promises and he begins first to thinke What are these promises true Yes surely they are most true they are confirmed witâ— an oath they are confirmed with the blood with the death of the Testator a mans Couenant after it is once made and the Testator is dead Gal. 3. no man addes to it or takes from it Now when a man considers this Are these the promises of the LORD hath hee confirmed them with an Oath are they confirmed with the blood of the Testator Certainely they are most true I cannot doubt of them but then he begins to consider As they are true how fit are they for mee what is the goodnes of them They are also exceeding good there is nothing in the world so excellent so precious so sweet and so comfortable as these promises bee I say when he hath done these two when the vnderstanding sayes they are true and beleeues them and when the will saith they are good and embraceth them at that very instant saluation is come to thy house and to thy heaâ—t I say Christ Iesus is come to thee at that very instant hee hath made a Couenant with thee though perhaps thou see him not at that time as Mary could not see him but â—ooke him for the Gardner but I say at that time thou art tâ—anslated from the Couenant of Workes to the Couenant of Grace But you will say How comes this blood to be a witnesse Beloued it is a witnesse in this manner when a mans spiâ—it shall consider the promises and ponder them well and shall say this with himselfe Well I haue applyed these promises bâ—t vpon what warrant vpon what ground haue I done it euery body will be ready to apply the promises of mercy and forgiuenesse but what warrant haue I to apply them To know that vpon good ground I lay hold of these promises then a man considers with himselfe the promises they are sure they are cleerely and distinctly set downe in the Word hee considers to whom these promises are offered to those that are vnrigâ— tâ—ous the LORD iustifieth the vnrighteous euen to Publicans and Harlots to sinners such they were that came to CHRIST to such the promises were offered Well I know I am an vnrighteous man and thâ—râ—fore the want of sorâ—ow and conâ—rition and the want of holinesse and the want of tendernesse of heart in the beginning shall not exclude me for they are promises that are made to the vnrighteous to the vncleane and polluted to the hard-hearted such they are at the first to whom the promises are made but what doth the Lord require of those That they thiâ—st all that thirst come I finde an extâ—â—me thirst I would dye that I might haue Christ and his righteousnesse Is this all No it is required further that when thou art come in thou take this resolution now I will serue him now I will loue him now I will obey him I will bee content to take Iesus Christ for better for worse I will be content to deny my selfe to take vp my Crosse to follow him in all his wayes When a mans spirit hath pondred this well when he hath looked on the blood of IESVS CHRIST and the promises and sees himselfe qualified vpon this he sayes surely these promises belong to mee this is the witnesse of the blood then followes the witnesse of the water for the blood hath a double vertue in it it hath not onely the vertue to deliuer vs from the guilt of sinne to cause the LORD to passe ouer vs when he sees the sprinkling of the blood vpon our hearts and vpon our persons but there is this more it hath a clensing vertue in it cleanseth the conscience from dead workes and so hath faith it hath not onely a vertue in it to receiue and to digest and to take the promises but it hath an ability to worke as the hand you know hath two offices it hath an office to receiue and to take and likewise it hath ability to worke Beloued these are neuer disioyned the blood neuer washeth from sinne but likewise it cleanseth the conscience from dead workes faith neuer receiues the promise but it workes likewise indeed for the â—eceiuing part wee receiue all alike precious faith but for the working part there is much difference you know a weake hand is able to receiue as well as a stronger but a stronger can doe more worke therefore as faith growes more so it workes more Some man hath a more working faith then others though as it is a receiuing faith he hath it alike therefore thou maist consider this with thy selfe if I haue the testimony of the blood I haue also the testimony of the water that is a sanctification ioyned with iustification Christ came not by blood onely but by water also if the spirit of a man looke on this now and can say I see I am renewed in the spirit of my minde I see I am washed from my filthinesse I see my conscience is in some measure cleansed from dead workes then he may conclude with himselfe surely I am in the state of grace I am in the Couenant And this beloued is the witnesse of our owne spirits and the witnesse of the water and of the blood But when this is done it may be the LORD continues yet at some fits to write bitter things against thee he seemes to cast thee off hee seemes to wound thee sometimes with the wounds of an enemy This the LORD many times doth that he may put vsto it hee turnes the deafe eare that hee may try what we will doe when the spirit of a man hath now these testimonies and yet hath not rest though it haue them on good ground for I meane not the naked spirit of a man but his spirit enlightned and sanctified by the Holy Ghost yet when hee hatâ— good ground and saith thus with himselfe Yet for all this I will trust in him I haue his sure Word for it I haue his promise I know that heauen and earth shall passe rather then any promise of his shall passe now when the Lord seeth a man beleeuing thus and trusting him vpon his bate word then the Lord goes a step further with him seales the same things to him with the spirit of promise that is as I shewed before out of Eph. 1. 13. In whom after you belâ—â—ued you were sealed with the spirit of promise when you put to your seale that God is true God then comes and puts to his seale he giues you the spirit of promise and assures you that it is so that is he doth by his owne Spirâ—t say to a mans soule that he is his saluation My beloued this is a certaine expression of the Holy Ghost to the soule of a man that we know not how to expresse to you therefore it is called the hidden Mannaâ— it is called a white stone with a new name written in it that no man knowes but he that
that is found in it The spirit of God blowes vpon it and the grasse withers and the flower fades away so in Rom. 8. the Creature is subiect to vanitie That is It is of no abiding condition it withers and wasts and hath nothing in it to maintaine it Besides it is called vaine because it is not able to bring any enterprise to passe You would thinke the Creature were able to doe much but you see what the Lord sayth A man thinkes he is able to build a house or he thinkes he is able to watch a Cittie No sayth the Lord if I withdraw my selfe thou shalt be able to doe nothing nor any Creature whatsoever What is said of that may be said of any thing else A man thinkes a Horse is a Creature that will stand him in much steade in the day of battayle but a horse is but a vaine thing And so it is of all other Creatures they are not able to bring any enterprise to passe herein is the vanitie of them But now this is but the simple expression of vanitie Let vs consider for what can we doe better since we are vpon this argument what arguments the holy Ghost vseth to perswade vs of this truth that there is nothing but emptinesse in the Creature My Beloved I beseech you harken to it for all of vs thinke there is too much in the Creature we should not seeke it as we doe our thoughts and affections should not be so much stirred about it as they are if wee did not thinke there were something in it I say consider the arguments which the holy Ghost vseth I will but name the places in briefe to you you may reade them in these two Chapters at your leasure it will much helpe to bring them to your memory First sayth the holy Ghost there is nothing but vanitie for sayth the Wiseman when I looke vpon the whole universe vpon the whole frame of things this I finde first a great instabilitie in them one generation commeth and another goeth the Sunne riseth and the Sunne setteth there is nothing constant vnder the Sunne Now the happinesse of a man that which will giue content to a man it must be some stable thing for a man cannot rest but vpon some Center vpon some place where his soule may finde some quiet and therefore an vnstable thing that is in continuall passage is not able to giue it rest Secondly Sayth he there is no new thing under the Sunne Marke it for sayth he if you goe through the whole course of things you shall finde nothing new one generation comes and another generation succeeds like it And so forward that as in the waues of the Sea one followes another till they be all broken vpon the shore so it is in the succession of generations and there is nothing in one generation but what was in another because sayth he the Sunne riseth and sets the winds goe to and fro they goe about by their Circuits And so the waters in the springs and in the Rivers they goe and come and there is no new thing vnder the Sunne What shall wee gather from that Why this that there is no satisfaction to the soule of a man And therefore sayth he the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare with hearing Those are the onely disciplinall senses we haue you know all the knowledge you haue is gathered by the eye and the eare Now if there be no new thing vnder the Sunne but all things are the same hence it is that the minde of man when it looks about it can finde nothing to giue it satisfaction for there must be some newnesse some varietie something that we haue not here that the soule seekes after But sayth he you shall find nothing but the same nothing but Identitie But if it be objected there is some thing now that was not before and there were some things before that are not now The Wiseman answers thus those things that were done then they are forgotten they are not had in remembrance And so likewise the things that are now will be forgotten And therefore there is no new thing Indeede in grace there is some thing new there is a new Creature there are all things new within and without there is a new Iudgement a new Conscience new affections every thing is new all things are become new there Let him that hath grace looke about him and there is some thing new he comes into a new Company he is brought into a new world his eye sees things his eare heares things that never entred into any mans heart That is into any naturall mans heart which onely hath to doe with naturall things let him looke into the word of God there is a newnesse for the more you reade it the more you desire still to reade it the more you heare it still you finde some new thing discovered Looke on the depth of those mysteries looke on the consolations of the spirit still there is some thing new in all the wayes of God that belong to the new Creature still thou shalt haue a fresh renewed vigor in every thing that satisfieth the soule of a man and there the eye is satisfied with seeing and the eare with hearing In all the workes of Nature there is some thing new The third and last reason that he vseth to shew the emptinesse of all things under the Sunne is because that which is crooked cannot be made straight and that which is defectiue can none supply That is There are many things in the Creature that are crosse to vs that fall thwart vpon vs there are many ils that we finde in our selues and in all the things we haue to doe with But sayth he if you looke vpon the Creature there is nothing that is able to make straight that which is crooked the daughter of Abraham that was crooked all the Creatures both in heaven and earth were not able to make her straight A perverse and crooked minde who can make straight Crooked Children who can make them straight Crooked affections inordinate feares and inordinate griefes who can rectifie them And so likewise who can supply that which is wanting When he lookes vpon all this and sees it in the nature of the Creature he concludes vpon all this that all is vanitie When he hath done all this he goes further and confirmes all this by experience of his own and now there were two things wherein Salomon did excell which all men would desire vpō earth That is Greatnesse of Wisedome And secondly Greatnesse of estate And sayth he first before I come to the particulars let me say this to you concerning my experience and see whether the arguments that are taken from thence be not strong arguments to expresse the vanitie of all things under the Sunne Sayth he I was a King in Ierusalem a mightie man and therefore able to haue experience of those things that
thus when thou lookest vpon God in his greatnes First art thou able to say I haue not the vnderstanding of a man in me That is Canst thou see the emptinesse and vanitie of thy owne knowledge Canst thou learne not to murmur against God in any of his wayes Canst thou learne to captivate and bring vnder thy thoughts to the wayes of Gods providence Canst thou doe as Iob did saying I haue heretofore taken exceptions and murmured and was discontented and wondered at the wayes of God and the workes of his hands I haue done this once or twice but now I will doe so no more Iob knew God as well as we know him but when God spake out of the whirle-winde and made knowne his greatnes to him this was the fruit of it to Iob though he had spoken once or twice that is before that time yet now he would doe it no more Canst thou be content to see the Lord going all the wayes that he doth setting vp evill men and putting downe good men causing the Churches to wither and the enemies to prosper Canst thou see all this and yet sanctifie him in thine heart Art thou able to say that he is holy in all his wayes and in this to see the greatnesse of God and thy owne folly and weakenes Canst thou say that thou art but dust and ashes and to say it in good earnest Canst thou looke on thy selfe as on a vile Creature as Peter did saying Goe from me for I am a sinfull man Then I will beleeue that thou hast seene God in his greatnes I will beleeue that thou hast seene him in his All-sufficiency that he hath represented himselfe by his spirit into thy soule in some measure when thou seest these effects in thy soule when thou seest thy ignorance and thy vilenes when thou seest what an emptie Creature thou art sure this is another thing by which thou mayst judge whether thou hast experience whether thou hast practised this doctrine that we haue delivered of the All-sufficiencie of God and of the emptines of the Creature Moreover if God be All-sufficient why are we then so readie to knock at other mens dores Why are we then so readie to goe to the Creature to seeke helpe and comfort and counsell from it and to knocke so little at his doore by prayer and seeking to him for if he be All-sufficient thou shouldst be abundant in prayer thou wouldst take little time to looke to others thy chiefe busines would be to looke to him not onely in praying to him but in serving him and pleasing him We knocke at his doore as well by the duties of obedience as by prayer and seeking to him if thou thinkest him to be All-sufficient why dost thou not doe this Againe if thou thinke him to be All-sufficient why art thou not content to be at his immediate finding Put the case he deprive thee of all things else and doe with thee as Parents doe with their Children who giue them not a penny in their purse but tell them they will provide for them why art thou not content that God should doe so What if he strip thee of all thy wealth of thy libertie of thy friends so that thou canst looke for nothing but immediately at his hands to feede thee as he feeds the Ravens and the Lyons if he be All-sufficient why dost thou not trust in him in such a case and rest vpon him Againe lastly if thou thinkest God to be All-sufficient why dost thou not when thou hast any service or dutie to doe either belonging to God or man why dost thou not resolue vpon the doing of it without looking to the consequence whatsoever it be For my Beloved if he be All-sufficient then all our care should be nothing but to doe our dutie and to leaue the successe to him A servant that thinkes his Maister is able and willing to giue him wages and provide for him sufficiently at the end of the day or the yeare or the end of his service he will be carefull to doe his worke without looking to his wages without making provision for himselfe and so if thou beleeue God to be All-sufficient thou wilt seeke no more but to finde out what thy dutie is what rule thou oughtest to walke by what service thou owest to man in such a case how to keepe a good conscience in such a businesse in such a straight in such a difficultie thou wilt set thy wits a-worke to finde out this but when thy wit is over-running thy dutie and thou lookest to the consequence if I doe this and this this will befall me that is a signe thou thinkest not God to be All-sufficient thou thinkest thy Maister cannot provide for thee but thou thinkest I shall be poore when I haue done his service and therefore I will provide for my selfe I shall want comforts I shall haue enemies come in vpon me if thy Maister be a Sunne a Shield and a Buckler and an exceeding great reward and thou beleevest him to be so thou wouldst finde out onely thy dutie and it is no matter what the consequence is So you see the three men did we haue resolved that we will not worship thine Image and whereas you tell vs of casting vs into a burning fiery Fornace that we care not for God is able to deliver vs they did see Gods All-sufficiencie and therefore they did the dutie Certainely Belovid in any difficult case no man will doe his dutie except he be perswaded that God is All-sufficient Those three men would never haue refused to worship the Idoll except they could haue said and thought in their hearts God is able to deliver vs out of thy hands O King This they sayd and resolved to doe And so Daniell resolved to doe his dutie and not to goe a steppe out of the path besides the Rule Well he shall be cast into the Lyons denne yet he keepes his resolution firme it was enough for him to doe his dutie for the consequence of it he left it to God for he knew he was All-sufficient You see God watched over them and delivered them all And so likewise in refusing to eate of the Kings meate Daniell would not pollute himselfe it was not lawfull for him being a Iew it might haue cost him life for ought he knew if he had looked on the his consequence but he resolved to doe it Sayth the Text he resolved in his heart to doe it committed it to God And we see in all these three cases God shewed himselfe sufficient So he doth when we looke to our dutie sincerely and faithfully when we doe it and looke not to the consequence he is then All-sufficient and will shew himselfe to be so And the like we see in the case of Mordecai he thought it was a sinne to bow to Hamman who was an Amalekite he would not doe it Well but they shall all be destroyed he and all the Iewes He tels Hester
for fits and for times as we see the Isâ—aelites did they would â—ollow GOD for such a time in the Wildernesse after hee had refreshed them and deliuered them but as soone as new trouble came when they wanted bread and water and flesh presently they murmured againe and grew discontented And so Ioram King of Israel when he was pressed with famine saith he I will waite no longer vpon the Lord but he would needes take away Elisha's head the man of GOD that exhoâ—ted him to waiâ—e on GOD. Thus it is with men they haue no constant good opinion of GOD but it is not so with the Saints they haue knowne the LORD himselfe hee hath shewed his owne selfe to them that good opinion they haue of him is fixed and established it is the Lord himselfe that hath taught it â—â—em and that which they haue beene confirmed in by long experience and therefore they will neuer forsake him noâ— part from him it is hee himselfe whom they haue chosen And this is the next difference betweene an vnsound-hearted man and he that hath a perfect heart that hee seekes the Lord himselfe his heart is perfect with him when another returnes not to the most high but returnes to serue him for other ends and for other respects but against the Lord himselfe when he hath serued his turne he is ready to rebell The next property you shall find 1 Cor. 2. 6. Howbeit we speake wisdome to those that are perfect not the wisdome of this world or of the Princes of this world but the wisdome of God in a mysterie euen the hidden wisdome that GOD hath ordained before the World to our glâ—rie Heere is another property the Holy Ghost sets downe of a perfect-hearted man the Apostle when he had said I come not among you with the excellency of wisdome or the words of man but my ayme is my desire is as to know Christ crucified alone so to teach nothing else to you and to preach to you in the plaine euidence of the Spirit and of power whereas it might bee obiected I but Paul euery man thinkes not so many men thinke you would doe better if you would preach as other men doe and bee curious and quaint of Oratory saith hee these things as I deliuer them whatsoeuer they may seeme to other men yet to those that are perfect they seeme wisdome though others may despise it and reckon it foolishnesse yet to the perfect it is wisdome So that I gather hence A perfect man in this is distinguished from another that is not sound-hearted that he hath eyes to see the wisdome of the Holy Ghost he knowes wisdome Now a perfect man is there so called in opposition to him that is meerely animalis that hath onely a reasonable soule and no more for that is the word the same word that is vsed in another place of this Chapter the naturall man it is translated but the word in the Originall signifies a man that hath onely naturall abilities and endowments and naturall perfections such a man is reckoned an imperfect man a man that is not sound But saith the Apostle to a man that is perfect that is to a man that hath besides the strength of naturall gifts the sanctifying Spirit that enlightneth him that the Spirit of God possesseth and informes his soule it ioynes with his soule it is dwelling in him such a one is a perfect man saith hee and you shall know him by this hee discernes the wisdome of GOD he iudgeth aright of it so that my beloued the meaning of it is this there is a certaine wisdome of God there are certaine things that no naturall man in the world reaches or relishes take the hypocrite that goes the furthest in the profession of holinesse euen as farre as the second or third ground euen as far as those Heb. 6. that were much enlightned and had tasted of the power of the world to come yet this wisdome that he speakes of here we speake the wisdome of GOD consists of such things as they neuer knew certaine things that the most knowing man that liues in the Church of God that is not regenerate can neuer know them as he saith Verse 9. such as eye neuer saw â— signifying thus mâ—ch the eye and the eare haue the sences by which knowledge is gathered yet mans eye aâ—d his eare neuer saw c. and his heart that is more actiue then eyther of â—hem neuer vnderstood them You will say what are these things They are expressed by diâ—ers names in this Chapter they are called the wisdome of God they are called the wisdome of GOD hid in a mysterie the deepe things of God the things of the Spirit of God the things that are giuen vs of God for our glory Beloued these are things that no vnsound-hearted man did euer sound and therefore I will bee bold to say to you if euer you knew thâ—se things if euer you reckoned these things wisdome certainely your hearts are perfect you are not meere naturall men but you haue receiued the Spirit of â—od that is the sanctifying and enlighning Spirit of God But you will say How can it be that a naturall man should neuer know these things Bâ—loued I say it may be very well for they are things that no Minister in the world can teach you we may propound them to you and you may heare them seuen yeeres and seuen you may reade the very same things in the Scriptures and in other Bookes a thousand times ouer and yet for all this not vnderstand them It is the wisdome of God in a mystery and they are the deepe things of God As a man may looke on a Trade and neuer see the mystery of it he may looke on artificiall things pictures or any thing else and yet not see the Art by which they are made as a man may looke on a Letter and yet not vnderstand the sense something there is that he sees and something that he sees not not it enters not into his heart and therefore it is said seeing they see not which argueth that there is something that they see Thus there are some things there is a wisdome of GOD that an vnsound-hearted man can neuer know it can neuer enter into his heart which wisdome therefore if thou hast certainely thou art a perfect man You will say How shall a man know whether he know this wisdome or no whether hee thus iudge of the wayes of God I answer You shall know whether the wâ—sdome you haue bee such as belongs to perfect men or no by these foure things which I will deliuer distinctly vnto you First you shall finde this that when this knowledge is discouered â—o a man it exceedingly humbles him all other knowledge doth not so it rather puffes him vp But this brings a man exceedingly out of conceit with himselfe it makes him to stand amazed at himselfe that is
