or in private in the Family or in the Closet but wholly forget the God that made them and at whose expence they are maintained and kept 1. Let me reason with you as Men Wherefore had you reasonable Souls but to praise and honour and glorify your Creator and Preserver If you believe there is a God why do you not call upon him The neglect of his Worship argueth a doubting of his Being If there be such a supream Lord to whom you must one day give an account how dare you live without him in the World All the Creatures glorify him Psal. 145. 10. they passively but you have a Heart and a Tongue to glorify him actually Man is the Mouth of the Creation to return to God
Believing by Tradition giveth us but cold thoughts of these Mysteries but believing by Inspiration warmeth the Heart and reviveth it with an unspeakable Joy and is called tasting the good Word which is the privilege of those who are enlightned by the Spirit Heb. 6. 4. And a tasting that the Lord is gracious 1 Pet. 2. 3. which much differeth from the common reflection upon those things which Flesh and Blood may give us or the bare reports of Men stir up in us The Spirits light is lovely and ravisheth and traâ—sporteth the Soul And where it is permanent and rooted it effectually changeth the Soul Someâ— are altogether careless not affected at all with these things as the habituated worldly Sinner 1 Cor. 2. 14. They are folly to him For Spiritual Things must be spiritually discerned Some are to a degree affected by the common Work of the Spirit Heb. 6. 4 5 6. but 't is not rooted 't is not predominate so as to control other Affections and Delights they have a rejoicing in the Offers of Pardon and Life but 't is a Joy that leaveth some darling Sin still predominant But there is a third sort that have such a taste of these things that they are renewed and changed by it Heb. 3. 6. Now then if you would have this rejoicing in Christ Jesus you must apply your selves to Christ in the use of the appointed means for the renewing of your Natures for Love and Delight are never forced nor will be drawn forth by bare Commands and Threatnings yea and not by the proposal of Promises though the Injoiments be never so great and glorious This may a little stir us and this is the Matter of Joy but not the Cause of Joy But this Joy proceedeth partly from the Inclination when the Heart is suited and partly from the attractive goodness of the Object and both are powerfully done by the Holy Spirit as the Heart is renewed and the Object is most effectually represented by him Ephes. 1. 17 18. And this we must wait for 3. 'T is received and believed by Faith This is often told us in the Scripture 1 Pet. 1. 18. In whom believing ye rejoice with Ioy unspeakable and full of Glory And Rom. 15. 13. The God of Hope fill you with Ioy and Peace in believing We cannot be affected with the great Things Christ hath done and purchased for us till we believe them There is in Faith three things Assent Consent and Affiance 1. Assent or a firm and certain belief of the Truth of the Gospel concerning Christ as the only sufficient Saviour by whom alone God will give us the pardon of Sins and Eternal Life John 4. 42. We have heard him our selves and know that this is indeed the Christ the Saviour of the World And Iohn 6. 69. We believe and are sure that thou art that Christ thâ— Son of the Living God When we are verily perswaded of this as we are of any thing that appeareth true to us this stirreth up Joy Others have but an hear-say Knowledg not a Believing Assent Surely Christ is a delectable Object what hindereth then but that we rejoice in him Nothing but want of Faith For if this be true we so Necessitous and he so Al-sufficient a Remedy why are we not so affected with these things as the worth of them doth deserve Nothing can be rationally said but that we are not soundly perswaded of the truth of it 2. A Consent This Grace is dispensed by a Convenant which bindeth mutually assureth us of Happiness and requireth Duty from us Therefore an unfeigned Consent or a readiness to fulfil those terms expressed in the Promise is required of us or a resolution to repent and obey the Gospel Christ hath Offices and Relations that imply our Comfort and other Offices and Relations which imply our Duty Or rather the same do both He is our Teacher and King as well as our Priest and we must submit to be ruled and taught by him as well as depend upon the Merit of his Sacrifice and Intercession Heb. 5. 9. And being made perfect he became the Author of Etâ—â—nal Salvation to all them that obey him And they are so taught the Truth that is in Jesus that they put off the Old Man and put on the New Ephes. 4. 20 21. True Believers must be Scholars daily learning somewhat from Christ yea his Priesthood implieth Duty Dependance humble Addresses A broken-hearted coming to God by him As his Kingship and Prophetical Office implieth privilege also His defending and teaching us by his Spirit 3. There is Affiance Which is a reposing of our Hearts or a relying upon God promising remission of Sins and Eternal Life for Christ's sake alone that he will be as good as his word while we diligently use the Means ordained to this end Rom. 2. 7. And this Confidence hath an influence upon this Joy Heb. 3. 6. or a delightful sense of our Redeemer's Grace 4. 'T is improved by Meditation For the greatest things do not work unless we think of them and work them into our Hearts The natural way of Operation is That Object â—tir up Thoughts and Thoughts stir up Affections Psal. 104. 34. My meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord. The more frequent and serious Thoughts we have of the Love of God in Christ and the more deep and ponderous they are the more do they blow up this Holy Fire into a Flame Now for this end was the Lord's Supper instituted where the whole Gospel is applied and sealed to us that this delight might be afresh acted and stirred in us at the Lord's Table while our minds are taken up in considering Christ the great Apostle and High Priest of our Confession Heb. 3. 1. Surely it should not be an idle and fruitless Contemplation it should stir up Love and what stirreth up Love stirreth up Delight I come now to the last part of the Description 5. The particular Affection caused by this sense is mentioned We delight in the Grace of the Redeemer more than in all other things whatsoever Where 1. Take noice of the Affection it self Then 2. The Degree of it 1. The Affection it self Which is Delight or a well-pleasedness of Mind in the Grace that is brought to us by the Knowledg of Christ. This inlargeth the Heart and filleth it with a Sweetness and Contentment and the Vent of it is Praise for the Heart being inlarged cannot hold and contain it self Psal. 33. 14. I will shew forth all they Praise in the Gates of the Daughter of Sion I will rejoice in thy Salvation Joy cannot be kept within doors it will break out in all suitable ways of Expression The Heart doth first Rejoice and then the Tongue doth overflow The Heart is filled with Joy and then the Tongue with Thanksgiving So Psal. 35. 9. My Soul shall be joyful in the Lord it shall rejoice in his Salvation Nothing disposeth the Heart to praise
be done by all sorts of Persons Princes and Peasants Noble-men or Tradesmen as well as Ministers and People of a more retired Life 4. Coming into the World to set up the Kingdom of God it was sit his Form of Life should suit with the Nature of that Kingdom Iohn Baptist telleth them The Kingdom of God is at hand and Christ himself That the Kingdom of God was come and was among them Now what is the nature of this Kingdom of God The Apostle telleth you that Rom. 14. 17. The Kingdom of God standeth not in Meat and Drink but in Righteousness and Peace and Ioy in the Holy Ghost There are two expositions of that place and both equally probable the one more general the other more limited and restrained to the Context More general That Righteousness is taken for all new Obedience and Peace for peace of Conscience resulting from the rectitude of our Actions and joy in the Holy Ghost for that supernatural comfort which the Holy Ghost puts into our Hearts by reflecting upon our Privileges in Christ and the Hopes of the World to come Now Christianity consists not in eating or not eating such or such Meats or such kind of Observances but in solid Godliness or in the practice of Christian Graces and Vertues The more limited sense is That by Righteousness is meant just dealings by Peace a peaceable harmless inoffensive sort of living by Joy in the Holy Ghost a delight to do good to one another to advance and build up one another in Godliness not dividing hating excommunicating censuring one another for lesser Things and meer Rituals but pleasing our Neighbour to edification Rom. 15. 2. and 1 Cor. 10. 31 32 33. Whether ye eat or drink or whatsoever ye do do all to the glory of God give no offence neither to Iews nor Gentiles nor to the Church of God even as I please all men in all things not seeking my own profit but the profit of many that they may be saved This meek holy charitable converse to the Glory of God without offence and scandal is that which promoteth God's Kingdom And this would Christ teach us in his own form and course of Life conversing in a sanctified manner with all sorts of Persons to their profit and benefit 5. Because Christ would not gratify Humane Wisdom As he would not gratify Sense by chusing a pompous Life so he would not gratify Humane Wisdom by chusing an austere Life There are two sorts of Men in the World who are not of God the Men of the World and the Saints of this World The Men of the World are brutish Sensualists who are all for Pomp and Glory Christ would not gratify these but came meek and poor to teach us Humility Self-denial and Contentation Mat. 11. 29. Learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart He did not bustle in the World for Respect and Honour His Complaints of his Enemies and his Answers to them were full of Meekness and stood not to abase himself for the Father's Glory and Mens Good so he did not gratify the Men of the World The Saints of this World are such as are strict in outward Observances in eating or not eating in marrying or not marrying in forbearing such Company in such a number and tale of Devotions in abstaining from such lawful things These things the Apostle saith have a shew of Wisdom Col. 2. 23. The World is mightily taken with bodily Exercise and outward Strictness As the Men of the World love to pamper the Body so the Saints of this World needlesly afflict and dishonour the Body This hath a shew and nothing but a shew but Christ would not gratify these neither he used a free but an holy Life and so was censured and traduced as a Wine-bibber and a Glutton to teach his Followers to be contented to be judged according to Men in the Flesh and live to God in the Spirit 1 Pet. 4. 6. He came to preach and to give inward Regeneration and Renovation To shew the proper way of Mortification which is not by a severity of Life but by deadning the mind to the esteem of the World That kind of Life which consists in outward Rigors hath some honour and reputation in the World and maketh a fair shew in the Flesh but he would teach us the Life which consists in Faith Holiness Sobriety Humility of Mind Charity Obedience to God Joy in the Spirit and comfort of the Promises which the World liketh not so well outward and rigorous Observances are more plausible but the Power of Godliness and a true sense of the World to come the World hateth 6. To shew us the true nature of Mortification which consists not in a bare abstinence and shameful retreat from Temptations but in a Spirit fortified against them not in a monkish discontent with the World but an holy contempt of it when we most freely use it And in bridling and governing the Appetite and Desire rather than in scrupulous refraining from the Object it self In an using of the World but not abusing of it 1 Cor. 7. 31. Not so much scrupling the Comforts of the present Life as a valuing and esteeming the Comforts of a better Life prising more the Christian Vow than any by-Laws of our own The Apostle telleth us 1 Tim. 4. 8. That bodily Exercise profiteth little but Godliness is profitable to all things Abstinence from daily Meats Wines Marriage is an act of Self-denial but a very small one for all the good it doth is to tame the Members of the Body and its external Motions and Actions without sanctifying the Heart and inward part as a lively Faith Fear and Love of God doth The profit of bodily Exercise is little in comparison of inward Piety which is necessary to a comfortable Life here and a blessed hereafter Thirdly The Observations which we may build thereon 1. We may observe the Humanity Goodness and Kindness of that Religion which we do profess both with respect to our selves and others 1. Our Selves Man consists of a Body and a Soul and hath respects for either else he were unnatural The Body indeed we are apt to overprize and therefore we need not â—â—â—pur but a Bridle for our Affections to the bodily life And therefore Religion in the Precepts of it interposeth by way of restraint rather than exhortation Titus 2. 12. That we should live soberly c. And Rom. 13. 14. Make no provision for the Flesh to fulfil the Lusts thereof Do not cherish carnal Desires The Apostle telleth you No Man ever yet hated his own Flesh Ephes. 5. 29. but nourisheth and cherisheth it Our usual fault is an excessive pampering of the Flesh Some have hated their own Souls at least by consequence and interpretation therefore we dare not let loose the Reins and give either incouragement or allowance to Men to indulge their carnal Desires yet to avoid prejudice we must grant what may be granted for Men are
upon the security of his Word that so doing I shall obtain it This intitleth us to the Reward Heb. 3. 6. Whose House we are if we hold fast the Confidence and rejoicing of Hope firm unto the End And Vers. 14. For we are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our Confidence stedfast unto the End And Heb. 10. 35. Cast not away your Confidence which hath great recompence of Reward The Happiness which Christ promiseth us is spiritual and for the most part future an lieth in an unseen and unknown World but whilst we are ingaged in the pursuit of it we must depend upon his â—aithful Word That must be security enough to us to engage us to continue with patience in the midst of manifold Temptations till we obtain what he offereth to us These three must be often renewed Assent Consent and Affiance 2. 'T is a believing in Christ. I make Christ the special Object of this Belief not as exclusive of the Father or the Spirit but because of the peculiar reference which this Grace hath to the Mediator in this New and Gospel-Dispensation which was appointed for the Remedy of the collapsed estate of Mankind So Acts 20. 21. Repentance towards God and Faith in our Lord Iesus Christ. He speaks of Repentance as respecting God and Faith as respecting Christ. These are the two recovering Graces Repentance is necessary because of the Duty we owe to our Creator and supream Lord and Faith respects our Redeemer who principally undertook our recovery to God Christ is believed in in order to the Salvation of our Souls 1. Because he purchased and procured this Salvation for us as Mediator of the New Testament Heb. 9. 5. He is the Mediator of the New Testament that by means of Death for the Redemption of the Transgressions that were under the first Covenant they which are called might receive the Promise of the eternal Inheritance By the intervention of his Death Sins are expiated that penitent Believers might have everlasting Life 2. Because 't is by him promised or in his Name 1 John 2. 25. This is the Promise which he hath promised us even eternal Life Christ's great Business as a Prophet is to discover with certainty and clearness such a blessed Estate that it may be commodious for our acceptance laid at our doors if we will take it well and good He is Amen the faithful Witness Rev. 3. 14. who came with a Commission from Heaven to assure the World of it and to confirm his Message he wrought Miracles died and rose again and entred into that Happiness which he spake of that our Faith and Hope might be in God 1 Pet. 1. 