meaning for saith he LORD I haue respect to thy Commandements other things moue me not so much but if any Commandement come from thee I haue respect vnto it and I presently goe and execute it and in this regard he is said to be a man after Gods owne heart as we see in Act. 13. 22. I haue found saith the Lord a man after mine owne heart that is a man of a sincere of an vpright heart a man in whose heart is integrity and sincerity a man without guile and he proues it by this saith he He will doe whatsoeuer I will that is if my will be known to him that will he do that is the motiue that leades him that is the thing that stirres him vpon all occasions for that is the effect by which he is described to be a man after Gods owne heart hee will doe whatsoeuer I will Now beloued you may examine your selues by this whether you haue those effects that arise from sincerity and integrity of heart consider what mooues you to euery action Certainely there is no man that goes about any businesse but there is some motiue that sets him aworke Is it by vertue of the Commandement that thou goest about all thy occasions Is it that that moues thee Hast thou that respect to Gods Commandements that when other commandements come thou regardest them little but thou hast still an eye to that as Dauid saith as that is another expression of his sincerity saith he Mine eyes waite on thee as the eyes of the handmaid waite on her Mistris that is I am still looking to thee to thy Word to thy Commandement any becke or nod from thee moues me as the Maide waits vpon her Mistris to see what her will is I say this is the disposition of all the Saints and therefore take heed of being deceiued in this beloued it fals out ofttimes that you shall finde them both implicated and inuolued together and therein commonly we are deceiued a Commandement comes from God and respects of our own concurre marke it well that I may take away this deceipt as for example perhaps there is a seruice which the Lord himselfe commands a man may bee very diligent in this worke but it may bee there is not onely a Commandement of GOD to mooue him but there is much applause there is a certaine lustre and splendour that followes diligence in a good action in some great businesse Heâ—re now is a double motiue here is a Commandement from God and withall there is credit and esteeme from men As I say of doing so likewise of suffering it may be a man is to suffer and it is GODS will to haue him suffer and he suffers for the keeping of a good conscience but withall there is somewhat more mingled with it there is esteeme from men and so for other actions diligence in a mans calling it is true is the Commandement of GOD and the worke is the LORDS he doth it for him hee ought to be diligent but withall there is profit and reputation followes it there is aduantage comes to himselfe here you see there are more respects then one here is the Commandement of GOD and other respects likewise and so for hearing the Word it is true it is GODS Commandement to heare and a man comes it may be out of some respect to that Commandement but withall there may be other respects mingled a man may come to feede his vnderstanding with new notions with nouelty he may come to see wit and learning or to know the humour and the spirit of the Preacher other respects may be mingled Now you will say how then shall a man know whether it bee the Commandement that moues him if that be the proper effect of sincerity Beloued it is easie to know it by this take a man whose heart is not sound whose heart is impure who is hollow toward the LORD and take out the other respects and leaue the naked Commandement alone and he will stand still hee moues not let other respects be tooke away let the worke want that outward glory and he stands still he goes not about it so diligently let the suffering bee sequestred from the praise of men which accompanies it let there be nothing but a bare Command yea suppose sometimes they incurre discredit with men as sometimes they doe in suffering there is onely a naked Commandement to encourage them to it I say if the heart bee vnsound it stands still and moues not but when the heart is vpright take away the Commandement and leaue the other respects and it stands still on the other side by which you may know that it is not respect to mens commandements that moues a man because when that is tooke out when there is not the will of God signified in it when he thinkes with himselfe this is not for GODS glory I haue no warrant from GOD to doe it though there be other respects to my owne credit and profit the heart stands still as a Mill doth when it hath no water nor no wind to driue it This is an argument of sincerity when still the Commandement moues it But this obiection may be made May not a man be moued with other respects may he not be moued with regard to credit and aduancement that may follow vpon the performance of good duties I answer he may in the second place he may not primarily be moued with it it is the Commandement that must set him on worke but when he is vpon the way these respects may carry him on with more facility and alacrity as a seruant that is commanded to goe a iourney if there be concurrence of other things if he haue a good way and good weather and good company and money in his purse it is his aduantage he doth it the more willingly and cheerefully but if there be none of these it is enough that it is his Masters businesse that is enough to set him aworke You know Paul had many hard taskes when he went to Macedonia and vpon other occasions you know what his entertainement was and yet it was his Masters worke it was his Commandement for it is a sure rule that as wee ought to vse all Gods Ordinances so also may wee vse all Gods Arguments It is an Argument that himselfe vseth that we may haue respect to the recompence The reward of the feare of God and humility is riches and honour and life c. If you aske But how shall a man know when he doth it thus in the first place when he is moued with the Commandement I answer you shall know it by this A seruant that seekes his masters profit altogether with the neglect of his owne it is an argument that he serues him not out of selfe-respects but that which he is primarily moued with is regard to his Master Indeed heere is the difference A seruant that trusts not his Master
hath it a certaine manifestation of Christ to the soule a certaine diuine light a certaine secret token of his loue whereby Christ manifests himselfe to the soule of a man that which the Scriptures call supping with him I will come and sup with him Rev. 3. Iob. 14. 21. I and my Father will come to him and I will manisest my owne selfe vnto him this is the witnesse of the Spirit that when the witnesse of our owne spirit is somewhat obscure we may then say Lord thou now speakest plainely now there is no question My beloued this is the witnesse of the Spirit that thou be not mistaken in it still remember this that it is giuen to those that ouercome if thou be ouercome of euery thing of euery small temptation if thou bee ouercome with a blast of praise with a little pelfe and wealth dost thou thinke now thou hast got the white stone thaâ— Christ giues as the witnesse of his Spirit No my beloued it is to those that ouercome and so it is to those that open if thou bee a stubborne seruant that Christ may come againe and againe aâ—d knocke at the doore and tell thee of such a sinne that thou lyest in and of such a duty that thou neglectest and yet thou carriest thy selfe like a stubborne seruant that will not heare him or if thou doe thou wilt not goe about thy woâ—ke that he hath appointed thee dost thou thinke hee will come in and sup with thee when thou wilt not open to him No my beloued it is not Christ that sups with thee but it is a delusion of Satan but how shall we know this These are the things that accompany the Spirit but now for the Consequents of it they are 〈…〉 First there followes a spirit of prayer that goes together with it prayer in the perfection of it is not a lip labour no it is not a putting vp of petitions be they neuer so exceellent it is not a crying to the Lord for other men may doe so but it is when a man can come to God with considence because he knowes him to bee his Father because hee hath beene acquainted with him because hee hath receiued the Spirit of the Sonne that tels him in plaine termes he is his Father when a maâ— can come with holy affections to the Lord this is the spirit of prayer a wicked man as we shewed out of Iob 27. when God comes to him and rends and teares his soule from him that is he parts with his soule vnwillingly when God puls on the one side and he on the other when GOD puls away his soule saith he will the LORD heare him when hee cries to the Almighty No for hee doth not pray it is indeed a cry a man in extremity may cry hard as a thiefe at the Barre he cryes hard not because he loues the Iudge or hath any confidence in him if it were not fot that extremity hee would not doe it at all saith he he prayeth not he doth not delight in the Almighty hee goes not to him as to a father and it appeares hence that were there not such an extremity hee would not pray for hee will not pray at all times Secondly it breeds loue wheresoeuer the witnesse of the Spirit is alwayes there followes it loue towards God and Iesus Christ for it cannot bee otherwise all loue comes from knowledge now when a man hath seene Iesus Christ indeed that is when the Lord hath shewed him his owne selfe to him when hee hath drawne neere to a man in the witnesse of his Spirit when he hath manifested himselfe it cannot be but a man must loue him What is the reason that wee shall loue him perfectly in heauen but because we shall know him fully any man that knowes him in part heere loues him in part and therefore if you haue euer knowne the LORD that hee hath thus shewed himselfe it cannot be but thou shalt loue him Besides loue comes from kindnesse and goodnesse of one that hath shewed loue to vs loue begets loue as fire begets fire Now when this was thy case when thou wast a man expecting nothing but death and hell and the wrath of God and the Lord hath come and spoke kindly vnto thee as it were the LORD hath come and spoken to thee when thou wast to die and hath said thou shalt liue when he hath ouercome thee with kindnesse as it were it cannot be now but that thy heart should be affectioned towards him as Dauid saith Psal 18. Lord I loue thee dearely for when I was in distresse thou didst heare mee so when a man hath felt the terrours of the Almighty when hee hath lyen vnder the spirit of bondage for a time when he expected nothing but death and condemnation and the Lord hath shewed mercy and louing kindnesse vnto him loue will follow Thirdly thou shalt finde this follow vpon it likewise if thou haue the spirit of Adoption it will set thee a worke to clense thy selfe as 2. Cor. 7. 1. see a notable place for this purpose saith hee if you haue such promises that is the promises of grace and of forgiuenesse and of the pardon of sinne if you haue applyed them indeed by the spirit of Adoption then you will clense your selues from all pollution of flâ—sh and spirit So beloued by this thou maist know whether thou hast the spirit of adoption whether thou hast applyed the Couenant of Grace and the promises of it indeed and in good earnâ—st this will certainely follow thou wilt clense thy selfe but if thou finde now that thou wallowest in thy lusts in thy filthinesse that thou art not yet washed from thy sinnes and from thy swinish nature be assured thou hast not yet applyed the promises thou hast not yet the spirit of Adoption be assured if thou hast any hope it is not a true and liuely hope it is but a false and dead hope for if it were a true and a liuely hope 1 Ioh. 3. it would set thee aworke to purge thy selfe and therefore Heb. 10. 22. you see the difference there betweene the assurance of faith and of presumption Draw neere in assurance of faith What then hauing your hearts sprinkled from an euill conscience and your bodies washed in pure water If it be assurance of faith it hath alwaies this following with it the heart is sprinkled from an euill conscience but if it bee a presumptuous a false assurance vpon false grounds there followes no such clensing no such watchfulnesse Beloued this is a sure rule that will not deceiue you you those that haue but false flashes of comfort they grow secure after them these breed carelesnesse they are more bold to commit sinne they walke loosely and are apt and â—eady to say I doubt not but it shall bee well enough with mee but those that haue assurance indeed it makes them much more diligent and sollicitous and carefull to
please the Lâ—â—d in all things for it is as a feast to them when Christ leads them into his Sellar as it were and makes a mans heart glad with Flaggons of Wine that is with the consolations of the Spirit I say it quickens him and makes him zealous and ready to euery good worke when he hath once tasted of this Wine his case is like Elihuds he cannot hold in but hee must breake forth into good workes into holinesse of life A man walkes in the strength of such a testimony of the Spirit for many dayes for so many yeeres so farre it is from making a man remisse in the wayes of God Fourthly that which accompanies it is peace and Ioy Rom. 15. 13. the Apostle prayes that they may be filled with peace and iâ—y through beleeâ—iâ—g as if he should say if you beleeue once indeed ioy will follow and therefore you know it is called the ioy of the Holy Ghost that is when once a man receiues this witnesse of the Spirit there followes a wondrous quiet and peaceablenesse and calmenesse in the heart Beloued it is with euery sonne of Adam as it was with Adam when he had lost the Image of GOD there followed troubâ—e and horrour in his conscience till that Image was recouered his heart was neuer fully at peace but as soone as that was recouered the heart recouers the former ioy that Adam had that former quiet and peace and comfort that Adam had in that innocency hee hath it in a measure So when the LORD returnes againe to a mans spirit that it is his returning and no delusion I say there ariseth a certaine peace in the soule and a ioy that no worldly man euer tasted of that they neuer vnderstood nor knew the meaning of a certaine peace and ioy that goes beyond all worldly ioy whatsoeuer that which Daâ—id called the sâ—ining of Gods countenance Psal. 4. and beloued one good looke of God is worth more then all the wealth in the world yea then the very corporall presence of Iâ—SVS CHRIST and therefore CHRIST tels his Disciples that they should be great gainers by losing of him for saith hee you shall get this by it I will send the Comforter the Holy Ghost and hee shall fill you with peace and ioy and this shall bee much better for you then if I should bee with you still it is better beloued that Christ should dwell in our hearts then in our houses it is better the LORD should be with vs with his spirituall comforts then with his corporall presence and this comfort I say euery man receiues as soone as hee receiues the Spirit hee receiues peace that passâ—th all vnderstanding But now in the fift place when a 〈◊〉 hath receiued this ioy and this peace wheâ— hâ— iâ— lift vp into the third heauen as it were What followes vpon this Will he be lift vp and puffed vp with all this Oh no it is impossible and therefore in the fift place this accompanies it there followes an exceeding great humility a man is neuer so humble as after hee hath receiued the spirit of promise beloued it is very exceeding certaine that no men in the world are so vile in their owne eyes as those to whom the Holy Ghost hath borne this witnesse there is a place for it that puts this out of all doubt Ezek. 36. 31. when the Lord saith he will powre out his Spirit on them and giue them a new heart and a new spirit then saith he then at that time when you haue receiued the spirit of Adoption and I haue made my Coâ—eâ—ant with you then you shall consider your owne deedes that were not good and you shall acknowledge your selues worthy to be destroyed for your iniqâ—ities and traâ—sgressions the new Translation is 〈◊〉 shall loath yâ—â—r selâ—es that is a man shall bee exceeding vile in his owne eyes Beloued presumption alwayes puffes vp a man it brings him into better conceipt with himselfe but this puts him quite out of conceipt with himselfe the neerer the LOâ—D drawes to any man the more rottennesse he findes in his bones as wee see when the Lord came neere vnto Ioâ— then he abhorred himselfe in dust and ashes because the Lord comes alwayes with a bright light as the Sunne doth that shewes to a man the corrâ—ptions that be in him that he neuer saw before that he wonders at himselfe that hee hath liued so long with himselfe and yet knowes himselfe no better this is the caâ—e of eâ—ery man when the LORD comes home to him it humblâ—th him exceedingly and therefore consider whether thou bee thus vile in thine owne eyes whether the spirit of humility haue gone together with it And last of all to end this point this will follow vpon it though it bee a negatiue those that haue the spirit of Adoption they neuer receiue the spirit of bondage againe Rom. 8. 16. You haue not receiued the spirit of bondage againe to feare as if he shâ—uld say this is the condition of all the Saints you haue tasâ—â—d of it that is the common condition and thaâ— you must looke for and saith hee this testimony you haue for it is the Apostles scope to giue them a testimony of their good estate that they were within the Coâ—â—nant that they were vnder grace saith he by this you shall know it you haue not receiued the spirit of bondage agâ—ine as if he should say should you euer receiue the spirit of bondage againe you were not vnder grace for it is impossible So likewise you see an excellent place for this Gal. 3. 25. Wherefore the Law is a Schoolemaster to bring vs to Christ that wee might bee made righteous by faith But after faith coâ—es we are no longer vnder a Schoolemaster There is no man comes to Christ but the spirit of bondage is first a Schoolemaster to bring him that is the Law must set him hard taskes that hee is not able to perforâ—e and then he sues to Christ as a weake Scholler doth to a Schoolemaster and desires him to performe it for him this brings him to Christ but saith hee when you are once come to Christ when faith comes wee are no more vnder a Schoolemaster a man neuer comes vnder the Law againe But you will obiect Was it not Iobs case did not the Lord write bitter things against him and he was a iust man and one that feared God Was it not Dauids case was not his bones broken as hee complaines after the committing of the sinne of adultery Doe not many finde by experience that GOD hath wounded them sometimes with the wounds of an enemie and hath seemed to cast them off euen after they haue receiued the spirit of Adoption Beloued to this I answer it is very true there are some awakings that a man may haue a man may be put into a great feare after he hath receiued the spirit of Adoption he may tremble exceedingly at the wrath of