21. Guilty Man is fallen under the Power and Fear of Death and strangely haunted with Doubts about the other World Now he that came to save us and heal us did himself in our Nature rise from the Dead and ascend into Heaven that he might give a visible demonstration both of the Resurrection and Life to come which he hath promised to us And when he sent abroad Messengers in his Name to assure the World of it their Testimony was accompanied with divers Signs and Wonders and Gifts of the Holy Ghost Heb. 2. 3 4. that the stupid World might be alarum'd to regard the offer and by this Evidence be assured of the Truth of it therefore still 't is a believing in Christ. 3. Because as King he doth administer and dispense the Blessings of the New Covenant and among them as the Chief and Principal this Salvation unto all those who are qualified And therefore 't is said Heb. 5. 9. Being made perfect through Sufferings he is become the Author of eternal Salvation to all that obey him Every Effect must have some Cause and this noble and glorious Effect of eternal Salvation could have no other Cause but Christ and he as perfected and consecrated is the Author and efficient Cause of it for as King he sendeth down the Holy Ghost to reveal the Gospel and work Faith in the Hearts of Men to qualify them for Pardon and Salvation and all those that sue for Pardon and Salvation in his Name by the Plea of his Blood before the Throne of God and promise obedience to his Laws and Institutes he actually bestoweth Pardon and eternal Salvation upon them There be many other ministerial and adjutant Causes which conduce to this effect But he is the Principal and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a Cause in general is fitly by our Translation termed the Author of eternal Salvation So that still you see a new Reason why saving-Faith should be described to be a believing in Christ. 3. The prime Benefits which Faith respecteth I make to be two Reconciliation with God and the everlasting Fruition of him in Glory 1. Reconciliation is necessarily eyed and regarded by the guilty Soul 1. Because there hath been a breach by which we have lost God's Favour and Happiness We have to do with a God whose Nature ingageth him to hate Sin and whose Justice ingageth him to Punish it And before we can be induced to treat with him such a Reconciliation is necessary for all Mankind as that he should be willing to deal with them upon the term of a New Covenant wherein Pardon and Life might be offered to penitent Believers This Reconciliation is spoken of 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the World unto himself not imputing their Trespasses and hath committed unto us the Word of Reconciliation that is upon the sufficiency of Christ's Sacrifice Ransom and Satisfaction there was so much done towards an actual Reconciliation with God that he offered a conditional Covenant to as many as were willing to enter into his Peace He provided a sufficient Remedy for the Pardon of Sin if Men would as heartily accept of it as it was freely given them And the Office of Ambassadors was appointed to beseech Men so to do And unless this had been done a guilty Soul could never be brought to love an holy sin-hating God ingaged by Justice to damn the Sinner But it must be a loving reconciled God that is willing to forgive that can be propounded as an Object of Faith and Love or as an amiable God to us Psalm 130. 4. There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared 2. Reconciliation is necessarily eyed by the penitent Believer because this Reconciliation and Recovery by Christ consists both in the Pardon of Sin and the Gift of the Sanctifying Spirit 1. One branch of the actual restitution of God's Favour to us is the Pardon of Sins without which we are not capable of Life and Happiness Ephes. 7. The possible conditional-Reconciliation consists in the offer of Pardon and the actual Reconciliation in the actual pardon and forgiveness of our Transgressions and then the Man beginneth to be in a blessed Estate Psal. 32. 1 2. 2. The other Branch is the Gift of the Sanctifying
Sacrilege The latter Prophets tax them much for that Crime The Jewish Form still is hatred of Idolatry in-so-much that they think that all the Plagues that come upon them is for the Idolatry of their Fathers especially in the siâ— of the Golden Calf in the Wilderness and translate the Scene of their Repentance far enough from themselves that they may not see their present Sins both in breaking the moral Law and despising Christ. And every Party is observâ—d to have their Form one special Commandment which they stuck unto which they are zealous for whilst they neglect the rest The reproaches of our Enemies saith the Pharisee are only for the fourth Commandment but neglect the rest zealous for the Sabbath but unconscionable all the week after Oh let 〈◊〉 be no occasion for this Others sâ—em to make little reckoning of other Commandments and insist only upon the fifth obedience to Superiors The Charge is sometimes carried between the third and sixth Commandment they will not swear but will lie and slâ—nder their Neighbours I mention these things to shew what need we have to be uniform in our Obedience unto God I will mention but one Motive They that do not obey all will not long obey any but where their Interest or Inclinationsâ— require it will break all As Herod did many things but one Command stuck with him his Herodias and that bringeth him to murder God's Prophet Mark 6. 20. One Sin keepeth possession for Satan and that one Lust and Corruption may undoe all A Bird tied by the Leg may make some shew of escape so do many think themselves at liberty but the Fowler hath them fast enough 2. Let us not rest in outward Duties of Worship and place our Zeal there for that is an ill Spirit that doth so 'T is the Badg of Pharisaism they keep a fair correspondence with God in the outward Duties of his Worship but in other things deny their subjection to him the main reason is because Externals of Worship are more easy than the denial of Lusts. The sensual Nature of Man is such that 't is loth to be crossed which produceth prophaneness Wherefore do Men ingulph themselves in all manner of sensuality but because they are loth to deny their Natural Appetites and Desires and to row against the stream of Flesh and Blood and so to walk in the way of his own Hâ—art and the sight of his Eyes Eccles. 4. 8. If Nature must be crossed it shall be crossed only for a little and in some slight manner they will give God some outward thing which lieth remote from the subjection of the Heart to him therefore be zealous for Externals and this produceth Hypocrisy gross Hypocrisy and Dissembling whereby we deceive othâ—rs and get a good Name among others by a zeal and fervency for God's outward Iâ—stitutions And this close Hypocrisy or Partiality of Obedience is that whereby we deceive our selves exceeding in External Actions and Duties while we neglect those Substantials wherein the Heart and Life of Religion most lieth such are the Love of God Contempt of the World Mortification of the Flesh the Heavenly Mind and Holy Constitution of the Soul â—irmly set to please God in all things Once more That this Deceit may be more strong Men are apt to exceed in outward Observances or By-laws of their own and this produceth Superstition either Negative in condemning some outward things which God never condemned as those Ordinances of Men which the Apostle speaketh of Col. 2. 19. Touch not taste not handle not Or positive in doing many things as Duties and crying them up as special Acts and Helps of Religion which God never instituted to that end and purpose Mark 7. 7 8. Teaching for Doctrines the Commandments of Men. The Spirit and Genius of Superstition lieth in this neglecting many things which God commandeth but multiplâ—ing Bonds and Chains of their own making Sacrifices enow God shall have any thing for the Sin of their Souls Micah 6. 