them shall the Apostles in their times be able to perswade them No sayth he They shall all be taught of God As if he should say without his teaching it will be all in vaine but if the Lord teach them once they shall be perswaded effectually they shall not onely know what their dutie is but they shall be readie to performe it The reason of which is First because God onely is the generall and vniversall worker he onely is vniversally wise he onely knowes all things and therefore he onely is able to teach all things men know but in part and therefore they are able to teach but in part now he that is perswaded of a thing but in part though he may acknowledge the thing to be good yet his heart is not wrought to practice it for there is something yet behinde some objections that are not yet answered It is onely God that hath an vniversall light that is a generall worker and therefore he is said to be onely wise for a man is not sayd to be wise except he know all things that belongs to such a busines If there be any part or corner of it hid from him he is not wise that is he is not able to proceede aright he is subject to errour but God who hath abundance of light God that knowes all things is onely wise and therefore his is onely able to perswade Hence it is that men are able to perswade that such graces are good that such wayes are excellent in themselues that it is good to take such courses but yet to answer all the secret objections of the heart to perswade fully to turne all the wheeles of the soule this is that that a man is not able to doe to enlighten all the corners of the heart he is not able to convince fully Secondly God is onely able to doe it because he onely knowes all the windings and turnings of the heart of man It is sayd in Ier. 17. 9. that the heart of man is exceeding deceit full who can know it That is no man in the world can know his owne heart much lesse can any man else know it there are so many windings so many turnings in it there is such a labyrinth in the heart such a depth in it that no man is able to search his owne heart to finde out the bottom of it oh but who is able to doe it Sayth he in the next words it is God that searcheth the heart and tryeth the reynes That is he onely knowes the severall inclinations of the will and therefore he onely is able to perswade You know if a man make a key to vndoe such a locke he must know all the wardes of it or else he may make a key that will not vndoe it he may endevour and not be able to turne the locke So the Lord that onely knowes all the wardes all the secret passages all the windings and turnings of the heart of man he onely is able to sute it and to â—it it with such arguments as shall be effectuall to perswade You see when he would perswade Moses to goe downe into Egypt there was a secret objection that Moses had in his heart if he went thither that he should loose his life God that knew Moses heart knew where that objection lay where it stucke with him he was able to bring arguments to perswade him goe thy way said the Lord for they are dead that sought thy life Last of all God is onely able to doe it because he is able to mend the heart where it is amisse A man perhaps may be able to shew an object and to bring it to light but what if the eye be amisse the man is not able to see and to discerne for all that If a manâ— oye be blind if there be any west in it he is not able to remoue it So a man may propound arguments but to make the heart capable of those arguments he may propound reasons and perswasions but to make the heart apprehensiue of them it is aboue the power of the Creature and therefore it is God onely that reâ—â—â—â— vs in the spirit of our mindes he that hath made the eye and so he that made the will and the vnderstanding he only can heale the breaches of them he onely can elevate them and put a supernaturall light into them and make them fit to apprehend those spirituall reasons of any kinde that he objects and propounds to the hearts of men So that God onely is able to perswade as of all other truths so of this that all things are in his hands that he is All-sufficient We may make this vse of it we see the reason why one man is able to see and to trust to this All-sufficiencie of God and another is not The reason is because Christ hath revealed it to one man and not to another God hath taught it to one man and not to another We see it in common experience A wise learned wittie and able man that can discerne more then many others of the vanity of outward things of the All-sufficiencie and fulnesse that is in God yet when he comes to the practice of it he is able to doe nothing On the other side wee shall finde in experience that many poore Christians that are able to say little yet when they come to practice they are able to part with their libertie with their credit with their goods and with their liues that they may cleauâ—â—o God and keepe a cleare Conscience what is the reason of it because they be taught of God they are perswaded by him therefore they are able to practice it As for the others they are taught by men they are taught by themselues and therefore they are not taught it indeedâ— they are not fully convinced of it and therfore though they know such things though they be floating in their mindes yet they haue not the vse the practice of them Wherein you shall obserue this difference That a man may know a truth and yet not be led into that truth as you see Ioh. 16. 13. when he shall come which is the spirit of truth he shall leade you into all truth Marke it he shall leade you into all truth It is one thing to preach the truth and another thing to be led into the truth The holy Ghost shall lead you into all truth as a man is led by the hand into a place for we are not onely blind but lame too wee are not onely vnable to see spirituall truthes but when we see them we are not able to follow the guidance of the holy Ghost Therefore sayth he the spirit shall not onely shew you such and such things but shall leade you into those truthes he shall leade you into the practice of them Many men they know what temperance what sobrietie and patience are who are not able to practice them that
and put them into his Chariots he shall take your daâ—ghters and make them Apothecaries he shall take your Vineyards and your Oliue trees Thus your King shall doe to you because you haue missed your time your miserie shall be great vpon you The like you shall see in the Children of Israell Num. 14. The people might lawfully fight against the Cananites you know they were brought forth for that purpose yet because they missed of their time they would doe it at that time when they were not appointed Moses tels them if they would needes goe vp they should fall before their enemies and accordingly it fell out so for they missed of their time I neede not run through more examples Iosiah and David if you lay these two examples together you shall finde David went not out to warre when he should and the other went when he should not and so missed of their times and you see what miserie it brought vpon them vpon David it brought the greatest misery of all other which was the giuing of him vp to such sinnes as that of murther and adulterie that brought all the evill that he suffered afterwards And Iosiah it cost him his life for he went out vnseasonablie and did mistake the time which God had allotted for such an enterprise So you see now these three there is a time allotted to every purpose to every busiâ—es And it is hard to know it for God keepes it to himselfe he reveâ—les it when it pleaseth him he pitcheth one man by his providence by the secret guidance of his spirit vpon a right time when another misseth it I meane not that it is alwayes done in mercie but in the ordinary disposition of time to them that know him not for when a man pitcheth vpon the time it is he that guides him Thirdly because men misse of their time the miserie is great vpon them it comes vpon them that is some evill times come vpon them suddenly it comes vpon them like a snare Now briefly the vse we should make of it is this That we be carefull not onely to doe the actions that belong to our Callings either our generall Calling as we are Christians or our particular Calling in our ordinarie busines it is not enough to doe them but to looke narrowly to the time It is a Rule among Divines that an action is not good except it haue all the Circumstances good An action may be evill vpon missing any one therefore the time is an ingredient into the goodnesse of the action were the action never so good if the time be missed it makes the action evill when we doe it out of its season when wee doe it not in its time As it is said of words when they are in season they are beautifull So it is true of euery action when it is done in its owne season it is beautifull if it be not there is some deformitie in it some obliquitie and by consequent some sinfulnesse if it be a morall action or somewhat that brings evill after it if it be an action of another nature Now the actions wherein we are to looke so narrowly to our times are of three sorts Some are the actions that God hath commanded vs to doe Wherein it is not enough for vs to doe the workes but we must obserue the times To admonish is a good action and it is commanded vs but to doe it in an vnseasonaâ—le time either vnseasonably to him that admonisheth or to him that is admonished it spoyles the action To be thankful for mercies and to pay our vowes it is a good action but yet if the time be missed and we giue not thankes in due season if you pay not your vowes but deferre them he that deferres his vow though the action be good in it selfe yet if the time be missed he provokes God to anger and sinnes against him It is a lawfull thing for vs to doe the workes of our Calling and to do them diligently yet if we doe them vnseasonablie and incroach vpon the time allotted to prayer wherein we ought to renew our repentance and to set our hearts straight and right before God now it is not done in season it displeaseth God it is an action done out of its time To mourne and reioyce are both good actions but if they be done out of their season they are both exceeding evill and sinfull We see how carefully Nehemiah tels them they should not haue mourned for sayth he this is a time of reioycing for this time to reioyce it is your strength for the ioy of the Lord is your strength therefore now weepe not mourne not butreioyce Againe at another time to rejoyce is as great a sinne as then to mourne as we see Isa. 22. 12. 13. When the Lord cals to mourning if now you giue your selues to killing of sheep and slaying of Oxen c. Your sinne shall not be purged from you till you die I neede not giue you instances in this case These are one sort of actions All the duties of our Calling must be done in season The second sort of actions that we are to obserue this time in they are such as belong to others that tend to the good of others the good of the Church the good of the Common-wealth the good of particular men There is a time when it may be a mans voyce or suffrage would haue turned the scale of a busines that coÌ„cerned much the Common-wealth or the societie where he liues but when that opportunitie is past it can be recalled no more There is a time when a mans speaking may doe much good and his silence is sinfull and doth much hurt by the losse it brings Such times and seasons are to be observed such opportunities there be There is an opportunitie of preventing a mischiefe to a Common-wealth or to a Kingdome when we neglect that opportunitie it causeth the miserie of man to be great vpon him as we heard before So for particular Cases There is a time and a season and an opportunitie of comforting the bowels of the Saints of relieuing and entertaining strangers of doing good to parents of educating and bringing to God children and servants such as are committed to our charge This is but a short time and opportunitie which when it is past can be recalled no more The missing of these times and opportunities is that which causeth the miserie of man to be great vpon him You know at the day of Iudgement because men did not such and such actions because they lost their opportunitie they did not visit the prisoners they did not cloath the naked nor feede the hungry therefore this eternall miserie fals vpon them Much more temporall miseries vpon a man a Kingdome or a King The last sort of actions wherein wee are to obserue a time they are such as belong to our owne safetie There is a time that if a man speake he
all over he is a wall of Brasse as it is expressed in Ier. 1. 18. not so onely but he is said to be a wall of fire about his children That is He is not onely a wall that keepes them safe but a wall of fire to consume all them that come against them for a fire you know doth not onely defend those that are within the compasse of it but it burnes those that come neare it Such a one is God to his children And that is one thing wherein this all-sufficiency consists that God communicates to them The second is in filling them with all comfort which is expressed in Psal. 84. The Lord will be a Sunne and a Shield he will be a Shield to keepe off evill and a Sunne to fill them with all comfort I am sayth he the exceeding great reward That is As if he should say Abraham whatsoever is in me all that I haue all my attributes are thine forthy vse my power my wisedome my counsell my goodnes my riches whatsoever is mine in the whole world I will giue it for thy portion I and all that I haue are thine And might he not well say he was an exceeding great reward Who can vnderâ—tand the height and breadth and length and depth of this reward I am thy exceeding great reward That is Thou shalt haue all kinde of comforts in me and thou shalt haue them in the highest and greatest measure And in these doth Gods All-sufficiencie consist that God communicates and deriues to vs from himselfe Now to shew that he is so you must vnderstand not onely that the Lord is wholly All-sufficient to his children on the one side That is He brings all comforts with him but this must also be vnderstood that in the creature on the other side there is no sufficiency at all It was the poynt I began to touch vpon the last day I will now open it vnto you more fully That in the creature there is no sufficiency at all and in the Lord there is All-sufficiencie We will not dis-joyne them but handle both together for it would be in vaine for me to proue the Lord is All-sufficient but the great deceit which prevailes with the hearts of men is this that they thinke there is somthing to be had in the creature of it selfe And therefore we will spend those Arguments by which we will proue this chiefly and convince you of it that there is nothing in the creature no stabilitie no sufficiencie it can doe you of it selfe neither good nor hurt as we told you the last day All the good and hurt that the creature can be supposed to do it stands in one of these two things Either in making vs happie or miserable Or else secondly in affording vs subsidiarie helpes such as we haue neede of vpon occasion In neither of them the creature of it selfe is able to doe any thing You must remember that which we then delivered that the creature is not able to doe any thing in the matter of our happinesse First Because it is inferior to vs and that which is inferior cannot adde to that which is aboue it Secondly Because the creature is accursed there is a curse lyes vpon the creature there is an emptines and a vanitie in it and that which is emptie in it selfe can giue no fulnes to vs. Thirdly The creature is vnder the Sunne and therefore you haue that phrase so often repeated in Ecclesiastes All things vnder the Sunne are vanitie and vexation of spirit Now the happines that we seeke for is aboue the Sunne which the creature is not able to reach Fourthly The creature is corporall the minde is spirituall it is a spirit and therefore it can receiue no happines from it therefore in Heb. 12. we are sayd to goe to the spirits of perfect men as if that were a sutabl converse for a spirit Fiftly It is temporary whereas the soule is immortall it is not able to run the course with it to its journeyes end but it leaues it in the middle way and therefore it is not able to make it happy Besides As I told you then the creature is finite and therefore is not able to fill the soule God is infinite and therefore is able to doe it That no creature can doe it we see in continuall experience Take any comfort that you finde in the creature and when you haue enioyed it still you want somewhat and you would haue more But when you come vnto the Lord enjoy him when your hearts are filled still there is somewhat beyond in him there is no stop there is no restraint And therefore he onely can make the soule happie Now the ground of it why he is onely able to doe it is because the soule is made for him the soule is fitted for him and therefore there is nothing els answerable there is that constitution of the minde that it will not be filled with any thing besides The Lord might haue put the minde into such a frame he might haue so constituted the soule of man that the creature might haue filled it and satisfied it and haue bin an adaequate obiect to it but he hath not done so for he made it for himselfe and therefore it is not filled but with himselfe So much for that that the creature in the matter of happines is able to doe nothing But you will say to me This is a thing of which we make no doubt But what doe you say for ordinary vses and for the vicissitudes of this life is not the creature in these able to doe good and hurt Beloved as I sayd to you the last day the creature is not able considered without the influence of the first moover to doe you the least good or hurt as the words are Ier. 10. 5. speaking of Idols they can doe neither good nor hurt and therefore feare them not As if he should say If they could doe you either good or hurt you might feare them and it is certaine if any creature were able in manner aforesaid to doe you any good or hurt you might feare the creature for God alters no Law of nature that which is in it selfe to be feared we may feare that which is to be observed and regarded we may regard it Now if any creature were able to doe good or hurt certainely it were to be feared in regard of the hurt it could doe and to be regarded and observed in regard of the good it could doe Then againe the Law of the Lord should be vnequall if the Lord should require all worship that the intentâ—oÌ„ of the mind be wholly taken vp about him and that we should haue no eye to the creature if the creature had any selfe-part with him in doing vs good or hurt for if the creature could doe vs hurt we should not onely looke to God that he should be a
be supplyed This I say is that that brings a man in to consider of Gods All-sufficiencie but this we doe not meane to inlarge now but rather proceede to the other Whether a man be come in or not there will not be much difference in the application of this that we are now to deliver to be content to haue God alone to be our portion for that is the cause of all our vnevennesse and of our imperfect walking with God we would haue somewhat besides And therefore the Lord taketh this course with his Disciples he tells them the worst first he tells them they must part with all that they must deny themselues throughly perfectly and they must be coÌ„tent with him alone because the Lord knew otherwise they would never haue constantly followed him and though they might haue gone farre with him yet when they had met with a rub when that which they would not part with and the service of God should come in competition surely they would turne aside and leaue him Now my Beloved you must consider this and worke your hearts vnto it that if you haue him alone it is enough for if men were perswaded that he is enough they would be content with him alone When the Sunne shines to you though there be never a Starre is it not day Doe you not call it so Againe when all the Starres shine and the Sunne is set is not that night Is it not so when you haue the Lord alone Suppose you haue nothing but him for your portion shall not the Lord be sufficient to make you happie Is he not a Sunne and a Shield sayth the Psalmist Is he not a Sunne That is All-sufficient to fill you with comfort of all kindes What then though you haue nothing but him alone Againe put case you had all those creatures all those Starres to shine to you for they haue an excellency in them they haue a light and a comfort though it be a borrowed and a derived light as we heard such as they receiue from the Sunne suppose you haue them it is but night notwithstanding you are but in a state of misery And therefore Beloved why should you not be content to haue the Lord alone for your portion Take all the creatures and you finde by experience that when they are inioyed you see an end of their perfection you quickly finde a bottom in them the heart hasteth after somewhat else you quickly sucke out the â—oney that is in every one of those flowers and when you haue done so you goe to another flower and to another and no where doth the soule finde rest God did purposely set forth Salomon and gaue him all things that his heart could desire so that no man had the like before him nor any man since And for what end doe you thinke did the Lord it Surely for this purpose that he might be a perpetuall example as things were written for our learning so all these things that were done in those former times which are the Rule of these latter they were done for our learning he had all varietie of blessings more then any man else can hope to attaine to yet you know what verdict he giues of them All is vanitie and vexation of spirit That is He found in them an emptines of that good he looked for they were emptie Clouds Wells without water Againe they were a vexation of spirit That is There was the presence of much evill in them thaâ— he looked not for many stings many troubles And therefore why should you not be content with God alone Take all outward things before you inioy them they seeme to be great when you haue inioyed them and tryed them you quickly finde a bottom in them for there is but a false lustre that Sathan and your owne lusts put vpon them they haue gilded outsides but when they come to wearing the guilt weares off and you finde after a while what they are But come to spirituall things the more you weare them the more you finde the beautie and excellencie that is in them for there is a dust and a rust that is cast vpon them which likewise the wearing takes off And therefore why should you not be content to take God alone What is it that man so seekes after is it not happines and comfort Alas suppose that you had all these in the highest degree that you can looke for when all is done you shall finde that but labour lost you shall finde no stabilitie in them You know what Davsd sayth in Psal. 30. when he thought his mountaine was made strong and vnderpropped well on each side What caused now an alteration He doth not say there was a change in the thing he doth not say his mountaine was pulled downe or that there was an alteration in his estate that this or that accident fell out that the people rebelled against him now which did not before or that he had lost such and such friends that he had before But sayth he thou turnedst away thy face and then I was troubled The meaning is this that if there was a change in his estate the change in God was the cause so then it was the Lord that comforted him though he saw it not it was not the mountaine that held him vp it was not all those blessings that he enioyed in it that refreshed his heart but it was the light that shined through them and therfore he found when this light was with drawne though he inioyed them still his comfort was gone So I say if it were from the things they might continue your comforts to you but when there is a change in heaveÌ„ then comes the change vpon earth And on the other side if God continue constant if he remaine safe you neede feare nothing the creature followes him it is he that shines through them What if a man had the avre and no light in it So what if we had never so much and no beames flowing form him though them who onely is the God of all comfort and the Father of all consolation But my Beloved to be briefe Put the case a man were stript of all things and suppose he were exiled out of his owne Country suppose he were reduced to extreame povertie or shut vp close Prisoner suppose all imployments were taken from him and he were laid aside like a broken vessell now for a man to say yet God is enough and that he is content with him alone for his portion This is the tryall and this we ought to doe and there is great reason why we should doe it you shall see it was practised by the Saints When Abraham was an exile from his Countrey and had not a foote of land was not the Lord All-sufficient to him did he not provide for him abundantly When Eliah fled and had no meate he had neither money nor any body to provide any thing for him did not the Lord