6 7. Thus these three great Evils Prophaneness Hypocrisy and Superstition do all grow upon the same Stem and Root First Men must have an easy Religion where the Flesh is not crossed but no mortifying of Lusts no exercising our selves to Godliness They can deny themselves in parting with a Sacrifice but the weighty things of Piety Justice and Mercy are neglected God shall have Prayers enow Hearing enough if the Humor and Temper of the Body will suit with it They can fast and gash themselves like Baal's Priests whip their Bodies but spare their Sins but the Heart is not subdued to God They can part with any thing better than their Lusts and disturb the present Ease of the Body by attending on long and tedious Duties rather than any solid and serious Piety II. The next Lesson which we learn is The Guise of Hypocrites for our Lord intimateth that these Pharisees had great need to learn the Importance of that Truth as being extreamly faulty I will have Mercy and not Sacrifice 1. The first thing notable in Hypocrites is a partial Zeal they have not an Uniform Conscience are very exact in some things but exceeding defective and faulty in others The good Conscience is intire and universal Heb. 13. 18. We trust that we have a good Conscience in all things willing to live honestly The sincere Purpose and Intention of his Heart was to direct his Life according to the Will of God in all things Tho' every one hath his failings yet the Will and constant Endeavour of a sincere Heart is to govern himself universally according to the Will of God in all points of Duty whether they concern God or Man as 't is said of Zechary and Elizabeth Luke 1. 6. That they walked in all the Ordinances and Commandments of the Lord blameless The renewed Conscience doth approve all and the renewed Will which is the Imperial Power in the Soul the first Mover and Principle of all Moral Actions is bent and inclined to obey all and the New Life is spent in striving to comply with all But 't is not so with Hypocrites they pick and chuse out the easiest part in Religion and lay out all their Zeal there but let other things go In some Duties that are of easy digestion and nourish their Disease rather than cure their Soul none so zealous as they none so partial as they Now a partial Zeal for small things with a plain neglect of the rest is direct Pharisaism all for Sacrifice nothing for Mercy Therefore every one of us should take heed of halving and dividing with God If we make Conscience of Piety let us also make Conscience of Justice if of Justice let us also make Conscience of Mercy 'T is harder to renounce one Sin wherein we delight than a greater which we do not equally affect A Man is wedded to some special Lusts and is loth to hear of a divorce from them We have our tender and sore places in
Blood of his Cross but vanquished our Spiritual Enemies and triumphed over them Col. 2. 14 15. Long enough might we have lain in Prison before the utmost Farthing had been paid or done any thing to procure our deliverance if our compassionate Redeemer had not taken the Work in hand had he turned us to any Creature we had been helpless 'T was he purchased Grace to overcome the Devil the World and the Flesh that quickned you when you were dead in Sin that put Satan out of Office and delivered us from the present evil World Gal. 1. 4. And is not this matter of rejoicing to us 3. That hereby he hath not only abolished Death but brought Life and Resurrection to Life 2 Tim. 1. 10. By entring into that other World after his Sufferings He hath given us a visible Demonstration of the Reality of the World to come and in his Gospel discovered a Blessedness to us which satiateth the Heart of Man and salveth the great Sore of the whole Creation If God had made nothing richer than the World the Heart of Man would have been as Leviathan in a little Pool 2. In the Promises of Christ there is matter of Joy In the general God is your God and that 's more than to have all the World to be yours compare Gen. 17. 7. I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy Seed after thee in their Generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and thy Seed after thee With Psal. 144. 15. Happy is that People whose God is the Lord. We have an Eternal and Allsufficient God to live upon and from whom to derive our Joy and Comfort A God infinite in Power Wisdom and Goodness to be our Portion And where is Matter of Joy and Comfort if not in God Behold the difference between Carnal Men and the Children of God The World is their Portion and God is ours and who is better provided for More especially we are told 1 Tim. 4. 8. That Godliness hath the Promises of this Life and that which is to come Heaven and Earth are laid at the Feet of Godliness what would you moreâ— Surely we have full Consolation offered to us in the Promises of the Gospel He can want nothing to his Comfort whoâ— hath an Interest in them To instance in the lowest Blessings those which concern this Life God is our God that can cure all Diseases overcome all Enemies supply all Wants deliver in all Dangers and will do it so far as is for our good and desires of any thing beyond this are not to be satisfied but mortified Psal. 84. 11. But then for the more Excellent Promises of the New Covenant which concern another World such as the pardoning of our Sins the healing our Natures and the glorifying of our Persons 2 Pet. 1. 4. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious Promises that by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature having escaped the corruption that is in the World through lust The pardon of all our Sins which are the great trouble and burden of the Creatures Who will rejoice like the pardoned Sinner who is discharged of his Debt eased of his Burthen and hath his Filth covered Psal. 32. 1. Blessed is the Man whose Transgression is forgiven whose Sin iâ— covered O the blessedness of the Manâ— He is like one fetched back from Execution Then the taking away of the stony Heart and the giving of an Holy and Heavenly Heart Oh what Matter of Joy is this to have all things necessary to Life and Godliness What 's the trouble of a gracious Heart but the Relicts of Corruption Rom. 7. 24. Paul groaneth sorely but yet blesseth God for his Hopes by Christ Vers. 25. Renewing Grace is dearly bought and plentifully bestowed Titus 3. 5 6. and graciously offered to those that will seek after it Prov. 1. 23. Turn you at my Reproof Behold I will pour out my Spirit unto you And this promise to be fulfilled by a Divine Power 2 Pet. 1. 3. Oh what a Comfort is the Redeemer's Grace to a Soul that hath been long exercised in subduing Sin 'T is true it groans while 't is a doing yet the very groans of the Sick shew that Life and Health is sweet Healing renewing Grace maketh other Things sweet as your whole Duty to God It maketh it become your Delight But the great Promise is Eternal Life 1 John 2. 25. And this is the Promise that he hath promised us even Eternal Life That 's a Matter of Joy indeed What! to live for ever with God! the fore-thought of it reviveth us the fore-taste of it is a kind of Heaven upon Earth 1 Pet. 1. 8. The certain hope of it will swallow up all Grief and Sorrow Rom. 5. 2 3. So that there is no question but that in the Promises of Christ there is Matter of great Joy 3. The Enjoiments of Christianity are very pleasing I add this to shew you that it is not all in expectation if we consider not only what we shall be but what we are For the present 1. We have peace of Conscience Rom. 5. 1. Mat. 11. 29. Phil. 4. 7. Rest for our Souls is anxiously sought after in other things but only found in Christ's Religion and living according to the Precepts and Institutions thereof As Noah's Dove found not a place whereon to rest the sole of her Foot so we flutter up and down but never have any firm peace of Heart and Conscience till we submit to Christ and take his counsel 2. A sence of the Love of God Rom. 5. 5. Because the Love of God is shed abroad in our Hearts by the Holy Spirit given unto us And 1 Pet. 2. 3. If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious 3. God's Presence with us and our Communion with him 1 Iohn 1. 3 4. And truly our Fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Iesus Christ that your Ioy may be full And Iohn 8. 29. 4. Access to God with assurance of Welcome and Audience John 16. 24. Whatsoever ye ask in my Name ye shall receive that your Ioy may be full 5. The Fore-tastes of the Life to come Rom. 8. 23. and 2 Cor. 3. 5. So that all is to stir up this Delight and Joy in the Lord Jesus Christ. 4. The Precepts of Christ shew that we have Matter of Rejoicing in him What are the great Duties required To love God! Now what pain is it to delight in the Lord as our All-sufficient Portion To be mindful of him and meditate of his Excellencies and Benefits Psal. 104. 34. My Meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord. Is it any toilsome thing to come in a childish manner and unbosome our selves to him and beg the renewed Testimonies of his Love to us especially when set awork by the Holy Ghost Gal. 4. 6. To believe in Christ 't is difficult but pleasant to consider