provide for him he set the creature a-worke to doe that to feede him in an extraordinary way when the ordinary fayled When Paul was shut vp in Prison yet the Lord filled him with joy and comfort you know Sylâ—s and he their feete were fast in the Stoâ—kes yet they sang with joy of heart there was such a flush of joy their hearts were so filled with it that they could not containe If a man be brought to povertie it cannot be beyond that of Iobs was it not enough for Iob to haue God for his portion did he not soone turne it did he not soone take away that and turne the River another way as it were and fill him with abundance Oh but you will say if I were a spirit and consisted onely of an immateriall soule no more I should be content it may be to haue the Lord for my portion but besides that I haue a body I haue a temporall life and therefore I need temporall comforts and therefore though I would haue the Lord I would haue these things added for how should I be without them To this I answer First that though thou be deprived of all these temporall blessings and comforts yet thou shalt finde them all in the Lord I say though â—hey were all lost and all scattered though thou wert stript of them all yet thou shalt finde them all in the Lord if thou haue him alone You will say how can that be This you must know that all that God hath wrought in the creature all the excellencie all the beautie and delight and comfort he hath put into the creature into meate drinke musicke flowers yea into all creatures of all sorts who is the cause of all this Is not the Lord the cause It is certaine then that whatsoever is in the effect is in the cause and in the cause in a more excellent manner There are some causes that produce but their like as when fire begets fire or when a man begets a man here there is an equalitie betweene the cause and the effect but there are other causes that are vnlike their effects as the Sunne produceth many effects that haue a dissimilitude to it it hardens and softens and heates and dryes and all these are in the Sunne but they are in a more excellent manner then you shall see them in the effect that is but a poore similitude to expresse that I would but yet it is the best we haue Looke now vpon whatsoever thou hast found in the creature whatsoever beautie thou hast â—eene whatsoever delight thou hast taâ—ted of whatsoever excellencie thou hast discovered and be perswaded of this that all this is in the Lord in a more excellent manner than it is in the creature Well you will say I grant this but what followes on that what is this to my comfort Beloved It is this to thy comfort If thou loose all make vse of that in Mark 10. If thou loose father and mother or brethren or sisters or lands and houses and all that you haue you shall finde all these in him for if all these comforts be in him if thou hast him alone thou shalt finde all these comforts communicated to thee That is Thou shalt finde the comfort of them in a greater measure in a more excellent manner than thou shouldst in the things themselues why else should he say You shall haue an hundreth fold with persecution And marke the instance for you shall finde the promise repeated againe and he names them every one I say to you there is no man that forsakes father or mother wife and children brother or sister or lands and houses for my sake and the Gospells but he shall receiue an hundreth fold in this world and in the world to come eternall life That is you shall finde comfort in God alone if thou be shut vp alone and yet conversest with God and hast communion with him and seest no creature in the world besides him thou shalt haue abundance of sweete comfort take all those varieties of comforts that these giue as lands giue one kinde of comfort and Parents another and wiues another thou shalt finde all these varieties of comforts in him he will fill thy soule with all these for they are in him alone Marke that reason that the Lord vsed to Moses when he complained of his tongue that he was not able to speake Send sayth he by whom thou shouldest send sayth the Lord who made the tongue who made the dumbe and the deafe and the hearing and the seeing Is it not I the Lord As if he should say Moses sure I am the maker of all these though I haue not the things in me the Lord hath no tongue he hath no eye yet sayth he thou shalt finde them all in me That is His comfort is this I will be with thee when Moses might haue made this obiection Though thou be with me yet I shall want a tongue to speake what will that helpe Sayth he I who made that I haue a power in me and if I be with thee it shall be sufficient I will finde out a way for thee that shall be as good as if thou hadst the most eloquent tongue in the world The same may I say of all other comforts in the world who made them who made those fathers and mothers who made those brothers and sisters that thou art deprived of in exile or vpon any such occasion in povertie and disgrace Is it not he that made them What if the Lord will be with thee What if he will goe with thee into banishment or into prison as he did with Ioseph What if he will be with thee in disgrace What if he will be with thee in povertie Is there not enough in him who is full of all comfort He can fill thee with all varietie by that immediate communicating of himselfe Beloved what doe you thinke heaven is When you are in heaven doe you thinke your estate shall be worse You see what varieties of comforts we now haue here When we come to heaveÌ„ shall we haue lesse varieties No we shall haue more how shall we haue it for we shall haue none but God alone we shall haue fellowship onely with him If there were not that varietie in him that is in the creature certainely we should be loosers the soule should not be filled nor satisfied And therefore sayth the Text There shall neede no Sunne nor Moone all the creatures that now giue vs comfort shall be taken away why for the Lord shall be Sun and Moone he shall be every thing he shall be all in all things That is Thou shalt finde them all collected in him and doe you thinke that the Lord shall be thus in heaven and will he not be so to his servants vpon earth It is certaine wheresoever he pleaseth to communicate himselfe to any man to reveale himselfe and to take any man into
them and trusts in the Lord may not he wither Beloved I will adde but that in briefe seest thou a man that doth not reckon the Lord to be All-sufficient that doth not rest on him alone but makes flesh his arme and trusts in any creature that hath such thoughts as these I haue the favour of high persons and therefore I am safe or I haue many friends to backe me and to support me and defend me and therefore I am safe I haue a great estate to helpe me against dangers to provide for me against the time of difficultie and therefore it shall goe well enough with me I say be it thine owne case or seest thou any man doing so be assured that such a man shall certainly wither cursed shall that man be that doth this that makes flesh his arme Againe on the other side seest thou a man that is willing to depriue himselfe of all these things when it is to keepe a good conscience when he put to it It is an evidence that he resteth on God that he trusts in him alone be assured howsoever that man may be vnder a cloud and though it may be winter with him for a little while yet he shall spring againe his light shall breake forth and he shall prosper sayth the Text Ier. 17. That is the place I haue reference to and his leafe shall be greene The other man sayth the Text there though God doe come to him and all about him yet he shall not see good he shall haue no part in it but he shall surely wither sooner or later On the other side Though evill doe come vpoÌ„ this man that trusts in God yet he shall not see evill Now my Beloved consider that we may draw to a conclusion whether you doe this or no which you are here exhorted vnto But it may be a man will be readie to say I hope I doe performe this It is well if you doe But I will say but one word to you if you doe thus looke vpon God as All-sufficient if you reckon him your portion doe you walke as one that sees him in his greatnesse and in his almightie power Remember that in Pro. 30. when Agur lookes vpon God and himselfe together sayth he I am worse then a Beast I haue not the vnder standing of a man in me And why sayth he I haue not the knowledge of the holy one he that ascends and he that descends he that holds the winds in his fist he that gathers the waters in his lap as into a garment he that stretcheth forth the ends of the earth and that settles it who knowes him sayth he who can tell his name or his sonnes name The meaning of it is this sayth he when I consider what God is and beginne to thinke how I haue walked with him and how short I am of knowing him as I should sayth he I am as a Beast I am confounded and amazed Now consider that and make it your owne case who walkes with God my Beloved and seeth him that ascends and descends which hath reference to that vision that appeared to Iacob The Lord was on the toppe of the laddâ—r and the Angels descended and ascended That is All the Creatures both in heaven and earth are like messengers that goe to and fro at his Commandement who walkes with God as knowing this providence of his that sets the Angels a-worke all the hoasts all the particulars of them in their kinde to doe this busines and that busines Who walkes with God as seeing him sending a messenger to doe every thing that we see done in the world sending a messenger to take away such a mans life to giue another life and health sending a messenger to remoue such a difficultie from one man And againe stopping vp another mans passage This you call accident when you see a concurrence of two things together the cause whereof you know not but he knowes both who walkes with the Lord as seeing him do this or that through the ends of the earth Againe he holds the windes in his fist who sees him as such a God that is able to hold the windes in his fist Who lookes vpon him as such a God The breath of a man that is lesse then the winde he holds it in his fist as a man holds a thing in his hand and that he keepes there at his pleasure Who lookes vpon God as thus great in power And so againe breathing the holy Ghost who lookes vpon God as one that dispenseth it as it pleaseth him to giue it and withdraw it at his will Who lookes vpon him as one sending forth motions and iniecting them into the minde stirring it this way or that way as the windes and the stormes and the Creatures He hath them all in his hand and holds them all in his fist for by these workes of nature we may learne to know the greatnesse of God and to reflect vpon our selues and see how farre we are short of him And so againe who lookes vpon him as lapping vp the waters as in a garment That is When the Sea is outragious yet he takes it as you would take a little water in your lap sometimes and he containes it and gathers it vp and sometimes he lets it loose againe And so likewise he is able when the people are vnruly even great Nations that sometimes are readie to over-spread his Church and to run over it with proud waters yet he is able to keepe them backe he is able to restraine them and to shut them vp with barres and doores as he doth the waters He that lappes the waters in a garment is he not able to restraine men that are violent against vs in wrath Who can stand before wrath and envie that is like a violent water that overflowes all and that carries all before it Yet he that laps the waters as a garment he is able to restraine them wheresoever he findes them And so againe who walks with him as knowing him that establisheth the ends of the earth That is as the originall shewes more clearely as one that hath founded the great and waightie earth vpon nothing Sayth he that God when a mans spirit hath instabilitie and inconstancy in it naturally he that establisheth the earth vpon nothing making a mightie building where there was no foundation he can establish thy spirit too Suppose there be nothing to support the Church to suppoâ—â— a man when he is falling or that he hath no friend to prop him nothing to vnderlay him yet he that hath set the earth vpon nothing but vpon the thinne ayre that you know is not able to support it but he onely sayth to the earth stand there is he not able to support a man in any case See now the Lord in this greatnesse of his But who walkes as seeing him thus in his greatnesse and in his All-sufficiencie For all these doe but expresse the All-sufficiencie
other men had not I had oportunities that other men had not Secondly As I was a King so I was such a King as exceeded in all kinde of wealth and abundance of all things as never any before or any that came after so he sayth of himselfe and therefore he had more libertie and more experience then any of the sonnes of men besides Moreover he had better meanes to finde out good and evill vnder the Sunne because of the largenesse of his Wisedome Last of all sayth he I gaue my selfe to this I se my selfe to search and finde out what is good and evill to the soones of men Now if you would know what Salomon found sayth he there are but two things wherein this experience consists That is to know what is in wisedome and folly Secondly to know what is in great estate First for matter of wisedome he concludes thus he that increaseth in wisedome increaseth griefe That is Let a man goe either way sayth the Wiseman speaking of morall and civill wisedome not of sanctified wisedome for that is another thing Now the question is this among the Creatures wherein vanitie is seene sayth he he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow for when a man is a wise man he findes many defects he sees all the miseries a-farre off that are comming vpon him he lookes to all the corners of his vnhappines which are hid from another that is foolish And therefore sayth he the more that a man seeth the more misery he seeth and the more misery he seeth the more his griefe is increased and multiplied Besides he that increaseth wisedome increaseth griefe for he sees many defects he seeth many things out of order many things in his owne soule many things in his own family many things in the Common-wealth many things in the Church many things in the course of nature but all a mans wisedome will not remedie it now when a man sees ill and is vnable to helpe in such a case sayth he he that increaseth wisedome increaseth griefe Besides if the things themselues that are knowne cannot giue any filling any contentment to the soule of a man certainly the knowledge of them cannot doe it for the knowledge cannot goe beyond the thing there is more in the thing then in the knowledge of it But there is a vanitie and a curse lyes vpon all the Creatures and therefore he that increaseth wisedome takes much paines hath little for his labour it costs him much paines much wearinesse in reading and searching and when he hath done all this as there is a vanitie in the Creature which is knowne so there is in the knowledge it selfe But you will say on the other side there is some thing then in folly if a man be ignorant if a man know not that which a wiseman seeth No there is a madnesse in that there is no happines or contentment there for such a man multiplies griefe but it is of another kinde for evils come vpon him and he cannot see how to prevent them they lye vpon him and vndoe him before he is a-ware he is full of gray harres and knowes it not as it is sayd of Ephraim These are the fruits of folly he is precipitate and runs into mischiefe he fals into quick-sands and hath not eyes to discerne it So he that increaseth folly on the other side likewise he increaseth griefe This sayth Salomon I haue found out therefore it is not in folly nor in wisedome I gaue my selfe to know wisedome and madnesse and foolishnesse I know also that this is vanitie and vexation of spirit That is both wisedome and folly Folly because it is madnesse and Wisedome because it increaseth griefe Now for the other for the matter of his estate I will be very briefe in it you shall finde there that he proues a vanitie in that by an induction going through all the particulars almost that the sonnes of men enioy vnder the Sunne And first he beginnes with Laughter Iollitie that which commonly every man seekes after sayth he I thought I would indevour my selfe to see if there were any contentment to be found in that but it is not there sayth he I sayd of Laughter thou art mad and of Ioy what is this that thou dost These three things he sayth concerning Iollitie concerning that carnall mirth wherewith men refresh themselues First Sayth he I finde it a madnesse because it sets a man a-worke vpon trifles when he hath greater things in hand madnes you know is humorous exulting and reioycing in vaine things and intending of idle things and letting goe things tending to our profit as a mad man cares for nothing belonging to his health or his wealth but bestowes himselfe in picking of flowers or in doing some idle things sayth he there is a madnes in this to consider that in the middest of sinne and of danger and in the midst of so many great bvsinesses and imployments in the midst of that labour that God hath given to the sonnes of men for them to be full of mirth and jollitie this is madnes That is one of his censures of it The second is it is Folly Folly is a stupiditie when stupiditie possesseth the soule of a man that it is not able to judge of things that are presented to him that is folly so sayth he I found this is jollitie and carnall mirth it breeds stupor and takes away all taste and relish from me that as a man that tasts sweete things is not able to finde the relish of his Beere or Meate so sayth he when I had tasted of jollitie and carnall mirth it caused me to difrelish all things for that is the disposition of folly when it takes away the sense that we should haue of other things when it stupifieth a man stupiditie and folly we expresse one by another Last of all What doth it That is it passeth away like as musicke there is nothing left it goes and leaues nothing behinde it yea it leaues sadnes if any thing and sinne behinde it the thing passeth away in a moment but the sinne remaines and continues This is his censure of that part namely carnall mirth and jollitie Then he comes to the rest which I will but name Then sayth he I gaue my selfe to wine to see if it were in that After this I gaue my selfe to great workes to make stately buildings to shew my magnificence After this to get great store of Servants great possession of Sheepe and Beeues to get a great retinue to liue in much pompe After this I sought all pleasant things I made my selfe Paradises That is Orchards and Vineyards and Gardens Likewise I sought Singing men and singing women All these things sayth he I sought for And this is the verdict he giues vpon all this this I found First that in doing this I tooke hold of folly though my wisedome in some
the property of this wisdome which shewes it selfe to the perfect and the reason is because it is a sanctified discouering wisdome a wisdome which that Spirit that giues it enables him to make this vse of that hee vseth it as a Lanthorue to his feet as a light to discouer the crookednesse of his wayes to finde out the defects to which he is subiect both in his heart and in his conuersation therefore this wisdome discouers him and opens him to himselfe wheras all the knowledge of any naturall man or that any hypocrite hath in `the World besides opens him not to himselfe properly but rather lifts him vp he vseth it to reproue others he vseth it for other purposes he holds it as a light to other mens feet he makes not this vse of it to search the inside of his owne heart he searcheth not euery defect and crannie of his soule with it and he findes not out himselfe what he is Therefore you see assoone as they haue been enlightned with this wisdome Paul and others how they were confounded in themselues how vnworthily they thought of themselues that is the property of this wisdome first to humble Another property is He that hath that wisdom reuealed to him that is proper only to the perfect those things that he knowes he knowes them as he ought to know them whereas another man though hee know exceeding much yet hee knowes nothing as hee ought to know as we see 1 Cor. 8. 2. He that thinkes he knowes any thing knowes nothing yet as he ought to know it saith the Apostle he knowes not sinne as he ought to know it he knowes not the promises of grace hee knowes not aeternall life hee knowes not these as he ought to know them for did hee he would bee wrought vpon by them if he did know GOD as hee ought hee would feare GOD with all his heart and with all his soule and with all his strength so if he did know sinne as he ought he would make it his chiefest sorrow he would abhorre it hee would not come neere it hee would cleanse himselfe from it he would flye from it as from a Serpent vpon all occasions So did he know remission of sinnes hee would not esteeme so lightly of it as he doth but hee would seeke it earnestly euen as a condemned man doth his Pardon So that is the difference they know not these things as they ought to know them for beloued this is to bee obserued when any man is conuerted to God by the reuelation of this wisdome he doth not alwaies know nâ—w things hee hath not new things reuealed vnto him more then he knew before but the same things he knowes now as hee ought to know whereas before though hee knew them hee knew them not as he ought to know them he neuer knew sinne what it was he neâ—er knew what grace was all those promises and threatnings all that wisdome of God reuealed in the Booke of GOD in the holy Scriptures he neuer knew it as he ought therefore it is not profitable to him to bring him home and worke a change that is the second difference Thirdly Wisdome to the perfect is such a wisdome as enables him to distinguish of things that differ he is able to discerne between good and evill as you shall see an expression of it Heb. â— but strong meate belongs to those that are perfect for so it ought to bee translated and so it is in the Originall the old Translation by reason of custome and the new by reason of vse but neither is so full as the Originall by reason of habit in respect that they haâ—e their sences exercised to disâ—erne both good and euill that is hee that hath this true wisdome he hath such a distinguishing faculty that as the taste discernes of meate or as a man that is accustomed to taste Wine can easily discerne between good and bad so not by meere custome as other men haue it but by a certaine wisdome that is infused into you you are able to discerne betweene good and euill euen as the sences doe for that is the scope of the place As the sences discerne betweene colour and colour betweene taste and taste so there is an ability in those that are perfest to discerne betweene good and euill so that take such a man to whom this wisdome is reuealed you shall finde such an aptnesse in him to discerne betweene good and euill that is hee knowes the voyce of the shepheard hee knowes and discernes betweene that which is good and betweene that which is counterfeit hee knowes morall goods and euils what is to bee chosen and what to be refused this he knowes such a distinguishing faculty he hath this is proper to those that are perfect the like you shall haue expressed Rom. 12. be renewed in the Spirit of your minde that you may discerne the good will of God that is that you may distinguish between the good will that is truly perfect and that which is not his will This property will follow a minde that is renewed he will be able to discerne what another cannot Lastly that I may conclude He to whom this wisdome is reuealed he that is perfect there is a wondrous change in his iudgement that which before seemed foolishnesse to him now he reckons it to be the true wisdome and that which before was the greatest wisdome now it appeares to be follishnesse as a Child when hee is growne to yeeres and is perfect the things that before he magnified now he disregards them and the things that before he made no account of now they are prized and esteemed such a difference there is such a change in the iudgement when once this wisdome is reuealed So it is in other things take a yong beginner in any thing a young Scholler hee indgeth otherwise of the exercise of what hee learnes then when he is growne to maturity as we see a man that is vnacquainted with Musicke that hath no skill in it the common tunes like him best but when hee growes a skilfull Musician he cares not for them those that haue more perfect Musicke in them those he regards when he hath a more skilfull eare so it is the meaning of the Apostle we speake wisdome to those that are perfect as if hee should say they are able to discerne things their iudgement is another kinde of iudgement then yours is or then their owne was before that which they could finde no relish in no taste when they are perfect once they finde a more excellent vse in it then others So that this change of iudgement iudging otherwise both of the persons and of the things argues they are perfect And this is the last signe that I will now name to you of this property heere spoken of We speake wisdome to those that are perfect that is it is the property of those that are perfect to reckon that
perfect heart And you shall finde this very Storie that I haue now named brought in as an euidence that his heart was not sound that his faith had not a perfect worke so farre his faith went thus far he did by vertue of that faith that he had but a perfect worke his faith had not Another example is in Rehoboam 2 Chron. 11. When the Kingdome was diuided and giuen to Ieroboam and the tenne Tribes had made that defection from Rehoboam hee gathered together ninescore thousand fighting men to goe vp against Israel but saith the Text the Word of the Lord came to Shemaiah a man of God saying Speake to Rehoboam the sonne of salomon King of Iudah and to all Israel and Iudah and Beniamin saying Thus saith the Lord You shall not goe vp to fight against your brethren returne euery man to his house for this thing is done by mee They obeyed therefore the Word of the Lord and returned from going against Ieroboam You see heere a very great worke of faith that caused him to giue ouer to sit downe to be content to lose so great a part of his Kingdome and to looke no more after it that when hee had an Armie ready of valiant men yet hee was conteut to sit downe though he were a man that was not sound-hearted yet faith had thus farre a worke in him and not onely for this time but for three yeeres after hee cleaued to the Lord and serued him in all things and yet for all this it had not its perfect worke it carried him not through for afterwards he departed from the Lord. Beloued this is a signe of an vnsound heart when faith shall goe so farre when it shall inable a man to doe many things and yet for all this it hath not its perfect work Wee see the contrary in Abraham Rom. 4. 19. when he was put to it when God had made him a promise that he should be the Father of many Nations saith the Text he was not weake in the faith The meaning is he was not vnsound but was perfect in the faith What did he doe How did that appeare Saith hee hee went through when the Lord came with such a promise hee considered not his owne body that was dead for hee was a hundred yeeres old nor he considered not the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe but saith he he beleeâ—ned that he was able that had promised This is giuen as an euidence of the truth of his faith he made not a stand in such a difficult case for he was not vnsound but hee was perfect in the faith So likewise when he came to offer his sonne here in the perfection of his faith was seene And beloued by this you may know whether your hearts be right if you suffer euery grace to haue its perfect worke when your faith doth not picke and choose and take heere a promise and leaue there another here to beleeue a threatning another not to beleeue here to take hold on a Commandement to beleeue that this is the will of GOD in another case not to beleeue for so doing is a signe of an vnsound heart If you obiect But faith many times hath not a perfect worke in the Saints as Moses at the waters of strife saith the Text hee fayled through vnbeliâ—fe and againe Dauid when hee fled from Saul to Achis we see his faith there had not its perfect worke so likewise Peter when the waues beganne to arise to swell and hee beganne to sinke his faith had not a perfect worke To this I answer that faith may haue a perfect worke that is there may be an aptnesse in it that ordinarily it goes through the worke â—hough by some accident it may be hindred for marke the faith of those wee see Dauid though he fayled at this time yet at other times he did not no more did Moses nor Peter which is an argument that it rose not from vnsoundnesse from hollownesse of the grace or of their hearts but from some interueniall impediment some passion as it was a passion in Moses he was distempered and so it was a feare a mist that was cast before the eyes of Peter at that time Now you know a man may bee said to haue a perfect eye and yet for all that in a mist he may not be able to see as at other times and a man may be said to haue a perfect hand and yet a fit of a Palsie may make it shake and make it vâ—fit for any thing so a man may haue a perfect taste able to distinguish one thing from another yet when hee is in an Ague in such a fit he takes things amisse things that are wholsome seeme bitter to him so in the graces of the Spirit there may be sometimes much impâ—rfection admitted when a man is in the mist when he is in the fit when some distemper some passion or affection hath ouercast and ouerclouded the soule as it were and possessed he pallate these may be defects and yet the grace may be perfect But you shall know it by this ordinarily it is not so it is but by accident and therefore it comes to passe but now and then And as we say of the grace of faith so to giue you another instance truth or the knowledge of truth this great grace if the heart be sound will haue a perfect worke it will goe through it will not make a stand heere and there as it doth in those that are vnsound as you see Rom. 1. 18. it is giuen there as a signe of an vnrighteous man when they withold the truth in vnrighteousnes that is when the truth is not suffered to haue a perfect worke when there is truth and they suffer it perhaps to informe their vnderstandings but they suffer it to goe no further when they suffer it not to walke abroad into all the corners of the soule into all the inward roomes of it or if they doe that yet they suffer it not to come into the outward Courts of their conuersation it is a signe that this grace hath not a perfect worke but is restrained and such an expression you shall finde 2 Pet. 3. 5. This they willingly know not marke that the heaueâ—s were of old c. Hee speakes there of certaine Atheists that were mockers and despisers that were ready to say Where is the promise of his comming doe not all things continue alike since the time of the Fathers The Apostle answers them thus saith he they haue truth in them there is light enough GOD hath borne witnesse to himselfe in their owne consciences there are many things that they might obiect against these temptations of Atheisme but saith he they willingly will not know them that is they will not take them into consideration as if hee should say their will because they will not be troubled because they will liue loosely it suffers them not to vnderstand and to enquire
into these things that they might know them these things they willingly know not So beloued it is an argument that the knowledge of God and the knowledge of the truth hath not a perfect worke when there is something that a man willingly will not know when a man shall winke with his eyes as it is said Mat. 13. 15. They winke with their eyes that they might not vnderstand with their hearts and bee conuerted that I should heale them They winke with their eyes that is when the light shines to them they will not see it when the conscience suggests something when there is somewhat intimated and whispered to the hearts of men their will runnes a loose course therefore they will not suffer their vnderstandings to be informed they will not see all the light whereas a man whose heart is perfect if the light beginne to appeare if he see it thorow a creuice he opens the windowes of his soule and lets it in euen into euery corner of it and the ground is because his heart is sound he desires to make his heart perfect he is not willing to spare it in any thing hee desires not there should bee any exempt place in his heart or in his life or any of his courses for he sees Ioh. 3. 21. Hee that deth euill comes not to the light but hee that loues the truth hee whose heart is sound that is not an hypocrite he comes to the light he comes to be enlightned in what he doth hee comes to the light that his deeds might be made manifest that is that it might be euident that his workes are according to Gods will he desires not that the light should bee kept off This is another instance Patience will haue her perfect worke and the knowledge of the truth will haue its perfect worke so I may say of all other graces Temperance will haue its perfect worke if the heart be sincere and sound that is it will restraine euery inordinate appetite it will cause a man to for beare euery inordinate delight euery inordinate pleasure it will make him withdraw himselfe from excesse in euery thing in dyet in sports in ease c. So likewise chastity holinesse and purenesse it cleanseth the heart from all kinde of vncleannesse if it haue its perfect worke it suffers none of that leauen to remaine in soule or body eyther neither in the eye not in the thought This is another effect of an vpright heart of one that is perfect with GOD that euery grace hath its perfect worke and by this thou maist know whether thy heart be sound or no. I will adde but one more exceeding briefely and so conclude This is a fiâ—th effect that ariseth from integrity and sincerity of heart It breeds in vs 〈…〉 and a quietnesse of spirit as you may see Iam. 3. vlt. But the wisdome that is from aboue is first pure and then peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercie full of good fruits That wisdome is first pure and then peaceable As if hee should say The purity of wisdome the perfectnesse the entirenesse the sincerity which holy wisdome brings forth it is seene in this effâ—ct it will make the heart peaceable it is first pure and then peaceable His meaning is that peaceablenesse is an effect of the purenesse and entyrenesse of the heart so that when any mans heart is perfect with GOD you shall finde this effect rising from it that his heart is quiet and humble and gentle and peaceable towards men full of loue and of mercy and of good fruits and of good actions and workes but when the heart is impure and vnfound and hollow it is awkward and froward and contentious and implacable towards men they are not full of mercy but full of wrath they are not full of good fruites and good workes and actions but they are like the â—aging Sea that casts vp myre and dirt vpon those with whom they haue to doe So that this is the effect of a pure heart it breeds a quietnesse a peaceablenesse of spirit whereas the other bring forth tumult and a turbulent disposition they are easie to be intreated to be handled saith the Text whereas the other whose heart is vnsound they are as Dauid saith of the wicked they are as thornes that they cannot â—asily bee handled a man cannot easily deale with them they are not easily intreated So my beloued this frowardnesse this waspishnesse of spirit this implacablenesse is a signe of an vnsound heart of an impure heart of a heart that is not perfect with the Lord as you see the Deuils are the most impure Spirits of any other the most full of malice and of enuy and reuenge of all other Iesus Christ on the other side as he had the most pure heart so hee was the most gentle of all others he returned not rebuke for rebuke but he was as a sheepe before the shearers c. Vse a Wolfe or a Tyger neuer so kindely they will bee still implacable and greedy vse Sheepe neuer so roughly they will still be meeke and gentle so it is with the Saints because their hearts are pure I say the ground of it is this because an vnsound heart breeds in it continually strong lusts and eager desires and eager desires are vnyeelding and vnruly and that is the cause of contention and implacablenesse with men whereas when the heart is cleansed when it is pure and perfect it is emptyed of these strong and domineering lusts it growes to a quietnesse of spirit to be quiet within and when it is quiet within iâ— will bee peaceable towards others without When it is quiet thus the spirit is ready to see GOD and to yeeld to GOD in his prouidence in all vnkindnesses and in all the euill dealings of men they are neither ready to murmur against GOD nor to fret against men for quietnesse followes a pure heart as vnquietnesse and awkwardnesse and frowardnesse followes impurity and imperfection of heart So much shall serue for this FINIS THE TENTH SERMON Gâ—NESIS 17. 1 2. Walke before mee and be thou perfect And I will make my Couenant betwenne me and thee I Will not repeate what hath beene deliuered but come to that which remaines and so proceede to the second Verse The last effect therefore of this sincerity or integritie of heart is that which wee finde expressed Mat. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God That is this ariseth alway as an inseparable effect of purenesse of heart that it is able to see God to see him heere and it shall see him face to face hereafter When the heart is yet vnsound and impure it is not able to see him but when a mans spirit is cleansed from that drosse from that corruption a man is growne pure and entire and faithfull he is able then to see God that before hee could not doe that is he is able to
riches so dispense them so mannage them that they may turne to other riches When a man is rich in knowledge as it is said of the Corinthians that they were rich in all knowledge and in euery grace These are the better promises this is the better and more glorious condition So that if there should be a Census of men as one may so say if there should be an estimation of men as there was wont to bee amongst the Romanes they were put into seuerall conditions and one was worth thus much and another so much Indeed If God should make such a Census as euery man is richer in grace as hee excels in these better priuiledges as he hath had these better promises fulfilled more or lesse to him so hee should bee reckoned a more excellent man and so should euery man esteeme both of himselfe and others and there is very great reason for it because when a man is rich in grace rich in spirituall blessings when hee hath the spirituall promises he hath Goâ—â— Image renued in him he hath God to be his friend who is the Gouernour of the world and hee is rich as I said whom God fauours he hath grace that heales his soule which is that that makes his happinesse It is that which is the inward fashioning of euery mans apprehâ—â—sion that makes him happy that brings comfort to him Now they are these better promises they are the graces the consolations of the Spirit the worke of the Holy Ghost the vertue of regeneration I say it is that that fashions the heart and the inward apprehension it is thaâ— that heales the soule and adornes it it is that thaâ— puts it into another a fitter condition and it farre goes beyond all other â—emporall felicity that reacheth not to the inward man it makes 〈…〉 is the Gouernour of the world to be his friend other friends he may haue thaâ— may make him potent vpon the earth but God in whose hand is his life and all his wayes it makâ—s notâ— him his friend Beloued learne thus to iudge of the condition of the Church You thinke the Church is in a miserable estate when you see it a little vnder hatches when you see in downe when you see it harrowed and plowed by the enemies the condition of the Church in the New Testament is to be so they haue a poore ouâ—side yet 〈…〉 they haue a sorrowfull ouâ—side though alway reioycing as 〈◊〉 himselfe and all the Apostles werâ— herein exemplary for after Ages of the Church yet wee must not thinke because the Church is downe a littlâ— because iâ— wants that outward prosperity that before it enioyed that therefore it is the worse It is a true obseruation of one when there were but woodden Chalices then there wâ—râ— golden Priests and in after time when there wâ—re golden Chaliâ—es they had woodden Priests so it is when the Church is in a lower condition commonly it prospers best and indeed properly the prosperity of the Church consists in these better promises the outward peace is not so proper and so peculiar to it Aâ—d as of the Church so I may say of euery particular man Thinke not beloued with your selues when your outward condition is base and low that it is more miserable your happinesse stands in better promises when a man hath Gaiâ—s prosperity that is when his soule prospers that is his best condition and commonly his soule prospers best when his outward estate fares the worst the winter of his outward condition is vsually the spring time of his soule we should learne to iudge thus You know it is an obseruable thing that the promises of outward prosperity were made to the Church of God whiles it was yet in its infancie while it was weake so that this you may obserue from it that it is a signe of childishnesse and weaknesse and infirmity that a man is not growne perfect that he is not growne to maturity to thinke outward prosperity to be the better condition The Iewes had these promises but in regard of their infancy and when the Church grew vp to a greater height when it grew to manbood as it were we haue little mention of any such promises as these the promises are quite of another nature and therefore when you are able to outgrow those opinions when you are able to looke on things with another eye when you thinke this outward prosperity to be but a trifle in comparison of the better promises it is a signe you are growne vp to more strenght You see Salomon when hee came to himselfe when his wisdome returned to him as I may so say you see how he looked on all outward things how he goes through all the particulars they are vanity and vexation of spirit Salomon when he was old when he had the wisdome of experience ioyned together with that infused wisdome that hee had from the Holy Ghost made this the summe of all that outward prosperity is meere vanity an extreme vanity a vanity that hee could not enough expresse and only he magnifies these better promises this hee magnifies as the better condition to feare God and keepe his Commandements c. FINIS THE ELEVENTH SERMON GENESIS 17. 2. And I will make my Couenant betwenne mee and thee THe third Vse which we did but touch vpon the last day and meane at this time somwhat to enlarge is that if the Couenant of the Law and likewise the Old Testament as it consists in types and shaddowes be but a ministration of the letter a ministration of bondage and a ministration of enmity But this new Couenant this Couenant of Grace is the ministration of the Spirit the ministration of loue the ministration of freedome the ministration of righteousnesse and the ministration of life then beloues we may gather this from it that if a man will obtaine the Spirit and thereby mortifie the deeds of the body if hee would bee deliuered from the bondage of sinne and of death then let him make vse of and apply to himselfe the Couenant of Grace the free promises of the pardon and remission of sinnes let him apply them that is the way to get the Spirit that is the way to mortifie the deeds of the flesh that is the way to get his heart changed that is the way to be made a new creature For the better vnderstanding of which this is to he obserued that which keepes euery man off that which keepes men in a condition of strangenesse from the life of God is because they see such difficulties in the commandements of GOD as they are not able to keepe when they looke vpon the CoÌ„mandement and on the stubbornnesse of their owne hearts and the indisposition that is in them to yeeld obedience they thinke there is no hope and therefore they neuer goe about it for they see the Commandement and they finde in their owne heart no disposition to keep it but an aptnesse to rise in