the Lord Jesus as the suitable Remedy for the lapsed Estate of Mankind both as to his Work with God and us Heb. 3. 1. He came to destroy Sin and Misery When-ever we reflect upon Christ what do we find but ample grounds of Joy John 14. 1. Let not your Hearts be troubled ye believe in God believe also in me That is to get off our trouble consider we have an Alsufficient God and an Alsufficient Mediator Rom. 15. 13. Now the God of Hope fill you with all Ioy and Peace in believing that ye may abound in Hope through the Power of the Holy Ghost Repentance requireth sorrow for Sin only as it tendeth to Joy and Comfort Matth. 5. 5. 'T is a tormenting but a curing Sorrow The Word of God taketh care that a Penitent who hath foully miscarried should not be swallowed up of over-much grief 2 Cor. 2. 7. In the general Repentance and Mortification are our Physick to expel the noxious Humours that would bring us not only to Death but to Damnation and to keep the Soul in due plight and health And then for Self-Government We are to bridle our Passions and Appetites Gal. 5. 24. They that are Christ's have crucified the Flesh with the Affections and Lusts. The bridling our Passions 't is but forbidding us to be miserable and throw out every thing that would disquiet the Soul Christ's great care was that the reasonable Creature might live in Peace and Holy Security therefore hath discharged our Cares and Sorrows and Fears Our Cares that they might not distract our Minds Phil. 4. 6. Be careful for nothing And 1 Pet. 5. 7. Cast all your care upon the Lord. These Prohibitions shew you the Goodness of Christ He hath made it unlawful for you to be troubled and to perplex your Minds with anxious and distrustful Thoughts Oh! what pleasant Lives might we live if we could intirely cast our selves into the Arms of God and refer all things to the Wisdom and powerful Conduct of his Providence The Scripture is as plentiful also in forbidding Sorrow 1 Thess. 4. 13. Sorrow not as those that are without Hope Dejection and anguish of Spirit is your Sin So for Fear Isa. 41. 10. Fear not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God Heb. 13. 6. So that we may boldly say The Lord is my Helper I will not fear what Man can do unto me What should a Christian fear Dangers by the way God is his Helper To be cast into Hell when he goeth out of the World Christ hath shewed him how to flee from Wrath to come He feareth it with a Fear of Caution so as to shun it but not with a Fear of Perplexity so as to disquiet and perplex his Soul for Jesus hath delivered him from Wrath to come 1 Thess. 1. 10. Christianity is as contrary to Sadness and Misery as Life to Death and Light to Darkness For the other the crucifying and bridling of our Lusts which carry us to the good things of this World why that is troublesome to be debarred of the Delights which Nature affects But here are no rigorous Exactions but such as are agreeable to the reasonable Nature Christ hath forbidden us no Pleasure but what may be a Sin or a Snare to us He would not have Man to degenerate and turn Beast All Christ's Restraints are but necessary Cautions for our safety Is it burdensome to a Man to keep out of Danger 's way and to avoid such things as are destructive to his Soul If a Friend will take out of our hands the Knife with which we would not only cut our Fingers but our Throats Is he to be blamed Or is he your Enemy who forbiddeth you to drink Poison Forbidden Fruit costs dear in the Issue 5. For those Duties which concern our Neighbour To love all Men to do good to all Men 't is a Blessed and God-like thing to be giving rather than receiving Acts 20. 35. The delight of doing good is much more than the cost 't is to be as earthly Gods among our Neighbours This Work rewardeth it self because 't is such a contentment and satisfaction to our Minds For Justice To do as we would be done to what more pleasant We would have others bound by these Laws why not our selves 'T is horrible to require one measure of dealing from them to us and use a quite contrary our selves Would Men hate defraud oppress others and expect nothing but kind and righteous dealing from them this is a gross partiality Therefore as our Interest calleth for Justice so doth our Conscience and it would be a trouble and an affront to Reason not to do it So for Fidelity in our Relations These things maintain order of Families and conduce to our safety and private peace as well as they belong to our Duty to God So that on which side soever we look we see what Matter of Joy there is in Christ. I come now to shew you Thirdly The Reasons why Christians are not sacred and sincere in their Profession unless they keep up this rejoicing in Christ. 1. We do not else give Christ his due Honour if we do not esteem him who is so excellent in himself and so beneficial to us even to a degree of Rejoycing The magnifying of Christ was intended by God in the whole Business of our Redemption and Deliverance that we might esteem him delight in him count all things Dung and Dross that we might gain him Now we do not comply with this End but have mean thoughts of his Grace if we be not affected with Joy at it It argueth a double defect 1. That we are not sensible of our great misery without him Nor 2. affected with the great Love he hath shewed in our Deliverance and the Felicity accruing to us thereby 1. We are not duly sensible of our great Misery without him Alas What could we have done without his Passion and Intercession If he had not died for Sinners What had you to answer to the Tâ—rrors of the Law the Accusations of your Consciences the Fears of Hell and approaching Damnation How could you look God in the Face or think one comfortable thought of him Had we wept out our Eyes and prayed out our Hearts and never committed Sin again this would not have made God satisfaction for Sin past Paying new Debts doth not quit old Scores Long enough might we have lain in our Blood e're we could have found out a Ransom which God would accept besides him there is no Saviour And then for his Intercession If he did not hide your nakedness and procure you a daily Pardon you would not be an hour longer out of Hell If he did not bring you to God you could have no comfortable access to him Your Prayer would be cast back as Dung in your Faces if the Merit of his Sacrifice did not make them accepted And shall all this be told you and owned by you for Truth
he procureth for us Shall we refuse to do any thing for such a compassionate Saviour who died for us to reconcile us to God and bring us to the everlasting fruition of him So that the Life of all Obedience dependeth on this Joy 2. 'T is our Cordial to fortify us against all the Calamities and Infelicities of the present World and maketh every bitter thing sweet to us whether they be the common Afflictions incident to Man or Persecutions for Righteousness-sake 1. For the common Afflictions A Christian is never in a right Frame 'till he hath learned Contentment in all Estates That he doth not over-joy in worldly Comforts nor over-grieve for worldly Losses 1 Cor. 7. 3. But carrieth himself as one that is above the Hopes and Fears of the World Now there are many Means to be used that we may get this humble and composed frame of Heart but the most constant and effectual care of worldly Sorrow is to keep our rejoycing in Jesus Christ and to be satisfied with the Fruits of his Redemption This like the Wood that was cast in at Marah to make the bitter Waters sweet doth sweeten our Troubles and supply our Wants and swallow up our Griefs and Infelicities for we have that in Christ which is better than the natural comfort taken from us Hab. 3. 