rebellion against it I say this keepes men off from the life of God But on the other side when a man lookes vpon the promises he begins to see the Couenant that his sinnes shall be put a way he beginnes to see the goodnesse and the mercy and the tender compassion of God towards him hee begins to see a possibility of fulfilling the Law in such a manner as GOD now requires then his heart melteth hee becomes not onely applyable to the Commandement but is ready to delight in it this a man gets by applying his heart to the Couenant of grace or by applying the Couenant of Grace to himselfe that very applying of the promises of forgiuenesse I say it begets a disposition in the heart which the Scriptures call a new life that euen as you see the Sunne when it applies its beames to a fitly disposed matter and stayes vpon it when it pitcheth its beames vpon it with any continuance it begins to beget life and motion in it and makes it a liuing creature so doth the Couenant of Grace when it is applyed to the heart of a man it begins to beget life in him and to make him a new creature it makes him another man there is that power in the Couenant of Grace in the promises of the pardon and forgiuenesse of sins that it begets another life in a man it makes him a new creature it makes him a liuing creature to GOD which before he was not the ground of which you shall see 2 Cor. 3. 6. Hee hath made vs able Ministers of the New Testament not of the letter but of the Spirit for the letter kills but the Spirit giues life Marke it the meaning of it is this when the Couenant of works is deliuered to you that is when you heare the Law the Commands the duty you cannot performe there is no more deliuered to you but the bare letter that is you know the duty and no more And what doth this duty doe what doe these Commandements and precepts doe when they are applyed to the heart of man Saith hee they kill Now that which kills fights before it kills and that which fights must needs be an enemy so then the Commandement is an Enemy that is euery man esteemes it as an enemie to himselfe and therefore hath an enemy-like affection to it againe that is he hates it he would be rid of it he wisheth there were no such Law or Commandement hee desires it should be dealt with as he would haue an enemy dealt with he would haue it vtterly taken away when they grow in enmity one with another as indeed they doe the naked Commandement and the heart are at enmity for the Commandement would haue one thing and the heart would haue another there are contrary wils and there is a striuing betweene them the one striuing this way the other that way the one resisting the other and in the end the Law and the Commandement gets the victory because the sting of the Law is sinne now the Law is the cause of sinne as a straight Rule is the cause of crookednesse for without the Law there should be no sin now it causeth sinne for if there were no Law you know there could bee no feare no transgression because there could bee nothing against which the transgression should come this sinne is the death of a man so now the letter kils But come now to the Couenant of Grace saith the Text it is the ministration of the Spirit and the Spirit giues life that is when a man lookes on the Couenant of Grace he lookes not on it now as an enemy as hee did before vpon the Commandement but he sees in it much loue and much friendship to wards him he sees God intends not any hurt any euill to him as he apprehended before he sees God exceeding kinde and mercifull and willing to put away all his sinnes and willing to accept the sincerity of his obedience though there be not a perfection of obedience now he begins to change his opinion both of God and of all his Lawes and precepts when he sees Gods kindnesse towards him and his compassion and readinesse to forgiue him then his heart begins to relent towards the Lord againe he begins to magnifie Gods goodnesse and to condemne himselfe he beleeues those promises and thence he growes vp in loue toward GOD I say hee growes vp in faith and loue and in this act of faith is the Spirit infused into his heart this Spirit being thus infused writes the Law in his inward paâ—ts that is it that breeds in him a holy disposition that inables him in some measure to keepe the Law it prints in him all those graces that giue him strength to obserue the Commandements that God hath given him so my beloued if a man will goe about this great worke to change his heart and to change his life let him not goe about it as a morall man that is let him not onely consider what Commandements there are what the rectitude is that the LORD requires and how to bring his heart to it but let him goe about it as a Christian that is let him beleeue the promises of pardon in the blood of Christ and the very beleeuing of those promises will be able to clense and purge the heart from dead works in that place we then named and we could doe no more but name it you shall finde it Heb. 9. 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ which by the eternall Spirit offered himselfe without fault to God purge your consciences from dead workes to serue the liuing God The meaning of it is this when a man hath once applyed the blood of Christ for his iustification this effect will follow vpon it there will accompany it a certaine vigour a certaine vertue a certaine power and strength which will also purge his conscience from dead workes that is there shall goe a power of the Holy Ghost together with this blood that shall not onely forbid him and shew him that hee ought not to doe such and such euill things but it shall clense his conscience from those rootes of dead workes those corrupt lusts and sinfull affections that are in him that dispose him to that euill he shall find this power growing vpon him if hee doe but apply the blood that is if he apply the promise of pardon and forgiuenesse through the blood of Iesus Christ. The like you shall see Gal. 3. 5. He that ministreth to you the Spirit and workes miracles amongst you doth he doe it through the workes of the Law or through the hearing of faith preached That is saith the Apostle if I should onely deliuer to you the Commandements and the Precepts and the Rules by which you ought to walke I might preach long enough to you but you should neuer haue ability to keep any of these saith he you may obserue those that preach the Law to you did
the Couenant or no You shall know it by this How did Abraham know whether he was in the Couenant or how will you know whether Abraham or any other were saith the Text Abraham beleeued God and therefore God reckoned him as a man that was righteous and accepted him to bee a partaker of the Couenant and so if thou beleeue it is certaine then thou art within the Couenant but how shall a man know that Gal. 5. 5. Neither Circumcision auaileth any thing nor vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue If thou canst finde this now that thou art able to take Iesus Christ to take him as a LORD and Sauioâ—r thou art able to beleeue all the Couenant of Grace thou art by that put into the Couenant But how shall a man know whether this faith be right or no for you know there is a false dead and counterfeit faith if it be right thou shalt finde it to be of a working and liuely nature but many times we may bee deceiued in that A woman many times thinkes she is with childe but if she finde no motion nor stirring it is an argument she was deceiued So when a man thinkes that hee hath faith in his heart but yet he finds no life no motion no stirring there is no worke proceeding from his faith it is an argument he was mistaken hee was deceiued in it for if it be a right faith it will worke there will be life and motion in it As Abrahams faith you see it enabled him to doe whatsoeuer GOD appointed him to offer his sonne to excommunicate Ismael when GOD bid him cast him out though hee loued Ismael exceeding dearely yet he did it and did it readily so whatsoeuer God bade him doe here was a working faith But yet a little further a man may be yet deceiued in this a mans faith may worke and an Hypocrite may doe many workes if it bee but bare working a man may bee deceiued and therefore this is added further it workes by loue Beloued a man may doe exceeding many duties as you know hee may suffer Martyrdome he may giue all to the poore hee may be a very diligent Preacher of the Gospell for Paul saith I may speake with the tongue of men and Angels I may giue my goods to the poore I may giue my body to be burned and yet if these great workes be done without loue they are nothing But on the other side if you finde this that you doe but the least worke if it be but to giue a cup of cold water and doe it out of loue if you abstaine from one sinne if you ouercome any one lust whatsoeuer that is deare and neare to you because you loue Iesus Christ if you set your selues vpon any worke vpon any imployment and endeauour and thy heart witnesseth this to thee it is because I loue the LORD and desire exceedingly to please him he is one that I would faine haue communion with my delight is in him therefore I doe these workes for it is my meate and drinke to doe his will now thou art on a sure ground now thou maist know thou art within the Couenant for thou beleeuest as Abraham did and therefore thou art within the Couenant as hee was thou maist know it because thy faith workes and then thou maist know that it workes right because it is done by loue Well yet there is another way to know this that is in thy seede saith the Text shall all the Nations of the world bee blessed if a man be then ingrafted into this seede into the Messiah once then he shall bee blessed if once he belong to him Well how shall a man know that If thou haue receiued the Spirit of the Son for whosoeuer is in Christ hath receiued the Spirit of Christ if he haue not receiued the Spirit of Christ he is not in him Consider whether you haue receiued the Spirit of the Sonne the Spirit of the promised seede that is thou art made like Christ by the Spirit for the Spirit will assimulate thee and renew this Image in thee he makes thee such another in some degree as he is yea he will not onely doe this but he will witnesse to thee that he is thy God and that thou art of those that are partakers of the Couenant and therefore that is the way to finde it out that is the thing I intend to insist vpon to finde out whether you haue this Spirit you shall finde it this is the great marke that the Apostle Paul insists vpon still in all his Epistles by which a man may know whether he be within the Couenant or no still it is this we haue receiued the Spirit and the Spirit seales vs to the day of redemption we are established and sealed by the Spirit of promise and wee haue receiued the Spirit which is an earnest c. Now to know whether you haue the Spirit I will commend these two places of Scripture to you to consider one is Rom. 8. 15. You haue not receiued the spirit of bondage to feare againe but the spirit of Adoption whereby you cry Abba Father the same spirit beares witnesse with our spirits that wee are the sonnes of GOD. The other you shall finde 1 Iohn 5. 8. And there are three that beare record in Earth the Spirit the Water and the Blood and these three agree in one If you would finde out whether you haue the spirit of the Sonne or no you shall know it by these three In the Antecedents the Concomitants and the Consequents The Antecedent is the Spirit of bondage beloued that of necessity must goe before so that if thou neuer hadst the spirit of bondage certainely thou hast not yet receiued the spirit of the Sonne for the Apostle speakes of it heere as the common condition to all Christians they doe not receiue the spirit of bondage againe you had it once but now you haue the spirit of Adoption I say euery man must haue this spirit of bondage and the ground of it is this because no man can come to Christ except the Law be a Schoolemaster to bring him to Christ now the Law is not a Schoolemaster it teacheth no man except the spirit of bondage worke feare except the spirit of bondage put an edge vpon the Law put a Sword into the hand of the Law to pricke the heart to wound the heart as it is said Acts 2. this is the spirit of bondage Beloued you may heare the Law and the threatnings and curses applyed to you 10000. times ouer and yet no feare be bred in you except the spirit of bondage ioyne with it that makes it effectuall Now in the Law are included iudgements and afflictions which are but the execution of the Law sometimes it goes with the Law it selfe somtimes with the iudgement and afflictions it is the spirits of bondage that must goe with both as for example when it thundred rained in
Wheat-haruest 1 Sam. 12 the people feared exceegingly and Ezra 10. when there was an exceeding great raine the people did exceedingly tremble and you know in that Earthquake though all were safe Act. 16. and there was no cause why he should be so vnquiet yet we see how the Goaler was amazed his heart was wounded this was not for these particular Iudgements there might bee a great raine there might be a great Earthquake and thunder in Wheat-haruest and yet mens hearts little moued but there went a spirit of bondage that bred a feare in them this is that I say no man can come to Christ without the Law either in it selfe or in afflictions which are but the executioners of it and these are not effectuall without the spirit of bondage and there is a very great reason for it because otherwise wee should neuer know the loue of Christ he that hath not knowne what the meaning of this spirit of bondage is what these feares are what these terrours of conscience are in some measure knowes not what Christ hath suffered for him or what deliuerance hee hath had by him besides he will not be applyable to Christ But I will not stand more vpon this Hast thou not had the spirit of bondage I say surely if thou hast not tâ—sted of this Christ hath not sowne the seed of grace in thy heart doth any man sow before he hath plowed doth any man make a new impression before there bee an oblâ—tâ—ration of the old Beloued before the heaâ—t be meâ—ted wâ—th 〈◊〉 the spirit of bondage there is no sence of a new spirit to make a new impression vpon it I confesse it is different it is sometimes more sometimes lesse but all haue it more or lesse sometimes the Medicine goes so close with the reuealing of sinne and of Iudgement that it is not so much discerned sometimes againe God meanes to bestow vpon some men a great measure of grace and therfore he giues them a greater measure of the spirit of bondage because God meanes to teach them more to prize Christ he meanes more to baptize them with the baptisme of the Holy Ghost and therefore hee baptizeth them with a greater measure of the spirit of bondage they shall drinke deeper of that spirit because his intention is that they shall drinke deeper of the spirit of Adoption and therefore Christ takes it for an argument concerning the Woman when he saw she loued exceeding much surely she had a great measure of the spirit of bondage she was much wounded for her sinnes there had beene exceeding much forgiuen her in her apprehension and so was Paul exceedingly wounded you know This must goe before The things which goe together with it are these three the testimony of the blood of the water and of our owne spirits First beloued there is the testimony of the blood there are three that beare record in the Earth the spirit the water and the blood though the spirit be set first as it is vsuall amongst the Hebrewes and in the Scriptures to put the last first if a man would know now whether hee be in Christ whether he hath receiued the promised seede or no let him consider first whether hee hath beleeued in the blood that is there is a word of promise that saith thus to vs there is a Sacrifice that is offered there is the blood of the Lambeshed from the beginning of the world and this blood shall wash thee from all thy sinnes when a man stands to consider this promise beloued this promise bath two things in it there is the truth of it and the goodnesse of it a man doth with Abraham beleeue the truth of it he beleeues God and saith it is true I beleeue it but withall there is a goodnesse in it and therefore as the vnderstanding saith it is true so the will saith it is good and therefore he takes it and embraceth it and is exceeding greedy of it for when the spirit of bondage makes a man feare it empties a man of all righteousnesse as a man empties a Caske that there is nothing left in it when it puls away all other props and stayes from it it leaues a man in this case that he sees nothing in the world to saue him but the blood of Christ when a man sees this hee takes fast hold of that he will not let it goe for any thing and though it be told him you shall haue many troubles and crosses you must part with all you haue you shall haue somewhat hereafter but you shall haue little for the present he cares not though it costs him his life so he may haâ—e this blood to wash away his sins it is enough this he layes fast hold vpon Beloued when a man doth this at that very houre he is entred into Couenant he is translated from death to life he hath now receiued the promised seede and he shall be blessed for God hath said it and sworne it and it cannot be otherwise and this is the testimony of the blood when a man can say I know I haue taken and applyed the blood of Christ I rest vpon it I beleeue that my sinnes are forgiuen I graspe it I receiue it this is the testimony of the blood Now when a man hath tooke the blood What shall he continue in filthinesse now and walke after the lusts of his former ignorance No the Lord comes not by blood onely but by water also that is by sanctification that is he sends the Spirit of sanctification that cleanseth and washeth his seruants that washeth away not onely the outward filthinesse but the euill nature the swinish nature that they desire no more to wallow in the myre as before for the Lord will not haue a sluttish Church and therefore Eph. 5. he washeth his Church and clenseth it he washeth euery man in the Church from top to toe there is not one place in the soule not one place in the conuersation but it is rensed in this water and then when a man comes to finde this that he hath not onely found the blood of Christ applyed to him by faith but hath found that he hath been able to purifie himselfe and by the worke of Christs Spirit ioyning with him when he goes about to purge himselfe that helpes to cleanse his conscience from dead workes There is the second testimony Now follows the testimony of our own spirits that gathers conclusions from both these and saith thus Since I haue receiued the blood and seeing I am able to purifie my selfe I conclude I am in a good estate I am a partaker of the Couenant if a man could say this truely it is said whosoeuer beleeues shall be saued but I beleeue this is the testimony of the blood onely but when a man can say I doe labour to purifie my selfe I desire nothing in the world so much I doe it in good earnest this is the testimony of the water to