17 18. Although the Fig-tree shall not blossom neither shall Fruit be in the Vines the labour of the Olive shall fail and the Fields shall yield no Meat the Flock shall be cut off from the Fold and there shall be no Herd in the Stalls Yet will I rejoice in the Lord I will joy in the God of my Salvation He supposeth not only some want but an utter destitution and desolation of all things and yet his Heart was kept up by Joy in God So elsewhere Rom. 12. 12. Rejoicing in Hope patient in Tribulation continuing instant in Prayer The Comfort of Reconciliation with God and the Hopes of Heaven do most breed Patience in Afflictions And certainly Joy is the best cure of Sorrow Contraria contrariis curaâ—tur Now the Joy that must be opposed to worldly Sorrow is not Worldly but either Spiritual or Heavenly Joy Spiritual in the present Fruits of Christ's Death Heb. 12. 11. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous nevertheless afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable Fruit of Righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby Heavenly surely Eternal Joys will best vanquish Temporal Sorrows Heb. 12. 2. Looking unto Iesus the Author and Finisher of our Faith who for the Ioy that was set before him endured the Cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God This will enable us patiently and chearfully to bear all things 2. Persecutions We need to be fortified against this that we may boldly profess our Faith in Christ without any fear of Sufferings and may not faint under them but bear them with courage and constancy Now this is the Fruit of this rejoicing in Christ witness these Scriptures Acts 5. 41. They went away rejoiceing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name Heb. 10. 34. Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your Goods knowing in your selves that ye have in Heaven a better and an enduring Substance So Mat. 5. 12. Rejoice and be exceeding glad for great is your Reward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you And in many other places and 1 Pet. 4. 13. Rejoice in as much as ye are partakers of Christ's Sufferings that when his Glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with an exceeding Ioy. And Iames 1. 4. Count it all Ioy when ye fall into divers Trials Surely Christ and Heaven are worth something and such Trials do in part shew how much we esteem him and value him above any Interest of ours 3. It doth draw off the Heart from the Delights of the Flesh Not only Contraria contrariis curantur but similia similibus Carnal Pleasures put the Soul out of relish with better things and draw off the Heart from God A fleshly Mind is easily blinded and inchanted with worldly Vanities Therefore it concerneth us to check our Inclination to sense-pleasing and flesh-pleasing which is so natural to us How shall it be cured but by seeking our Delight elsewhere Every Man must have some Oblation for Love cannot lie idle in the Soul either his Love is taken up with the Joys of Sense or the Joys of Faith with vain Pleasures or with chast and spiritual Delights The one spoileth the taste of the other A Spiritual Mind that is feasted with higher Delights cannot relish the Garlick and Onions and Flesh-pots of Egypt Cant. 1. 4. We will remember thy Loves more than Wine And a brutish Heart that is wholly lost and sunk in these dreggy Contentments which gratify Sense valueth not the Favour of God thinketh it Canting to talk of Communion with him and the Joys of Hope to be fantastical Expressions They love Pleasures more than God 2 Tim. 3. 4. Now if we would restrain and check this Inclination we should rejoice in Christ delight our Minds and Hearts in the remembrance of his Love and Benefits What-ever Pleasure a Man doth find or imagine to find in sensual fleshly courses that and much more is to be had in Christ where we rejoice at a surer and more sincere rate Ephes. 5. 4. Not Iesting but rather giving of Thanks Carnal Mirth doth not so chear Worldlings as the remembrance of the Favours and Blessings we have by Christ. Keep the Heart thankful and sensible of God's Goodness and Christ's Love and you will not need vain Delights So Ephes. 5. 18. Be not drunk with Wine wherein is Excess but be filled with the Spirit These are Motives and Marks also for by these three things you may know whether you have this Joy yea or no. 4. The Helps or Means by which this Joy is raised in us 1. A sense of Sin and Misery This maketh you more sensible of the Mercy of the Deliverance and to be more affected with it As the grievousness of a Disease maketh the recovery more delightful The Law condemned you his Ransom must absolve you Sin made you dead his Graâ—e quickneth and puts Life into you Always as our sense of Misery is so is the sense of the Recovery if one be bitter the other is sweet None prize and esteem Christ so much as the broken-hearted and burdened 2. An intire Conâ—idence of Christ For so it followeth Have no Confidence in the Flesh. If we have no Confidence in the Flesh and look for all from the Mercy and Bounty of God through Christ we shall prize him 1 Pet. 2. 7. Vnto you therefore which believe he is precious Phil. 3. 8. Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the Excellency of the Knowledg of Christ Iesus my Lord. 3. A conâ—â—ant use of the Means whereby this Joy may
be fed and increased in us as the Word Sacraments and Prayer The Word Psal. 119. 102. I have not departed from thy Iudgments for thou hast taught me Then Prayer suing out of our Right John 11. 24. Ask and ye shall receive that your Ioy may be full So for the Sacraments Baptism Acts 8. 39. When they were come up out of the Water the Spirit caught away Philip so that the Eunuch saw him no more and he went on his way rejoicing The Lord's Supper it is our Spiritual Refection 4. Sincerity of Obedience 1 Cor. 5. 8. Therefore let us keep the Feast not with old Leaven neither with the Leaven of Malice and Wickedness but with the unleavened Bread of Sincerity and Truth Practical Delight is the chiefest above that of Contemplation a more intimate sense We come now to the last part of a Christian's Character And have no Confidence in the Flesh. To understand it consider there are two things called Flesh in Scripture 1. External Privileges belonging to the worldly Life such as Wealth Greatness and worldly Honour Now to glory in these is to glory in the Flesh and to trust in these is to trust in the Flesh which should be far from Christians Jer. 9. 23 24. Let not the wise Man glory in his Wisdom nor the mighty Man glory in his Might Let not the rich Man glory in his Riches But let him that glorieth glory in this that he knoweth me that I am the Lord c. Where the Prophet laboureth to beat them off from their vain Confidences that they might not rely upon their Power Policy and Wealth but a saving Knowledg of and Interest in God whose Goodness and Faithfulness could only secure them against all Evils and procure them all manner of Blessings 2. The outward Duties and Performances of Religion especially the Ceremonies of Moses Those consisting in External Observances are called Flesh And to have confidence in the Flesh is to place our Confidence in External Privileges and Duties For the Apostle explaineth himself Vers. 4. Though I might also have Confidence in the Flesh if any other Man thinketh he may have confidence in the Flesh I more He was not any whit inferior to any of the Judaizing Brethren in outward Privileges and Duties yea had greater cause of glorying in the Flesh than any of the Pretenders among them And then instances in his Jewish Privileges Circumcision his Family his Sect a Pharisee his Partial Obedience or External Righteousness as to the Law blameless To rest on these things then for our Acceptance with God is to have Confidence in the Flesh. And elsewhere he saith Gal. 3. 3. Having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect in the Flesh. When they reverted to the Ceremonies of the Law This is called Flesh because they consist in outward things Corrupt Nature is pleased with such things and doth plead and stand for them Doct. That a good Christian doth not place his Hope and Confidence of acceptance with God in External Privileges and Performances In the first Character a Christian is described by his Worship in the second by his Joy in the third by his Confidence In handling this Point I shall shew you 1 st What are these Externals which are apt to tempt Men to a vain Confidence 2 dly That naturally Men are for a meer external way of serving God and place their whole Confidence therein 3 dly Why a good Christian should have no Confidence in this External Conformity to God's Law 1 st What are these Externals in Religion which are apt to tempt Men to a vain Confidence They may be referred to two heads They are either commanded by God or invented by Man God 's Externals or Man's Externals 1. God's Externals Such as he hath instituted and appointed either in the Law of Moses or in the Law of Christ. In the Law of Moses such as Circumcision with all the appendant Rites these are called Heb. 9. 10. Carnal Ordinances imposed on them till the time of Reformation These were to be observed while the Institution of them was in force and stood unrepealed which was done at the coming of Christ Iohn 4. 23 24. The hour cometh and now is when the true Worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in Truth for the Father seeketh such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in Truth These made great trouble in the Infancy of the Church for the Jews and Judaizing Christians were loth to depart from the Rituals under which they were bred and brought up Though Christ fully evidenced his Commission from Heaven to repeal those Laws and his Apostles strongly pleaded the Ancient Prophecies which foretold it But these are no more of concernment to us except to direct us how to behave our selves in like cases 2. There are Externals in the Law of Christ such as the Sacraments Baptism and the Lord's Supper Hearing of the Word External Prayer and the like Now the Rule is that they must be used but the outward Act not rested in as a sufficient ground of our Acceptance with God used they must be in Faith and Obedience because God hath justified them under great Penalties As Circumcision while the Command was in force Gen. 17. 14. The Man-child whose Flesh is not circumcised shall be cut off from his People He hath broken my Covenant So Baptism Mark 16. 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Not want but neglect or contempt Therefore all these Duties must be used as Means of Salvation and as Expressions of the inward Truth of our Faith in God and Obedience to him we must not cast off Ordinances but yet they must not be rested in as sufficient Grounds of our Acceptance with God While Circumcision was in force they relied on it as it distinguished them from other Nations as the genuine Seed of Abraham and so reckoned to be within the Covenant But the Servants of God did always disprove this vain Confidence Rom. 2. 28 29. He is not a Iew which is one outwardly neither is that Circumcision which is outward in the Flesh but he is a Iew which is one inwardly and Circumcision is that of the Heart in the Spirit and not in the Letter whose praise is not of Men but of God They rejoiced in a shadow when they wanted the thing signified if there were no mortification of Sin or putting off the Body of the Sins of the Flesh. But not only the Apostle but the Prophet long before disproveth their vain Confidence Jer. 9. 25 26. Behold the days come when I will punish them which are circumcised with the uncircumcised Egypt and Edom with the Children of Ammon and Moab are uncircumcised in Flesh and all the House of Israel is uncircumcised in Heart God would proceed against wicked Persons and People circumcised as well as uncircumcised
and tho if I be left to my choice I should chuse that course of life in which there are least Temptations yet when God by the posture of our temporal Interests or the course of our Education or the nature of my Employment and usefulness hath determined me to a life more incident to a throng of Temptations I may the better venture upon them and must not leave my Service for supposed Snares Affectation of privacy may be a slothful retreat from publick Business and 't is more glorious to beat an Enemy than to fly from him and Grace is seen in overcoming rather than in shunning Difficulties Well then learn from the whole That true Mortification consists in a change of the frame of Heart in a resolution against the baits of sense rather than removing our presence from them in being not of the World tho we are in the World not in casting away our injoyments but in an equal mind in all Conditions Iames 1. 9 10. That to be poor in Abundance humble in high Places temperate and godly in the freest course of life is to imitate the life of Christ. That then we are properly mortified when our esteem value and affection is mortified That Grace sheweth it self more in choice than in necessity In an abstinence from the delights of the Flesh when we have them rather than when we want them that we may follow our business and yet be godly that the overcharging of the Heart is the great Evil that we should beware of that we may use Company but not to partake of their Sins yea to make them better and to purify them by our example I now proceed to the last Clause But Wisdom is justified of her Children We have observed 1. The different form and course of life wherein Iohn and Jesus appeared 2. Their Censures of both 3. The receiving of the Gospel by the Unprejudiced In this last observe 1. The exceptive Particle But tho undeserved Censures are cast upon the Ways of God yet at length there is a Wisdom found in them Ignorant Men mistake them carnal Men slight them the Prophane snuff at them few or none entertain them with that respect they ought to do yet this Wisdom will not want Advocates 2. The thing spoken of Wisdom By Wisdom is meant the Doctrine of the Gospel called elsewhere the Counsel of God as appeareth by the parallel place Luke 7. 29 30. And all the People that heard him justified God being baptized with the Baptism of John But the Pharisees and Lawyers rejected the Counsel of God against themselves The Gospel method of Salvation is there called the Counsel of God because 't is the Counsel he giveth Men for their good as here Wisdom because 't is the result of God's eternal Wisdom and Decrees And elsewhere the Doctrine of Christ crucified is called the Wisdom of God And again 1 Cor. 2. 7. The Wisdom of God in a Mystery 3. What is said of it or how it is used 't is justified Justification is a Râ—lative word as 't is opposed to Crimination so to justify is the work of an Advocate as to Condemnation so 't is the work of a Judg. The Children of Wisdom discharge both parts chiefly the first they bear witness to â—heir Faith or the Doctrine of God concerning Salvation by Christ by their Profession and godly Life and ready Obedience and exalt it so much as others decry it and every way manifest they hold it for good and right only this pleading is real not by Word but Deed Sapientia non quaerit vocis testimonium sed operam saith Hierom. Divine Wisdom is justified more by Works than by a verbal Plea Wisdom's Children hear her Instructions follow her Directions and Institutes and with diligence observe the way of Salvation prescribed by God tho others slight it and so justify it against the Exceptions and Reproaches of the carnal World 4. Of whom Of her Children The Children of Wisdom are the Professors of it those who are begotten by God by the Word of Truth Iames 1. 18. and are willing to attain the end by the ways and means wherein God affordeth it These are Wisdom's Children begotten bred up and instructed by her 't is an Hebraism as Children of Corah Children of Light Children of this World and the like the Professors and Followers of the Gospel The Point that I shall insist on is this That the Wisdom of God leading Men to Salvation in the ways and means pointed out in the Gospel is and should be justified of all the sincere Professors of it In managing this Point I shall shew you First What is the Wisdom of God in the way of Salvation prescribed by the Gospel Secondly That this Wisdom is despised slighted and contradicted by the carnal World and why Thirdly How and why it must be justified by the sincere Professors of the Gospel First What is the Wisdom of God in the way of Salvation prescribed by the Gospel The sum of the Gospel is this That all thâ—se who by true Repentance and Faith do forsake the Flesh the World and the Devil and give up themselves to God the Father Son and Holy Spirit as their Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier shall find God as a Father taking them for his reconciled Children and for Christ's sake pardoning their Sins and by his Spirit giving them his Grace and if they persevere in this course will finally glorify them and bestow upon them everlasting Happiness but will condemn the Unbelievers Impenitent and Ungodly to everlasting punishment That this is the sum of the Gospel appeareth by Mark 16. 