this signe and testimony of the blood which shewes that it is true it is a linely hope for he that hath a liuely hope hee purifies himselfe 1 Ioh. 3. But some man may say This testimony of a mans owne spirit may deceiue him I answer it cannot because though it be called the testimony of our owne spirit yet it is a spirit enlightned it is a spirit sanctified with the Spirit of Christ and then that Rule is true 1 Ioh 3. If our owne heart condemne not that is if the heart of a man enlightned if the heart of a man with which the Holy Ghost ioynes if the heart of a man sanctified doe not condemne him if hee haue the testimony of this Spirit he shall be saued he needs not doubt it he hath boldnesse towards GOD then againe hee must consider this worke the testimony of the Spirit the water and the blood and these three agree in one it is not the testimony of the Spirit alone but it is the testimony of the water ioyned with it if it were but the testimony of one indeed the ground were not good but they all agree in one and therefore if thou haue one sure to thee it is enough These are the things which goe before and accompany it Now followes the testimony of Gods spirit which we shall see described besides the places I named to you Eph. 1. Wherein after you beleeued you were sealed with the spirit of promise My beloued when a man hath beleeued and tooke lesus Christ secondly when hee hath washed and purified himselfe that is hee hath gone about this worke and so his owne spirit gathers a testimony hence that he is in a good estate after he hath thus beleeued then saith he comes the Holy Ghost and seales the same things vnto you that is the LORD leaues a man alone a while as it were to champ vpon the bridle as I may say he lets a man alone to some doubts and feares that so hee may purge himselfe the more carefully but after a time when a man hath put to his seale that God is true then the LORD seales him againe with the spirit of promise that is the LORD sends the spirit into his heart and that spirit giues witnesse to him and when he hath put to his seale that GOD is true then the LORD puts to his seale and assures him that hee hath receiued him to mercy You will say What is this seale or witnesse of the Spirit My beloued it is a thing that wee cannot expresse it is a certaine diuine impression of light a certaine vnexpressible assurance that we are the sonnes of God a certaine secret manifestation that God hath receiued vs and put away our sinnes I say it is such a thing that no man knowes but they that haue it you shall finde it expressed by all these places of Scripture Reu. 3. If any man will open to mee I will come in and sup with him that is when the Lord enters into a kinde of familiarity with a man when he vouchsafes him so much fauour as to come and suppe and dine with him as it were and to dwell with him and so Reâ— 2. 17. To him that ouercommeth will I giue of the hidden Mannah I will giue a white stone with a new name written in it tâ—at no man knowes but he that hath it that is there shall bee a secret priuy token as it were of my loue giuen him a secret marke of it that there is no man in the world knowes besides So Ioh. 14. 21. If any man loue mee and keepe my Commandements I will shew my selfe to him that is hee shall haue an extraordinary manifestation of my selfe hee shall haue such an expression of loue and peace that shall fill his heart with peace and ioy such a thing that no man knowes but himselfe Beloued this is the testimony of the Spirit I confesse it is a wondrous thing and if there were not some Christians that did feele it and know it you might beleeue there were no such thing that it were but a fancie or enthusiasme but beloued it is certaine there are a generation of men that know what this seale of the Lord is indeed you must remember this to distinguish it from all fancies and delusions this Spirit comes after you haue the water and the blood after you are beleeuers after you haue purged your selues and therefore if any man haue such flashes of light and ioy that witnesse that hee hath receiued the promise and that he is in the Couenant and for all this he haue not the things that goe before it now thou maist take it for a delusion I will come and sup with him but with whom with him that first openeth to me If thou open thy heart to the Lord whensoeuer hee knocks and comes to thee And so To him that ouercomes I will giue of the hidden Mannah If thou be one that art able to ouercome temptations and vnruly affections sinfull lusts thou maist conclude it is a true testimony that thou arâ— not deceiued but if thou be one that art ouercome with euery base lust with euery temptation thou art deceiued if thou art perswaded thou art in a good estate this is not the witnesse of the Spirit for it is to him that ouercomes So againe to him that loues me and keepes my CommandemeÌ„ts c. Now if thou be one that breaks the CoÌ„mandements of God that find'st not that holy fire in thy brest that find'st not thy heart affectioned to him and yet thou hast tâ—ese great flashes of assurance and tâ—inkst thy state good beloued you deceiue your selues whose case soeuer it is the Lord hath not shewed himselfe to thee bâ—t it is a delusion a fancy and therefore I say consider it and this is the consequent of it that he that hath it is able to pray So I will conclude all he is able to cry Abba Father If thou haue such an assurance of a good estate and yet art not able to pray thou art deceiued likewise for that is the property of the Spirit it makes a man cry to God and call him Father You will say Is this such a matter euery man can pray Beloued it is another thing then the world iâ—agines it to be he that hath this spirit is mighty in prayer he is able to wrestle with God as Iacob did by the spirit of Adoption hee had power with God as it is said there and he is able to preuaile with the Lord and why because he can speake to him as to a Father he can continue in prayer and watch ther euntâ— with all perseuerance he can speake to him as one that he is well acquainted with he can not only speake remissâ—ly but he can cry Abba Father that shewes feruency in his prayer there is no man in the world that is able to doe it besides We see a description of other men
Esay 33. 14. when they are troubled they are not able to pray indeed they may haue formes of prayer that they may vse in times of peace but beloued let any great trouble come vpon them let them be put to it and then you shall finde they are not able to doe it but they runne away from God as fast as they can at that time they are not able to come and say Thou art my Father I beseech thee heare me I beseech thee pitty me and forgiue me no but they tremble at Gods presence as the Thiefe doth at the presence of the Iudge the sinners in Sion are afraid in that day when God comes at the day of visitation the sinners in Sion are afraid c. for who shall dwell with deuâ—ouring fire That is they tremble at such a day when the day of death comes when God begins to shew himselfe to them in the fiercenesse of his wrath when he begins to come neere them in the day of visitation then they fly from him as one would fly from deuouring fire they fly not to him as one would fly to a mercifull Father that is ready to heare them and helpe them but they fly from him as fast as they can as one would fly from euerlasting burniâ—g The like place you haue Iob 27. 8 9 10. For what hope hath the Hypocrite when hee hath heaped vp riches when God shall come and pull away his soule Will God heare his prayer when he cryes c. Will he call vpon God at all times A wicked man may make some shew of prayer to God in time of health and in time of peace but at that time saith he when he hath spent his time in gathering vp riches in heaping vp them and GOD comes vpon him suddenly and shall pull away his soule he teares and rends it from him for so the word signifies in the Originall that is he is not willing to resigne it into Gods haÌ„ds as the righteous man doth but he is busie about his wealth and God surprizeth him and rends his soule from him What will he doe in this case What will he pray saith Iob No hee giues two reasons He hath â—o delight in the Lord he neuerloued the Lord there is no such loue betweene the Lord and him as there is betweene the Father and the Childe betweene the Hâ—sband and the Wife he neuer had the spirit of a son he cannot pray for he delights not in God But he doth pray sometimes Yea for some fit he may be in some extremity he may cry as a Thiefe at the Barre may cry to the Iudge as he doth sometimes exceeding hard not because he loues the Iudge but it is a cry that comes from extremity and it is but in extremity and by that the falsenesse and hypocrisie of them is known So an Hypocrite may cry in the time of extremity but it is a cry it is not a prayer and it is but in the time of extremity it is not at all times that he doth it hee is not able to doe it for the Lord is a stranger to hiâ— he lookes vpon the Lord as vpon a terrible Iudge and therefore if you would know whether you haue the spirit of the Sonne As first thou shalt know it by that which went before and as secondly thou shalt know it by that which goes together with it the testimony of the blood the testimony of the water and of thine owne spirit So thou maist know it thirdly by this by the Consequents it makes thee able to pray and in the time of extremity it makes thee able to goe to God as to a Father when another flyes away from him as from euerlasting burnings So much shall serue for this time FINIS THE THIRTEENTH SERMON GENESIS 17. 2. And Iwill make my Couenant betweene mee and thee And I will multiply thee exceedingly THE point which we were in handling was this How a man may know whether he be in the Couenant or no I told you there are 3. waies to know it Let a man consider how Abraham came into the Couenant Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse If thou beleeue then thou art within the Couenant but it must be a faith that workes by loue if it bee a faith which workes not it is but a dead faith and if it doe worke yet if it worke not by loue the Lord regardâ—th it not it is true it is faith that layes hold vpon the Couenant but it works by loue faith is the point of the Compasse that fastens vpon the Couenant but loue is the other part that goes about that doth all the businesse it is that which keepes the Commandements it is that which quickens vs to euery good worke The second way to know whether wee be in the Couenant or no is to consider whether we haue taken the promised seede for in him shall all the nations of the world be blessed How shall wee know that If we haue the Spirit of the Sonne that is knowne by the Spirit it selfe the Spirit beares witnesse the witnesse of the Spirit as I told you it is knowne by that which goes before it by that which accompanies it and that which followes after This is the point that we were in handling and wee were broken off in the middest of it wee will recall it a little and deliuer it somewhat more distinctly to you than wee could doe then for haste First I say whosoeuer hath the Spirit of the Sonne he must haue before it the spirit of bondage Rom. 8. 15. You haue not receiued the spirit of bondage againe to feare but you haue receiued the spirit of Adoption As if hee should say there are none but first they receiue the spirit of bondage for there is no man can come to Christ except the Law be his Schoolemaster and the Law is not effectuall without the spirit of bondage neither the Law in the threatnings nor the iudgements which are the executioners of those threatnings you may heare the Law opened vnto you a hundred and a hundred times that is the particular sinnes of which a man is guilty described yea the particular iudgements yea the LORD may follow you with afflictions and crosses yet except there be a spirit of bondage to worke together with these it will neuer molifie an obdurate heart And therefore my beloâ—ed you must make this account if you haue neuer been affrighted with the terrour of God if you haue neuer bin put into any feare by this spirit of bondage be assuted that you haue not yet the spirit of Adoption If men would haue looked to the brazen Serpent without being stung of the fiery Serpents God would haue spared the spirit of bondage but beloued who doth it who is able to doe it Wee bee all in a dead sleepe and except we be wakned with the terrours of the Almighty there is no man would
seeke after Iesus Christ wee may preach the Gospell long enough and men for the most part turne the deafe eare to vs till the LORD open their eares by afflictions and especially by the spirit of bondage it cannot bee but there must be some precedent worke wee will not come home to the Lord without it Wee doe all as the Woman that had the bloody issue as long as she had mony in her purse or that there were Physicians to goe to that shee had ability to haue them shee would not come to Christ but when she had spent all when she saw there was no more hope then shee comes to Christ and was healed of her bloody issue so doe we so long as we can liue in sinne wee consider not the greatnesse nor the dearenesse of the disease but if we can but subsist with them wee goe on we come not to Christ but when wee are spoiled of all by the spirit of bondage when wee are put in feare of death that is it that brings vs home to Iesus Christ and therefore we must make an account of it as a generall rule there must be such a spirit of bondage to bring vs home we doe in this case as Ioab did with Absolon when hee liued in the Courâ— in ease and pleasure hee would not come to Absolon hee might send againe and againe but hee would not come at him till his Corne was set on fire and that brought him beloued except there be some such crosse as may make an impression vpon vs such a crosse as hath the spirit of bondage ioyned with it to cause it to wound our spirits as it is said they were pricked in their hearts when they heard Peter I say wee would not come home vnto the LORD wee must haue such an avenger of blood to pursue vs before wee seeke to the Citie of refuge And therefore consider whether thou hast tasted of this spirit and therefore you may obserue this by the way that when God doth write bitter things against a man it is not a iust cause of deiection for this is a signe that God is beginning a good worke in thee seeke not to put it off and to thinke it is a miserable thing to bee vnder such a bondage as this no but make this vse of it let it bring thee home to Iesus Christ. And heere by the way that men may not bee deceiued in this and say Alas I haue not had this spirit of bondage and feare and therefore I feare I am not right My beloued you must know for what end the Lord sends it hee sends it for these two ends and by that you shall know whether you haue it or no for if thou hast the end once if the effect be wrought no doubt but thou hast had the cause that produceth that effect One end is to bring vs home to Christ if thou finde thou hast tooke Iesus Christ it is certaine there hath beene a worke of the spirit of bondage vpon thy heart if thou finde thou art willing to take him vpon any conditions thou art willing to deny thy selfe thou art willing to serue him to loue him and to obey him And a second end is GOD sends this Spirit of bondage that thou mightest know the bitternesse of sinne and learne to abstaine from it that thou mayest learne to tremble at his Word for the time to come I looke to him that is of a contrite spirit and that trembleth at my Word that euen so as parents doe with their children they would neuer afflict and correct their children for that which is past but their end is for the time to come that they may not commit the same fault againe otherwise the parent would not lay any affliction vpon the childe and beloued know that the Lord hath this very end in sending the spirit of bondage thou must not thinke it is for thy sinnes past that there may be a kinde of satisfaction made for them that is not the end but the end is that thou mightst know the bitternesse of sinne for the time to come that thou being scorched once with it thou mightst not easily meddle with it againe and therefore if thou findest this to be thy case thou hast so farre tasted of the terrours of the Almighty that thou darest not aduenture vpon sinne thou standest in awe of the LORD that thou darest not bee so bold with sinne as thou hast beene that thou darest not meddle with the occasions of it that thou darest not come neere it I say if thou finde such a tendernesse of conscience in thy selfe if thou finde that that sinne is made terrible to thee that thou diddest despise before for it is the property of a carnall man to despise his waies I say if this be wrought in thee defer not make not dainty of applying the promises because thou hast not receiued the spirit of bondage for thou hast thou hast the effect therefore thou needest not doubt but that thou hast the thing This is it that goes before that which goes together with it I shewed you then is the witnesse of the blood and of the water and of our owne spirit there bee three that beare witnesse in Earth 1 Ioâ— 4. the spirit and the water and the blood by spirit there is meant our owne spirit enlightned by blood is meant Iustification by water is meant sanctification so that that goes together with the witnesse of the spirit The first is the witnesse of the blood that is when a man is humbled when a man is broken with the spirit of bondage then hee beginnes to make out for a pardon when he sees hee is arrested as it were when he is shut vp as that phrase is vsed Gal. 3. and sees what a debt is required of him and he is not able to pay the least farthing now he beginnes to looke out for a surety now he beginnes to hunger and thirst exceedingly after Christ now he is not content onely to watch with him to serue him and to obey him but hee is willing to part with his life and all that he hath vpon that condition Now when a man is in this case then the Lord beginnes to shew him the blood of his Sonne he begins to open a little crevis of light and to shew him the New Testament in his blood that is the New Testament confirmed in his blood shed for many for the remission of sinnes I say he begins then to looke vpon the promises to consider such promises as these Come to mee all yee that are weary c. and If any man sinne we haue an Aduocate and Let whosoeuer will come and take of the waters of life freely and Goe and preach to euery creature vnder heauen and tâ—ll them if they will beleeue and take my Soâ—ne they shall be saued I say these are all promises made in the blood of Iesus Christ. now he begins to consider these
of men is empty glory the applause of men that pleased him before he lookes now vpon it as a bubble blowne with the breath of men an empty thing hee esteemes it a thing that quickly liues and dyes and vanisheth hee seekes no more after it And so for the lusts of the flesh when a man before thought it the only life for a man to satisfie the flesh and the desires of it now hee beginnes to looke on it after another manner he begins to see the filthinesse and the bitâ—ernesse of those sinnes he beginnes to see that fleshly lusts fight against the soule as enemies hee lookes vpon them as things more bitâ—er then death more sharpe then a two-edged Sword Now when GOD hath enlightned a man thus and hath written his Lawe in his heart and hath taught him that hee iudgeth so of his sinnes and lusts now his sinnes and lusts are dissolued in him his heart is circumcised now they are cut off now the building of Satan is pulled downe and yet beloued this is but one part of this Couenant There is not onely this but likewise there followes this further when Christ hath written his Law in the heart that man hath not onely his heart weaned from all the finfull lusts that before he delighted in but there followes a wondrous forwardnesse and propensnesse to the Law of God to keepe it there is a wondrous desire to grow in grace to doe the duties of new obedience that by his good will hee would liue in another Element But in doing the duties and vsing the meanes by which he may receiue strength to doe them beloued when that Law is out of the heart when wee looke vpon the letter of the Law there is no such matter but when it is put into the heart when it is written within there is an inward disposition and proâ—enesse put into the heart If you looke vpon the Law without Thou shalt loue the Lord thy God and shalt feare him c. it is a hard Law who can keepe it but when thou hast it put into thy heart that is the grace of loue for that is to put the Law into the heart when there is such a habit planted in the heart a habit of feare and of euery good grace then there is a great pronenesse and aptnesse in a man and willingnesse to keepe the Law and therefore in that place 1. Tim. 1. 9. The Law is not giuen to the righteous they are a Law to them selues Beloued if thou fiâ—dest this to bee thy case that thou needest not the Law to set thee on with terrours and the threatnings of it but thou art now a Law to to thy selfe that is thou findest in thy selfe such an inward aptenesse and propensnesse to keepe the Law of God that if thou were put to thy choise if there were no necessity laid vpon thee if there were no threatning no Hell yet thou delightest in God and desirest exceedingly to haue communion with him there is nothing seemes to be so beautifull as Grace as the Image of God renewed in thy soule I say this will bee thy disposition and this is for a man to be a Law to himselfe for you know this common nature is betweene the Image of the old Adam and the Image of the new betweene the flesh and the spirit betweene those lusts that remaine in thee when thou art vnder the Couenant of Workes and betweene this Couenant of Grace and feruency in well doing I say common nature is betweene these two as a Bowle betweene two byasses Now the LORD when he comes to write his Law in the heart he doth not only knocke off the old by as of sinfull lusts that carried him out but he sets a new by as vpon thy soule that bowes and bends thee to the waies of God that still there is a strong inclination that carries thee on that way besides the Commandement that thou dost not euery thing as of necessity a man before this time it may be prayed it may be he was constant in prayer he would not let a morning or an euening goe without it it may be he would doe euery other duty but hee did it as a taske as a man that dares not omit it there is a naturall conscience in him that will be vpon him if hee doe he feares God will become his enemy hee shall taste of fearefull Iudgements if hee neglect it all this while he doth it out of feare but one that hath the Law written in his heart that is a Law to himselfe that hath a new byas put vpon his heart I say it still bends and inclines him to it he cannot doe otherwise hee longs after it exceedingly he is exceeding forward to it the inward inclination of his minde stands to iâ— This is the third way whereby you may know whether you be in the Coâ—enant or no if you finde that Christ hath thus taught you and hath written his Law in your hearts if you bee thus enlightned with knowledge that both the lusts of the former ignorance are dissolued and likewise there comes in the roome of them a wondrous pronenesse and propensenesse to well donig when there is a certaine connaturalnesse betweene good duties and thy heart when thou canst say indeed as Pâ—ul I delight in the Law of God in the inward man and if I might haue my desire if GOD would giue me my wish as hee did to Salomon that which I would desire aboue all things in the world is that I may haue a greater measure of the Spirit that my sinfull lusts may bee more and more mortified that I may excell more in grace and holinesse that his Image may be more renewed in mee and that it may shine more bright in all the parts of it I say when â—hou findest this be assured thou art in the Coâ—enant So much beloued for that point I will adde a second which is this from this difference whereas this is one of the differences betweene the old Coâ—enant and the new the Old Testament was made with the Iewes onely it was shut vp within the compasse of that Nation the New Coâ—enant is enlarged to the Gentiles there is now an open doore for them to come in there are now better promises more knowledge a larger effusion of the Spirit both for intention and for the extent of it it is to many more and beloued were it not for this Coâ—enant all you now that heare this Couenant of Grace preached vnto you and haue heard it often you had neuer heard it but this benefit you haue by the New Testament that now this good newes is come to your eares Beloued this God brings home to the Gentiles and they haue their seuerall times and this is the season that GOD hath brought it home to you euen when you heare these promises of Grace made And what vse should you make of it surely this Take heede of refusing the acceptable time