15 16. Go preach the Gospel to every Creature He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved but he that believeth not shall be damned Where you have all the Christian Religion laid before you in one short view and prospect It concerneth either the End or the Means 1. The End The Apostle telleth you That God hath brought Life and Immortality to light in the Gospel 2 Tim. 1. 10. or clearly discovered an Happiness and a misery in the World to come 2. The Means He hath pointed out a sure way for obtaining the one and avoiding the other As to the Means Christian Religion is considerable either as to the entrance or the progress of it Our Lord telleth us Mat. 7. 14. Streight is the Gate and narrow is the Way which leadeth unto Life He speaketh of a Gate and a Way The Gate noteth the Entrance the Way the Progress therein In other Scriptures we read of making Covenant with God and keeping Covenant with God The Covenant must not only be made but kept So again we read of Dedication and Use of devotedness to God and faithfulness to him of our Purpose and Progress Choice and Course all which expressions tend to the same effect 1. As to the way of entring into Covenant with God there is required 1. True Repentance and Faith Repentance towards God and Faith in
sum of the Salvation which we expect or our everlasting Happiness with God in Heaven 2. What is the Right of Believers or the Interest of Faith in this great Benefit I Anser 1. It doth not merit this Reward for it is not a Reward of due Debt by virtue of any intrinsick Righteousness in us or any thing that we can do and suffer but of mere Grace and Favour Ephes. 2. 8. For by Grace ye are saved through Faith and that not of your selves it is the Gift of God The Apostle is very tender of the Honour of Grace and the Interest of Grace in our Salvation From the first step to the last period all is of Grace and this Glory of his free Grace God must not be robbed of neither in whole nor in part We have all from his Elective Love we have all from the Merit and Righteousness of Christ and all from the almighty Operation of the sanctifying Spirit Faith it self is a Gift and Fruit of God's Grace in us To you 't is given to believe Phil. 1. 29. Therefore surely 't is God's free Grace Favour and Good-will which doth freely bestow that Salvation on the Elect which Christ by his Merit hath purchased and that very Faith by which we apply and make out our actual Claim and Title is wrought in us by the Spirit so that there is nothing in the Persons to whom all this is given to induce God to confer so great Benefit on us 2. Tho it be an undeserved Favour upon which our Works have no meritorious Influence yet Believers have an undoubted Right by the Grant and Promise of God wherein they may comfort themselves and which they may plead before God John 3. 16. God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have Life Everlastingly And Iohn 5. 24. Verily verily I say unto you He that heareth my words and believeth in him that sent me hath everlasting Life and shall not come into condemnation but is passed from Death to Life And in many places where the Believer is qualified as the Heir of Glory He that entertaineth Christ's Doctrine and receiveth and owneth him as the True Messiah and Saviour of the World and dependeth upon him and obeyeth him this Man hath a full right and new Covenant-Title to eternal Life 3. He hath not only a new Covenant-Right but a begun Possession We have some small Beginnings Earnests and Foretastes of it in this partly in the Graces partly in the Comforts of the Spirit 1. In the Graces of the Holy Spirit For Salvation is begun in our new Birth Titus 3. 5. And therefore Sanctifying Grace is called Immortal or incorruptible Seed 1 Pet. 1. 23. There is an eternal Principle put into them which carrieth them to eternal Ends. The Life is begun in all that shall be saved and it is still working towards its final Perfection The Apostle telleth us That he that hateth his Brother hath not eternal Life abiding in him 1 Joh. 3. 15. Whereby he implieth That he that loveth his Brother or hath any saving Grace he hath eternal Life begun in him 2. As to Comforts so they have some foretastes of that sweetness which is in Heaven by the Life and Exercise of Faith which is followed with Peace and Joy Rom. 15. 13. Or in their approaches to God in the Word and Prayer where Cod most familiarly manifests himself unto his People 1 Pet. 1. 3. or upon some apprehensions of his favour or the exercise of Hope and Love 2 Pet. 1. 8. By these or the like ways the Spirit of God giveth us the foretaste Surely such an Author such an Object must needs put ravishing and heavenly Joy into the Heart of a Believer 4. They are also made meet to partake of the heavenly Inheritance Col. 1. 12. There is Ius Haereditarium and Ius Aptitudinale The difference is as between an Heir grown and in his nonage when a Child in the Cradle As their Natures are more renewed and purified and their Souls weaned from the delights of sense they are changed into the Divine Nature 3. What is that saving-Faith which giveth us a title to it This deserveth to be cleared that we may not deceive our selves with a false claim Saving-Faith is such a believing in Christ for reconciliation with God and the everlasting Fruition of him in Glory as maketh us to forsake all things in this World and give up our selves to the conduct of the Word and Spirit for the obtaining of it 1. The general Nature of it I express by believing There is in it Assent Consent and Aâ—â—iance 1. Assent That leadeth on the rest when we believe the Truth of God's Word Acts 24. 14 15. especially those practical Truths which do most nearly concern our recovery to God as concerning Man's Sin and Misery that we have broken his Laws and are obnoxious to his Justice and have deserved punishment for our Sins Rom. 3. 23. And concerning Christ his Person and Office that he is the Son of God and that he came from God to bring home Sinners to God and what he hath done to reconcile us to him 1 Pet. 3. 18. For Christ also hath once suffered for our Sins the Iust for the Vnjust that he might bring us to God being put to death in the Flesh but quickned by the Spirit And also concerning your Duty and Happiness the End and the Way There is no other End and Happiness but God no other Way but the Mediator and the Means appointed by him Iohn 14. 6. Now these and such-like Truths must be believed that is in the sense we are now upon assented unto as faithful Sayings and worthy of all acceptation and regard 2. There is a Consent in Faith whether you apply it to the Word or Christ. If Christ be propounded as the Object of it 't is called a receiving Iohn 1. 12. But as many as received him to them gave he power to become the Sons of God So the word Acts 2. 41. They gladly received his Word that is embraced the Gospel-Covenant being really affected with what he had spoken concerning their Sin and their Duty Without this the Assent is but Intellectual and Speculative not Practical An Opinion not an Act or Motion of the new Nature I am to receive the Christ offered to embrace the Covenant propounded To accept of the Blessings offered for my Happiness and to resolve upon the Duties required as my Work This is Consent or an hearty accepting of Christ or the Covenant of Grace offered to us in his Name 3. There is Affiance Trust Dependance or Confidence which is a quiet repose of Heart in the Mercy of God or Fidelity of Christ that he will give me Pardon and Life if I seek after it in the way that he hath appointed This cometh in upon the former for when I consent to seek my happiness in God through Christ I depend