the Couenant so likewise you shall sprinckle the doore posts with the blood of the Lambe that when the destroying Angell shall come and see the blood hee may passe you ouer beloued after the same manner for the same end God hath appointed the Sacrament now when you receiue those elements of Bread and Wine Take eate this is my body and drinke this is my blood which was shed for you and for many you may goe to God vpon the same ground and say to him Lord thou hast made a Couenant with me to forgiue me to receiue me to thy mercy Lord these are the seales of thy Couenant that if thou forget them thou hast said that if we doe but shew thee those signes for it is the seale that God himselfe hath put to it thou wilt remember thy Couenant make it good therefore is is an exceeding great confirming to you when you looke vpon them when you may say to the Lord Lord here is thy seale that thy selfe hath put I beseech thee look vpon it and remember thy Couenant that thou hast made And as wee should doe thus for the promises of Iustification so for the promises of Sanctification suppose there be a strong lust hang vpon thee an hereditary disease a lust that is naturall to thee that thou thinkest thou shalt neuer be able to ouercome yet God hath promised to breake the dominion of euery sinne that he will crucifie the flesh with the affections of it that he will sanctifie thee throughout Beloued you must beleeue those promises of Sanctification as well as of Iustification for certainely where the Scripture hath a mouth to speake faith hath an eare to heare and a hand to receiue therefore when you grapple with a strong lust goe to the Lord and say to him I am not able to keepe this Commandement I feele this temptation is too strong for me I find such strong naturall inclinations that I am not able to out-wrestle Lord it is a part of thy Coâ—enant thou hast said thou wilt circumcise my heart thou hast said thou wilt put thy Law into my inward parts thou hast said thou wilt dissolue these lusts I beseech thee to doe it Lord thou art able to doe it as Christ was able to heale hereditary diseases so the Spirit is able to heale the hereditary diseases of the soule those that are most naturall to vs those that are bred and borne with vs and therefore trust him And so likewise for any other blessing go to him whatsoeuer blessing thou needest it is a part of Gods Coâ—enant he saith to Abraham I will blesse thee and I will be thy God that is let a man looke round about and see what blessings he needeth what euill he would be deliuered from and let him goe to the Lord and say Lord it is a part of thy Couenant to giue me such a blessing to guide me to deliuer me from such a crosse and calamity vrge the Lord and tell him it is his Couenant For example if a man bee in some great trouble that hee hath some sore disease some sore affliction as imprisonment or euill â—eport feare of death or whatsoeuer goe to the Lord and say Lord thou hast said that the rod of the wicked shall not rest vpon the lot of the righteous thou wilt affâ—ict but in measuâ—e thou wilâ— not breake my bones as a Father though hee chaâ—ten his childe â—ee will not breake the bones of his childe the â—od of the wicked to some men is the breaking of the bones they know not what to doe thou hast said thou wilt chastise vs according to our strength and thou wilt chastise vs for our good when it is too much thou wilt sâ—ay thy hand As for euill report a man may goe to the LORD and say LORD thou hast said thou wilt blesse the name of the righteous thou wilt honour them that honour thee And so for euery other particular case be it what it will be lay hold on the promise and comfort thy selfe with it it is a great matâ—er beloued when you consider this that God is entred into Couenant with you when you haue promises once therefore if thou finde a promise from GOD beloued build vpon this ground be assured that thou art one within the Couenant secondly if thou finde a prâ—mise in Scripture neuer let thy hold goe but the assured of this that the Lord will surely doe it though he defer long yet he will doe it it cannot bee but hee will performe it c. So much shall serue for this time FINIS THE FOVRTEENTH SERMON Gâ—NESIS 17. 2. And I will make my Couenant betweene mee and thee And I will multiply thee exceedingly YOV remember how farre wee are proceeded in this point for my purpose is not to repeate any thing of that which hath beene deliuered onely this wee must call to remembranâ—e that the maine difference which is betweene the Old Testament and the New it stands in this that the Old Testament was hiâ— with shaddowes and types in the New Tâ—â—stament there is a more cleâ—re 〈◊〉 of all things The things that were â—id 〈◊〉 Paul from the beginning of the world are â—ow reuealed vnto vs that is the great difference betweene them it lyes in this that there is a greater abundance of knowledge discouered to the sonnes of men now in the time of the Gospell then there was in the time of the Old Testament and from hence it is that now God makes a Couenant with vs and wee doe not breake it but saith he Heb. 8. I made a Couenant with your Fathers when I tooke them by the hand and led them out of the Land of Egypt but they broke my Couenant And what was the reason Because their knowledge was exceeding slender and therefore their grace and strength were exceeding little and therefore they were not able to keepe the Couenant there is no other reason and ground why the Couenant is better now as it is said to be a better Couenant Heb. 8. 6. stablished vpon better promises I say there is no other ground for it but this the difference of knowledge between the two Ceâ—enants for for substance they are the same onely in the administration of them the glorious Mysteries of the Gospell are more openly and more cleerely reuealed to vs in the New Testament then in the Old Whence wee will onely make this vse that if we would haue the benefit of the New Couenant wee must labour to get the knowledge of it otherwise it is no aduantage to you at all that you are borne in the time of the New Couenant in the time of the Gospell except knowledge abound except you take the benefit of it except you labour to vnderstand the vnsearchable riches of Christ that are vnfoulded to vs in the Couenant of Grace What is the reason why the Apostle Gal. 4. cals the Old Testament those teachings that the people had then
further First we are begotten by the word of truth it is the reuelation of the truth of GOD to a man at the first that renewes him in the spirit of his minde it changeth his iudgement it makes him thinke all things in a cleane other fashion then he was wont to doe thus he is begotten to God and he is made a new man a new creature now the increasing of the same truth that is it that builds vs vp further for whatsoeuer begets the increase of that also edifies and hence it is that Salomon so exceedingly magnifies wisdome and knowledge aboue all getting saith he get that There are many things that are precious in the world Pearle Gold and Siluer but this is beyond them all Why doe you thinke the Wiseman would magnifie wisdome so much Because this wisdome brings grace with it and therefore when Christ is said to be the light of the world he is said likewise to be the life the light he was 1 Ioh. 4. and Ioh. 8. he is the true light that lightens euery man And what is that light Why it is that light that brings life together with it Therefore Eph. 5. 14. Arise thou that sleepest c. and Christ shall giue thee light Now you know life is contrary to death but the Apostle expresseth it thus CHRIST shall giue thee light because when a man hath much light hee shall withall haue much life and grace and therefore this I will commend to you as one of the principall meanes of all other to grow strong in grace and in the inward man to grow much in knowledge Beloued it is another thing then wee are aware of if we were fully perswaded that it were a thing so excellent that it would bring so much grace with it certainely wee would study it more then we doe 2 Pet. 2. 20. saith hee You haue escaped the filthinesse of the world through the knowledge of Christ. That is that that deliuers you from the bondage of sinne that which enables you to escape the filthinesse that is in the world when other men are yet tangled with it it is because you know that that other men are ignorant of it is through the knowledge of Christ if you haue escaped and 2 Pet. 1. 2. Grace be multiplyed through the knowledge of God and of his Sonne Iesus Christ. Grace be multiplyed through that knowledge as if he should say multiply you that knowledge this is that meanes whereby Grace shall bee multiplyed to you That you may see the ground of all this there is no grace that any man hath but it passeth in through the vnderstanding For example What is the reason that any man loues GOD more then another but because God is presented to his vnderstanding in another maner then he is to another hee knowes God better then others and so for other graces Why is one man patient when another is not but because his vnderstanding is enlightned to iudge otherwise of the euill he suffers than another doth hee reckons them not so great and intolerable euils he sees another hand of prouidence hee sees another end in it And so What is the reason one is temperate and sober and meeke when another is not but because he hath another iudgement of pleasures and delights he lookes vpon them as on things that are enemies to his soule he sees a vanity and an emptinesse in them that another doth not I say all the grace that a man hath it passeth through the vnderstanding and therefore if a man would be strong in grace let him labour to get much light to get much truth much knowledge in his minde for certainely all the difference betweene Christians the difference of stature betweene men in Christianity the difference of degrees as one man hath a higher degree of faith and another a lower degree it followes from hence that one is more enlightned he hath more knowledge hee hath more truth reuealed to him which truth carries grace with it What is the reason that Paul exceeded other men in grace Because there was more truth reuealed to him then to other men but still remember that I deny not but that there may be much knowledge without grace but this is a sure rule there cannot bee much grace without knowledge the reason why any man is strong in grace and able to doe that which another is not able to doe that he is able to goe through those troubles and those crosses that another shrinkes at hee is able to ouercome those lusts that another is not able to grapple with it is still the strength of his knowledge that hee hath more vnderstanding of things that hee is better and more enlightned Ioh. 16. when the Apostles were to come into the world and CHRIST tels them what entertainement they should haue they beginne to bee exceeding fearefull alas what shall we doe in the world when wee haue such things to doe wee haue men to wrastle with that shall thinke they shall doe God seruice when they put vs in prison â—aith he feare not I will send my Spirit along with you and he shall helpe you to worke he shall coâ—â—ince the world of â—inne of righteousnesse and of Iudgement The meaning is this it is true when you come into the world you shall finde mens opinions exceeding false you shall finde Satan building vp strong holds in their deceipts and errours and their euill imaginations that they haue of things and saith he if you should goe alone without my Spirit truly you might besiege the City you might vse your spirituall Armour but you should doe no good but I will send my Spirit that shall conuince the word in the Originall signifies the refuting of an opinion that men had before drunke in and were possessed of the end of the Spirit is to sanctifie men now what is that way that the Spirit vseth to sanctifie men It is to weare out those old opinions to confute them to let men know they were exceedingly deceiued Alas they did not know that they were so exceedingly sinfull as they bee but when the Spirit comes he shewes them what natures they haue and what liues they haue liued they know they are other creatures then they imagined themselues to be for the Holy Ghost refutes that opinion and conuinceth them of sinne and of iudgement that is the Spirit shall shew men the beauty and the glory of sanctification of spirituall priuiledges and shall make them in loue with it so iudgement is to bee taken as you haue it taken in tâ—at place where it is said of Christ he shall not breake the bruised Reede nor quench the smoking Flâ—x till hee bring forth Iudgement to victory for it shall not cease till he haue brought forth Iudgement to victory that is by Iudgement is meant holinesse and beginning of grace or sanctification he cals the first part that doth but begin to smoke Iudgement saith he the Lord
by some particular actions 2. Cause Doct. Reas. 1. Ob. Answ. What sinceritie and vprightnes is Puritie Soundnesse Simplicitie Integritie What it is In 3. things The integritie of the subject Integritie in the object Integritie of the meanes Vprightnesse Approoving a mans selfe to Gods sight Vse 1. To examine our selues 1. Tryall 2. Tryall Ob. Answ. 3. Property He purifieth himselfe 1 Ioh. 3. 3. 2 Cor. 7. 1. Pro. 30. 12. â— Pet. 2. 14. 4. Obiect Ans. 4. Differences betweene the relapses of sound and vnsound-hearted men 1. Difference Acts 4. 12. 2 Chro. 32. 25. 2. Difference 3. Difference 4. Difference Rom. 7. 20. 1 Ioh. 4. 4. Rom. 7. 22. 4 Property He presâ—eth to the marke that is before him Phil. 3. 12. 15. Which coÌ„nsists 1. In ayming at the highest degree of holinesse An vnsound heart aymes not at perfect holinesse 2 Cor. 7. 1. He will not be at the cost 2. He aymes not at God 3. He wants light 2. A perfect heaâ—t followes hard to the marke Maâ— 18. 1 2 3. Lam. 3. 40. Simile 2 Ioh. 8. Reu. 3. 11. 2 Cor. 3. 12. Eph. 5. 15. 16. 5 Property With a whole heaâ—t Ier. 3. 10. Hos. 7. 14. 1 Tim. 6. 12. 2 Chron. 7. 14. Hosea 7. 16. 2 Chro. 12. 1. 2 Chron. 26. 7. 15. 6 Property He accounteth the Gospell wisdome 1 Cor. 2. 6. Heb. 6â—â— 5. Qâ—â—st Aâ—s 2. Quest. Ans. Foure Markes whereby to know this wisdome 1. It humbleth him 2. He knowes things as he ought 1 Cor. 8. 2. 3. He discerns things that differ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 12. 2. 4. His iudgement is changed Effects of sincerity 1. It exalteth God Psal. 148. 13. Prou 4. 8. 1. In matter of honour 2 Cor. 4. 5. Act. 3. 12. 2. In matter of profit Act. 20. 24. 3. In matter of pleasure 1 Cor. 10. 33. 2. effect Nothing moues a man but Gods command col 4. 12. Psal 119. 6. Act. 13. 22. Psal 123. 2. Quest. Ans. Quest. Ans. Quest. Ans. 3. Effect He serueth GOD with all hâ—s might 1 Pet. 1. 22. The intention is deuided when things are done reâ—issâ—ly Psal. 27. 4. 4. Effect Euery grace hath its perfect worke Iam. 1. 2 3 4. Heb. 17. 1. Obiect Ans. Iam. 5. 11. 2 Chron. 25. 7 8 9. Men may doe much and yet want sauing grace Vers. 16. 2 Chro 11. 2 3 4. Rom. 4. 19. Obiect Ans. True grace may be interrupted Rom. 1. 18. 2 Pet. 3. 5. Mat. 13. 15. Ioh. 3. 21. 5. Property or effect The Spâ—â—it is quieted Iam. 3. 17. Last effect of sincerite To see God Mat. 5. 8. 1. In his attributes 2. In his works of prouidence 3. In his guidance and direction 4. In his Ordinances Gen. 17. 7. Doct. Twofold Couenant 1. of workes 2. of grace A threesold difference between them 1. Difference 2. Difference Gal. 4. 24. Heb. 12. 18. 3. Difference Heb. 8. 8 9 10. The Metaphor of writing the Law in mans heart explained 3. wayes Couenant of Grace twofold Six differences between them Gal. 4. Heb. 8. 18. Ex. 2â— Heb. 8. 10. Heb. 8. 6. Vse 1. Vse 2. 2 Pet. 1. 4. Heb. 9. 14. Gal. 3. Gal. 5. 2. Difference Quest. Ans. Quest. Ans. Reâ— 2. 3. Vse To mortifie sinne by applying the promise of free pardon 2 Cor. 3. 6. Heb. 9. 14. Gal. 3. â— A double infusion of the Spirit 2 Pet. 1. 4. Rom. 6. 1 2 3. Vse 4. 1. The Couenant 2. The Condition of the Couenant which is faith Reasons why faith is the Condition 2. Reason Gal. 3. 21. 3. Reason 4. Reason 3. The confirmation of the Couenant Gal. 3. 15. 5. Obiections against it 1. Obiect Ans. 2. Obiect Ans. Obiect Ans. Rom. 11. 17. Obiect Ans. Quest. Ans. Act. 2. 1 Sam. 12. 18. Ezra 10. 9. Act. 16. Eph. 5. 1 Ioh. 3. 3. 1 Ioh. 3. Eph. 1. 13. Râ—u 3. 20. Reu. 2. 17. Ioâ— 14. 21. Iob 27. 8 9 10. Obiect Ans. Wayes to know whether we are in the Couenant or no. Rom. 8. 15. Obiect Ans. Gal. 3. Quest. Ans. Six consequents of the Spirit 1. A spirit of prayer 2. Loue. 3. Clâ—nsing a mans selfe 4. Peace 5. Humility 6. Not to receiue the spirit â—f bondagâ— againe Third way of knowing whâ—ther we be in the Couenant is by our kâ—owledge which hath â— properties 1. It circumseth the heart id est subdueth Iusts 1 Lust of the eyes 2 Pride of life Simile Take the present opportunity Heb. 8. Vse To labour for knowledge Gal. 4. 9. Growing in kdowledge increaseth grace 2. Pet. 3. 17. 2 Cor. 3. 16. Ioh. 17. 17. Eph. 5. 14. 2 Pet. 2. 20. 2 Pet. 1. 2. 1 Cor. 1. 5. 〈…〉 When the Couenant 〈◊〉 broken Obiect Ans. Two rules to know whether we haue broken the Couenant 1 Rule â—ooke to thy heart Iam. 4. 2. Rule Looke to the effects Obiect Ans. Vse Heb. 10. Heb. 7. Heb. 10. 28. Heb. 11. Eph. 2. Obiect Ans. Obiect Ans. Deut. 32. Ob. Answ. Eccles. 8. 16. Consectarie Consectarie Eccles. 9. 3. Doct. It is a hard thing to be persâ—aded of Gods All-sufficiencie The holy Ghost must perswade Ob. Answ. Iohn 16. Reas. 1. God onely wise and therfore able to perswade Reas. 2. God onely knowes the severall turnings of the heart Ier. 17. 9. Simile Reas. 3. God onely can amend the heart Vse Why one man trusteth God and not another Iohn 16. 13. Ephes 1. 18. Doct. 3. All things are in Gods hands Math. 11. 27. Ioh. 3. 35. 1 Cor. 15. 24. Psal. 2. 8. Quest. Ans. Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Exod 33. 3. Reas. 3. Reas. 4. Deut. 8. 18. Vse Levit. 17. 5. Vse 2. Phil. 2. 8. 9. Ephes. 3. 12. Thankfulnes Doct. 3. All men divided into two Rankes Reas. 1. Reas. 2. Deut. 32. 9. Reas. 3. Vse 1. Vse 2. Ephes. 5. 6. Quest. Answ. Fouretryals Goodnesse which consists in foure things Mat. 7. 16. 17. 2. Tim. 2. 21. Act. 10. 38. Difference 1 Cor. 6. 11. Titus 1. Ezek. 36. 25. Simile It is not leaving but hating of sinne that sheweth puritie 1 Ioh 〈◊〉 1 Pet. 1. 3. Difference Iam. 2. 10. Ob. Answ. Quest. Ans. How to know when we performe Gods Ordinances aright Ier 23. 29. Iudâ— 20. Mar. 4. 24. Iob. 15. 3. 4. Psal. 119. 9. Difference Simile Exod. 23. 10. Prov. 2â— 14. Hâ—sea 3. 5. Isa. 66. 2. Doct. 4. Things fall out alike to good and bad in this life Chap. 8. 9. 10. Chap. 10. 6. 7. Instances 2 Chro. 35. 23 God vseth a libertie in two things In Election In punishmeÌ„t and rewardes in two things Vse Reas. 1. To trie men Reas. 2. Tospare men Gen. 6. 3. Reas. 3. To hide events from men Rom. 11. 33. Act. 1. 7. Reas. 4. To bring forth his treasures Quest. Answ. Gen. 15. 16. Rom. 9. 22. Rom. 11. 22. Rom. 2. 4. Deut. 32. 33. 34. 35. Iam. 1. Math. 5. 10. Heb. 10. 36. Reas. 5. This life is a time of striving Rom. 2. 5. It shall not alway goe well with the wicked Because God is a iust judge He is immutable Gods blessednes requires it Vse Psal. 129. 3. Instances of the wicked Isa. 28. 24. Deut. 32. 35. Heb. 10. 37. Instances of the godly Iam. 5. 11. Psal. 37. 37. Verse 36. Luke 13. 4. Psal. 50. 21. The executioÌ„ not the sentence is deferred Ecles 8. 13 Ob. Answ. Wicked men die suddenly though they liue long Adversity and Prosperitie not truly good nor euill Ob. Doct. All things vnder the Sunne are subject to vanity Naturall things They are restlesse There is nothing new Mortal things Wisedome There is wearinesse in getting it Griefe in vsing it It freeth not from miserie Commendable actions Eccle. 4. 4. Are enuyed Great places Vse To see the change sinne hath made in the world Vse 2. To see the vanity of man Psal. 62. 9. 3. Vse It is an ill choise to loose heauen to gaine the creature Luke 16. 26. Vse Not to desire them ouer much Not to trust them ouer much Not to grieue ouer much at the losse them Vse 5. Labour to be weaned from them and to feare God and keepe his commandements tryall Doct. 2. Men of greatest abilities disappointed of their ends Reas. 1. No man stroÌ„g in his owne strength 1 Sam. 2. 9. 1 Sam. 2. 3. The Creature is ignorant It is weake Psal. 33. 16. God can take away the vse of the strength they haue Amos 2. 14. 15. 16. 2. Cause Men misse their times Eccles. 8. 5. 6. 3. Cause From the changes appointed by God Psal. 31. 15. Instances 4. Cause Vse Not to boast of outward things 2 Chron. 14. 6. 7. 8. Simile God delights to crosse men in carnal confidence To maintaine his own right 1 Sam. 17. 47. To shew his power To shew his providence 2. Vse Not to be discouraged in want of preparation Because weaknesse cannot frustrate Gods purpose Gods hand is then most seene God hath more glorie in that case Vse 3. Not to be over-ioyfull or sorrowfull for good or ill successe 1 Sam. 18. 1 Chro 5. 26. Vse 4. Not to make flesh our arme Ier. 17. Psal. 31. Isa. 51. 12. Why we feare men Instances of inconstancy Eccles. 8. 4. 5. 6. 7. Quest. Answ. Quest. Ans. There is a time allotted to every aâ—tion Eccles. 3. Act. 17. 26. Iob. 5. 6. Act. 13. 35. Reas. 1. Eccles. 3. 9. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Act. 1. 7. It is hard to finde out the time Reas. 1. To teach vs watchfulnes Reas. 2. That men may leaâ—ne to feare the Lord and depend vpon him Iam 4. 3. Proposit. Because men misâ—e the time they â—all into miserie Instances Haggai 1. Num. 14. Vse Not onely to looke to our actions but the time of them Watch our times in the things God commandeth Isa. 22. 12. 13. Watch opportunities in actions that concerne others Watch in actions concerning our owne safetie Luk. 19. 42. Ier. 11. 14. Quest. Answ. The causes of missing the time Directions to finde it Prov. 3. 5. Eccles. 8. 5. Act. 2. Psal. 25. 12. 2. Cause Of missing the time Luk. 21. 34. 1 Cor. 7. 4. Cause 5. Cause